Monastic Publications by Br. Steven Olderr, OSB
Br. Steven Olderr, OSB has been a member of the Companions of St. Luke since 2010 and is currently an active Life Professed Brother.
Samples of the texts may be found on the Amazon website. Both the Inclusive Rule of Benedict with Topical Concordance and Monastic Guide to Prayer were submitted as solemn profession projects. Some people play the piano as a hobby, I enjoy writing reference books and have been fortunate enough to get 21 published so far on a variety of topics.
Dictionary of World Monasticism; McFarland & Co., 2020, 205 pages; paperback $49.95; Kindle edition $29.99
Inclusive Rule of Benedict with Topical Concordance; Sister Moon Press, 2016, 446 pages; paperback $24.99; Kindle edition $9.99.
The Rule of Benedict has successfully guided people to God for over 1500 years. Although written originally for a small community of monks in Italy, its wisdom and humanity helped it spread worldwide. From its very first days, it proved to be a beacon for the laity as well.
This present edition revives a 17th century translation into Early Modern English, here updated for the modern reader. In keeping with contemporary usage, gratuitous references to men are replaced with unobtrusive inclusive language.
The most prominent feature of this work, however, is a comprehensive topical concordance. This gathers related subject material scattered throughout Benedict’s original work and puts it in one place so the reader can review Benedict’s thoughts on any given subject without the necessity of thumbing through a conventional index that lists only page numbers.
Monastic Guide to Prayer: What Monks & Nuns Tell Us about Praying; Sister Moon Press, 2016; 158 pages; paperback $14.99; Kindle edition $2.99
Prayer as a means of communication with God has been a constant of religious belief essentially since the dawn of recorded history. There is written evidence of its existence dating back 5,000 years, and it surely goes back much further than that. It is an essential part of all major religions and always has been.
Not all faith traditions have a monastic expression, but the observations of monastics–Christian and non-Christian alike–are particularly relevant nonetheless. The monastic life is essentially a life of prayer. It’s what monks and nuns do, and as such, they have much to share about the topic.
For all its corporate expression in weekly services, at its base, prayer remains intensely personal. Each individual must find their own way and what works best for them. This book provides a variety of viewpoints and observations to help the seeker on their way.
A Treasury of Monastic Quotations Arranged by Author; Sister Moon Press,2022, 707 pages, $21.99; Kindle edition $8.99 I have arranged this huge collection of monastic quotations that that would be of particular interest to Christians, but also including quotations from other traditions as well.
A Treasury of Monastic Quotations Arranged by Subject; 2023; 2,046 pages [over 1.1 million words]. This volume of quotations, arranged by subject, is presently only available in a Kindle edition, $9.99 The only book of its kind.