Imagine the enduring legacy and ancient hagiographical method used to recover the missing life and voice of St. Scholastica of Nursia.
In
The ‘Lost’ Dialogue of Gregory the Great, Carmel Posa, SGS, applies a “disciplined imagination” and the ancient hagiographical method to recover the missing life and voice of St. Scholastica of Nursia. Drawing on a wide range of scholarship, including Gregory the Great’s four famous dialogues, biblical models, and the Rule of Benedict, Posa follows a technique similarly used by Saint Gregory himself to create an engaging and credible account of Scholastica’s life.
In
The ’
Lost’ Dialogue of Gregory the Great, Posa’s use of the hagiographical method as a “disciplined imagination” serves as a tool for the repositioning of women’s lives in history. By presenting a “lost life” of Scholastica into the hagiographic record of Christianity, she gifts the Church for today with the story of a beloved saint that will not only inspire readers but encourage them to ponder more searchingly the sources of the wisdom contained in Benedict’s remarkable Rule. Carmel’s careful methodology also offers readers an image of Scholastica that has a spiritual standing apart from her famous and holy brother. She retrieves the enduring legacy of Scholastica from the margins and places her into the center of monastic history, in particular and church history, in general. Oblates, Benedictines, and those interested in monastic spirituality will also be challenged to reconsider those women whose voices have been erased, devalued, or ignored over the centuries and inspired to “listen carefully” to the whispered words and wisdom of women as we mark our journey together into a future full of hope, with Christ and his Gospel for our guide.
Circa l’autore
Michael Casey, OCSO, has been a monk of Tarrawarra Abbey (Australia) since 1960. In the intervening years he has conducted many retreats and workshops on every continent (except Antarctica) and has written many articles on topics relating to monastic history and spirituality. He is also the author of many books, including The Road to Eternal Life: Reflections on the Prologue of Benedict's Rule and Seventy-Four Tools for Good Living: Reflections on the Fourth Chapter of Benedict’s Rule, both from Liturgical Press.