The Holy Rule of St. Benedict
| Author | Saint Benedict of Nursia; translated by Rev. Boniface Verheyen |
|---|---|
| Format | Book |
| Original | Read the original |
TL;DR — The sixth-century rule for monastic life written by Benedict of Nursia, in Boniface Verheyen’s public-domain translation from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
The Rule written by Benedict of Nursia, abbot of Monte Cassino, in the sixth century, which became the basis of Western monasticism. This edition is the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) PDF of the translation by Rev. Boniface Verheyen (1844–1923), which CCEL marks as public domain.
After a prologue, its 73 short chapters set out how a monastery should be run: the kinds of monks, the qualities of the abbot, taking counsel from the brethren, obedience, silence, humility, the hours of the divine office, work, meals, sleep, the reception of guests and new members, discipline and the election of an abbot. It is often read outside religious life as an early text on community governance and daily routine.
What it is: a foundational religious text, in a public-domain translation from a long-standing online library of Christian classics.
Where this came from
- A copy saved in October 2026.
- Christian Classics Ethereal Library: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/benedict/rule.html
- Archived copy (Google Drive): Google Drive
89 pages. A copy is archived locally against link rot; the header links the original source.