c. AD 480-c. 547 · Italian monastic founder whose Rule shaped Western monastic life
Posthumous or imagined likeness of Benedict of Nursia. Source · Public domain
About Benedict of Nursia
Benedict of Nursia (c. 480–c. 547) was an Italian monastic founder traditionally associated with Monte Cassino. Gregory the Great’s Dialogues provide the main early narrative of his life. The Rule attributed to him became the most influential guide for Western monastic life, balancing ascetic discipline with moderation, obedience and communal stability.
The Rule of St Benedict is a concise manual for forming a stable monastic community. It opens by calling the monastery a school for the Lord’s service and asks what kind of person desires life.
