The Yoke of Divine Love (Zeller)
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In The Yoke of Divine Love, Dom Hubert van Zeller provides an extensive and thought-provoking examination of religious life. In this “study of conventual perfection” Dom Zeller takes a deep dive into the meaning of monasticism to show, above all, how it is to be well lived. Drawing in particular upon the great Benedictine tradition, he examines religious life from the foundations up. Notable themes include:
- The purpose of religious life
- The meaning and purpose of the three evangelical counsels, poverty, chastity, and obedience
- Internal and external penance
- Individual, Liturgical, and Contemplative forms of prayer
- The common aims, principles, and progress of the religious community
- The manner by which conventual perfection is achieved, both personally and communally
By examining these various aspects of religious life in depth, Dom Zeller presents the ideal form of the monastic vocation: perfect conformity to Christ. This simple, practical book gets to the very heart of religious life, showing that above all, a vocation is fulfilled when the religious person lives the life of Christ Himself.
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Born in British-controlled Egypt, Dom Hubert van Zeller (1905–1984) was a Benedictine monk of Downside Abbey in Bath, England, where he was educated. Of his scholastic career he said that he “passed no examinations—merely by-passed them.” The author of numerous books ranging from scriptural commentary to fiction and biography, he was also renowned as a minimalist sculptor and cartoonist. He was a friend of Ronald Knox and of Evelyn Waugh, who described Dom Hubert’s writings as “characterized by vitality and elegance.”
