In the midst of all the busyness of life, Simplicity seems incredibly appealing. I was very excited to read this Book, The Spirit of Simplicity, to get a perspective on simplicity when it came to our faith. I am happy to report that this book lived up to my expectations.

Few people have ever seen or heard of The Spirit of Simplicity : it has been hidden for almost seventy years after quietly being published by the Abbey of Gethsemani in 1948. Anonymously translated and annotated by a young monk named Thomas Merton, the book’s author–who also is not mentioned by name in the original edition–is Jean-Baptiste Chautard, the famous French Cistercian whose only other book, The Soul of the Apostolate, has been a favorite of modern saints and popes, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

Every generation struggles with the question of simplicity. In the history of our faith, there have been no more eloquent voices calling us back to simplicity than the monks of the Cistercian Order, from Bernard of Clairvaux to Chautard to Merton–all of whom contribute to this powerful book.

There are a lot of great aspects of this book. I thought the editors provided some great context to set the stage for the book. The content of the book itself was great. It was enlightening and interesting. Though it was focused on a specific monastic order, I think it still has some great relevance to lives of lay people. I felt that the book was organized well, and this book challenged me in a good way.

My only criticism was the Latin phrases in the book. I understand the desire to keep some connection to the original works, but I felt like sometimes it caused me to stumble as a reader. Perhaps these phrases would be more meaningful for people who are familiar with Latin, but in that case, I think it would’ve been helpful if they were presented and translated in the same order and style each time.

This isn’t so much a criticism as a warning that the way things are phrased can seem confusing or even theologically off. I think the footnotes helped clear up some of this potential confusion.

Overall, I thought this book was an interesting look at Cistercian spirituality and a thought-provoking explanation of simplicity.