Our first community-wide book club!

Facilitated by Mary Ellen Plumb, OSB

January - June 2024

$60 for six core zoom sessions plus additional opportunities to connect

Humility is the heart of the Rule of Benedict, and the key to living a free and authentic life. Sister Joan Chittister’s teachings on humility, best encapsulated in her book Radical Spirit, will guide our six-month deep dive into each step of humility. This book club will be like no other, creating a community of seekers from across the globe, and expanding our awareness of how humility is lived today. 

Bringing essential aspects of Benedictine spirituality together–prayer, study, and community, through the lessons of humility found in Radical Spirit–these discussions will transform how you live each day more freely, fully and authentically. In monthly Zooms, participants will receive a teaching on humility, have a small group community to return to, and full group discussion to learn from, with specific invitations to practice the steps of humility between sessions. 

This will be facilitated by Mary Ellen Plumb, OSB, who was formed by Sister Joan’s teachings in the monastery and is a teacher on humility to novices in Erie, PA and to seekers all over. We encourage participants to buy the book, and perhaps even sign up for this with others in their communities or parishes. The book club is designed for both those who are new to the teachings, as well as those returning to the ideas again. 

Registration is $60 for six core sessions over six months, as well as an optional midpoint Q & A Zoom call with Mary Ellen on the themes raised in the chapters. Recordings will be available afterward for each session. As our online monastery spans time zones across the globe, we recognize the schedule won’t work for all, but did our best to find a time to work for most. We will schedule the Q & A after we hear more from participants about timing that works well.

*Must order the book separately. Find information and links to do so by clicking here. It is most easily available as an eBook/Kindle. You may be able to find print copies at local book stories or used copies online. 

*We do not accept Discover Cards; apologies for the inconvenience.

*We currently do not have a way of "gifting" this to others; email us and we can offer other ideas.

More details on the monthly core sessions:

Held each third Friday of the month at 11 - 1pm ET (8 - 10am PT / 4 - 6pm GMT - convert to your time zone here) 

• Two hour meetings include: a brief review and teaching on two steps of humility; personal reflection on what was most resonant in the teachings; small group discussion; large group discussion; and a bonus-optional 30 minute small group breakout going deeper on one of the steps of humility explored that day

Monthly Discussion & Reading Schedule 

• January 19: Steps 1 + 2 of Humility (Pages 1 - 52)

• February 16: Steps 3 + 4 of Humility (Pages 53 - 88)

• March 15: Steps 5 + 6 of Humility (Pages 89 - 118)

• April 19: Steps 7 + 8 of Humility (Pages 119 -  154)

• May 17: Steps 9 + 10 of Humility (Pages 155 - 180)

• June 21: Steps 11 + 12 of Humility (Pages 181 - 207)