The Rule of St. Benedict (the rule) arose in an era when a great civilization was threatened by violence, economic forces that favored the wealthy, political leaders that lacked the trust of the public, and rampant xenophobia. The events that occurred in sixth-century Rome were much those like on the nightly news.Benedict was not a priest or religious official. He was just a young man disillusioned by a corrupt society that lacked compassion. He had a vision of a society in which human values...