The Rule of Saint Augustine, written Augustine of Hippo (354-430), is a brief document which served as a guide for the servants of God. It is the oldest monastic rule in the Western Church. The Rule addresses chastity, poverty, obedience, worldliness, labor, hierarchy, charity, prayer, fasting and abstinence, care of the sick, silence and host of other questions. It came into use on a wide scale from the twelfth century onwards and continues to be employed today by many orders, including the Dominicans, Servites, Mercederians, Norbertines, and Augustinians. The Commentary, traditionally attributed to Hugh of St. Victor (c.1096 -1141), offers a wealth of insight on this important document. This edition was translated from the original Latin by Dom Aloysius Smith and formatted for publication by Chaucer House Press.

The Rule of Augustine, the oldest monastic rule with Western origins, still provides inspiration for over 150 Christian communities. This account of Augustine's contributions to the monastic spirituality of the late Roman world and of his achievement as a monastic legislator fills a critical gap in Augustinian studies. Tracing Augustine's progress from a philosophical to a biblical spirituality and his development of a monastic ideal largely shaped by Greco-Roman philosophical and rhetorical influences, Lawless also discusses Augustine's renunciation of sexuality, property, and worldly ambition at his conversion as a foreshadowing of the future vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. In addition, he argues for the existence of a monastery at Thagaste from 388 to 391. This book includes new English translations of the Regulations for a Monastery, the Rule, and Letter 211.

The four documents that make up the Rule of Saint Augustine, with two introductory essays

An introduction to the Rules and Customaries of the main religious Orders in Medieval Europe: Benedictine, Cistercian, Carthusian, Augustinian, Premonstratensian, Templar, Hospitaller, Teutonic, Dominican, Franciscan, and Carmelite.

The following dissertation concerning the Trinity, as the reader ought to be informed, has been written in order to guard against the sophistries of those who disdain to begin with faith, and are deceived by a crude and perverse love of reason. Now one class of such men endeavor to transfer to things incorporeal and spiritual the ideas they have formed, whether through experience of the bodily senses, or by natural human wit and diligent quickness, or by the aid of art, from things corporeal; so as to seek to measure and conceive of the former by the latter. Aeterna Press

In a series of seventeen conferences, Fr. Walter Wagner, O.P. of the St. Joseph Province of the Order of Preachers offers his reflections on the Rule of Saint Augustine. With wisdom and wit Father unearths hidden treasures in this ancient Rule and concretely applies the Rule to 21st Century Dominican Life as it is lived today by thousands of priests, brothers, nuns, sisters, and lay men and women. Enlightening and challenging, both brand-new postulant and wisened Diamond Jubilarian will benefit from this delightful commentary. The conferences were transcribed from the original audio recording of the 2011 Annual Retreat preached to the Dominican Nuns of Summit, NJ by Fr. Walter Wagner, OP and edited for publication. This book is now in its Second Edition.

The oldest monastic Rule in the West A giant of the faith, St. Augustine is well known as "the restless searcher for truth." His life and the Rule he formulated have had enduring influence on the Christian ideal of the religious life. This is a new, modern English translation of the Rule from the original critical Latin text. An extensive Commentary elucidates its meaning and its relevance to those who follow or study it today. Augustine's concise spiritual directions, based heavily on the Scriptures, cover such subjects as prayer, love and community, mutual responsibility, service, authority and obedience. He outlines the basics for exercising genuine love, the goal of all things -- indeed life itself. This brief but classic guide is as inspiring and applicable to the twentieth century as it was to Augustine's early followers. It clearly reflects his own vision and spiritual depth. As Van Bavel observes in his Introduction: "We could characterize the Rule of Augustine as a call to the evangelical equality of all people. It voices the Christian demand to bring all men and women into full community." The Rule of St. Augustine is, indeed, a Rule for all Christians -- religious and laity alike.