Purity of heart in early ascetic and monastic literature

essays in honor of Juana Raasch, O.S.B.

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These essays honor the memory of Juana Raasch, O.S.B. (1927-1974), one of the first Benedictine women in America to consider the subject of early monasticism by returning to the texts and sources of the early ascetical movements. A student of classical languages as well as monasticism, she researched in particular the subject of "purity of heart" in early Christian texts. Her work is a valuable resource for those interested in monastic movements or in patristic studies.Sixteen monastic and patristic scholars in this volume honor Juana Raasch's scholarship by providing essays examining the understanding of "purity of heart" from Old Testament literature to the Rule of Benedict.