In his classic Second Book of Dialogues; Pope Gregory the Great lionizes Saint Benedict as hero and casts him predominantly in the role of miracle worker. Yet in his Rule; Benedict comes across more as a practical community organizer and premier spiritual father. In this volume; Terrence Kardong offers a fresh take on Gregory the Great's classic. He alternates between translated sections of the Diablo's and his own commentary. Crisp and direct; and infused with his wry and ever-present sense of humor; Kardong's writings sure to build up the spiritual life of readers and; equally important; to make them love St. Benedict..
#1628041 in Books Brent Tarter 2015-04-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.20 x .60 x 6.30l; .0 #File Name: 0813937094160 pagesDaydreams and Nightmares A Virginia Family Faces Secession and War Nation Divided Studies in the Civil War Era
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent Book to Learn About What Occurred Before; During; and After the Civil War For One Virginia Couple!By KIRK R MARUSAKAs a lifelong Civil War history reader and a former Confederate reenactor who was born in the North; "Daydreams Nightmares" is fantastic to read. This book provides the letters between George Berlin; an attorney; and Susan Holt Berlin; his wife; who lived in the town of Buckhannon; Virginia (later to become part of the state of West Virginia). It shows what they experienced and what their lives were like before; during; and after the Civil War.I learned a great deal about what Virginia white families faced during the Civil War after reading this book. You find out why southerners who did not own slaves were willing to support the Confederate government over the Union federal government. The author of the book explains each letter that is written by George to his wife; Susan; and Susan's letters responding back to her husband. The couple were separated during much of the war and managed to keep in touch despite all of the turmoil. Since our lives are so different in today's culture from George and Susan's lives in the 19th century; the author's explanations help us to understand and reflect upon certain passages.You learn that most Virginians; unlike the people in the rest of the South; were originally reluctant to succeed from the Union. George Berlin in a letter discusses what occurred after he was selected as a delegate by his county in Virginia to attend the Virginia Convention of 1861 as an opponent of succession. Berlin later votes to support succession after he is sent to Richmond a second time to attend another convention. Virginia voted to succeed after President Abraham Lincoln called up Virginia men to serve in the Union Army in early 1861. Virginia men were reluctant to join the Union Army because they would be forced to take up arms against other Virginians and possibly end up shooting their relatives or their neighbors.If you want to understand about families and relatives being split by their decision on what side to support in the conflict; this book talks about Susan Holt Berlin's siblings and how some of them supported the Union government. By siding with the Confederate government; as George and Susan Berlin decide to do; they ran the risk of having the federal union government confiscate their property. People in entire cities and towns in Virginia were split up over their decision to support the Confederacy or the Union federal government.I was surprised to learn that George and Virginia; despite not owning slaves; did not feel that the worth of African-Americans was anywhere near equal to that of white people. Even if it meant life or death. George Berlin; while on a pre-Civil War boat trip to New Orleans; demonstrates no compassion or feeling when a slave; being transported to another town; falls off the boat and drowns. Neither he nor his wife show no emotion about the incident after he writes to her about it. The racial attitudes of most Southerners were that the lives of African-Americans were not valuable at all as compared to white people. The letters show that George and Susan Berlin; like many southerners; aspired to buy a slave themselves one day. It was considered a way to demonstrate to people in the community that their family was moving up in society.Although this book has some dry reading sections; I would recommend it to any reader or scholar who wants to learn more the dynamics of southern white individuals and families before 1861 and between 1861 to 1865; and what transpired in their lives after the Civil War came to an end. Most Civil War books discuss the battles that took place. However; the real war was what people faced when they had to choose sides in this major conflict. The conflicts and the final ending of the war changed people's lives forever as it for George and Susan Holt Berlin; their children and relatives; in "Daydreams Nightmares."
