Category: around the web

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Two lists

Listverse offers a list of ten modern hermits:

  1. Valerio Ricetti (1898—1952)
  2. Noah John Rondeau (1883—1967)
  3. Robert Harrill (1893—1972)
  4. Arthur Leslie Darwin (1879—1977)
  5. Despina Achladioti (1890—1982)
  6. Manfred Gnädinger (1940—2002)
  7. Richard Proenneke (1916—2003)
  8. Willard Kitchener MacDonald (1916—2004)
  9. Józef “Fred” Stawinoga (1920—2007)
  10. Tom Leppard (1934—present)

The US magazine Saturday Evening Post offers “Resources for Would-be Hermits.” The list for reading consists of: the newsletter “Raven’s Bread,” the book Consider The Ravens: On Contemporary Hermit Life by Paul A. and Karen Karper Fredette, Sister Laurel O’Neal’s blog, “Notes from Stillsong Hermitage,” and the book Thoughts In Solitude by Thomas Merton.

Also listed are “Famous American Hermits”: Robert Voorhis, Dorothy Molter, Richard Proenneke, and Daniel Suelo.

NOTE: These two items appear just after news of the arrest of the Maine “hermit” Christopher Knight races across web media sites, perpetuating a negative image of hermits, who have never lived by stealing. Given the sparsity of the two lists above, one may wonder about their timely appearance.

ListVerse URL: http://listverse.com/2013/04/11/10-modern-day-hermits/
Saturday Evening Post URL: http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2013/04/11/in-the-magazine/trends-and-opinions/hermit-resources.html

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Modern hermits & Crusoes

A page of the web site io9.com offers a colorful collection of what it calls “Modern day hermits and Robinson Crusoes,” some familiar to Hermitary visitors, others new.

URL: http://io9.com/modern-day-hermits-and-robinson-crusoes-470874532

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Solitude in Judaism

An article on solitude in Jewish contemplative practice, from the blog Jewish Contemplatives. The little essay serves as a useful introduction to the topic, as in these important observations:

The two main reasons for the apparent dearth of solitary practice in Judaism are its insistent focus on communal activity and its objections to life-long celibacy. Judaism does not generally encourage physical withdrawal from society, it encourages the pursuit of justice and mercy through social action. Judaism does not encourage monastic celibacy as a way of expressing devotion, dedication, or as a spiritual technique. Instead it regards procreation (Genesis 1:28) and the education of children by the family unit (Deuteronomy 6:7) to be positive mitzvot — commandments to be observed. It also insists that communal liturgical prayer is the ideal form of Jewish worship, and it makes the presence of a minyan (ten worshipers) the condition for many full liturgical usages in order to assert this directive somewhat forcefully.

Nevertheless, if we look at the lives of Jews with a leaning towards meditation, contemplation, and meticulous religious observance we may find surprising and highly significant anomalies in the practice of religious solitude. I am not merely referring to fringe pietist groups or minority eccentrics here, but towering figures like Moses our Teacher, Elijah the prophet, Rabbi Isaac Luria the eminent kabbalist, and the Baal Shem Tov, founder of “modern” chassidism. These are not Jews on the fringe. They are the generators and exemplars of quintessential Jewish spiritual practice.

URL: http://jewishcontemplatives.blogspot.com/2012/02/solitude-in-jewish-contemplative.html

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Essays of interest

Eric S. Fallick offers several essays on Platonism and Platonic-inspired interpretations at his website “Essays and Translations.” Of relevance to eremitism are “A Few Thoughts on Renunciation,” “The Practice of Contemplation,” “An Excerpt from Damascius’ Life of Isidore/The Philosophic History,” about a pre-Christian Greek renunciant, and “Homer on the Limitations of Institutionalized Monasticism: The Aeolus Episode of the Odyssey.”

Brought to our attention by a friend of Hermitary.

URL: http://independent.academia.edu/EricFallick
OLD URL: http://www.eumaiosllc.com

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Forthcoming film: “Jesus Prayer”

Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer is a documentary film by Morris Chumley and John McGuckin scheduled for release in early 2011. A companion book published by HarperOne will be available. A trailer is available at the film website and clips are available on YouTube by searching under the user/contributor (see links below).

The authors’ summary of the film content:

Christian hermits, monks and nuns share their ancient prayers and inner wisdom for the first time on film. Never before has there been this kind of access to monasteries, caves and spiritual communities: from the Holy Lands of Egypt, to Mt. Sinai, Mt. Athos in Greece, Romania, Ukraine and Russia. Join Dr. Norris and Father John on an unforgettable journey of a lifetime.

URL of website: http://www.mysteriesofthejesusprayer.com/
URL of YouTube clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/thejesusmystery