Joan Chittister is a Benedictine nun, a leader in promoting interfaith dialogue, and a prolific writer whose books include the popular The Gift of Years. Chittister spoke to RBL about her new and forthcoming books from Erie, Pa., during a rare quiet afternoon when she was slowed by a thumb injury (“I had no idea there could be so much pain in this little area”).
RBL: How do you manage to write so many books?
Chittister: I am absolutely committed to not rewriting myself. A real writer is a real thinker. As we grow, the questions keep building up. As a writer, you have only one way to deal with your own questions, your own changes. I would write whether anyone read a word of it or not. I have been known to say to the members of my (Benedictine) community, ‘I don’t know what I think until I see what I’ve said.’
RBL: Explain what you mean by The Monastery of the Heart (BlueBridge, May).
Chittister: This is a way for people to form their own monastic groups;in essence it’s a new form of religious life for an Internet age, simply a contemporary interpretation based on the 6th century Rule of Benedict. We have over 1,800 members on the Web site (www.monasteriesoftheheart.org). It’s a new moment for spirituality, based on prayer, community, listening, personal conversion, stability of heart.
RBL: Tell us about Happiness (Wm. B. Eerdmans, Sept.).
Chittister: My book is a little different from many of the happiness books I’ve seen. The idea I have been pursuing these last six or seven years is, ‘What is fulfillment in this world that has for so long sold us the idea that it’s in things?’ Now, in the middle of an (economic) crash round the world, in the middle of things, now where do we go? What does that say about the longing of my heart and the richness and depth of my soul as a human being? You get older and begin to realize it’s time to review what life is about for you. Happiness is what we all say we’re about.
RBL: You do a lot of speaking. What do people want to know from you?
Chittister: What people ask me most often--that dictates my own pursuit of questions, no doubt about that. It’s usually a variation on ‘What is happiness for a woman and will it ever be possible?’ Two-thirds of the world sees women as basically functional, but not necessarily spiritual creatures who make a difference. People want to know how you can be spiritual when you are not institutional.
RBL: What’s next for women in the Catholic Church?
Chittister: This is a universal church and it moves slowly. It’s an organic growth. I believe that no seed ever sees the flower. Our role is to scatter those seeds.
RBL: What’s next for you?
Chittister: Following the Path to Passion, Purpose, and Joy (April 2012, Random House).
