Citadel of God: A Novel about Saint Benedict

by Louis De Wohl

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Christian Nonfiction. Religion & Spirituality. Self-Improvement. Nonfiction. The streets of Rome are crowded as Theoderich, the "barbarian" Gothic king, makes his triumphal entry into the conquered city. Suddenly a boy rushes into the street and attempts to stab the king with his stylus. Kicked aside by the king's guard, he is rescued and carried to safety by a young man. The boy is Peter, adopted son of the noble Roman philosopher, Boethius. His rescuer is Benedictus, a student, who becomes show more Peter's tutor, and tries to curb the boy's reckless determination to succeed at all costs. So begins this vivid story which follows Benedictus through a disillusioning experience with a beautiful woman of Rome, his years as a hermit and his work in establishing religious communities that were truly citadels of God in the decadence of sixth-century Rome. Peter, meanwhile, has dedicated himself to overthrowing the Goths—partly to further his own ambition and partly to win the beautiful Rusticiana, who has promised to marry him if he succeeds. Sweeping from Rome to Ravenna, Byzantium and Monte Cassino, the story reaches its climax in a dramatic fulfillment of Benedictus's long-ago promise to Peter: "We shall meet again when you need me." Here, as in all his novels about great saints of the Church, Louis de Wohl weaves an intricate colorful tapestry of violence, love and piety to tell with historical accuracy the story of St. Benedict and the tempestuous era in which he lived. show less

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Louis de Wohl Another of the popular historical novels by the distinguished de Wohl, telling the dramatic story of St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism, who played such a major role in the Christianization and civilization of post-Roman Europe in the sixth century. De Wohl weaves an intricate tapestry of love, violence and piety to recount with historical accuracy the story of St. Benedict and the tempestuous era in which he lived. Since there are no contemporary biographies of this major saint of history and the Church, de Wohl's inspired account is of significant importance on the subject of saint's lives for today's spiritual seekers. Having lived in an era of great immorality and vice, not unlike our world today, show more Benedict's story has a strong message for modern Christians who seek, as he did, to turn away from the wickedness of the world to find Christ in prayer, study and solitude. show less

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Common Knowledge

Original title
Citadel of God: A Novel About Saint Benedict
People/Characters
Benedict of Nursia

Classifications

Genre
Fiction and Literature
DDC/MDS
823.914Literature & rhetoricEnglish & Old English literaturesEnglish fiction1900-1901-19991945-1999
LCC
PR6007 .E84 .C58Language and LiteratureEnglishEnglish Literature1900-1960
BISAC

Statistics

Members
282
Popularity
113,884
Reviews
1
Rating
½ (3.59)
Languages
5 — English, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Spanish
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
9
UPCs
1
ASINs
2