Ruth Haley Barton

Sacred Rhythms

Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton is a gentle but searching guide to the ancient practice of spiritual disciplines. Drawing on the Benedictine tradition of the "rule of life" — a personal rhythm of prayer, silence, Scripture, and community that structures the soul's journey toward God — Barton walks readers through seven core practices: solitude, Scripture, prayer, honoring the body, self-examination, discernment, and a rule of life itself. Her central thesis is that transformation is not something we manufacture through willpower or religious effort; it is something we cooperate with by creating space for God to work. The disciplines are not the destination — they are the "means of grace," the conditions under which the Holy Spirit can do what only the Holy Spirit can do.