In Search of Friendship: Lessons From a Monastic Tradition

This book introduces us to St Bernard of Clairvaux through the lens of friendship. Close reading of Bernard’s writings, not least of his letters, brings out the humanity of the saint and reveals the role of human friendship in his life. The author shows how similar are the experiences of this twelfth-century monk, with his needs and joys, hopes and feelings of inadequacy, to our own experiences of relationship in our present world with its pressures and social media.

Liz Carmichael, Emeritus Research Fellow, St John’s College, Oxford

This fascinating and intimate portrayal of Bernard will inspire anyone wishing to explore the essential place of spiritual friendships in forming true disciples of Christ.

Nick Swanson, Baptist Union Church Minister; Spiritual Direction trainer, Launde Abbey Team; IPCS Pastoral Supervision tutor

Jennifer Campbell’s brilliance in the book is how she has curated original material from the letters and reflections of the monks that by and large speak for themselves-and yet speak directly into our own age. One cannot read the book and not have one’s own experience touched and illumined by the deeply authentic wisdom it contains.

Chris Blakeley, Director of the St George’s House Leadership Fellows Programme at Windsor Castle, Spiritual Direction Tutor