Practice of the Presence: A Revolutionary Translation by Carmen Acevedo Butcher
About this ebook
Since it was first published in its pocket-size 1692 edition, Brother Lawrence's spiritual classic has remained in print, beloved by people of varying spiritual paths and religious traditions. With this new translation, award-winning translator Carmen Acevedo Butcher frees it from its centuries-long prison of dogmatic, binary language and brings fresh, inclusive treatment that readers are sure to find transformational. Brother Lawrence's years as a humble kitchen worker at a monastery, often remaining in the shadows of his community, gave way to a spiritual life that was profound. Poor, living with a disability, lacking a formal education, enduring a time of plague and civil unrest, he found God in the depths of his soul, experiencing God's loving presence throughout the day. His personal struggles and life-tested spiritual wisdom will resonate with contemporary readers as he invites us into a practice of Presence that is both accessible and deeply transformative.
For the first time, Brother Lawrence's work is translated by Carmen Acevedo Butcher, a woman of color and a renowned scholar of medieval texts, who creates a dynamic, faithful translation for a new generation of readers.
About the author
Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is an author, teacher, poet, and award-winning translator of spiritual texts. Her dynamic work around the evolution of language and the necessity of just and inclusive language has garnered interest from various media, including the BBC and NPR's Morning Edition. A Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year and Fulbright Senior Lecturer, Acevedo Butcher teaches at the University of California, Berkeley, in the College Writing Programs.
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection -- Nicolas Herman -- remains one of the most beloved spiritual writers of all time, with his book Practice of the Presence of God remaining in print since its original publication in 1692. At the age of twenty-six he entered the Order of the Discalced Carmelites in Paris, where the friar's longest-running job was as a kitchen worker. His spiritual wisdom was only fully recognized after his death, when his letters and a handwritten manuscript with the title Spiritual Maxims, or Ways for Acquiring the Presence of God were discovered among his effects.
