"Most books are good enough if they mirror back to the reader what is already known and provide a new version of interesting content, but this book is more than enough, its brilliant! Monk Isaac Slater, OCSO, has done his lectio. We can read this book and learn how to do a restart of our practice." Sister Meg Funk, Benedictine nun, Beech Grove Indiana, author of Renouncing Violence ""Do Not Judge Anyone" is a jewel of a book. It puts in full display Slater's many years of disciplined study and the keen insight that has resulted from it, leading the reader toward a wiser and more compassionate way of living in the world. Read with attention, curiosity, and humility, this meditation on non-judgment becomes a kind of lectio divina, or holy reading." Vanessa Zuisei Goddard, author of Still Running: The Art of Meditation in Motion "Slater's "Do Not Judge Anyone" is a remarkable testament to just how great a gift the monastic vocation is to church and world alike. To a world and church often in thrall to phantastical images of self and others, images that distort the icon of God that lies hidden at the heart of every single one of us, Slater extends a spirituality characterized by that gentle, ruthless, peaceful, transparent, capacious, discerning, and eminently hopeful spirit that liberates us from our addiction to endless conflict. I will be using this lucid and accessible book in the classroom. Indeed, I will be returning to it again and again myself when I need to remember what it means to say: "For freedom Christ set us free" (Gal 5:1)." Jordan Daniel Wood, Assistant Professor of Theology, Belmont University "Navigating the complexity of human life with grace and a touch of humor, Isaac Slater moves us past the adrenaline rush of righteous indignation towards a practice of mercy. Drawing wisdom from both East and West, Slater overcomes the divide between me and you, us and them. Such an approach does not ignore sin, but rather refuses to let sin set the agenda. This is a wise and timely book in an age of division." William T. Cavanaugh, professor of Catholic studies, DePaul University A beautiful and honest reflection on what it might mean for us, personally and collectively, to refrain from judging others. And how the practice of non-judgement can help us create lives of healing love. Never have we needed this vision of inclusive love more than we do now. Douglas E. Christie, professor emeritus of theological studies, Loyola Marymount University, and author of The Insurmountable Darkness of Love "Do Not Judge Anyone" is not just a call to personal introspection but also a guide to fostering community and understanding in a fractured world. Slater's wisdom shines through, making this book a valuable resource for anyone seeking to navigate the complexities of modern life with grace and kindness. It's a timely reminder of the power of compassion in healing both ourselves and our society." Cistercian Studies Quarterly "A book could hardly be more timely and needed than this one. The book challenges the reader to go deeply into these stories personally to find consolation and wisdom in a time when peace, acceptance, love and the other identified themes seem to elude us in so many ways." The American Monastic Newsletter "The work of self-discernment and self-emptying that needs to accompany the process of jettisoning our passions is the major narrative of this book. The author is very adept in showing the fundamental spiritual paradox that comes from the teachings of our forebears. Only by first emptying ourselves of the passions aligned to judgment and coming to a deep understanding of our own inherent weakness on giving judgment can we arrive at that rarified point of being free to offer the same mercy we have received from the Lord." Abbott Joel Rippinger, OSB, Marmion Abbey for American Benedictine Review "A thought-provoking and revelatory analysis of why it is incumbent on anyone who follows the Gospel to refrain from the judgment of persons." American Benedictine Review
