This dictionary of monastic wisdom offers an A-Z on how to be in the world, but not of it. In Chittister's initimitable style, she eschews the spiritual quick fix in favor of a solid spiritual direction that has stood the test of time. Each entry illuminates a spiritual quality we can cultivate, from Awareness to Zeal, Community to Interiority, Enlightenment to Yearning--and many more. Each open with a story from the desert mystics, then seques into a practical application of that value for our tumultuous times. Readers hungry for ancient wisdom that is ever new will find it in abundance in Illuminated Life.