 Rating
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Critics and Readers Comments Critical Praise "In the wake of the September terrorist attack on the United States, The Monks of Tibhirine gives us an essential lens through which to examine the violent forces rending the Muslim world... His book paints a surprising picture of the bonds of faith between Christians and Muslims, and provides a ray of hope for the future."
"The story of seven men who literally lost their heads for Christ…is an especially valuable book to read in this present moment in history… Kiser weaves into his narrative rich, warm portraits of all the Cistercian martyrs [and] the Muslims who touched their lives."
"The riches contained in this book are many and varied...Chief among them may be the heightened appreciation that it offers for the rigors and allure of monasticism. Committed to lives of prayer and contemplation they became men of action summoned to achieve greatness and bravery under conditions of enormous duress. Life in what most of us call the "real world," appears pale by comparison.
"By Mr. Kiser's own evidence, Muslims in general are not at war with the West in general, or Christianity in particular... What he does quite well is tell the story, at once sad and inspiring, of very good men who took their vocation seriously and died for it." -Roger Kaplan, The Wall Street Journal "After two years of research and interviews, Kiser chronicles the vision that inspired the monks and the idealism and commitment that kept them in Algeria despite the increasing violence and approaching danger. Recommended for larger public and academic libraries as well as special collections on Islam, monastic studies, and North Africa."
"A heart wrenching story of French monks slaughtered by Islamic extremists in Algeria. Kiser builds up the drama leading to the monks death with the skill of a novelist... His painstaking characterization of each monk makes this an incredibly emotional story."
"Kiser's book is an attempt to find an answer to what is perhaps the central question of our humanity: How to live with our neighbor? What is the meaning of community? The lives of these monks gives thought provoking answers. Maybe we should all study the Benedictine Rule."
"Despite being a story of tragedy, The Monks of Tibhirine is ultimately an uplifting book and an educational one. Kiser offers lengthy carefully researched history of the political turmoil in Algeria and the on-going terrorist violence in the country..."
"Mr. Kiser's work is beautifully researched, and very, very difficult to put down. It serves a dual purpose, each one worthy of a book on its own. The first is to provide a contrast between the terrorist factions who abuse Islam as a tool, and the people of Tibhirine, who practice Islam as brotherhood."
"This book is a timely view of an Islam that is not just about hatred and brutality. The book is spiritually uplifting and extremely moving."
"An extraordinary and uncannily timed book about real modern martyrs as opposed to the current vulgar variant. A tragic story, thoroughly reported and beautifully rendered with compassion and grit."
"Couldn't be more timely. A fascinating tale of Trappist monks swept up in a story of militant Islam."
"Kiser's evocation of the friendships that grew between the monks and their Muslim neighbors is particularly poignant... He also does a good job of describing the kind of extremists who murdered the monks..."
"This is an important and very timely book....Tragedy can be transformed into hope if we do not turn away from our neighbor, whoever he may be."
Academic (Religious and Middle Eastern Experts)
"As people seek to make sense of post sept 11, this wonderful book offers much needed perspective..the inward struggle and conviction portrayed ennoble those who read it."
"This book is not the first written about the monks of Tibhirine. It is the first of this importance published in English, but it could well be the best among all those written in any language so far. I was struck by the accurate rendering of the portraits of each of the monks, by the description of both the local and national contexts [of the events described], by the depth of his comprehension of the Cistercian calling; and of the vocation of our Algeria Church. I think it certainly merits being translated into French. Thank you to the author for the conscientiousness of his work, and to have written about this drama in a manner that it deserves."
"...A remarkable book about love, respect and forgiveness. It should be read by people of all faiths who seek to live in peace... John Kiser makes the monks and the world they inhabit come alive."
"I could not put this excellent book down. I took it everywhere I went and read it when I was stuck in traffic, waiting for an appointment, before going to bed. The book works on so many levels. The prior, Christian de Cherge articulated what I have been trying to convey-that Muslims intuitively view themselves as keepers of Christian and Jewish "orthodoxy," not in the contemporary, but in the historical sense. The Trappist superior was a mystical adventurer who was convinced that Muslims were saved by their Islam and that Islam had something to tell Christians. The book touched me deeply."
"Kiser reconstructs patiently and impartially the sad story of an Algeria in which spirituality and violence, peace and war, great hopes and great contradictions are skillfully interwoven. The book is a testimony to the living pain of a country in search of an identity."
"This book made me want to live my faith differently."
"John Kiser has done a wonderful job in writing about this gem of a story. His telling of it is very convincing... the lives of Christian de Cherge and his brothers were a gift of hope."
"Kiser's book helped me to understand better the whole world of Islam through the eyes of these simple monks and it should be required reading for all religious departments in seminaries and universities."
General Readers "A must read shocker for those unaware of recent Algerian history. Beautifully written."
"An unusual and remarkable book: Part journalism, part psychological analysis, and part Judeo Christian-Islamic ecumenism, the author succeeds on all three fronts. A tour de force."
Prior Christian de Cherge believed that Islam and Christianity represented two authentic ways to God through love of one s neighbor and the practice of prayer and good deeds.
"This excellent book manages the remarkable task of juggling three important themes at once: the touching personal stories of a community of Trappist monks in Algeria, an uplifting investigation of what it means to be a true Christian and "live the Gospels", and finally an unraveling of the confusing and depressing story of Algeria's civil war. The framework for Kiser's book is the sad and unheard (in the US) story of the kidnapping and subsequent murder of seven Trappist monks in 1996 by a group of Islamic extremists. Using a myriad of French-language sources, including the diaries and journals of several of the monks and their personal letters, as well as interviews with family members and friends, and a trip to the monastery in Algeria, Kiser has crafted an fine work of history..."
"I love to read good books. It is rare that an author can integrate the chaos of the Muslim terror in Algeria of the last decade and focus it through the eyes of seven Trappist monks so that we can understand man's inhumanity to man and be willing to accept it. John Kiser deserves all the accolades on the dust jacket of his work."
"I would recommend this book to anyone who shares Kiser's desire to truly understand what has "gone wrong" and what might "go right" in Muslim-Christian relations. If used in an academic classroom environment, Kiser's well-researched and thoughtful prose narrative would provide valuable supplementation to more standard textbook treatment of Muslim-Christian relations and the modern Middle East.
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