The Monks of Tibhirine

I had the opportunity recently to see Of Gods and Men, a French film about a community of Trappist monks in Algeria who had a decision to make – a decision to stay and minister in the face of increasing danger or abandon their Muslim neighbors. I vaguely remember the story from the news but I didn’t think twice about the men until I saw the film.

I’ll post my review of the film on Saturday, but after seeing it I couldn’t wait to learn more about the lives of these men and the circumstances which led up to the events depicted on screen. The other day I took the first step in learning more about them and it was a good one. I picked up the Kindle version of the book The Monks of Tibhirine: Faith, Love, and Terror in Algeria.

The book deals with three themes, the monks and their stories, what it means to be a Christian, and the historical and political events responsible for creating the climate in which the monks served, and it does so very well. I learned a great deal about the civil war in Algeria as well as about Islam (a faith I am not familiar with) and Christianity (a faith I know well). I also came away from the reading with an understanding of each of the monks and their struggles and motivations. I’m glad I didn’t read the book before the film, but reading it caused me to appreciate the devotion and struggle even more.

It was not always an easy read. There is a lot of information to absorb and I’ll admit a few points where I felt like skipping several pages. I am glad I took the time to finish it. I highly recommend it to anyone who has any interest in faith, community, a disciplined life, or the relationship between different faiths.

I can’t recommend it enough.