The "Lost" Dialogue of Gregory the Great

"Would that we had more examples of disciplined imagination to bring theology and history to life! This “lost” dialogue, which sounds just like Pope Gregory and Deacon Peter, gets past and present into a kind of call-and-response. It’s as if Gregory’s 202nd successor, with his concern that women’s gifts to the church be celebrated and rights in the church be increased, were to turn his hand to Scholastica’s story. The book is instructive—and lots of fun."
Patrick Henry, retired executive director of the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, is author of Benedictine Options: Learning to Live from the Sons and Daughters of Saints Benedict and Scholastica

"I read the book with much interest and curiosity and was not disappointed. Thank you, Carmel Posa for opening the door. In this book, one can feel the love of monastic life and the feminine side to it."  
Aquinata Böckmann, OSB

"The Rule of Benedict, which programmatically begins its chapter on the 'Instruments of Good Works' (RB 4) with the double commandment of love and repeatedly invites us to prefer nothing to the love of Christ (RB 4:21; 72:11; cf. RB 5:2), is to be understood from chapter 72 on the 'good zeal' that is to be put into practice by monks and nuns 'with fervent love' (RB 72:3). Who could better illustrate the basic monastic concerns of Benedict’s rule than the woman—
traditionally regarded as his twin sister—to whom Pope Gregory the Great attested in the second book of his Dialogues on the Miracles of the Italic Fathers that she 'was able to do more because she loved more' (Dial. II,33,5). It is an excellent idea by Carmel Posa, SGS, to use her profound knowledge of sacred Scripture, monastic theology, and history, to finally give a voice to this hitherto marginalized female 'rule interpreter' by means of a hagiographical narrative and the method of 'disciplined imagination!' What an eye-opener and what a precious contribution to a deeper understanding of the role of women in the history of Christian monasticism!"
Manuela Scheiba, OSB, St. Gertrud’s Abbey, Alexanderdorf, Germany; Associate Professor of Monastic Theology, St. Anselm, Rome, Italy

"Despite the lack of historical evidence surrounding her, St. Scholastica is a 'treasure that prevails.' Balancing both creative and disciplined imagination, Carmel Posa’s The “Lost” Dialogue of Gregory the Great, enables Scholastica to emerge from the shadows to shine, instruct, and inspire. Carmel tells a credible tale of one woman’s agency and Spirit-inspired leadership—a prototype for all women who have been silenced and rendered invisible in the Christian and monastic tradition."
Patty Fawkner, SGS, is the former leader of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St. Benedict
"This book uses 'disciplined imagination,' a deep knowledge of the language and themes of the Bible and early medieval sacred biography, and an appreciation of the overwhelming power of love in the Benedictine tradition to create an imagined biography of St. Scholastica. The biography is all the more powerful for its prioritizing of the 'truth surrounding the holiness of women' over simple facts or surviving documented evidence. This book transports the ancient genre of hagiography seamlessly into the twenty-first century and demonstrates that a hagiographical reconstruction is a particularly useful technique for recovering women’s lives. This 'lost life' of Scholastica is a highly original study that is both completely modern and completely medieval in its technique and spirit. Perfect for reading in short extracts or in one sitting, this book is a rare treasure."
Elizabeth Freeman, Senior Lecturer in Medieval European History, University of Tasmania
"Carmel Posa's life of scholarship and as a Benedictine shines through here. Her storytelling is balanced and thoughtful and insightful. As a form of midrash/hagiography, Carmel offers insight (and maybe reminds us of) the important contributions of women to Christian monasticism."
Magistra
"Through a form of storytelling called midrash, Sister Carmel creates a life of Scholastica that recognizes the monastic tradition received from the desert. This is delightful."
Laura Swan, OSB, St. Placid Priory
"In reading Posa’s book, we find that the Holy Spirit always has always drawn both men and women to holiness, and will continue to do so. Even if those stories haven’t been written by the 'authorities' of a given era, the truth remains."
Today's American Catholic
"This book offers a hagiography of Saint Scholastica for today and presents a multitude of relevant historical and spiritual lessons to readers. It stands as an important source for ongoing education in the Christian tradition."
Conversatio

"A truly delightful twenty-first century work of hagiography."
Cistercian Studies Quarterly

"Carmel Posa has gifted her readers with a lovely and ingenious book, marked by intelligence, creativity, inspiration and a deep appreciation of the legacy of Saints Benedict and Scholastica and its enduring tradition. Anyone interested in monastic spirituality will appreciate and cherish this book."
American Benedictine Review