The Ten Commandments: Laws of the Heart

"The Ten Commandments are laws of the heart, not laws of the commonwealth. They are laws that last, that lead us to fullness of life--beyond the culture, above the culture, and more enduring than the culture. All the Sinai Tablets on the walls of all the courtrooms in the land will not assure us of justice if we do not have hearts already shaped by what the sculptures signify. All the prayers and prayer meetings in the world which we hold in public schools in a pluralistic society will not make us people of the Law unless the law first lives in our hearts. And if it does, displays will not much matter. We ourselves will be their sign." --From the Introduction

Are the Ten Commandments just a set of rules or are they a way of life? How does each one call us to reflect on our life and values? What does it mean to love God and our neighbor in a world where violence, greed, and fear threaten our lives, our values, our hearts? Joan Chittister answers these and other questions.

Each chapter focuses on what one of the commandments means for us today. The final two shed light on the two Great Commandments, "Love God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself."

Joan Chittister, a leading voice in contemporary spirituality for more than twenty-five years, is the author of many books, such as The Way We Were, Illuminated Life, and The Way of the Cross. She travels frequently around the world speaking on spiritual and moral issues to large groups of people. Sr. Joan lives in Erie, Pennsylvania with her small Benedictine community.