'Solitude is solidarity with one's own being; it is oneness as well as aloneness. The religious person seeks solitude in order to seek God, to listen to and speak with God. Being alone allows the readied heart to encounter God. It is not good simply to flee society in order to get away from all people. True solitude has a positive movement about it - a search for meaning and presence, for God.'

This invaluable introduction surveys the tradition of monastic solitude from its earliest roots through to recent figures such as Charles de Foucauld and Thomas Merton. Belisle brings out the breadth, diversity and universality of the human call to silence and solitude.