The Problem with Isolation - Community, Purpose, and Monks | Joe Rutten

Potent with Steven Lawson

Does placing too much importance on personal individualism separate us from each other more than we realize?

On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by Joe Rutten, Director of the Benedictine Leadership Institute at Mount Marty University, to discuss the importance and impact of communal monasticism based on the principles of St. Benedict. Joe outlines his role, which involves integrating the Benedictine way of life into the university's curriculum and fostering a community-based approach to personal and professional development, as well as highlighting the essential elements of a strong community: honesty, transparency, peacemaking, and accountability.

About Today's Guest

Joe Rutten is from Sioux Falls, SD where he lives with his wife Laura and their four boys. He is a passionate visionary, respected for his work in Catholic education, faith and business integration, and professional leadership development. In over two decades of work in Catholic education at the parish, high school, and university level, Joe has found his calling in helping people of all ages discover a deeper sense of meaning and purpose to their lives and helping university students navigate the peaks and values of life as they seek to impact the world personally and professionally.

Beyond the classroom, he has been actively involved in the work of faith and business integration. His passion for helping men connect to their catholic faith through their work in business inspired him to create the Catholic Men’s Business Fraternity in Sioux Falls, SD in 2012. In 2015, Joe started an annual Faith & Business Conference in Sioux Falls for men and women of all faiths to help them take Sunday into Monday by integrating faith principles into business practices.

He is currently the Director of the Benedictine Leadership Institute and professor of Theology at Mount Marty University in Yankton, SD, where he builds the next generation of leaders through the Benedictine way of life.

Show Notes

0:00 Intro

01:10 Benedictines and the origin of the Benedictine Leadership Institute at Mount Marty University

05:12 Integrating Benedictine Principles into Education and Leadership

11:26 The Importance of Community

14:58 What Vows Do To Relationships

22:51 Four Types of Monks according to Benedict

27:47 Navigating Community in Our Tech Age

29:57 The University Bubble: A Microcosm for Community Building

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The Potent Podcast is produced and edited by Justin Sinclair, who also composed the theme music. Additional editing support and mixing by Aaron Feeney.

This podcast is brought to you by the Monk Manual. The Monk Manual is dedicated to providing best-in-class tools for helping you build a more potent life, and experience peaceful being and purposeful doing on a daily basis. If you’d like to be more intentional with your time and energy - please visit monkmanual.com.