Halfway to Heaven: The Hidden Life of the Carthusians

Founded 900 years ago by St. Bruno, the Carthusians are the most completely enclosed religious order in the Catholic Church. Living alone and in silence in almost perpetual prayer, the monks are the spiritual heirs to the early Christians, the Desert Fathers. As the only order ‘never to have been reformed because never deformed’, the Carthusians have been described as ‘the most precious jewel in the Church’s crown’. There is a Carthusian motto: ‘To make saints, not to publicise them’. Indeed because they shut themselves away from the world and shun all publicity, little is known about these monks, even among other religious orders. In this updated edition of a classic book, which includes new material, Robin Bruce Lockhart remedies the gap in our knowledge—without destroying the mystery of the order. Halfway to Heaven is still the most comprehensive book ever written about the Carthusians. It is also an awesome source of inspiration in the art of contemplation and prayer.