The dedicated religious life of monks and nuns has a fascination for many of us – at a distance. We live in the world we have, and it’s hard to figure out how to do it in a God-filled way. The World is our Cloister is about the new religious life: a life to which a Protestant, Catholic, Hindu or those with no label can relate. It is a guide to living the devotional life, not behind the walls of a monastery, but in the world. It’s about engagement in the world as well as withdrawal, the balance between a life of action and one of contemplation. It is also a guide to the mystical experience at the heart of all religion. Beyond the barriers of belief and practice lies the stark and simple reality of relating to God: the practice of the presence of God.

A beautiful book. One would have to be spiritually dead not to find a very great deal here which is worth reading – and putting into practice. Faith and Freedom

A very good and thought-provoking book. Susan Hill

Jennifer writes poetically and with great wisdom – a book which is a balm for the soul – a grace-filled book. Lucinda Vardey, author of God in All Worlds

Whether Kavanagh is explaining temporary monasticism as put forward by Merton, or the emphasis on social and environmental action of the Brahma Kumaris, she is above all encouraging. The Tablet

Its greatest gift is that it reminds us that real people, living real lives, are following this path right now, all around us. It is a deeply human story. Simon Small, Author of From the Botttom of the Pond

Jennifer is a former literary agent, now a community worker, a writer, and an active, as well as contemplative, Quaker.