Practice of the Presence: Carmen Acevedo Butcher

Since it was first published in its pocket-size 1692 edition, Brother Lawrence's spiritual classic The Practice of the Presence has remained in print, beloved by people of varying spiritual paths and religious traditions. Brother Lawrence's years as a humble kitchen worker at a monastery, often remaining in the shadows of his community, gave way to a spiritual life that was profound. Poor, living with a disability, lacking a formal education, enduring a time of plague and civil unrest, he found God in the depths of his soul, experiencing God's loving presence throughout the day.

Our guest, award-winning translator Carmen Acevedo Butcher, offers readers a bold and inclusive new translation of Brother Lawrence’s timeless work. With this new translation, Professor Acevedo Butcher frees it from its centuries-long prison of dogmatic, binary language and brings fresh, inclusive treatment that readers are sure to find transformational.

Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is an author, teacher, poet, and award-winning translator of spiritual texts. Her dynamic work around the evolution of language and the necessity of just and inclusive language has garnered interest from various media, including the BBC and NPR's Morning Edition. A Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year and Fulbright Senior Lecturer, Acevedo Butcher teaches at the University of California, Berkeley, in the College Writing Programs.