(Adapted from his website.)
Brother David was born in 1926, in Vienna, Austria. He spent all of his teen years under the Nazi occupation, was drafted into the army, but never went to the front lines. After the war, he studied art, anthropology, and psychology, receiving an MA from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts and a PhD from the University of Vienna. In 1952 he followed his family who had emigrated to the United States. In 1953 he joined a newly founded Benedictine community in Elmira, NY, Mount Saviour Monastery, where he became “Brother David.”
After twelve years of monastic training and studies in philosophy and theology, Brother David was sent by his abbot to participate in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, for which he received Vatican approval in 1967. Together with Thomas Merton, Brother David helped launch a renewal of religious life.
For decades, Brother David divided his time between periods of hermit’s life and extensive lecture tours on five continents. His books have been translated into many languages. Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer and A Listening Heart have been reprinted and anthologized for more than two decades.
At present, Brother David serves a worldwide Network for Grateful Living, through Gratefulness.org, an interactive website with several thousand participants daily from more than 240 countries and territories.
Teachings & Links
Goodread’s List of Authored Books
Podcast: Brother David doesn’t have a podcast but a web search will turn up interviews he’s done with others, including this one with On Being
Social Media:
- YouTube Channel
- YouTube Search
- Brother David’s 2013 TED Talk has garnered over 7.5 million views: David Steindl-Rast: Want to be happy? Be grateful
- Facebook: Brother David’s page is ununsed but his Network for Grateful Living is very active
- Twitter: n/a
Nondual Christianity 