SYLVANIA—The University of Scranton Press has published a book by Mary Robinson, an associate professor of history, political science and geography at Lourdes College.

Her book, “Regulars in the Secular Realm: The Benedictines of the Congregation of Saint-Maur in the Eighteenth Century,” is a detailed account of members of the Congregation of Saint-Maur during this eventful time in history.

The Congregation of Saint-Maur was a uniquely French branch of the Benedictine Order. The monks of the congregation were particularly dedicated to scholarship and intellectual pursuits, offering significant contributions to the academic life of France. The book chronicles the lives and works of some of these monks before the French Revolution, their reactions to the French government’s law abolishing all religious orders in 1790 and their experiences after being forced to vacate their monasteries.

Dr. Robinson relates she was inspired to write the book while she was traveling through France with friends.

“Some of the religious monuments that we visited had been damaged during the French Revolution and one of my friends remarked that someone should write a book about all the religious buildings damaged or destroyed by the French Revolution,” says Dr. Robinson. “I thought this sounded like a great idea and I began researching the topic in earnest.”

Through her research, she noticed in most cases, the buildings belonging to male religious orders like the Benedictines, Cistercians and Franciscans had suffered the most damage.

“As I began learning more about these religious orders, I became more fascinated with the people who inhabited the buildings,” says Dr. Robinson.

“Regulars in the Secular Realm” can be purchased directly through the University of Chicago Press or online at Tower.com and Amazon.com.