“Spirituality has to be located in distinct historical environments and institutions. It does not exist on its own” (McGuire, 154). The various contributors to Prayer and Thought in Monastic Tradition: Essays in Honour of Benedicta Ward SLG expand on that main concept throughout the text, identifying and locating personages within their historical periods, ranging from the earliest monastic traditions to the eighteenth century. For the most part, the contributors to this text do offer a sense of the historical environment while discussing prayer and monastic thought as expressed or experienced by persons known either in their times or ours. Several prominent figures are included in the text, such as Bede, Boniface, and Anselm. While these figures are well known within the monastic tradition, the contributors present a specific area of study in regard to each person. Both Rowan Williams' and Thomas O'Loughlin's essays describe the thoughts of Bede in two different areas, the paschal mystery and the Eucharist. Such essays, particularly in tandem, give readers an opportunity to explore, question, and seek further understanding of the thoughts not only of Bede, but also of all persons discussed, and the application of such ideas for contemporary Christians.

One example of a quest for application to contemporary liturgical practice may be found in Brian Golding's essay, “‘Desire for the Eternal Country’: The Laity and the Wider World of Monastic Prayer in Medieval England.” In reading that essay, one might be tempted to ask whether some aspects of the universal prayer and the practice of offering prayers for the dead in today's liturgy might be rooted in the monastic prayers for benefactors. Similarly, Renie Choy's essay, “The Brother Who May Wish to Pray by Himself: Sense of Self in Carolingian Prayers of Private Devotion,” presents prayers from Alcuin that are as relevant for personal devotion today as they were in Alcuin's time. An added aspect of this essay is the depth with which Choy presents how the words used by Alcuin affect context and meaning, in contrast to other spiritual writers such as Smaragdus of St. Mihiel and Augustine. The contrast Choy draws provides a scholarly review of the subtlety of language in shaping thought in each person's historical period and worldview about who God is and one's relationship as a result and consequently one's relationship with God.

While all the essays are well researched and prepared in a manner to further the study of monastic prayer and thought, some essays seem to be included merely because of the connection between the author and Sr. Benedicta Ward, to whom the volume is dedicated. One such example is the essay “Concerning Academic Translation and the Latin of Conrad of Eberbach” by Paul Savage. While Savage does present the difficulties related to translation, he focuses more on that aspect rather than on the effect the translation may have on a contemporary appreciation of the thought of Conrad. Another concern regarding the text overall is that some authors include a translation of the Latin terms and phrases used within the essay, while others presume that the readers of this text are well versed in Latin. Thus, the text is more suitable for graduate and library use than for an undergraduate course in monastic thought and prayer. Yet, because of the depth of the contributors' essays and the centuries that it covers, this text contributes to the ongoing study of monastic prayer and thought, illuminating the reader and providing insight into each historical personage and period.