Pillars of Dominican Life
The four pillars of the Dominican Order are traditionally
Dominican spirituality can be described as a pattern of life that seeks to integrate prayer, study, community life, and preaching--preaching from the pulpits of the churches, 
whenever possible, and from the pulpits of our lives. From the beginning Dominic wanted his followers to engage the cultures in which they lived, to be creative, knowledgeable, aware, and responsive to human need. The pattern of life that Dominicans embrace includes: prayer in community, contemplative prayer, reflection, dialogue, passionate thinking, and simplicity of life. Dominicans are to search for truth; convinced that the fullness of truth lies only in God, but that life in community, devotion to the Word, reverence for creation--all lead to the possibility of living an ideal once described by Thomas Aquinas as "contemplare et aliis tradere contemplata"--to give to others the fruits of contemplation.
