Monasticism Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
2
Monastic Life ◊“Consecrated life marked by the public profession of religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and by a stable community life (in monastery) with the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours in choir.” ◊ Catechism of the Catholic Church
3
Causes of the Movement ◊ Certified sacrifice to the Roman gods • Some fled to desert • Desert became a haven for all sorts ◊ Criminals, devout Christians
◊ Apostacy • Deny the faith out of fear • No way back into the church
4
Keeping the Faith ◊Origen castrated himself ◊Taking up an ascetic life in desert • Holy men attracted followers
5
◊ By late 4th century Christianity lacked “vigor” • Legal, popular, mediocre
◊ Sinners allowed back into the church • Previously apostates unable to return • Baptism delayed • Pope Callistus accepted repentent sinners back into the church
◊ Those not happy with this laxity sought God in the desert 6
Monastic Asceticism ◊Acceptance of Christianity meant fewer martyrs ◊Monks replaced the martyrs as spiritual elites ◊Monks attempted to live the Christian life to the fullest.
7
From Hermits to Community ◊Most abandoned family life.
1
◊Celibacy became the rule ◊St. Antony of Egypt among the first ◊Communal monasticism begun by Pachomiuus in 320. 8
From Extremism to Reason ◊Pachomius reformed the early monastic movement • Regular hours of worship • Regular meals
◊Introduced industries such as weaving and agriculture • Made monasteries self-sufficient 9
Membership ◊ Members only admitted after probationary period ◊ Members required to turn over material possessions/money ◊ Everything done for the good of the community ◊ Required to memorize parts of the bible
10
Benedict of Nursia ◊Born in Umbria ◊Studied in Rome ◊Withdrew to the life of a hermit ◊Established the definitive rule for monasteries in the West
11
Rule of St. Benedict ◊Built on predecessors • Basil of Caesarea and John Cassian
◊Best life for monk was cenobitic • Living together in community
◊Abbot ultimate authority • Only answerable to God 12
◊Based on dual principles of Prayer and Work ◊Monk had to show high character ◊Had to remain in original monastery ◊Abbot elected by the members 13
Benedict’s Vision ◊Ideal Christian community ◊Everything shared in common ◊All work together for the common good
2
◊Patterned after Christian community described in Acts 2:43-47 14
The Three Vows ◊ Poverty • No private ownership of anything • Personal possessions turned over to monastery ◊ Chastity • No committed relationships ◊ Obedience • To God • To community
15
Monastic Life ◊Orderly, but not too extreme • Better than general population of time
◊Clothing and meals simple, but adequate ◊Special care provided to sick and elderly 16
◊Regular times for fasting and worship ◊Humility most prized virtue • Monks held one another accountable ◊Eight times for prayer each day • Every three hours ◊Time for reading and meditation ◊Reading aloud at meals • Generally readings from the Rule 17
◊ Hospitality was important ◊ Priests were “tolerated” • they were necessary for sacraments • No better than the lay monks
◊ Rule promoted by Pope Gregory the Great ◊ Rule of St. Benedict became the standard for monasteries in the West • Spread rapidly between the 5th and 8th centuries
18
Challenges ◊No central organization ◊Each monastery autonomous ◊No way to ensure uniform application of the Rule ◊Individual adaptation was common
3
19
Order in a World of Disorder ◊ Benedictine monasteries: • Communities where prayer, work and study were the custom
◊ In a society where: • • • •
20
Prayer was ignored or regarded as magic Work despised Even princes were illiterate War was chronic
Lasting Legacy ◊Preservation of the Official Prayer of the Church ◊Dignity of manual labor and self-sufficiency ◊Agricultural technology ◊Manuscript copying ◊Education
21
◊Architecture, painting, sculpture, metal work • During the medieval period these arts were practiced all over Europe
◊Historical work • Monasteries became the place of official chronicling of contemporary history
