Monasticism In Christianity Research Paper

To us, it is obvious that Monasticism made massive contributions to society after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. As Western Europe was in lawless chaos, monasteries were beacons of peace and discipline. Monks who were drawn in by the core tenants of monasticism (Serenity, Order, and Self-Sufficiency), and those who were talented in reading/writing became monastic scribes. These scribes wrote down copies of any literature they could get their hands on (both religious and secular) as well as daily happenings. This seemingly useless task ensured the preservation of western history and culture, as the several copies the monks made a huge difference, because the Royal Library of Alexandria along with the other libraries that were torched

Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ approximately 2,000 years ago; Christianity is one of the most influential religions in world history. Christianity developed out of Judaism in the first century C.E. Christianity is the life, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the followers "Christians." Without Jesus, there is no Christianity The Prophets of God spoke

As in all great movements in history, personalities or leaders are birthed. One such personality's ideals are interwoven throughout the foundations of Monasticism. "Antony is considered to be the founder of Monasticism. He was reared in an affluent Christian home in Egypt. Soon after his parents' death when Antony was about eighteen years old, he felt that God directed him to give up his possessions and live a life of absolute devotion. After selling his parents' estate, he retired to a cave in the desert, and there he spent his time in prayer and meditation

Monasticism was a way of life for those who thought everyday life too sinful, and decided to devote themselves to God, either communally in the monastery or lavriote, a life of solitude. St Benedict around five hundred and forty AD set down rules which were to become the basis for monastic life in the Catholic church; poverty, obedience, chastity, and work. In these monasteries theology was preserved. A different form of monasticism developed in Ireland due to the fact it was isolated from the rest of Europe. Monks were more like the hermits of Egypt rather those of Roman Christianity. Scholarship developed in these monasteries, also a new form of art called Hiberno-Saxon. These monasteries kept literacy skills alive. Monks would transcribe and decorate sacred texts by hand. Such texts include the Book of Kells and the Lindisfaire

When thinking about a medieval monastery the first thing that comes to mind is the origin of the word monastery which comes from the Greek monos, meaning alone. Monasticism in itself is a way of life that is devoted to God in seclusion. A large part of monasticism is isolation, not only from the neighbors but from family. When taking the vows to be a monk one not only completely devotes ones life to God but all friends, family and earthly possessions are left behind. Taking the vows of monasticism takes brutal dedication and severe strength. What pushed Guibert of Nogent into monasticism is that his mother withdrew from the world after his father’s death. During that time he was left alone and

Christianity is one of the most dominant religions in the world today and has a long and complex history. Although Christianity has its roots in Judaism, it was greatly influenced by the culture of the Greeks and Romans it developed in. The Greco-Roman world was polytheistic and full of deities that were petty and faulted. As a young religion Christianity shares aspects with the religions around it, namely in the central stories. Eventually Christianity spread through the Roman Empire and to the rest of the world.

1) How did monasticism help to spread Christianity Originating from Buddhism, Buddhist students established monastic communities (Berger 86) which created the foundation for the monistic setting circa 563 -480 BCE (Berger 106) which consisted of study, moral conduct and meditation. Monasticism or the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to devote oneself entirely to religious work and practice. Monasticism was key to the spread of Christianity through missionaries, people who spread the word of God. First Monasticism established missionaries later formed monasteries throughout Greek Speaking world then to Northern Europe, and later the rest of the world. Monasteries, contributed to the preservation of literary work including biblical writing.

Shortly after the time of his death in the middle 4th century, a formal monastery was constructed on the burial site of Anthony. This monastery is the oldest Eastern Christian monastery in the world. His influence led to many other traditions founding communities across the East which brought monks into life together for the purpose of working, studying and worshiping.

The beginning of Christian monasticism can be divided into two main types, the eremitical or solitary and the coenobitical or family type. St. Anthony may be called the founder of the purely eremitical system or hermit life style living out in the desert, while St. Pachomius was the founder of the second less solitary and more community based way of life. The rule of St. Anthony or the Antonian system left the monks way of life up to his own discretion. This contrasted the Rule of St. Pachomius who were almost all living as a community yet without the stability brought by the rule of St. Benedict. The two rules would rival each other in Egypt but wouldn’t become a model outside of Egypt. Then in the 4th century St. Basil changed and reordered Greek monasticism. He rejected the

Beliefs and morals are two concepts that explore the polarities of right and wrong. Tradition is the faith and practice that was imparted from Jesus to the Apostles and it is an essential belief for Orthodox Christians. Tradition is not only unchanging throughout history as it can be traced back to the Apostles, but it is also present in everyday moments through the idea of creative fidelity. Creative fidelity entails that we follow tradition and live it with the help of the Church. The Doctrine of Deification is another important belief that Orthodox Christians follow more literally than other Christians might. Deification refers to Christians becoming God and this became possible through the Incarnation of Jesus because if Jesus was human than all humans can be God. Moreover, Orthodox Christians relate this back to the Fall of

Paul wrote letters to churches and went on long, dangerous journeys in order to share the Word. Humbly serving the Lord, no matter what the cost, he became a disciple who made disciples. His personal, deep relationship with Timothy reveals the kind of atmosphere and level of commitment required in discipleship. The discipleship model Paul follows allows for a personally invested relationship between any amount of gathered people whether it be an entire church congregation, a small group, or

Christianity is one of the oldest religions known to mankind. Christianity developed from Judaism in the 1st century C.E. It is known to be founded on the life, teachings,

The nature of Cluny lay in the circumstances of it’s foundation. It was endowed with a measure of independence by it’s founder, Duke William, allowing the monks to elect their own abbot, placing the abbey directly under the guardianship of St Peter and the Apostolic See. As a house dedicated to reviving strict Benedictine observance Cluny was not unique, but it was this indepencence, the succesion of talented abbots and it’s organisation set up by Abbot Berno that laid the foundations of the abbey’s later greatness.

Monasticism means the act of living or dwelling alone. The essence of living alone is to separate oneself from the word so that one can live a life of holiness or worship. People that practice monasticism live in a monastery. Monasticism was first introduced in Egypt during the 3rd century when some groups of people choose isolation and poverty has a way of getting close to God. This way of life spread very quickly, and it became a paramount practice among the people of the medieval society of Europe. There were around 500 monasteries in England by the mid of the 12th century. As the monastery developed, there was the need of rules and principles to guide the monks and the nuns living in the monastery. During the 6th century,

Christianity is the religion based on the life, death and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, also known as the Christ or Messiah. Jesus was a Jewish teacher and prophet who lived in Palestine in the first century CE. He revealed himself to be the Son of God in fulfillment of Hebrew scripture, and taught that the Kingdom of God was imminent, bringing with it forgiveness and new life for all who believed. His claim to be the Messiah roused opposition from religious and political authorities and he was imprisoned and crucified. His followers believe that after his death, Jesus was resurrected before being taken up to heaven.