What Role Does Monactism Play In The Orthodox Church

Within many known religions, the devotional practices has been known to acquire great importance. The essence of practicing what you preach has scolded many religious groups, introducing true beliefs, righteousness, and a wider connection to the supreme being . In the book entitled “ Living religions” by Mary Pat Fisher, clarified and firm descriptions were introduced about religious rituals. Surprisingly; the author utilized small parts of modern concepts, limiting the reader from a full comprehension of religious practices today, therefore; I will only discuss the basic and traditional rituals. To elaborate; in this paper, I will be providing an opinionated but also, comparative description of the major practices and rituals that undergo in both the Abrahamic and indigenous religions.

monk, such as hunting, and roaming throughout life beyond monastery walls.  A quote that best describes the monk is:

Christianity is a faith based religious tradition, of which the follower is considered to be a Christian adherent. Thus, being a living tradition, Christianity is continually subject to change in accordance to the needs of the adherent and reaffirming the Christian tradition within a contemporary context. The aspects, which attribute the present existence of Christianity and its dynamism therein, include sacred texts and writings, ritual and ceremonies, beliefs and believers, and ethics. Ultimately, the aforementioned characteristics strive to form and continually validate answers to the enduring questions of life through a process of change, which simultaneously highlights Christianity as a living tradition.

The Medieval monastery was established during the middle Ages, this was a place where people got together (mostly monks, nuns and other spiritual beings) and they spent their time praying, studying and most of all helping

Fr. Justin Havens gave a lecture about the history, principles and practices of the Orthodox church and emphasized that Christ should be the focus of our education, and our every thought and action. He described how religion is primarily about making ourselves better and orthodox focuses on becoming like the best human, nonetheless divine being in existence, Jesus Christ. His attributes, perfections, motivations, teachings, lifestyle and everything about Him is the epitome of goodness. Thus the succession in church leadership, from Jesus, to Peter, throughout the generations to various bishops is described as one of the key reasons why orthodox Christianity is perceived as God’s ordained church on the earth as well as the amazing durability of the religion as approximately 160,000 Orthodox followers were slaughtered, significantly reducing the religion’s population. However, as Fr. Havens

For the Life of the World authored by Fr. Alexander Schmemann an Orthodox priest was originally intended as a “study guide” in the 1970’s for students preparing themselves for Missionary work, giving them a “world view”, helping to speak about Christian view points along with an approach to how they coalesce through the eyes of the Orthodox Church. A key theme Fr. Schmemann discussed is Secularism, which he believes developed from our progressive alienation of the Christian culture. Additionally, he presents his interpretation of the transforming biblical themes of creation, fall, and redemption through a sacramental understanding. Fr. Schmemann’s experiences within the Orthodox Church liturgy reveal unity in the meanings of these three themes. It is through these understandings he believes can effectively offset the disastrous effects of secularism while revitalizing the sacramental understanding of the world.

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

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

Next, monks were not supposed to have (although they did) interactions with the outside world, but as Richard (the chronicler) mentions the monks “live secluded ... and yet you know everything that is done in the world as soon as it takes places, and sometimes ... in advance (2)”. This illustrates that not all monks or monasteries followed their respective Rule fully. Some might have needed to trade, to confer blessings, or pray in the church that the laity attend putting them in close proximity to the laity. Monks also elected their “future bishop without the assistance of the secular clergy”(57). This elucidates that the secular clergy generally got involved in the elections of clergymen, possibly putting in their own men for the position, demonstrating that the secular clergy had little to no say in the election, even when they were involved.

Although most of those were liturgy and prayer, some of those were boast true intellectuals. Monasteries were one kind of learning place during that time period.

In 1084, Saint Bruno founded the Carthusian order. Derived from the Catholic Church, the Carthusian order is compromised of monks. The word Carthusian is originated from the Chartreuse Mountains. Thus being the place where Saint Bruno built his first hermitage in the French Alps. Very few people know of the Carthusians. The reason is Carthusians firmly protect their silence and their isolation from the world in order to maintain their charisma. They believe in searching for God in solitude. Carthusians have their own set of rules called statutes. They believe in living unceasingly as possible in the light of the love that God has for us. They also believe one should be pure of heart. Most of the time, Carthusians devote their time to fasting,

a community of nuns and a community of monks were linked under the direction of an abbess.

The European monasteries followed the rule of St. Benedict, the rule of Saint Augustine, and the rule of St. Basil were the canon laws; it formed the monastic living. Therefore this living lead to a division of two group the monks and nuns. St. Gall was a building of the Carolingian age. The plan of Carolingian was to divide chapels. These were used for classes such as music or theology in the cloisters.

Written by the Benedict of Nursia between AD 480-550, The Rule of Saint Benedict was created as a book of precepts for monks living under the rule of an abbot. The book creates an outline of laws and rules for monks to follow. Through this, the Benedict of Nursia sets the fundamentals of a religious and monastic life. The Rule made a guide for Christian disciples that are attracted to the heart of Jesus’s ministry. To follow Christ, to be altered by the work of the Holy Spirit, and to be a witness to the grace of god. To create a life that evolves around the scriptural principles of charity, humility, stability and faithfulness.

St. Anthony is generally considered to be the founder and father of organized Christian monasticism, although he himself preferred to live the life of a true hermit, apart from any community, in the deserts of Egypt. Most of the known facts about this famous "Desert Father" are derived from the biography by St. Athanasius (ca. 296-373), the "Father of Orthodoxy." (“Global Catholic Network”).