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Importance of monasticism to the medieval church
Importance of monasticism to the medieval church
+root and cause of early christian monasticism
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Monasticism
Deep within the trees little hooded men walk along a path to meditate and pray dressed in brown robes tied with nautical rope. They dwell in silence and live a life of celibacy. This is what most of think of when we hear the word monk. Throughout the years, monks have always been people of intrigue. They live a different lifestyle than most. They live a life of seclusion far from the mores of modern society, which often makes people ponder who these people really are and why they choose to participate in such a foreign religious movement. This paper will attempt to unravel the mysteries of this peculiar movement of by researching it's origin, the true meaning of a silent lives, and how key leaders have helped to develop it one of the most popular movements in the history of Christianity. A movement called Monasticism.
"The word 'monk' comes from the greek 'Monakos' which means 'alone'. In the beginning it stood for ascetic who was not married and lived alone. Cenobites did not use this word. However it quickly acquired a deeper meaning: a person who is 'one' in his inmost being. It means a person united within himself, a person with a single gaze, a single desire."
To understand whom these people are let us first explore the events that led up to the surfacing of this movement. History tells us that around 320 AD, Emperor Constantine. The popularity of the church begin to rise due to the efforts of Constantine who became a friend of Christianity. Constantine issued the Edict of Toleration in 313 AD, which stopped the persecution of Christians, gave Christianity a favored position with the State, and slowly restricted pagan rituals.
As a result, the church grew in vast numbers and was populated by people...
... middle of paper ...
...ot possess."
As we have looked into the causes of monasticism, the development of monasticism and the history behind some of its practices. We can start to understand whom these hooded little men really are and what they stood for. We can see that this movement was truly needed. Monasticism aided in the rapid development of a hierarchical, centralized organization in the church because the monks were bound to obedience to superiors who in turn owed their allegiance to the pope. We do admire the fine contributions the monks made to medieval life. This was not only a movement in the history of Christianity, but it is still practiced today. One author defined monasticism as such: "Monasticism did not begin by being passed one to another but arose like spontaneous eruptions, or like a spring gushing forth in different places from a source underground."
Why Henry VIII Closed the Monasteries There were 800 monks and nuns in 1500s they had strict rules, The rule of St. Benedict for monks of the Benedictine order was prayer should take place eight times a day, all monks should sleep in separate beds, all monks must rise quickly when signal is given to attend the services and all monks must not grumble about the colour or rough material of their clothes. The rule of St. Augustine for the monks of the Augustine order was love god and your neighbour and monks should spend their time when not praying, coping books, looking after the poor and old, nursing the sick and crippled, teaching children and looking after travellers. Between 1536 and 1539 Henry V111 and Cromwell decided to close the monasteries because the monks are not flowing rules and take all the wealth to defend the country. In order to complete this essay I am going to explain below in detail why the monasteries were closed by Henry V111 between 1536 and 1539
Yu, Han. “Memorial on Buddhism”. Making of the Modern World 12: Classical & Medieval Tradition. Trans. Richard F. Burton. Ed. Janet Smarr. La Jolla: University Readers, 2012. 111-112. Print.
This loss of power was a direct result of several factors: the patriarchal canons of early Eastern and Western Church councils, the conversion of the Emperor Constantine, and the decree of Emperor Theodosius that made Christianity the state religion of Rome (Lynch,10). These events led to positions in the Church such as presbyter, deacon, and bishop being held in high regard, and also hi...
When Jesus walked the earth his twelve disciples put aside all of their worldly possessions and worldly pursuits to fully and faithfully follow him. After the fall of Rome, Europe slipped into what has been referred to as the “dark ages.” However, even in these dark ages men and women put aside their secular desires and devoted themselves to a life of celibacy and simplicity. This similar desire between many people drew them together and this pursuit became know as monasticism. No one had a bigger influence on this way of life and on these people who chose this calling than Saint Benedict of Nursia. His teachings and life would have an impact on monasticism all throughout Europe helping to form its spirituality and culture.
Monasticism had developed fast which resulted in the increasing of monasteries and religious orders of monks and nuns. Also, it was not strict and the monasteries was relax. Life in medieval monastery was self-contained and self-sufficient. The largest building was the church and to the south church was the
In Dr. Osman’s lecture and in Life and Miracles of St. Benedict, monasteries were portrayed as places for people to escape the harsh times and live together worshipping God. In The Dark Ages, the narrator discusses how many nuns and monks would try to escape because they were forced to go there, some even going as far as scaling the walls of their convent or monastery. These holy places offered many people the escape and religious freedom that they craved, but not everyone loved the strict life that monks and nuns lived. (The Dark Ages, “Marriage of Monks and
IT WASN’T EASY LIVING IN THE MIDDLE AGES. In the middle ages 400 AD thru 1300 AD, there was a system call the hierarchy. The hierarchy was the feudalism system that was based on mutual obligations.The highest person in the royalty system would be the king, the king has all power and control over everyone. The next in the hierarchy would be the clergy, the clergy is filled with Popes, bishops, archdeacons, abbot, priors, deans, priests, and monk. You wouldn’t think their would be any other people under the monks, but they were. After the monks there were friars, clerics, vicars, barber surgeons, chaplains, confessors, scribes, and culdees. The people on the bottom of the hierarchy were the system of peasantry. Some peasants had more rights than others such as, the vallien was the wealthy class of peasants. Serfs and commoner lived in small communities, they couldn't leave or marry without their lord's permission. Next in line came the smallholder, they were the middle class peasants who farmed more than a cottager, but less land than a vallien. Some people owned the farms and worked on it. In the middle ages there were women and men who practiced being trappist. People chose to give their life to the churches because they found it a more appealing way to get closer to God. For the women, they gave up everything to become a nun because they weren’t able to be educated. Once the women became nuns they were able to learn how to read and write. As for men, they became monks because they were being offered a peaceful quiet place to escape from the violence in the world and get more close to their god. Women and men in the middle ages preferred to devote their lives to churches, because they found it a better lifestyle.
Monks are known to live in seclusion and to focus their mind on spirituality. Yet, there is more to their lives than just that. Early Christian monks strived to protect Christianity. Christians during this time were being persecuted for their religion. Many were in danger of pagans whose religion maintained a stronghold on theirs. In order to protect the faith, monks tried to get people to remain resilient in their faith. Monks wanted ideas like this to be passed down to other fellow Christians. That is why the intended audience from the Early Christians Lives is fellow Christians. Early Christian monks stressed the idea of having faith in God, so that fellow Christians who have faith would be protected from enemies, that certain situations
Interview, Monk. Interview by Christina Guerra. Life of a Monk 08 09 2013. 09 . Print.
Late in the fifth century the son of a well-off family in Italy left for isolation on his mission to truly seek god. This man was St. Benedict, who is credited with the first establishment of the concept of withdrawing from all temptation for Christian beliefs in the west. St. Benedict left his home and went to the top of a mountain, where he established a monastic community. In this community the individuals who resided there, constantly reiterated their faith. They sacrificed whatever they may have had to prove their true commitment to God. This became an early ideal of Christianity, that one must suffer loss and sacrifice to prove their loyalty to the faith. It was believed in this time period that if one is content with only what they truly need one is freer to think about other people and to think about God . These individuals were called Regular Clergies (monks) and were considered heroes of the faith.
Feudalism and St. Benedict’s monastic rule both exemplify the search for stability in the medieval western world. Together they steadied the chaos caused by the disintegration of the Carolingian Empire and the destructive invasions of the ninth century by correcting the military, political and religious status quo. This put the West on the road to advancement, expansion, and dominance in the centuries to come.
The origin of Christianity was from Jesus Christ, they believe that he was the Son of God and he rose from the dead. His disciples spread Christianity through out the entire Roman Empire in 30 CE. The Roman Emperor Constantinople issued the famous Edict of Milan, and he declared Christianity to be a legal religion. Christianity was not yet the official religion until 380 under Emperor Theodosius. Christianity is a religion built on the life and words of Jesus of Nazareth also known as Jesus Christ. Christianity emerged from Judaism. It is founded on teachings, life, and death of Jesus Christ, and those who follow Jesus Christ are called "Christians. Christians believe that there is only one God, who they call father. Christians recognize Jesus as the Son of God who was sent to save mankind from being sinful. Christians believe in justification by faith, that through believing in Jesus, and in his death and resurrection, Christians can h...
"The Warrior Monk." The New Yorker, May 29, 2017, 34. Literature Resource Center (accessed October 30, 2017). http://link.galegroup.com.proxy.kennesaw.edu/apps/doc/A493823441/LitRC?u=kennesaw_main&sid=LitRC&xid=9984816d.
The monks are called Bhikkus, and the nuns are called Bhikkunis. Monks and nuns dedicate the majority of their day to prayer and meditation. Their goal is to practice the teaching of the Buddha, reach enlightenment, and achieve a state of nirvana. Monks and nuns must follow the Five Precepts, in which they pledge to not take life away from a sentient being, not steal nor engage in sexual misconduct, and must also refrain from false speech and becoming intoxicated. Monks and nuns live a simplistic lifestyle, wearing simple robes consisting of clothes mended together.
Many Christians today know very little if anything about Monasticism. Some probably have never heard of the term before. Monasticism also referred to as monarchism is the act of living alone. It is a religious practice where one fully devotes one’s life to those things that are wholly spiritual.