CHURCH HISTORY 1
Middle Ages
MONASTICISM
Group 1
Members:
Cruz, John Laurence C.
Torilla, M.J.
Lumbang, Lizette
Garrido, Fernando Andy
Verjom, Jerwin Grace
Carmelito
Professor: Ptr. Robert Fabia
October 4, 2019
Points to ponder:
• To define Monasticism
• Major forms of Monasticism
• Founder of Christian Monasticism and its practices
• Luther and Monasticism in Later Middle Ages
• Monasticism in the modern world
• What is Monasticism?
- from Greek word, “monachos” derived from
“monos” which means, alone.
monkhood is a religious way of life in which one
renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself
fully to spiritual work.
Monastic life plays an important role in many
Christian churches, especially Catholic and
Orthodox traditions.
• Forms of Monasticism
1.) Eremitical Monasticism 3.) Skete
2.) Cenobitic Monasticism 4.) Lavritic
• Eremitic Monasticism (a hermit lifestyle)
- an older style of monasticism
- is characterized by a complete withdrawal from society.
- eremitic comes from the Greek word, “eremos” which means desert.
Paul of Thebes, Paul, the first Hermit (c. 226/7- c. 341/2)
- claimed to have lived alone in the desert from the age of sixteen to one hundred thirteen
years of his age.
• Pictures of eremitical monasticism
• Cenobitic Monasticism (a communal lifestyle)
- Cenobite or (coenobitic), derived from via latin, from Greek words;
“koinos” means common, and “bios” means life.
- a monastic tradition that stresses community life. often in the west the
community belong to a religious order.
-Cenobitic monk is regulated by a religious rule, a collection of precepts.
• Pictures of cenobitic monasticism
• Skete Monasticism
- Skete, most likely reference to the Scetis valley, region of Egypt.
- monastic community in Eastern Christianity that allows relative isolation
for monks, but also allows for communal services and the safety of shared
resources and protection.
- The monasteries of Scetis valley were not like the large centralized
communities that would come to define monasteries in the Middle Ages.
Instead, a collection of hermits, most part lived separately, each in his
own cell, but who would come together for weekly prayers and holy days.
Pictures of Skete monasticism- Old believers
sketes, Greece
• Lavritic Monasticism
- “Lavra” or “Laura”, initially meant a narrow lane or an alley in a city.
• type of monastery consisting of a cluster of cells or caves for hermits, with a
church and sometimes a refectory at the center.
• it is erected within the orthodox and other Eastern Christian traditions.
• Picture of Lavritic monasticism- Monastery of Ukraine- Sviatohirsk Lavra
• Fathers of Monasticism
• St. Anthony the Great (c. 251- 356)
- a Christian monk from Egypt
For his importance among the
Desert Fathers and to all later
Christian monasticism, he is also
known as the “Father of all monks”
• Biography of Anthony’s life by Athanasius of Alexandria helped to spread
the concept of Christian monasticism.
• He is often erroneously considered the first Christian monk, but as his
biography and other sources make clear, there were many ascetics before
him.
• Anthony was, however, among the first known to go into the wilderness
(about 270 A.D). In Life of Anthony written in Greek around 360 by
Athanasius depicted Anthony as illiterate and holy man.
• Anthony was born to a wealthy landowner parents. When he was About
20 years old his parents died.
• He decided to follow the gospel exhortation in Matthew 19:21,
• “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor
and you will have treasures in heaven.
• Anthony gave away some of his family’s lands to his neighbors, sold the
remaining property, and donated the funds to the poor. He then left to live
an ascetic life.
• He left for the alkaline Nitrian Desert. He remained there for 13 years.
According to Athanasius, the devil fought Anthony by afflicting him with
boredom, laziness, and the phantoms of women, which he overcame by the
power of prayer.
• After 15 years of these life, he retire from absolute solitude. And then, lived
in a mountain by the Nile called Pispir. He lived in an old Roman fort for 20
years. Food was thrown to him over the wall.
• A number of would-be disciples established themselves in caves and huts.
Thus a colony of ascetics was form, who begged Anthony to be their
guide in the spiritual life.
• St. Pachomius (c. 292-348 AD)
also known Pachome, Pakhomius
Generally known as the founder of
Christian Cenobitic Monasticism.
At age 21, Pachomius was swept up
against his will in a Roman army
recruitment drive, common
occurrence during this period of civil
war.
• He first encountered local Christians, who customarily brought food and
comfort daily to the impressed troops. This made a lasting impression, snd
Pachomius vowed to investigate Christianity.
• He decided to pursue the path under a hermit named Palaemon, after 7 years
of studying with him. He imitated Anthony until he heard a voice in
Tabennisi that told him to build a dwelling for the hermits.
• Pachomius established his first monastery between 318 and 323 at Tabennisi,
Egypt.
• His elder brother John joined him and more than 100 monks nearby.
• Pachomius created the community or cenobitic organization, in which male
and female live together and held property in common under leadership of
abbot or abbess.
• The community hailed Pachomius as “Abba” father in Hebrew. Pachomius
continued as an abbot to cenobites for some 40 years.
• During an epidemic (plague) he called the monks, strengthened their faith
and appointed his successor. Pachomius then died (May 9, 348 AD)
• St. Benedict (c. 480- c. 547)
• Founded twelve communities for
monks at Subiaco, Lazio, Italy before
moving in Monte Cassino, mountain
of Southern Italy.
• Benedict’s main achievement, his
Rule of Saint Benedict contains a set
of rule for his monks to follow.
• Heavily influence by John Cassian • For this reason, Giuseppe Carletti,
Rule of the Master. regarded Benedict as the founder
of western Christian monasticism.
• It persuaded most Christian
communities founded throughout
Middle Ages to adopt it.
• His Rule became one of the most
influential religious rule in Western
Christendom.
• Rule of St. Benedict written in 516AD
• Benedicts concerns were the needs of
monks in a community environment,
namely to establish due order.
• To support and strengthen the
individual ascetic effort and spiritual
growth required for the fulfillment of
human vocation, theosis.
• Praying the canonical Hours (Daily
office)
• Matins- middle of the night (2-4 am)
• Lauds- prayer at first light
• Prime- mid-morning (c. 9am)
• Terce, Sext, Nones- lunchtime prayer
• Vespers- prayers at dusk
• Compline- prayer to end of the work
• Nocturne- bedtime
Martin Luther and Monasticism in Theology and as a district vicar.
the Later Middle Ages
• When Martin Luther entered the
order of Hermits of St. Augustine
in July in 1505. he entered a world
that had been shaped by the diverse
and varied monastic culture of the
later middle age.
• Luther became a new man in
Christ by donning his monastic
habit and positions of responsibility
within order, first as a Doctor of
• His theology was conditioned by the • He broke from his monastic past only
Franciscan tradition more than by the in 1524, when he finally took off his
Augustinian, even as he eagerly studied monastic habit and less than a year later,
the works of Augustine himself. married Katharina Von Bora.
• When Luther stood before Emperor
Charles V at Worms in 1521, he did so
as Brother Martin Luther, a faithful,
obedient and observant Augustinian
Hermit.
• Monasticism in the Modern Everyday life usually consists of
World several regularly scheduled prayer
Present-day monasticism periods and meditations and work
projects to pay community’s bills.
Today, many Roman Catholic and
orthodox monasteries survive
throughout the world.
In Cloistered communities monks and
nuns take a vow of silence, to teaching
and charitable organizations that
serve sick and poor.
• Monasticism often criticized as being • Christian monasticism stresses Jesus
unbiblical. Opponents says the Great teaching about wealth as stumbling
commission commands Christians to block, and Jesus fasting in the desert to
go into the world and evangelize. defend fasting.
• However, Augustine, Benedict, Basil
and others insisted that separation to
society, fasting, labor and self-denial
means to an end. That end is to Love
God.
• Conclusion
Monasticism as a religious way of life, a life of self-discipline, self-denial or
self-abnegation.
It is the principles of detachment to the world, to overcame our worldly desire.
LESSON LEARNED: SELF-DENIAL
Jesus says “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up
his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it.
Mark 8:34-35
