Relevancy of Monasticism

Well, all ten parts have now been posted.

If you want a copy of the full thing (I’ve been told reading it in parts is really annoying), send me an email/ leave a comment and I’ll get one to you.

I loved researching this topic. It absolutely fascinates me. Monasticism, old and new, is so inspiring and I have to agree with Bonhoeffer that it is the way forward. We need a better sense and outliving of biblical community. We need to be more willing to leave behind the ways of the world and stand apart as God’s people. We need to be more committed to prayer. There’s a lot we can learn from these people.

I hope you enjoyed reading my dissertation.

Who knows, in four years time, maybe I’ll get to write even more about my favourite topic?!

Relevancy of Monasticism – Part 10

Theologian Walter Capps, says that “Monasticism [is the West’s] most powerful and enduring instance of counter-culture”[1]. It certainly seems that this expression of the Christian faith has endured, almost intact, throughout two thousand years of tempestuous history. Though there have been periods of deviation, and a number of reforms have had to take place, the original concept and principles are being re-interpreted to be as appropriate in the 21^st century as they were in the 4^th.

Monks have often been called radical: extremists going beyond the norm. But the word comes from the Latin radix, meaning root. Essentially, that is who monks are, whether conventional or “new”, they are men and women who have returned to the roots of their faith. A faith which originated in the teachings of a homeless carpenter and was spread by hermits. A faith which contravenes all normality, with a God who “blesses those who are poor . . . humble . . . merciful . . . persecuted”[2], a messiah who taught “love your enemy”[3] and “sell all your possessions”[4]. Monasticism gets to the root of Christianity and remains relevant as it lives out those commands.

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[1] Capps, Walter, The Monastic Impulse, Crossroad 1983 p.7

[2] Matthew 5:3-10

[3] Matthew 5:44

[4] Matthew 19:21

Relevancy of Monasticism – Part 9

New Monasticism isn’t as new as its name suggests. In fact, it’s simply so old, that it looks new to our eyes. These marks are not that different to the rule of St. Benedict; the same principles of community, poverty, chastity, obedience, prayer and hospitality are still prevalent.

Marks 1, 7 and 9 are reminiscent of the desert fathers’ relocation to the desert to live in community, and just as they then committed to a rule – first Pachomius’, then Benedict’s and later others’ – so to do the new monastics. A rule for a disciplined life, a structure and routine, which ensures time spent as a community but also individually in contemplation, reading and prayer. This obedience extends to “submission to . . . the church”. They are not a church in themselves and they recognise, even emphasise, that. They’re hope is to support the conventional church in prayer and action, to show the Church these alternative, hands-on approaches and invite it to contribute and partake.

Communities also usually have some form of novitiate period and training which people must undergo before becoming fully committed members. And once members they will be held accountable by an appointed abbot or abbess, or by the rest of the community as a whole.

The vow of poverty which traditional monks make is represented in the second and third marks which state the importance of sharing and hospitality. Similar to traditional monasticism, new monastics will often share all their goods and earnings in common. In the Simple Way community mentioned above, members may have a part-time job which allows them to support the community financially but also leaves time for them to participate in the work of the community. Living in the “abandoned places of the empire” means amongst those who society rejects or writes off: the poor and needy. For this reason, new monastics live relatively simply, making sacrifices in order to provide for the people around them.

Unlike traditional monks, members of new monastic communities are not expected to be single and remain so. Some may choose a celibate single life and others may be married with children. It is believed that both life situations can contribute differently but complimentarily to the community. The importance of following the Bible’s teaching on celibacy before marriage is paramount, however, and expected from community members.

The positive impact of these communities, upon the lives of the people whom they live amongst, could render them nothing but relevant. Though they live contrary to the expectations and practices of secular society, though they do not conform to the notions of bigger is better and money is everything, they are loving the people society has left behind, providing for those with no other assistance and following Jesus commands whole heartedly. They “pray like it all depends on God and live like it all depends on them”[1]. They inspire and enthuse, challenge and defy – their work should not, cannot be taken for granted. “The restoration of the church will surely come from a new kind of monasticism”[2].

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[1] Greig, Pete, The Vision Poem, from Red Moon Rising, Kingsway 2003 p.150

[2] Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, Testament to Freedom, HarperSanFrancisco 1997 p.424

Relevancy of Monasticism – Part 8

Another example is The Simple Way community in Philadelphia, PA. They found themselves with $20 000 to spare, having won a court case and been sent an anonymous donation.

They decided it was time to recreate something of the Jubilee in Leviticus 25, where land, property and crops were re-distributed amongst the Israelite people. They were going to have their own Jubilee right on Wall Street, in front of the New York Stock Exchange. On October 21^st 2002, people from many communities – including the homeless community – gathered as over thirty thousand coins were poured out and paper money was thrown from balconies. Banners were flown, bubbles blown and the pavements decorated with chalk drawings. Food and clothing was handed out. A true Jubilee celebration. And an example of the revolutionary nature of new monasticism:

“It is risky, and yet we are people of faith, believing that giving is more contagious than hoarding, that love can convert hatred, light can overcome darkness, grass can pierce concrete . . . even on Wall Street”.[1]

These communities are often similar to traditional monasteries in that their members live some form of communal life, they follow a rhythm of prayer and commit to a rule. In 2006 people from communities across America came together to discern what it was that defined “new monasticism”, and they set down these characteristics:

1) Relocation to the abandoned places of Empire.

2) Sharing economic resources with fellow community members and the needy among us.

3) Hospitality to the stranger

4) Lament for racial divisions within the church and our communities combined with the active pursuit of a just reconciliation.

5) Humble submission to Christ’s body, the church.

6) Intentional formation in the way of Christ and the rule of the community along the lines of the old novitiate.

7) Nurturing common life among members of intentional community.

Support for celibate singles alongside monogamous married couples and their children.

9) Geographical proximity to community members who share a common rule of life.

10) Care for the plot of God’s earth given to us along with support of our local economies.

11) Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities along the lines of Matthew 18.

12) Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life.[2]

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[1] Claiborne, Shane, The Irresistible Revolution, Zondervan 2006 p.189

[2] Twelve Marks of a New Monasticism, http://www.newmonasticism.org/12marks.php

Relevancy of Monasticism – Part 7

that is the aim of many new monastic communities today – to live and exist in a way that conveys to the world the love of God and the teachings of Christ. One example of such a community is Nazareth House in North Carolina which provides hospitality and support to families visiting men on Death Row in Raleigh’s Central Prison. Families will often stay for a whole week leading up to their son, brother, husband or father’s execution.

However, some of the community members decided they needed to make a stand against the death penalty and particularly the way the executions imitate Christ’s – with a last supper on the Thursday evening and the execution taking place before a gathering of witnesses on the Friday – which they felt forced them to take part in idolatory. They “wanted people to know that Jesus died once and for all so that no one else would have to”[1], so with members of six other communities they began their series of protests. They knelt in front of the prison entrance in sackcloth and ashes (traditional mourning wear for the biblical Israelites) blocking the witnesses, without whom the execution couldn’t proceed, from entering. They were arrested and removed. They held a worship service outside the prison, blocking the road, and were arrested again. After six months and sixty-five arrests at four executions they appeared before a judge in court.

They presented their case, that the death penalty is unjust, that their faith compelled them to do all they could to prevent any murder and that Jesus’ death had brought an end to all human suffering. The judge heard them, allowed them to call witnesses and even said he was honoured to have heard the case. However, it was not in his power to decide on the justice of the death penalty. He could only do his job and find them guilty of trespassing. But he did suspend the sentence.

Only six months later, North Carolina Medical Board decided that any doctor participating in an execution was breaching medical ethics and, as the law says a doctor must be present at all executions, the death penalty in North Carolina became, essentially, redundant.

As theologian Dr Stanley Hauerwass said during the trial, “This is what Christians do when their convictions run against the systems of the world. They get in the way.”[2] This appears to be one of the defining characteristics of new monastic communities – they stand up and step out. They aren’t afraid to risk their own lives to spread the gospel. Whilst traditional congregations sit in their pews, looking out on the world and praying something will change, new monastics are in the world being the change

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[1] Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan, New Monasticism, Brazos Press 2008 p.116

[2] As quoted by Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan, New Monasticism, Brazos Press 2008 p.118

Relevancy of Monasticism – Part 6

Part 5

Whilst these orders have proven their timelessness in their endurance throughout the ages – through persecution and huge cultural changes – a new kind of monasticism is emerging.

In the course of the past century, as Christians have become more and more uneasy with the

church, they have sought to return to the old ways – much as the first desert fathers were and did. Like the church of Theodosius’ time, today churches and Christians have exchanged loving their enemies for blowing them up (America is a “Christian” nation after-all); they still erect lavish basilicas, though now they’re thousand seater auditoriums; they’ve abandoned humility and service to reach for power and status in politics and economics. In 1935, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian, wrote in a letter to his brother:

“The restoration of the church will surely come from a sort of new monasticism which has in common with the old only an uncompromising attitude of a life lived according to the Sermon on the Mount in the following of Christ”.[1]

Even before Bonhoeffer wrote those words, a new type of monasticism was being lived.

In the difficult economic circumstances of post-WWI, a group of Christians came together in Germany, committing themselves to one another and to God, in order to live like the first church, “sharing all things in common” in the face of extreme poverty. And as Hitler and the Nazis came to power, and began persecuting and massacring the “impure” Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and communists, this community – known as the Bruderhof – opened their doors to them. As they were greeted with “Heil Hitler!” they replied with “Good Morning”. Despite receiving threats and warnings that they should leave Germany, their leader Eberhard Arnold insisted that they would stay, because he believed they “must show with [their] lives what justice, love and peace look like”.[2]

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[1] Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, Testament to Freedom, HarperSanFrancisco 1997 p.424

[2] Arnold Eberhard, quoted in Momsen, Homage to a Broken Man, p.93 – as quoted by Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan, New Monasticism, Brazos Press 2008

Relevancy of Monasticism – Halfway

So we got to the halfway mark yesterday with part five of my dissertation and I wanted to hear your thoughts.

Anything you want to know more about?

Anything that you have learned?

Anything you’ve particularly been challenged/struck by?

Anything I should have done differently or better?

Stick around for the next half – New Monasticism – my favourite part.

Relevancy of Monasticism – Part 5

Part 4

The monks at Pluscarden follow a strict daily routine, which on a weekday, would typically be structured like so[1]:

4.30	Rise
4.45	Vigils & Lauds; Lectio Divina in the cell
c.6.55	Prime; Pittance (breakfast); Lectio Divina in the cell
8.45	Mass and Terce
9.45	Work, and classes for Novices
12.35	Sext and Dinner
2.15	None, followed by work
4.45	Lectio Divina in the cell
6.00	Vespers followed by prayer together in the Lady Chapel
7.00	Supper, followed by Recreation
8.05	Compline
8.45	Retire

Starting at 4.45am every morning for the prayers of Vigils and Lauds, throughout the day there are short services of prayer called the “Little Hours” and these encourage prayer during the day, and continual focus upon God. The monks’ timetable allows for three to four hours a day of communal prayer and two to three hours a day of private prayer and reading. Prayer is their primary occupation, their main vocation, the purpose of their lives in the monastery and thus, is the thing around which everything else is constructed. Even their meals and five and a half hours of work a day are to be completed in a reverent silence, in order to “remain attentive to God even as they work”[2].

Every monk who enters the monastery must undergo a strict novitiate period where they and their calling is tested. It provides a great deal of time for them to consider their decision and ascertain whether or not the severity of monastic life is for them. They live within the monastery, as a monk , for at least four and a half years before taking their solemn vows of stability, conversion of life and obedience. These encompass the same principles of obedience, chastity and poverty as the vows of the Franciscans, but are more implicit.

These vows may seem archaic to many outsiders, however, they are the foundation of the monastic life, what sets the monks apart from other Christians. They vow to be obedient to their Abbot, their spiritual father, imitating Christ who “became obedient unto death” (Philippians 2:8); they renounce all ownership of private property, following Jesus’ teaching that “you cannot be [his] disciple without giving up everything you own” (Luke 12:33), all the belongings in the monastery are held in common; they sacrifice the chance of ever getting married, believing that a celibate life enables them to give themselves more wholeheartedly to God.

The relevancy of the Benedictine’s retreat and routine is clear when we consider how common it is for people in secular society to attempt to “get away from it all”. As our modern lives become more and more pressured, our time more and more precious, we look more regularly to take relaxing breaks – turning to Spa weekends and luxury hotels to provide some relief from the stress of our continually busy lives.

As Brother Michael said, the commitment of the monks to God and to prayer, is a devotion to be admired and respected, even if it isn’t understood. Few of us are able to make such sacrifices and dedicate ourselves so wholeheartedly to a cause.

Human beings appear programmed to search for contentment. Most search amongst wealth, work or power, though few ever find it. These men, however, are able to achieve peace and contentment by investing in the complete opposite: in poverty, contemplation and humility.

The Order of St. Benedict is only one of many monastic orders which are hundreds of years old. Its structure is only one example, other orders vary greatly in their expression of the

monastic vocation. However, its historic nature and contemporary prevalence provide ample evidence for the study of monasticism’s contemporary relevance.

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[1] Holmes, Dom Augustine OSB, Pluscarden Abbey, Heritage House Group Ltd. 2004 p.30

[2] Holmes, Dom Augustine OSB, Pluscarden Abbey, Heritage House Group Ltd. 2004 p.34

Relevancy of Monasticism – Part 4

Back to Part 3

The practicalities of the rule could however, be considered less pertinent in modern society.

Many may look at the retreat of the monks and nuns from society and feel that they are merely too scared to face the real world or that they are evading their responsibilities. Even Christians may say that their cloistered life breaks Jesus command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Their seclusion also means they are not contributing to society as may be expected. In modern society it is assumed that everyone works to build society: applying their skills in one way or another, and paying their taxes. Many would see monks as only consuming what society offers (they are entitled to NHS treatment and government pensions, after all) and not contributing.

A lot of people also see it as a waste of a life. These men and women could have so much potential to do so many things, yet they give it all up to spend their lives praying and reading.

However, 684 monasteries and convents still profess Benedict’s Rule; 11 287 monks and

10 722 nuns still live by his teachings[1]. They certainly do not consider their lives irrelevant in society.

One such group of monks are those resident at Pluscarden Abbey, near Elgin in North East Scotland. A monastery was first established there in 1230, as an order of Valliscaulians (a Benedictine Order “that combined the strictness and the spirit of fellowship of the Cistercians with some of the solitude of the Carthusians”[2]). In 1454 their white habits were replaced by the black ones of Benedictine monks as the house of Pluscarden and the nearby Urquhart Priory were amalgamated. Only one hundred years later, in 1587, however, though there was no state sponsored dissolution of the monasteries in Scotland as there was in England during the Reformation, Pluscarden officially dissolved as a monastery.

Almost four hundred years later John Patrick, 3^rd Marquess of Bute, purchased the ruins of the Pluscarden Abbey and began to restore the buildings. In 1945, his son handed over the property and 23 acres of surrounding land to Dom Wilfred Upson OSB (Order of St. Benedict), Abbot of Prinknash Abbey in Gloucestershire. In 1948 the first five monks returned to resume the Benedictine life in that ancient place.

Today twenty-eight [3] monks are a part of the Pluscarden community (though some are resident overseas), living “an ordered Christian life of prayer and work, carried out within the enclosure of the Monastery according to the pattern established from the way of life of the original Valliscaulians brought by Alexander II from Burgundy in 1230”[4]. They even wear the white habits.

Brother Michael de Klerk OSB joined the monastery twenty seven years ago when he was just twenty one years old. He had been brought up in the Catholic faith and, whilst studying engineering at university, he became more and more interested in focussing his life around a daily routine and structure of prayer. A friend suggested he visit Pluscarden for a short retreat, however, only two months after that first visit he returned for good.

When I visited Brother Michael, I was able to ask him what he thought of the relevancy of Monasticism today and its scriptural basis. He said that, whilst there is no direct reference to a lifestyle such as his in the Bible, it has been approved by the church. Catholics believe that the traditions of the church and church leadership have authority similar to scripture in the guidance they may give to their followers, therefore, monasticism is considered to be approved by God.

He also said that whilst he wasn’t personally preaching the gospel to the nations, the place was. More people know of Pluscarden Abbey and the monks within, than know, or could have known, him personally. As a part of the Abbey community he contributes to the ministry it practices in witnessing to the world. He believes that part of that ministry is prophetic, in that it makes people consider the spiritual side of life. When people see and understand the devotion of the monks, and the sacrifices they make for their belief in God, they are forced to consider the faith which leads to that, they are forced to think about God and the church; they are forced to reflect that, if someone is willing to commit to something so wholeheartedly, there must be something behind it.

I asked about Jesus’ commands to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, in Matthew 25, and the fact that as an enclosed order the Benedictines don’t fulfil that. Brother Michael said that he believed Jesus had been addressing the crowd as a group, not individuals, and that it was the church as a body which was called to do this work, as not everyone has the time, the skills or the desire to do each of the tasks. Not everyone can do everything. He also said that they complete these tasks within the monastery itself when caring for and visiting sick community members and by providing hospitality free of charge through their guest houses. Pluscarden also enables other people to be charitable and show kindness, as the primary income is from donations which pay for everything from food to the upkeep of the buildings.

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[1] New Advent Catholic Encyclopaedia, Statistics of the Order: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02443a.htm

[2] Holmes, Dom Augustine OSB, Pluscarden Abbey, Heritage House Group Ltd. 2004 p.5

[3] Holmes, Dom Augustine OSB, Pluscarden Abbey, Heritage House Group Ltd. 2004 p.22

[4] Holmes, Dom Augustine OSB, Pluscarden Abbey, Heritage House Group Ltd. 2004 p.28

Relevancy of Monasticism – Part 3

Part 2

About this time, an obscure Italian Abbot wrote a rule for monastic life. Now considered to be the patriarch and founder of western monasticism, St. Benedict of Nursia (c. 480 – c.547), wrote a rule that slowly spread throughout Europe – though it was never imposed by authority in his time. Since then, thousands (probably millions) of monks and nuns have adopted and followed this rule, which has likely endured these past fifteen hundred years due to its practicality, flexibility and wisdom.

Benedict was dedicated to the cenobitic life, believing that community was the best way to persevere in the dedication required to serve God in this austere way. Whilst acknowledging the importance of hermitage and that some men may be called to such a life, he felt that they should first learn the discipline required within the life of a community, in order to prepare themselves. If the monks were a family, living under one roof and supporting one another, then they also lived under a father, the Abbot.

Benedict’s rule has influenced Christian Monasticism and Western society to a massive extent. Even at the beginning of the fourteenth century:

“the order is estimated to have comprised the enormous number of 37,000 monasteries. It had up to that time given to the Church no less than 24 popes, 200 cardinals, 7,000 archbishops, 15,000 bishops, and over 1,500 canonized saints. It had enrolled amongst its members 20 emperors, 10 empresses, 47 kings, and 50 queens.”[1]

In less than one thousand years of existence, Benedictines had infiltrated every part of society and aspect of life. Each of these people’s lives would have been irrevocably shaped by the rule they had lived under, their morals and beliefs formed on the basis of Benedict’s teaching, and they will have, in turn, passed these on to the people they had authority over.

Benedict’s rule remains as relevant today as it was in the 5^th century, for the thousands of monks who still live by it but also for general society. He primarily teaches obedience and humility, qualities and principles which, should people adopt them, would change the way western civilisation operates. In a world where everything is about oneself, ensuring one’s own needs and wants are met, where other people are often only collateral damage, if we were to be obedient to our authorities and humble before our fellow man, everything would change. Benedict saw something lacking in the discipline of peoples’ lives and the conduct of the monks and worked to rectify that. Unfortunately the same problems are still present today, perhaps even on a grander scale.

Furthermore, Benedict’s famous statement in Chapter 48 of his rule could be a motto which would stand all people in good stead:

“Yet let all be done in moderation, on account of the faint hearted”.

It is clear from this that the monastic life was difficult and pushed men to the very ends of their endurance but Benedict did not want anyone to be driven away by this testing – he wished for all of them to succeed in the life and was willing to take into account the differences between the abilities of the monks. Again, if all people were to live by this principle of everything in moderation, lives would be greatly altered. Humanity has a tendency towards obsession and indulgence, leaving other areas of life neglected and wanting. However, if we were to do all things in moderation, our lives would be more balanced and we would perhaps be more content.

Benedict’s rule, when it deals with morality and values, is clearly as relevant today as it was fifteen hundred years ago. Its influence was, and continues to be, vast – even if unseen.

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[1] New Advent Catholic Encyclopaedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02443a.htm

Relevancy of Monasticism – Part 2

Part 1

The founder of orthodox cenobitism (communal monastic life) was Pachomius the Great who, as a fourth century hermit, felt called to provide the monastic life for many people. Some often found living as a hermit too difficult but it was thought more would succeed in the monastic life if they could support one another. Pachomius set up his first monastery at Tabennese in the Thebaid (Egypt), at some point in the 320s AD, and led it for twenty years.

Many hundreds of people came and lived in Pachomius’ rigidly organised communities – the structures of which are still recognisable in today’s monasticism. Pachomius’ monks pooled all their resources to form a fully communal organisation in which all the monks would “bind themselves in perfect koinonia (Christian community) like that of the believers which Acts describes: “They were one heart and one soul” ”[1]. The communities were fully self -supportive, the monks employed in all sorts of industries, labour and farming. Pachomius instigated a simple hierarchy and a period of monastic probation, much like the novitiate period which exists today. Whilst these “monasteries” emphasised the communal aspect of life very heavily, it was still a meditative existence, with regular services made up of psalms, prayers and scriptural readings. Food asceticism however, was a matter for the individual with generous meals being served and no fasting practices being forcefully imposed. These monks were no longer isolated hermits in the deserts but communities who were often situated near villages or even existed as part of a vacated village, and their lifestyle was far more moderate and comfortable.

During the sixth century monasticism gradually spread throughout much of Britain, and particularly Ireland, becoming “the ruling element not only in the church but in society”[2]. As Kings and tribal chieftains were converted, so were their subjects and clans.  Often also becoming monks, they would become the abbots of the communities their people formed. This Celtic monasticism was severe in its asceticism – including fasting and immersing oneself in cold water – and it was one of the first to send monks to foreign lands to share their faith and their monastic practices; from Iceland to Italy, monasteries with Irish culture and rule were established.

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[1] Dunn, Marilyn, The Emergence of Monasticism, Blackwell Publishing 2003 p.27

[2] Knowles, David, Christian Monasticism, World University Library 1969 p. 31

Relevancy of Monasticism – Part 1

The word monk comes from the Greek “monos”, meaning solitary and alone. Almost since the beginning of Christianity’s history, some of its followers have felt called to a life of solitude. For almost two thousand years, men and women have withdrawn themselves from society to focus upon their faith: some retreated completely to isolation in the desert; others joined with brothers and sisters behind closed doors to worship God; some restricted their lifestyle but remained within secular society in order to serve. David Knowles describes monasticism as:

“a vocation for those who wish to dedicate themselves to a deeper understanding and more thorough observance of the commands and counsels of Christ than is demanded by the simple profession of Christian faith”[1].

Whilst the practices of their vocation have evolved differently, they are united by their devotion to God and their desire to follow him. But can this life of asceticism and simplicity still be relevant in the materialist, technological twenty-first century? Monks and Nuns around the world certainly think so. And a new type of monasticism is emerging, without habits or abbeys but with the same heart to love like the Jesus of the gospels, in a society that has forgotten how.

Monasticism first arose as a response to the imperial adoption of Christianity. Roman Emperor Constantine, after a vision of the cross and a voice telling him he would win his battle (which he did), passed the Edict of Milan (in 313 AD) granting tolerance of all religions within the empire, particularly Christianity. Emperor Theodosius actually made it illegal not to be a Christian in 346 AD. The church, which had existed in hiding and endured fierce persecution, became the persecutor – killing pagans and conquering vast amounts of land. Having exchanged loving their enemies for burning them at the stake; forgone providing for the poor in order to erect lavish basilicas; abandoned servant leadership to become officials who flaunted their authority, many followers thought it necessary to return to the original values of “the Way”.

In order to do this, they escaped to the desert, where they could reconsider the practices they had adopted. Now known to many as the desert fathers, in the late 3^rd century, these (often wealthy) men and women abandoned everything to live a life of ascetic solitude.

The first monk, about whom we know any detail, is St. Antony. Born in Coma in Ancient Egypt, he inherited his wealthy parents’ estate but, troubled by the polarity of the economy in his city, when he heard Jesus command to “Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor” (Matthew 19:21), he did just that. He then went into the desert. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, visited Antony and recorded a “Life of Antony”. He says that Antony spent some time with local hermits (religious men who had removed themselves from society), learning their disciplines of prayer and fasting, gaining a reputation, even amongst them, for his holiness. Antony’s letters taught about the theology behind his life: Marilyn Dunn says that

“For Antony, the life of an ascetic or monachos was a constant struggle for self-knowledge, self-purification and through these, the return of the soul to unity with God”[2].

Antony would spend his time praying and fasting, reading and contemplating, in his self-imposed desert isolation. However, such a strict life style, so contrary to his previous one, led him to experience great temptation. He would dream about banquets and women and Athanasius records that he had an encounter with the devil. He persevered though, and lived alone in the desert for twenty years.

However, people caught on to his dream, longing to share his intimacy with God, and ventured into the desert to find God for themselves. In fact, so many Egyptians were converted through Antony and willing to abandon their comfortable lives that “the desert was made a city by the monks, who left their own people and registered themselves for the citizenship in the heavens”.[3]

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[1] Knowles, David, Christian Monasticism, World University Library 1969 p.9

[2] Dunn, Marilyn, The Emergence of Monasticism, Blackwell Publishing 2003 p.4

[3] Athanasius.