Monastic Ruminations...

As I've been reading (a lot) lately about the development of monastic life in the early middle ages, I've learned quite a few things that I didn't know before. What has been most fascinating, though, is learning how the different types of monastic orders developed over time.

For the most part, the earliest monks were hermits. Their goal was not to start communities, but to withdraw completely from society in order to better follow Christ in solitude. Inevitably, though, people were drawn to these hermits (or "eremites," to use the technical word) as they lived out their faith in the desert, or in caves, or in any number of solitary locales. Devoted Christians would seek out these Desert Fathers (and mothers), as they are now known, in an effort to get the Fathers and Mothers to teach them what it meant to follow Christ.

Initially, the hermits were often reluctant to take on disciples. Eventually, though, communities of disciples began to develop around these hermits. Seeking, then, to ease the burden of having so many disciples, some of the hermits developed "rules" - or a set of standards by which the disciples around them would commit to live. Thus, the monasteries which seem most familiar to us were born - as groups of like-minded Christians (known as "cenobites") withdrew from the world to seek solitude and discipline in a community together.

The next step in the development of monasticism was the coming of the canons. Simply put, canons were monks who served pastoral duties. Rather than withdrawing from society, communities of canons were often located in some urban settings and frequently were responsible for pastoring multiple parish churches throughout the countryside. Rather than withdrawal, the motivation of canons was service and pastoral care. They still lived in communities and subscribed to a strict rule of life, but they were more engaged with the world around them.

Finally come the friars. Friars were the next logical step after canons. Friars often traveled in pairs and, though they subscribed to a rule, they often did not reside in permanent houses but begged for what they needed to survive as they travelled. The main focus of many friars was preaching and evangelism. The call to withdraw from the world that the first eremites felt had come full circle in the friars, whose call was to return to the world again with the message of the gospel.

What strikes me about all of this is the similarity between the development of faith in the New Testament and the development of monasticism. Initially, Jesus could be said to have been a hermit - he spent time in the desert and moved about solo. Soon enough, though, people were drawn to his teachings and a group began to form around him . To be sure, they didn't settle in one location, but there is every indication that the disciples around Jesus had withdrawn from the rest of the world and found their sustenance in the daily "rule" of following Christ. After the ascension, we find the disciples holing up in an upper room, but the indications are there that they are still doing ministry - much like the canons. Finally, we see Jesus send the disciples out like Friars - traveling in pairs to spread the gospel.

Perhaps the development of faith and discipleship is a cyclical process. Or perhaps I'm just a little too fascinated with all of this.