Monasticism in Medieval Europe.....

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MONASTICISM IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE
INTRODUCTION:
  • Monasticism is derived from the Greek word ‘monachos’ – mono which means alone. Monasticism became quite popular in the middle Ages, with religion being the most important force in Europe.
  • Monks and nuns were to live isolated from the world to become closer to God. Women pursuing a monastic life are generally called nuns, while monastic men are called monks.
  •  The monastic orders of the middle Ages developed from the desire to live a spiritual life without the distractions of the world. Men and women who took religious vows were seeking a purity of experience they found lacking as lay people.
  •  Christian monasticism is the devotional practice of individuals who live ascetic and typically cloistered lives that are dedicated to Christian worship. Their ultimate role model was Jesus Christ who owned nothing and devoted his energies toward emancipating others.
  • Monks provided service to the church by copying manuscripts, creating art, educating people, and working as missionaries. Convents were especially appealing to women. It was the only place they would receive any sort of education or power. It also let them escape unwanted marriages.

EARLY HERMITS & FOUNDATION
  •  St.Paul of Thebes was a Christian in Egypt who fled his home to avoid persecution and took up residence in a cave near the Red Sea. He found the solitude brought him closer to communion with God.
  • St.Anthony renounced his position, gave away his possessions, and went off to live alone in the desert. In 342 CE, hearing of Paul in his cave, Anthony visited him. Saint Anthony’s piety attracted others who wanted to learn from him and, eventually, he yielded to their requests and emerged from solitude for six years.

ORDERS OF MONASTICISM
1. THE BENEDICTINES:
  • The Benedictines order was founded by Saint Benedict in 529 CE.
  • In the year 580 CE, the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino was sacked by the Lombards and the monks fled to Rome.
  • They are sometimes referred to as the Black Monks for the color of their robes and were devoted to work and prayer .

2. THE CLUNIACS:
  • The Cluniacs order was a reformed order of Benedictines founded in France at the Abbey of Cluny in 910 CE. The Cluniac Reforms were a response to what was seen as too much interference from nobility in the lives of monks.
  •  Many nobles donated land to monasteries as their tithe to the Church or as a means of staking a claim to retire there but then inserted themselves into the lives of the monks and interfered with their daily schedules.
  • The Cluniacs were especially devoted to caring for the poor and those who had been uprooted or left homeless by Viking raids. Their emphasis on art as a means of honoring God resulted in the creation and preservation of many significant works.

3. THE CISTERCIANS:
  • The Cistercians order was founded in 1098 CE at Citeaux Abbey in France by Benedictines who advocated a return to the time of Saint Benedict and a life of austerity. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153 CE) was the most famous Cistercian and a great advocate for simplicity in worship and in one’s daily life.
  • The Cistercians were another Benedictine order formed in response to perceived abuses and laxity. They rejected the Cluniac value of art-as-worship as well as overt patronage from the nobility and focused on manual labor, service to others, and prayer.
  • Their insistence on simplicity in all things gave rise to the form of construction known as Cistercian Architecture which avoids ornamentation in favor of unassuming lines and form.

4. THE CARTHUSIANS:
  • The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne (l. c. 1030-1101 CE) in 1084 CE and was open to both monks and nuns. The monasteries followed the same paradigm as Hilda of Whitby (l. 614-680 CE) at Whitby Abbey in Britain of men and women living separately but worshipping together.
  • Carthusians were an order emphasizing the value of silence and contemplation. Monks lived in cells, emerging to take part in rituals and work primarily in silence.
  • Certain days of the week were allowed for communal walks in which adherents could speak freely with each other but, for the most part, the monks lived in silence.

5. THE PREMONSTRATENSIANS:
  • The Premonstratensians  order was founded by Norbert of Xanten (l. c. 1075-1134 CE) in Premontre, France in 1120 CE. Adherents are not monks or nuns but canons of the Church involved in preaching, evangelical outreach, and teaching.
  • Norbert of Xanten was a friend of Bernard of Clairvaux and Premonstratensian habits and architecture mirrors that of the Cistercians in many ways.
  • Their focus is on outreach to local communities through teaching and elevating the thoughts and behavior of others. Although they banned women as members during the Late Middle Ages (c. 1000-1500 CE), they later relented.

6. THE TRINITARIANS
  •  The Trinitarians order was founded in 1198 CE by Saint John of Matha (l. 1160-1213 CE). John of Matha enlarged this vision to provide hospitality for pilgrims, care for the sick or infirm, restoration of church buildings, and evangelical outreach.
  • Their primary function initially was to ransom Christians taken captive by Muslims during the Crusades or through piracy.
  • The Trinitarians were always especially active in their local communities, encouraging education as a form of religious devotion.





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