This is part of a series on the history of Christianity. Previous articles can be found here.
In many ways Monasticism was a response to the institutionalization of Christianity and the decline of the Roman Empire in the centuries following the decline of Rome. Post-Constantine, Christian faith became the norm and some started to retreat in order to preserve the pure faith. The first monk was St. Antony, who withdrew to the Egyptian desert in the late 3rd century after inheriting a large sum of money and taking to heart Matthew 19:21. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’” Athanasius, the theologian we met in our discussion of the Councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon, was his biographer and popularized his story. From the early 4th century forward monasticism grew as the church and state grew closer together. Church leaders became a separate, educated class that soon fell prey to the negative side effects of power. Early monasticism was a faithful response to unfaithfulness in the church at large.
Celtic Monasticism took on unique aspects which included cross-cultural missionary work. They spread the Gospel throughout Europe and their persistence in study also helped preserve important documents of Western Civilization. More than one thousand monasteries arose in Europe and began to experience decline. In the sixth century a monk at Monte Cassino (near Rome) introduced a new order that revolutionized monasticism for centuries. St. Benedict’s formula became the foundation for most monasteries founded for centuries afterwards and continues to influence modern monastic life. He stressed a balance between work, prayer, and worship. Franciscans and Dominicans were traveling preachers who combined preaching and evangelism with innovation and social justice work among the people they served. Their influence grew in the latter part of the Middle Ages.
The legacy of monasticism is mixed. Much of Christian thought is indebted to outstanding monks like St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Martin Luther. The preservation of original manuscripts in Greek and Hebrew was a central task for many monks, and the Hebrew verbal system used by seminarians to study the Old Testament was developed by monks. Perhaps the most damaging legacy of monasticism, however, is the creation of a separate, higher class of Christians. Monks and nuns were viewed as superior because of their willingness to abandon all the comforts of life to pursue God. While noble, God does not rank Christians in this way and we should not either. Monasticism is the first example of sectarian Christianity–the belief that withdrawal is necessary to pursue holiness–which was mimicked by both the Anabaptists during the Reformation and the Fundamentalists in the 20th century.
