When most people think of Monasticism, perhaps the image of austere and creepy men in hoodies in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven (2005) comes to mind or the bizarre and buzzing assassins from Gene Wilder's Start the Revolution Without Me (1970). Monks have thanks to The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, and countless stories of Middle Ages developed a reputation for rapacious, and rigid. Today, the idea of becoming a Monastic is taboo, and would generally be understood as a vocation for a Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox. The most famous Monastics have indeed been Catholics, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Benedict of Nurisa, while St. Francis of Assisi was actually an order of Friars which do not seclude themselves or live in cloister, but live among the people. The Eastern Orthodox have famous monastics like St. Anthony of Egypt, St. Basil of Slavia, St. Nicholas of Turkey (Santa Claus), and more. Although the Reformation owes its existence to a monk named Martin Luther, had it not been for him the Reformation probably would have been slow, but like Steve Jobs, Luther got the idea in front of people in the most expedient way, in Martin's time the Printing Press, in Steve Job's the Computer (granted Jobs was not religious, in fact a fallen away Methodist).
Interesting, the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church boasts thousands of monks and their female equivalents called Nuns. Even more intriguing is that monasticism was in the time of Jesus, and John Baptist in many ways behave as ascetic and monk for the Lord, preparing the Way. But before I get into did Jesus advocate monasticism, can the Apostles been seen to have instituted it in the Epistles, I want to explore what makes monasticism alluring. Why would people want to be in dark dungeons or hamlets in hooded single piece robes without perhaps uttering a single word (silent orders)? What could possible seduce or rather induce a person to give up all their belongings, abstain from marriage for life (celibacy) and stay in small cloister of men or women for the rest of their nature lives? The call to monastic life is not an empty table of "thou shalt not" and give up everything (Luke 18:22), but rather it is seen a gain. Many brothers in Christ feel completely incompatible with this world, they want to observe to extreme, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." (1 John 2:13). For some, this technological world with its warp speed pace has taken its toll and wanting to serve Christ, people turn to monasticism.
Ask a monk and they probably will say they're becoming a monastic was a calling, others might say more candidly, they were misfits unable to find a place in this world. But more likely it might have began with romanticism or what I call Rommonasticism. Perhaps a young man or woman saw St. Francis of Assisi (1961), or found copy of Xavier (2006 and 2016) or even St. Augustine. Perhaps they discovered monasticism reading The Rule by St. Benedict or Confessions by St. Augustine. The point is they saw monasticism in a more romantic light, less creepy Ridley Scott and less murderous as monks in the Templar legends. So what was the appeal, surely to our modern eyes the idea of giving up possessions, being subjected to authoritarian leadership, and living simply without technology (in many cases, their are cybermonks, I know one). Again, the problem is we are looking at what a monastic gives up, not what is gained. Monks have plenty of time to read.
In certain orders like the Benedictines, reading Scripture is mandatory, as well is reading other ecclesiastical, classical, and epic works. For a contemplative person who loves reading, Monasticism has a major draw, there are hours dedicated to study in your rule, and during that time perfect peace and quiet. For others it is prayer, uninterrupted and for lengthy periods. A monk may go into a garden, or into the hill country, or in their private cell light a candle. There is public and private prayers, the former to unite the brothers in chants and other prayers like the Our Father Prayer (Pater Noster), and the latter being for personal purging of the self and to seek God. The Monk is seen from this romantic view to have not only more time, but a environment conducive to study and prayer, two hallmarks of the Christian life. However, the idea that monks are introverted is a misnomer, a monk is part of cloister of monks, to be alone one must become a Hermit. To burst the bubble a little, usually added to study and prayer is agricultural farming, plowing, tilling, and cleaning the cloister grounds and other places for penance.
Monks and Friars differ generally in their location, destination, and relation to the world. Monks live in a cloister secluded from society in the desert, woods, mountains, and desolate places like the Starlets. Friars in contrast live amongst the community, in the village, city, and towns of their country. In Middle Ages, Monks swore to never bear arms, but Friars could wield swords and fight in crusades, hence why Friar Tuck in the Robin Hood legends wields a club and sword. Monks also differ from friars in that they live forever in the same cloister, for example those at Sinai, they never leave and die there, while Friars are transferred like Priests to numerous locations around the world. The Order of Friars became a solution to those who wanted to be in world but not of it, " I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do," (John 17:14-16) and
and the most famous were the Franciscans founded by St. Francis of Assisi who spent his life preaching the Gospel to Muslims. Monks live a contemplative life, they don't preach except to each other in their cloister and without a pulpit, while Friars traveled and would preach to people on road, in the town, and in countryside.
Monasticism in eyes of Monks isn't an ideology of I can't, but rather it is seen as option for a believer who wants to serve Christ without having to work in a secular vocation and to be surrounded with other dedicated people on the same path. But did Jesus or His Apostles preach monasticism? The most likely place monasticism was inspired by was a discussion between the disciples and Jesus, "Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful. Jesus’ disciples then said to him, “If this is the case, it is better not to marry!”Not everyone can accept this statement,” Jesus said. “Only those whom God helps. Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can." (Matthew 19:8-12). Eunuchs in antiquity were celibate and had their testicales removed so they could not have sexual relations. However, Jesus uses those who do not marry as synonym, so it is safe to say Christ does not mean literal eunuch in sense of castration, but rather a spiritual state of not marrying and not having sex called celibacy and chastity. It is understandable how one could get the idea of monasticism from this passage, since Jesus says "Let anyone accept this who can." The Apostle Paul takes a pen to the subject, "So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust. But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord.A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife. Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments. Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. Because of the present crisis I think it is best to remain as you are. If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married. But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems. I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible." (1 Corinthians 7:10, 17-19, 26-29, 32-35). The Apostle Paul makes a case for not marrying, but rest of this chapter does have Paul stating he is not making a command not to marry, and encourages marrying in certain circumstances (1 Corinthians 7:9 and 1 Corinthians 7:10-16). Between Christ's own words and Paul's advice it seems monasticism or at the very least, celibacy has a place. But neither Jesus nor Paul mentions starting a cloister of men or nunnery of women who are all celibate, in fact the apostles were all married except for the Apostle Paul, "Don't we have the right to bring a Christian wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord's brothers do, and as Peter does?" (1 Corinthians 9:5). Contrary to Catholic and Orthodox tradition, all the Apostles and Jesus' half brothers James, Judas, Simeon, and blank were all married. Except for St. Paul, everyone else was wed, so the example of celibacy really isn't modeled by the apostles. In addition, most people don't know that St. Paul lost his wife when he was converted on Road to Damascus (Acts 9), his wife was wealthy and expecting the Pharisee life, and abandoned Paul when he became a Christian and apostle to Gentiles.
Obliviously one cannot make a case for monasticism from the Scriptures, because Jesus and the Apostles weren't talking about monasticism, but being single and celibate for Kingdom of God. Jesus did not say to live isolated in cloister away from society, but to go out and make disciples, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19), "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come," (Matthew 24:14), "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth," (Acts 1:8), "And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!" (Romans 10:8-15). Living in a cloister and insolated from world doesn't seem to fit these Scriptures, now the Order of the Friars and those members who go forth and peace Gospel like the Dominicans, Franciscans, and Augustrians did preach the Gospel, so they better fit the roles of staying celibate and still preaching the Gospel, while Monks and Nuns aren't obeying these commands of Christ and his Apostles to make disciples.
Asceticism (severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons), which is close to Monasticism is denounced by the Scriptures and the Apostle Paul, "These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh" (Colossians 2:23 ESV). Under the scrutiny of Scriptures Monasticism especially in the Catholic circles, which is a mandatory sacrament and demand for a priest as well as monk is confronted by the Apostle Paul, "Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth." (1 Timothy 4:3). This is where romanticism of Monasticism collapses, when the face of monasticism as form of works based salvation and penance is exposed as worthless, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," (Ephesians 2:4-6, ESV) and "For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8-9, AMPC.).
Thus we see that Monasticism fails because it does not allow people to go and make disciples. The Order of Friars on the other hand allows for preaching the Gospel to people like Jesuits and Dominicans did with fervor in the 16th and 17th centuries. Monasticism is romanticized because the idea of selling everything and following Christ is appealing. There is yearning in us to be like the Twelve Disciples, and follow Jesus without all the distractions of our current century and contemporary culture. While it becomes clear Monasticism in form of cloisters and secluded enclaves does not fit the Gospel, but the Order of Friars does seem possible. I believe the romanticizing of Monasticism comes from a deep yearning in all believers to go deeper and get away from distractions. This is good desire, but is joining a Medieval institution the right thing, especially when it violates the Gospel with its sacramental and penitential life to merit salvation via works goes against the Gospel, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Not a result of works, so that no one may boast," (Ephesians 2:4-9), "But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve," (2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15), "influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron, They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth." (1 Timothy 4:2-3). The Sacrament system and penance of Monasticism (and Catholicism) to make yourself right with God is spitting on blood of Jesus which alone cleanses you (Hebrews 13:12, Hebrews 9:11-28). Only Jesus Christ can save us, and if we believe and confess that Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from dead we are saved (Romans 10:9-10). It is fine to admire the positives of Monasticism, study and prayer, hard work, and unity, but remember that sadly these aren't just devout Christians living together as they did in Acts 2 thru 5. Monasticism is another gospel which means it curses anyone who does it to be saved (Galatians 1:8-9). So admire and perhaps implement more study and prayer in your daily life, but beware of Romonasticism, romanticizing Monasticism.
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