The Monastic Life - The Path To Spirituality?

INTRODUCTION

Elijah and John, like other anchorites (a monk manner of life) lived in the deserts. Jesus Of Nazareth did not. What then is the nerve pathway to Negro spiritual maturity? Are it the life of the monastic or otherwise? What we achieve, it must be noted, the monk life or otherwise, is by the saving grace of God. Supreme Being looks at the heart. What was Jesus' first miracle? In which ceremonial did he execute it? If Jesus Of Nazareth performed a miracle in a wedding ceremony feast, thus promoting joyful jubilation (though, with limitations), is this not a intimation that, the monastic, celibate or abstainer life is not godlier than the wedded, celebratory life? Are monasticism the way to spirituality? Although there are good rules in the monk life, it must be emphasized, echoed and re-echoed that lone Supreme Being can convey us to spirituality. From the foregoing, spiritualty is not by plant of righteousness but indeed by His saving grace alone.

1. definition OF TERMS

a. Spirituality

The term spiritualty is defined as life the Christian life with a consciousness or sensitiveness to spiritual values. Striving or aiming for flawlessness and making peculiar usage of supplication are therefore very of import considerations in many different Christian circles. However, it must be emphasized that spiritualty presumes assorted word forms in respective Christian traditions, for instance, from the purdah of the Orthodox monastics to the activism of the Pentecostals.

b. The monk life

The monk life mentions to a manner of spiritual life that is usually pursued within the confines of a monastery where the occupants take respective vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience, living by the regulation of the order to which they belong. Generally continent and universally ascetic, the monk person offprints himself or herself from general society either by life as a hermit or anchorite (religious recluse) or by joining a society of others who profess similar intentions. It is believed that although St. Antony is viewed as the laminitis of monasticism, the laminitis of the regulation of life is St. Benedict. The end of the monk manner of life was the accomplishment of personal redemption with Supreme Being through a continual Negro spiritual conflict with temptation. It is therefore sensible to observe that "the head purpose of the monk, therefore, is personal sanctification..." (Cross, 1975, 914).

c. Monk spirituality

Monastic spiritualty connotes a single-heart eremitic seeking of God, an attack to Him in response to His invitation establish in Scripture, for instance, "seek ye first the land of God" (Mt. 6:33). It is meant to be carried out in a lifespan and perfected or finalized in ageless life after one's death. It is a "way of life... that necessitates a certain subject to dispose oneself to ran into the life God" (Monastic Spiritualty 2004). It therefore fluxes from a belief in a Supreme Being who come ups to those who are disposed to listening, who will persevere in seeking Supreme Being even when it looks unpointed boring. The forty-eighth verse of The Rule of St. Ruth Benedict states, "do not be daunted immediately by fearfulness and adult male away from the route that Pbs to salvation. It is jump to be narrow at the outset" (The Spirit of Benedictine Life, 2004).

2. types OF THE monk LIFE

The Encyclopedia Britannica generally splits monasticism into two, organizational or institutional, and hierarchal and position types. The organizational or institutional type could be additional divided into eremitic, quasi-eremitic, cenobitic, quasi-monastic, and friar monks. The two subdivisions in the latter grouping include sacerdotal, and secondary and spiritual orders.

A common characteristic of true eremitic establishments is the accent on life alone on a hard-and-fast contemplative life. Quasi-eremitic institutions had loose organizational constructions with no external hierarchies. In cenobitic monasticism, ascetism was to be pursued in community life and in obedience. The quasi-monastic groupings are Christian military orders. Strictly defined, friar monastics are those who dwell by begging.

3. causes OF THE monk LIFE

Several grounds could be attributed to the rise of monasticism. An of import influence was the philosophical. The dualistic position of flesh and spirit, with its inclination to see flesh and wicked and spirit good- sol characteristic of the Orient- influenced Christian Religion though the Gnostic and Neoplatonic movements. It was thought that retirement from the human race could "help the individual crucify the flesh and to develop the Negro spiritual life by speculation and abstainer acts" (Cairns, 1967, 163).

Secondly, it would look as if some Scriptures look to warrant the monk life. I Corinthians 7 is a lawsuit in point. Some early Church Fathers like Origen, Cyprian, Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus and Jerome, urged celibacy to back up right reading of the Scriptures. Furthermore, it is observed, Antony, probably the first monk, "in response to those words (Matt. 19:21), disposed of his place and gave the return to the poor, reserving only a part for the attention of his sister" (Gonzalez 1984, 141). He even disposed of the little modesty monetary fund that he had kept for his sister, placed her nether the attention of the virgins of the church, and left for the desert when a future poetry "do not be apprehensive for tomorrow" (Matt. 6:34) moved him. Although we make not really cognize when the flight to the desert really began, "Antony first embarked on the life of a anchorite shortly before the twelvemonth 270; but it looks that he had predecessors" (Lawrence 1984, 5).

The sum Negro spiritual poorness that is demanded of Christians and to which monastics react without vacillation looks to be lovingly granted through in the Beatitudes. This is the core of the Benedictine Spirit - adhering to His teachings, ultimately following Him who have trampled the same way from His baptism in the Jordan River through the trials, misinterpretations and humiliations of rejection, to His aglow obeisance to His Father and the concluding unblinking enactment of sacrifice. Furthermore, thirdly, certain psychological inclinations strengthened the desire for a monk life. In time period of crisis there is always a inclination to withdraw from the rough realities. The late 2nd and 3rd centuries saw the beginning of civil upset which was to go so prevailing in the future history of the Empire. It is apparent therefore that "many left society for the monastery as a agency of flight from rough world and the moral taint of the times" (Cairns 1967, 164). Historically, there was increasing moral deterioration, especially of the upper social classes in Roman society and monasticism became a oasis for those in rebellion against this growth degeneracy of the times. Geographically, the warm dry clime and the battalion of caves in the hills along the Banks of the Nile River were contributing to separation of the individual from society.

4. benefits OF THE monk LIFE

It is a truism that there is so much immorality in the best of us and so much good in the worst of us that we have got to critically measure and larn to suit each other in the Christian faith. No denomination have it all right. There are strengths in the different denominations and the Christian demands to have got a receptive spirit to larn from each. The monk life is not an exception. There are respective good points in this manner of life worth mentioning. It is observed that monasteries "are necessary because the human race is not Christian. Let it be converted, and the demand for a monk life will disappear" (Chrysostom, 1972, 52-53). History have not vindicated his hope. Monasticism have a alone testimony to the world. It is firmly believed that "monasteries were the curators of learning and the centres of missionary and philanthropic work. The monastics were the writers, preachers, philosophers and theologists of the age...." (Vos, 1994, 122). This is why Cross believes that "the monastics were the head instructors of Europe and an influential civilizing power" (Cross 1957, 104).

The life of the Church between Constantine I and the Reformation uncovers that "almost everything in the Christian church that approached the highest, noblest and truest ideals of the Gospel was done either by those who had chosen the monk manner or those who had been inspired in their Christian life by the monks" (Noll, 2000, 85). Douglas, Cairns and Ruark reason that "the monastics were outstanding in the Origenist controversies, intervened tempestuously in the fifth-century christological disputes, and became Byzantine Church's 'democratic front'" (Douglas, 1978, 671). Leadership of the Reformation such as as St Martin Luther, Toilet Calvin, Seth Thomas Cranner and Menno Simmons used the Hagiographa of the monastics to pull support for their theology. Martin Luther and Calvin, for instance, repeatedly consulted the plant of Augustine. In fact, "it should be remembered that Luther, Erasmus, and many other critics of the pontificate had monk backgrounds" (Vos, 1994, 122). The monk life was not only limited to manual labor but also extended to copying MSS., teaching, art, all sorts of scholarly research and translating the Bible. A realistic summary of the influence of monastic life to Christian Religion could be summarized thus:

If we read the Bible in our native languages, we profit from a tradition of biblical interlingual rendition inspired by the monk Jerome (ca. 342-420). If we sing the congratulations of Father, Son and Holy Place Spirit, we follow where the hymn-writing monastics Gregory Xiii (ca.540-604) and Claude Bernard of Clairvaux... If we prosecute theology, we (are) indebted to the monastics Saint Augustine and Seth Thomas Thomas Aquinas (ca.1225-74). If we pray for the success of Christian missions, we inquire for approval upon endeavors pioneered by monastics Saint Patrick (ca.390-ca.460), Boniface (680-754), Cyril (826-69) and his blood brother Methodius (ca.815-85) and Raymond Letup (ca.1233-ca.1315). If we glorification in the goodness that Supreme Being imparted to the created world, we follow where the mendicant Francis of Assisi blazed the trail...(Noll, 2000, 85).

5. spiritualty OF THE monk LIFE

From the foregoing, a inquiry that readily come ups to mind is whether the monk manner of life is really a way to spirituality? Clebsch realistically detects that Antony's retirement from the human race is, at the very least, an equivocal retreat, for though he offprints himself from the distractions and shrewish pressure levels of ordinary human community, the wilderness to which Anthony flees throws more than important challenges and dangers. When Anthony happens no alleviation from an enthusiastic crowd during a rare visit to the city, "he guarantees those around him that he must postulate with equal Numbers - of devils - at his cell in the wilderness" (Clebsch 1980, 8).

Monasticism preaches separation from society, which dwells according to the elements of this world, and from its economic, political and societal problems. This generally led to the flight to the desert and the future independent being of communities that attention for the demands of their members. The monk democracy is Saddle Horse Athos, for instance, is a dramatic illustration of a social, self-governing life, detached from the human race and even opposed to it. The thorny issue is that since everyone cannot realistically share this vocation, the monk solution stays limited. It is not the solution for the human race in its totality.

Even though the research worker is coming from a warfare torn land (Sierra Leone), he have come up to recognize that forgiveness and love are ways to show true spirituality. It must be noted that monastics "headed the Inquisition and persuaded battalions to take part in the crusades" (Noll, 2000, 140). The inquiry is why was this so If the monk life aimed at personal sanctification? As Christians, we must be honorable to acknowledge that "as they unfolded, the Crusades never accomplished as much good as protagonists hoped, while wicked consequences, unintended and unanticipated by advocates like Urban, proliferated" (Noll, 2000, 140). Even in Christianity, it is not implausible to state that the Crusades sealed the Schism. It is impossible to observe that people living the monk life took portion in political warfare.

The strong belief of Protestants (including the research worker of this paper) about the centrality of justification by religion is jump to raise inquiries about whether the monk life encouraged noxious notions concerning the possibility of redemption by works. A legitimate inquiry worth request is whether what the monastics vowed to make did not indeterminate the cardinal or foundational world of God's grace. Alice Paul got it right when he observed that "...it is by saving grace you have got been saved, through religion - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no 1 can boast" (Eph.2: 8-9). Obtaining redemption by plant is nil but a legalistic attack which is consistently condemned by Scripture. The tense of the verb in Ephesians 2:8 set ups the necessity of religion in Jesus as the lone agency of being made right with God. How cardinal is the instruction of grace? This is a inquiry the person life the monastic life would have got to fight with.

Does the abstainer want of the organic structure by the monk affect the true place of sinfulness? In response, it is vehemently argued that "the set of the heart, rather than the mere disposal of the body, is the cardinal substance in godliness" (Noll, 2000, 103). In fact, an issue in our recently concluded faculty was sexual activity and spirituality. Although Catholics believe that sexual activity is only for procreation, the Protestant positions sexual activity between hubby and married woman for pleasance also as true spirituality. Even Bro. Lawrence was honorable adequate to acknowledge some of the jobs of a type of monk life. It is interesting to observe that Brother Lawrence began to doubt the wisdom of his determination to dwell in the desert, wishing instead to dwell within a Christian brotherhood... Members of the grouping could edify and cheer one another, protecting themselves against the changeability of their individual caprices (Lawrence, 1982, 78).

CONCLUSION

In all equity to monasticism, the establishment "owes its beginning to the desire of leading a life of flawlessness in greater security than is normally possible in the world" (Cross 1975, 914). Monks for more than than a thousand old age sustained a batch of solid qualities in the Church. It is sensible to observe that the monk life, "though never perfect, always in demand of reform, and occasionally sunk in corruption- stays today, more than than 17 hundred old age after Anthony went into the desert, a usher and inspiration to big subdivisions of the Church" (Noll, 2000, 104). However, it would be implausible to state that monasticism is a way to spirituality. It is incontrovertible that there are good rules in the monk life. This notwithstanding, one must rush to observe that lone Supreme Being can convey us to spirituality. It is not by plant of righteousness but indeed by His saving grace alone. The environment is really not the issue. I believe that the interior of the adult male is the existent issue. The philosophers believe that if a adult male is sick, he will still be at the same topographic point if you were to take him from the troughs to the palace. Why? The reply is that he transports his disease with him. Did Jesus Of Nazareth avoid non-Christians? No. What makes He intend when He detect that though the Christian is in the world, he is not of it? The research worker detects that these words propose or urge a very alone ministry. This ministry looks to demo itself above the desert and the city, since it is called to excel every word form in order to show itself everywhere and in all circumstances. How can monastics be given birth to or monasteries be populated without the life on the other side of the monastery? It is suggested that there is only one spiritualty for all without differentiation in its demands, whether of the bishop, monastic or layperson. St. Seraphim left the utmost patterns of the anchorites and returned to the world. He was no longer a monastic retired from the human race nor a adult male life among people. He was both, and surpassing both, he was essentially a witnesser to Biblical spirituality.

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