New Monasticism

[Verve]

I was in the Christian Living section of the bookstore and picked up "The Awakening of Hope" By Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove.

I didn't have to read far before I realized some more research about this author and his denomination was required. Anyone out there ever heard of this movement and can shed some light on it?

It apparently has roots in the Roman Catholic Church?

 

[Skarl]

I was in the Christian Living section of the bookstore and picked up "The Awakening of Hope" By Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove.

I didn't have to read far before I realized some more research about this author and his denomination was required. Anyone out there ever heard of this movement and can shed some light on it?

It apparently has roots in the Roman Catholic Church?

No, it's a Protestant movement based on Roman Catholic monasticism. Basically become a lay religious or something. The seriousness with which it is taken varies by group.


What is wrong with the monasticism we've practiced for centuries, since St. John the Baptist, that people need to invent a new one?

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[Verve]

No, it's a Protestant movement based on Roman Catholic monasticism. Basically become a lay religious or something. The seriousness with which it is taken varies by group.


What is wrong with the monasticism we've practiced for centuries, since St. John the Baptist, that people need to invent a new one?

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

Thanks for clarifying that it isn't a Catholic movement. It's interesting though.

I don't have much knowledge of traditional monasticism, so I guess I can't really comment on your second comment.

 

[Albion]

None of the reviews mention anything about monasticism.

 

[Tangible]

Welcome - The Iona Community

 

[ViaCrucis]

My understanding was that the "New Monasticism" was that it was a modern Protestant (read: "Evangelical") movement that is part of a growing movement that hearkens back to a more ancient and traditional form of Christian expression.

There's been a pretty steady move within some sectors of Evangelicalism that has become deeply discontented with the state and nature of modern Evangelicalism and desire what they see as a far more robust faith that is connected with the past. It tends to involve a move toward a sort of "High Church" Evangelicalism.

It was this sort of discontent that in part helped bring me to Lutheranism.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Tangible]

Me too CL.I was really into Taizé for a while. It appealed to me because of its liturgical style, ecumenical focus, and multilingual ... um ... -osity.

Eventually, though, I realized that mysticism in a liturgical style was no better than mysticism in a contemporary style.

 

[Rhamiel]

i have not heard anything about this

oh hi VT it is nice seeing you again

 

[Verve]

i have not heard anything about this

oh hi VT it is nice seeing you again

 

[Verve]

Finished the book and it didn't seem as radical as I initially had worried. The movement is actually quite interesting.

 

[Rhamiel]

Finished the book and it didn't seem as radical as I initially had worried. The movement is actually quite interesting.

give us a brief review please?

 

[Verve]

give us a brief review please?

Sure.

It was filled with stories from the personal experience of the author as well as historical notes.

The author really seems to believe that the modern church has strayed away from the grassroots community of the early church.

He writes extensively about the importance of community to our lives as a body of believers.

In this context he discusses the importance of sharing meals, fasting, making/keeping promises, where we live, living in a community of believers, pacifism, and how we share the gospel.

 

[Rhamiel]

Sure.

It was filled with stories from the personal experience of the author as well as historical notes.

The author really seems to believe that the modern church has strayed away from the grassroots community of the early church.

He writes extensively about the importance of community to our lives as a body of believers.

In this context he discusses the importance of sharing meals, fasting, making/keeping promises, where we live, living in a community of believers, pacifism, and how we share the gospel.

that sounds like a cool book!
I think we can learn a lot from the early Church

 

[Walkingchipmunk]

From my limited hours of reading online; New Monasticism is different than traditional monasticism in that the ascetic vows are replaced by 12 points. Monks can maintain their lives/jobs/marriages etc. Monk=robe bearer. A monk is someone who devotes their life to prayer and the word. So a monk need not be cloistered, nor hermits, according to NM. There are a few good sites on the web.

Caution: There is a Manifesto which discusses NM in good depth, but on p. 17 becomes very ecumenical, "interspiritual". They suggest not only learning from other faiths, but assimilating with them! It is not said, but it smacks of a one religion of the world idea. Not sure if Heartgrove has relationship with McEntee and Bucko. Sort thought there was something there.
There is an article from Christianity Today that was 8p. long and well written. There is a site in Oregon, the prayer foundation, that discusses NM. They live it. They live a modern monastic life, Protestant, Celtic, Evangelical, slightly Franssiscan.

Where traditional monasticism pushed being OVER doing, Fransiscans were among the first (along with Celts) to urge being AND doing--i.e. being service oriented.

WC

 

[BrickUponBrick]

From my limited hours of reading online; New Monasticism is different than traditional monasticism in that the ascetic vows are replaced by 12 points. Monks can maintain their lives/jobs/marriages etc. Monk=robe bearer. A monk is someone who devotes their life to prayer and the word. So a monk need not be cloistered, nor hermits, according to NM. There are a few good sites on the web.

Caution: There is a Manifesto which discusses NM in good depth, but on p. 17 becomes very ecumenical, "interspiritual". They suggest not only learning from other faiths, but assimilating with them! It is not said, but it smacks of a one religion of the world idea. Not sure if Heartgrove has relationship with McEntee and Bucko. Sort thought there was something there.
There is an article from Christianity Today that was 8p. long and well written. There is a site in Oregon, the prayer foundation, that discusses NM. They live it. They live a modern monastic life, Protestant, Celtic, Evangelical, slightly Franssiscan.

Where traditional monasticism pushed being OVER doing, Fransiscans were among the first (along with Celts) to urge being AND doing--i.e. being service oriented.

WC

Gotta love the Franciscans!

I've seen the website for The Prayer Foundation. It seems pretty cool. A nice mix of modern and traditional. Although, from what I can tell, they haven't updated their website in a year or so.

There is another group called The Simple Way, although they're not so much NM, rather just communal living, sharing resources, and helping the poor and service. I'm not sure about their evangelical ways.

 

[Walkingchipmunk]

There are several sites dedicated to indexing intentional Christian communities, and intentional communities in general.

We're looking to start an intentional community here (not a monastery necessarily). But it seems many here operate from a loss perspective (my term). When we are presented with an opportunity, we allow the things we would loose, the things we can't do etc., to overshadow the benefits. It seems we try to find the reasons it won't work, rather than the reasons it will.
-off the soapbox-

NM seems like a practical and spiritual answer to a lot of the things we spend time 'fighting' for.

WC

 

[Mikeb85]

Sure.

It was filled with stories from the personal experience of the author as well as historical notes.

The author really seems to believe that the modern church has strayed away from the grassroots community of the early church.

He writes extensively about the importance of community to our lives as a body of believers.

In this context he discusses the importance of sharing meals, fasting, making/keeping promises, where we live, living in a community of believers, pacifism, and how we share the gospel.

Sounds like my church...

 

[Mikeb85]

What is wrong with the monasticism we've practiced for centuries, since St. John the Baptist, that people need to invent a new one?

To be fair, most people in the west are unaware of Christianity's long tradition of monasticism, and that there are still monastics living today as they did thousands of years ago...

At one point in my life (prior to meeting my wife) I considered becoming a monastic, there's a nice little Orthodox hermitage on the west coast of Canada...

 

[Walkingchipmunk]

If you can break from the traditional "monk" and look at what a monk was and did, you might find that it is something for you.

The prayerfoundation folks make the good point that many folks are already monks in their hearts. Being a monk or a servant of God does not mean living single nor in poverty--but it can.

So if your inward state is one of prayer, humility, study, contemplation, peace: Something about the fruit of the tree.

WC

 

[Job8]

What is wrong with the monasticism we've practiced for centuries, since St. John the Baptist, that people need to invent a new one?

John the Baptizer was definitely NOT a monk. He was a prophet just like Elijah, and he never taught monasticism or celibacy or any such thing. Monasticism is certainly not a New Testament teaching, and all the apostles were married (Paul may have been a widower).

As to what is happening today is that we live in a time of great apostasy, where Roman Catholicism (which has another Gospel) is being accepted more and more by non-Catholics, and mysticism, monasticism, and all kinds of other nonsense is being promoted to the detriment of true Bible Christianity.