What do you think about New Monasticism?

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What do you think about it in general? And is this something that you might be tempted about if none of the existing religious orders and forms of consecrated life were suitable for you?

EDIT: Link to what it is:

 
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I think New Monasticism is a phenomenon that is mostly observed within Protestant communities, a sort of attempt to reclaim local monastic traditions that were done away at the Reformation. It’s experiencing a modicum of attention within the Church of England, no doubt due to the prior Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams being a noted scholar of Eastern Orthodox spirituality. But the movement overall tends to be shaped by theological perspectives that are particular to Protestantism.

Some of it is really problematic from a Catholic position. There’s a tendency to colour “Old Monasticism” (i.e. that which is observed in the Catholic and EO churches) using Reformation-era criticisms: traditional monasticism is hierarchical, authoritarian, patriarchal, etc. Likewise, oftentimes New Monasticism’s relationship with social justice is problematic. A bit like a spiritual version of liberation theology, if you will.
 
I’m not sure where to begin. Monasticism is characterised by a common way of life (lived together) governed by a Rule and by prayer. the “Twelve marks” and “nine vows” come across to me as very vague and ill-defined in terms how what they actually mean in practice. Certainly, monastic spirituality can be lived out in everyday life but that’s not the same thing as monasticism.
Bithynian said:
I think New Monasticism is a phenomenon that is mostly observed within Protestant communities, a sort of attempt to reclaim local monastic traditions that were done away at the Reformation.
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I’d certainly agree with this - it strikes me as an attempt to adapt traditional monasticism to fit within a contemporary Protestant ethos.
 
I don’t even know where to begin with my thoughts on what the Wikipedia article describes.

If all other forms of monastic life were not available to me there’s no bone in my body that desires what’s described. I’d instead work with my spiritual director to form up a rule of life for my own use and live it alone.
 
Bithynian said:
I think New Monasticism is a phenomenon that is mostly observed within Protestant communities, a sort of attempt to reclaim local monastic traditions that were done away at the Reformation.
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Yes, exactly.

I think it has its good points (the main one being that it is part of a general movement inside some Protestant traditions who realize that maybe the baby was thrown out along with the bath water after the Reformation) and its weaknesses (the main one being that, as we would say in French, it is a bit of an attempt to have the butter, the butter’s money, and the smile of the dairymaid, by wanting to have a family but live out a life centered around community and prayer, and reclaiming one’s Catholic roots while not quite wanting to draw the logical consequences).

There were several attempts at creating such Protestant communities where I live. Only one is still surviving, because it was clear from the beginning that it would be family-oriented. Others tried to mix up celibates, couples, and families with children, and that generally didn’t end well.
 
Oh. Sounds new-agey, like “mindfulness”
The world searches and searches, all in vain, for a suitable replacement of Christ.

Isn’t one.
 
Quote from the Wikipedia article:

’ Bede Griffiths, a Catholic Camaldolese Benedictine monk who oversaw a Christian-Hindu ashram in India from 1968-1993, spoke often of the future of monasticism as being a ‘“lay movement”’, and developed a vision for new monastic life’

I guess it was a bit premature for your guys to go on Protestant bashing. (And stop complimenting yourselves by claiming that these communities are founded by Protestants for the sake of RECLAIMING something that they lost (monasteries) during the reformation…they’re founded because people are drawn to monasticism and certainly not because they want to bring the past back or because they regret the reformation)

I do agree with you that a lot of these communities do smell of hippie-ness and new age though.
 
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I’ll take the Old Monasticism:

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"These communities expand upon traditional monastic wisdom, translating it into forms that can be lived out in contemporary lives “in the world.”

So the intent is to adapt monastic wisdom so that anyone can benefit by it. Sort of. Third order but not limited to Catholics though a specific community could be. How many of us would like a more contemplative life? In some form of community? But we also have family and jobs.

Actually this social distancing, work from home is showing us new options.

Say a commitment to the vague principles and a daily Divne Office. If enough people were teested in such a community the entire Office could actually be done. Pepe could still tend t their daily demands and attend as they could. The Catholic or ecumenical aspect would be a choice.

As I said, if we think of it in terms of a third order it could be very helpful. New age? That would depend on the character of the specific community.

So how would it differ from a third order if it had a Catholic intent? I don’t think it would other than being less formal. But even canonic recognition could be pursued.
 
Benedictine oblature is already open to all Christians not just Catholics. This sounds nothing like authentic Benedictine spirituality. It sounds distinctly new age.
 
To me it doesn’t sound any less serious/valid than Catholic secular institutes for instance. Unlike them, the new monastics don’t always follow a common rule of life and shared religious beliefs (sometimes they do though) but they do live in community.

And no, I’m not a monk myself but I am considering starting my own monastic community.
 
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Theemonk said:
I guess it was a bit premature for your guys to go on Protestant bashing. (And stop complimenting yourselves by claiming that these communities are founded by Protestants for the sake of RECLAIMING something that they lost (monasteries) during the reformation…they’re founded because people are drawn to monasticism and certainly not because they want to bring the past back or because they regret the reformation)
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@OddBird is a Protestant pastor. I myself was an Anglican who was a lay associate of a(n Anglican) religious community that was founded in the early 20th century.

The Wikipedia article is not particularly comprehensive. If you search for literature around New Monasticism, the overwhelming majority of it pertains to Protestants, and much of it is a reclamation of pre-Reformation monastic thought. For example, Rowan Williams (the previous Archbishop of Canterbury) published a book this year titled ‘The Way of St Benedict’.

An issue when discussing New Monasticism is that the term is very nebulous, and can mean fundamentally very different things for the various people and communities involved. For some, it can mean a renewal of lay participation in monasticism while being faithful and attentive to its ancient (i.e. pre-Reformation) traditions. For others, it means a radical reformulation of monastic thought and practice for the 21st century.
OddBird said:
as we would say in French, it is a bit of an attempt to have the butter, the butter’s money, and the smile of the dairymaid
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Dairy analogies must be a quintessentially French idiom! It reminds me of Irene Nemirovsky’s novel Suite Francaise: as a native English speaker I found the oddest expression when the narrator compared his beautiful wife to a ‘white hefer’.
 
Shakuhachi said:
Are you a monk?
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No - although I did get my Father Confessor’s blessing to visit a monastery last year and stayed there several days - but no I’m not a tonsured monastic.
Shakuhachi said:
"These communities expand upon traditional monastic wisdom, translating it into forms that can be lived out in contemporary lives “in the world.”
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It is great that people want to learn traditional monastic wisdom. I just don’t see how they are monks:

The first monks went into the desert after the Roman persecutions ended, in order to live out a life of martyrdom. One monk even tied himself up, saying, "This is how the Emperor used to bind me! "

What do the New Monks do? Do they live by any monastic rule, like that of St. Benedict and eat 1-2 meals a day, or rise at 3am to pray?

They do have the “12 Marks”, but Christians do these things anyway: share with the needy. Be hospitable. Submission to Christ’s body, etc.

Also, who leads these communities? Father Bede Griffiths became an Indian Yogi. Shane Claiborne has has some unorthodox theology in at least one of his books.

I’m not trying to discourage anyone who wants to grow in faith, but we should call it like it is: they are not monks, but they are communities.
 
Yes, that is why I think “3rd order” is a better description.
 
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