Abstract
The article focuses on ancient Christian monasticism. The simplicity admired and practiced by the early Christian monks, so often construed as a first order naiveté or credulity devoid of depth or subtlety, in fact contained and expressed a complex range of thought and feeling. More than this, it was, at least in its most mature expressions, a hard won achievement, realized only through a costly and demanding process of relinquishment. Ancient Christian monks actually did realize on occasion a simplicity that embodied a beautiful freedom and transparency. But such simplicity rarely came to expression in a life except through intense and costly, even terrifying, personal struggle. To realize such simplicity in one's life meant living through a kind of death.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 353-364 |
Journal | Cistercian Studies Quarterly |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 4 |
State | Published - 2005 |
Keywords
- Monasticism and religious orders
- Christianity
- Simplicity
- Conduct of life
- monks
- transparency
Disciplines
- Christianity
- History of Christianity
- Religion