Old Monastic Wisdom for New Monastic People

Here are some resources on Christian monasticism(s) both old and new that might be interesting for people exploring this topic.

General Reflections

What is Monasticism: A Few Reflections

Introducing New Monasticism

What Do We Call IT?: New Monasticism and the Vocabulary of Religious Life

A Collection of Rules, Constitutions, Covenants and Such from Monastic Communities and Other Similar Groups

Reflections on the History of Devout Forms of Life

Patristic Era (@AD 100-600)

Getting Away to It All: The Place of Withdrawal in Fourth-Century Monasticism and Postmodern Christianity

Dying to Live: Reflections on  Asceticism, Spiritual Disciplines and Everyday Life – Part One: Asceticism Summarized

Dying to Live: Reflections on Asceticism, Spiritual Disciplines and Everyday Life – Part Two: Asceticism Applied

Evangelical Vision, Eremitical Tradition Part I: The Pursuit of True Religion in Fourth Century Monastic and Related Expressions

Spiritual Formation and Elitism: Reflections on Early Councils and Contemporary Practice

Medieval Era (@AD 600-1500)

The Canons and Canonesses Regular and Their Relevance to the Ministries of Large, Multi-Staff Congregations Today: Reflections on “Monasticisms” Old and New

NewesLetter, June 2018: The Ministry of Intercession Medieval Monastic Style

The Beguine Option: A Persistent Past and a Promising Future of Christian Monasticism

NewesLetter, September 2018: Confraternities of the Penitents: A New Wave?

Medieval Evangelicalism: A Discussion of “True Religion” in the Western Church of the Middle Ages and Today

Who Should Be Poor? How Poor? and Why? Reflections on a Franciscan Motif

Modern (@1500 – the present)

What Does God Expect? From Whom? and Why?  Commandments, Counsels, Community and the Theology of Religious Life

More coming !!!

Theology of Religious (and Semi-Religious) Life: Reflections on a Few Themes

Discipleship in a Postmodern World: Lessons from a Premodern Era

Advancing the Gospel Together: Reflections on Missional Orders and Other Religious Associations, Old and New

Missional Forms of Life: An Exploration

Pentecostal Monasticism: Communities of the Spirit Both Past and Potential

The Practice of New Monastic Life

Strengthening One Another: A Contemporary Appropriation of the Chapter of Faults (and Affirmations)

For Specific Practices, see my “Brief Guides to Christian Spiritual Practices” in the Resources for Christian Living Page.

For resources to help you write your own Rule of Life, scroll down to the “Rules of Life” section of my Resources for Christian Living page.

Resources and Networking for explorers of New Monasticism(s), Intentional Christian Community and the like.

For more on Intentional Christian Community, see the “Community NewesLetters” in the NewesLetter Archives.

For a select bibliography on Christian discernment (including material on communal discernment) see here.

For some networking links to groups exploring the connections between higher education student life and intentional community click here.

I also have a YouTube Playlist with over 25 video talks on Monasticism(s) Old and New.

And a Vimeo series as well.

“New Monastic Retrieval and Reformation Evaluation: A Few Reflections.” Here is the audio recording of a talk I gave for the Webber Center’s Ancient Evangelical Future Conference, 2017 (just scroll down to Session 3).

Mission in Early Monasticism: A Presentation Given at the InnerCHANGE 2012 Conference

“Evagrius of Pontus: The Desert Father’s Approach to Spiritual Formation” – A Renovare Conversation I presented in 2012

Part One: Life
In this part, I present “Evagrius of Pontus: The Movie”

Part Two: Thought
In this part, I talk about the desert tradition’s approach to formation, using Evagrius as a case in point.

Part Three: Practice
In this part, I use what I have already presented regarding Evagrius and the desert tradition to give some suggestions regarding how we might fruitfully approach our own intentional growth in the Christian life today.