Andrew Jotischky's book delves into the history of monasticism in medieval Europe, examining how monks and monasteries developed and transformed over 1,200 years. It identifies the complexities surrounding reasons for individuals to join monastic life, exploring broader questions about the existence and operation of monasteries. The text discusses the flexible interactions between Eastern and Western monastic practices, suggesting a unique blend and mutual influence that enriched monastic experiences, offering both depth and accessibility for readers interested in Christianity and history.
Reasons for taking monastic vows might involve family circumstances, upbringing, societal expectations and other conditions that are susceptible to historical analysis, but ultimately, where a choice was made, this is only rarely something that can be recovered by the historian.
A more fruitful way of posing the question would be to ask why monasteries existed. Who were they for? What kind of people founded and built them, and how were they maintained?
#medieval-monasticism #christianity #history-of-monasteries #east-west-cultural-exchange #monastic-life
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