The Story of Monasticism: Retrieving an Ancient Tradition for Contemporary Spirituality

In this study of Christian monasticism, Peters (Reforming the Monastery) argues that the monastic impulse has always been part of the church, and it continues to motivate reformers and clerics today. In pursuit of his thesis, he explores the institutional use of monasticism as “recovery of the past in order to give fresh expression to contemporary faith.” He employs the term ressourcement to define this use of the past. Beginning with the Qumran communities in early Judea and touching on nearly every era of Christian history, the author demonstrates how monastics have given the church a rich legacy of spiritual teaching and practice, and how the church, in its effort to confront contemporary societies, has drawn on that legacy. Peters presents an esoteric but compelling study of the uses of the past in reforming the future. (Aug.)