Christian Monasticism As A Theological Reception Of The Absurd The Absurd As A Sphere Of A Mutual Penetration Of Life Faith And Mysticism

The goal of this study is to compare the theoretical vision of monasticism with some aspects of modern philosophical thought. Here the form of presentation is as important as the material presented, and their mutual dependence and correlation defines the character of the work. This is a study entirely out of the common run, yet in its own way attractive and approachable. It comes forth as an ardent challenge from a profound perspective that is profoundly unsettling: the absurdity of the world and the stance that sees it all as absurd may find their salvation in the still greater absurdity of Christianity, that is, in the abyss of its mysteries and the message of the Cross; in the mystical theology of penetrating perceptions and radically inverted insights; in the extravagant practices of an archetypal and anonymous monasticism that finds its model in the Desert Fathers and its realization in so many self-consciously marginal figures of twentieth century spirituality. But what is the absurd? Does it really exist and, if so, how does it manifest itself on the scene of our existence? disturbance, a ferment in the midst of human experience. The absurd, even at its most imposing, shows up in the futility and brokenness of life as lived. But how to get a hold on it? How to circumscribe it? In this context, the structures devised by our author are highly original and of great help. His table of categories, schematics and focal points serve to individuate the absurd against the background noise of existence: of human feeling, perception and language that situate the absurd in the structure of a cosmos lived in by persons. It is as if the categories invented by philosophers from Aristotle to Kant, and Husserl to provide a conceptual framework for human cognition are redeployed in the work of our author to the task of comprehending the incomprehensible: the absurd. His approach allows the absurd to be distinguished clearly from some experiences that approximate it, such as the tragic, the grotesque, madness, paradox, thus giving the absurd its own unmistakable physiognomy. What would the absurd, not to speak of faith, be without the flesh and spirit of the lived life? for their styles of living and writing, all of whom oscillate between the absurd experience of the absurd and the courageous attempt to insert it into theory and practice, into a commitment of belief and ethics, all the while haunted by doubt and often succumbing under burdens of the task. The chapters on Camus, Cioran, Schneider, Quinzio, Blondel, Weil, Hillesum and Bonhoeffer are profiles with remarkable efficacy for elucidating the individuality of each personage from the inside and out, giving each of them a unique physiognomy. There emerge the diverse strategies and attitudes that allowed these writers to confront the absurd in a fruitful way: the seriousness and ethical severity, irony and mysticism, blindly crossing the tragic abyss, the apocalyptic pull, hope in the eschaton, while demonstrating courage and the casual air that results from a genuine indifference toward oneself, a conscious self-forgetting that is open to the Absolute, to trust in a God who might save your and my freedom and dignity. figure and hidden filigree of existence: each one of us is and leads a life that is solitary and vulnerable, expropriated, that is situated in a deep sympathy with the lives of others, so to lay itself open to the word and prompting of the Absolute. With, as traveling companions, unconventional churchmen the likes of Merton, de Certeau, Panikkar, Dossetti we move closer to a new rereading of the Desert Fathers, discovering in them our allies in the experience of the absurd and in overcoming it with mirth, effort and courage, on behalf of a new intuition of the Christian faith which in our age needs to be rediscovered and re-explored. This is a study, yes, but still more a map of a journey in the infinite landscape of existence and of the mystery of living and believing.

Some evangelicals perceive monasticism as a relic from the past, a retreat from the world, or a shirking of the call to the Great Commission. At the same time, contemporary evangelical spirituality desires historical Christian manifestations of the faith. In this accessibly written book Greg Peters, an expert in monastic studies who is a Benedictine oblate and spiritual director, offers a historical survey of monasticism from its origins to current manifestations. Peters recovers the riches of the monastic tradition for contemporary spiritual formation and devotional practice, explaining why the monastic impulse is a valid and necessary manifestation of the Christian faith for today's church.

Like an underground river, the monastic tradition keeps on resurging in a host of unexpected times and places. Secular Monasticism, A Journey describes one of its most recent incarnations. The founders and members of the Lindisfarne Community share with us their bold attempt to be a secular monastic religious order open to the exigencies of the contemporary world. Age-old wisdom once again reveals its perennial relevance in helping us learn how to be followers of Christ in Gods today. Brother John, Taiz In the first five pages, I thought of ten people I know who should read this book: young people, old people, all people tired of taken-for-granted spirituality. Devour this book. Let it help you dream up a way of joining or creating a micro-community of prayer and action that frees you to experiment in following the ways of Christ. Thats what these folks have done. This story helps us imagine ourselves out of the boxes and buildings Christianity has become. The Rev. Dr. Dori Baker, Scholar-in-Residence, The Fund for Theological Education Lindisfarne Community has graciously accepted Gods call to dance with the radical (and sometimes wearying) changes of our time. Like the Celts, they find meaning in their ongoing spiritual evolution through poetry and story, through a willingness to navigate the waters of the soul while remaining fiercely loyal to the good earth that bore us and nurtures us. Like the Celts, this family of secular monastics hungers more for mystical union with the Divine Mystery than for any trappings of earthly renown or success. Carl McColman, author and blogger (from the foreword)

The institution of monasticism in the Christian Church is in general decline, at least in so-called “first world” nations. Though there are many reasons for this, monastic leaders are confronted by the reality of fewer communities, monks, and nuns nonetheless. At the same time, many younger Christians are rediscovering the rich heritage of the monastic tradition. Though they themselves might not be called to join a traditional monastery, they are eager to appropriate monastic practices in their own lives. This had led to a movement known as the “new monasticism” or “secular monasticism.” Despite lacking a unified vision and any central organization, these new/secular monastics are attempting, in their own ways, to carry on the tradition and practices of Christian monasticism. As well, there is a movement within historical Christian monasteries to pour new wine into old wineskins. Traditional forms of monasticism are also generally flourishing in developing nations, breathing new life into monasticism. This volume looks at the current monastic landscape to assess where monasticism stands and to imagine ways in which it will grow in the future, leading not only to a renewed Christian monasticism but to new monasticisms.

The Catholic ideal is the ascetic life. The true monk is the perfect Christian. "This", says Thomas a Kempis "is the highest wisdom, by contempt of the world to make for the regions of heaven." Possession of property, marriage, fatherhood blind a man's eyes to life's greatest possibility, the beatific vision of the King in His beauty. The monk's complete renunciation of all, which the world holds to be good, is at once the proof of his devotion and the means whereby he is able to arrive most swiftly and certainly at close personal communion with God. In the lawful fulfillment of his body's functions, he comes nearest to achieving the purpose of God who made the body what it is. In making the most that he can, honestly, out of life's opportunities for gain and joy, he best shows his thankfulness to the God who placed him in the world. Monastic Series Vol. 9

As the Church finds itself in a new landscape, many are looking to the saints of old to navigate through our changing culture. They call themselves, 'new monastics' and, like their forebears, they are rediscovering the need for a shared story, shared principles and shared practices to live by as a refuge and workshop in the storms of change.In a growing library of books on the subject of New Monasticism, Ned Lunn offers a theological framework to understand, not just the rationale behind this emerging movement but explores why the wider Church needs to listen to their voice. Using the liturgical journey from Ash Wednesday through to Pentecost, we are invited to travel through the revelation of God and discover His unchanging vision for His Church and world.