Christian monasteries

Monastery is a building or complex of buildings where live, work and pray monks or nuns – people practicing religious asceticism.

Christian monasteries have proven to be a very significant element in history, influencing politics, science, architecture and art. Often monasteries themselves serve as collectories of written works, art and crafts.

Short history of Christian monasteries

The idea behind monasticism is certainly older than Christianity. Predecessor religion – Judaism – had influential sects whose members practiced an ascetic lifestyle and Christianity started exactly as one such sect. During the first centuries, Christians were persecuted and thus often forced to live an ascetic life.

Christian monasticism started in the 3rd century when Christianism became widely adopted, tolerated, and finally – when it became the state religion.

Coptic monasticism

Oldest existing Christian monasteries are located in Egypt or in Palestine. A kind of more primitive monastery is lavra – a group of monk’s cells or caves and a church. The oldest could be lavras in Palestine, e.g. Pharan Lavra (before 350 AD). One of the oldest true monasteries ones is the Monastery of Saint Anthony southeast of Cairo, in the desert: it evolved gradually in 311 – around 400 AD. Of quite similar age are monasteries in Wadi El Natrun (Nitrian desert, Scetes) – between Cairo and Alexandria – such as Paromeos Monastery. Monasticism in Egypt has maintained the Coptic Church with its distinct tradition and the latest stage of ancient Egyptian language which now is used as a liturgical language.

Monasteries of the comparatively easily accessible Nitrian Desert in the 4th – 6th centuries served as a model for later European monasteries. A very special role in the history of monasticism has ascetic Saint Anthony: he to large extent developed and popularized the concept of Christian monasticism.

Monasticism in Eastern Christianity

In Eastern Europe and the Near East monasteries developed as comparatively isolated, self-sustaining communities.

Some of the most influential monasteries are located on Mount Athos peninsula of Greece, forming here a Self-governed Monastic State of the Holy Mountain – although it was adhering to the legislation of Greece. This peninsula is available only by water and here up to this day exist 20 monasteries.

In spite of traditional isolationism monasteries have played a significant role in the development of national identity for such Balkan nations as Greeks, Romanians, Bulgarians, Serbs, and others. Art and literature in these monasteries have turned into the symbols of these nations. Such role to larger or lesser degree is played by Rila Monastery (Bulgaria), Studenica Monastery (Serbia, Raška) and also Meteora monasteries (Greece, Thessaly).

Monasticism in Southern and Central Europe

First Christian monasteries in this region followed soon after the ones in Egypt and were established in the area of present-day France in the 4th-5th century. Among the first ones could be mentioned Tours Marmoutier Abey (France, Indre-et-Loire) established sometime around 372 AD. This monastery much later – in the 11th – 16th centuries became very important and influential. Lérins Abbey (France, Alpes-Maritimes) was established around 410 AD and later, after numerous raids built as a strong fortress. This monastery was an important location where Europeans learned about monasteries and were inspired next ones. Around 529 there was established Monte Cassino monastery (Italy, Lazio) where St.Benedict of Nursia wrote the Benedictine Rule – one of the cornerstones of Western monasticism. Monte Cassino developed into a collectory of knowledge and art.

In the Middle Ages monasteries were seen as morally and legally strong entities and this led to (it would be somewhat unexpected by early founders – ascetics) an enormous increase of their wealth and weight in worldly issues. Nobility often bequeathed their properties to monasteries and thus monasteries got also numerous serfs supplying monks with the necessary food and other accommodations.

Importance of monasteries in mundane issues slowly started to fade in the 11th – 12th century, and a certain role here is played by increasingly popular mendicant orders refusing ownership of properties and other valuables (e.g. Franciscans).

Irish and Scottish monastic tradition

At the end of the 5th century first monasteries appeared in Ireland. Here Christianity developed in a specific, locally adapted form. The first influential monastery was Kildare Abbey (Ireland, Kildare) established by St. Brigitte sometime around 470 AD. Irish monasteries with their distinct, highly developed teaching and traditions left a large impact on Christians in Northern Europe. St. Columba and other missionaries spread this practice elsewhere and other important monasteries founded by them were Bangor Abbey (Northern Ireland, County Down, founded in 558 AD), Iona Abbey (Scotland, Iona Island, founded in 563 AD), Lindisfarne Abbey (England, Northumberland, founded around 635 AD.), Marmoutier Abbey (France, Bas-Rhin, established in 659 (?) AD).

Irish and Scottish monks created influential monasteries also as far as in Germany (Scots Monastery, Regensburg in Bavaria, established around 1070 AD), Switzerland (the influential Abbey of Saint Gall, St.Gallen, started in 613 AD) and Italy (Bobbio Abbey, Emilia-Romagna, 614 AD).

Other articles

Wondermondo has defined several other categories of religious structures:

• Religious architecture – list of more than 60 most interesting and impressive religious structures and sites around the world.
• Buddhist shrines
• Churches
• Hindu temples
• Jain shrines
• Judaism monuments, sinagogues
• Islamic shrines
• Other contemporary shrines
• Ancient pyramids
• Ancient and prehistoric shrines