ABSTRACT

The monastic traditions from various religious faiths have always provided an alternative path to religious expression. Walter Capps (1983) describes the ‘monastic impulse’ as one of the most powerful and consistent expressions of counterculture and one that appears time and again within different contexts. As varied as its forms have been throughout the centuries, monasticism has provided a consistent example of one thing: the integration of belief and practise, the living out of religious faith in a way that pushes what one thinks and feels into how one lives. Traditionally, Christian monasticism has largely remained connected to more orthodox expressions of the faith, while much of monastic spirituality has been lost among the Protestant denominations. Whether intentionally discarded through schisms, denominational divisions, by reformers over the years or perhaps just quietly forgotten, there is a renewed interest among many Protestants in reconnecting with the Catholic and Orthodox roots of their faith and reintegrating monastic-inspired spiritual practises into their spirituality. Many Protestants have experienced a sense of disenchantment with their Christian experience, and while some may convert to more orthodox traditions or join established monastic orders, others maintain their lay Protestant identity while integrating the wisdom and expression of the monastic traditions. Summary sociologists and theologians have long discussed the individualisation of late modern religion, and have characterised the 21st century as a period of vast religious experimentation, vibrant expression and engagement. Cox describes late modern religion as “a fascinating transformation of religion, a creative series of self adaptations by religions to the new conditions created by [modernity]” (1999: 139).