ABSTRACT
The movement of ‘new monasticism’ has recently come more prominently to the fore and has quickly taken root in Europe, North and Central America, Australia and South Africa. It differs from Catholic monasticism, the subject of other chapters in this volume, in its organisation and character. Taking as inspiration the traditional monastic rule, new monastics are lay members of grass roots and mostly Protestant communities, who affirm their Christian identity and moral values by identifying a ‘rule’ by which to live. Therefore, they are not part of an institution or an order. They are no connected to a monastery; rather, they seek to live together, or in close proximity, and commit to a way of life that embodies Christian ethics. Unlike traditional Catholic monks, new monastics are often married or in relationships and their commitment to the community is time limited and subject to renewal. New monastic communities are not in secluded spaces, nor do they pursue an ‘other-worldly’ asceticism. Thus, prima facie , they share very little with traditional monastic orders, yet the adoption of the term ‘monasticism’ is not completely inaccurate.
