. From its origins in the Egyptian desert in the second half of the 3rd century, monasticism quickly spread throughout the Roman Empire. By the 4th century, the Lives of the Desert Fathers were being read in the West, and monasticism soon became...

Although *Judaism does not have a monastic tradition (see *ASCETICISM), in the past ascetic groups such as the *Essenes and *Nazarites have led quasi-monastic...

The Greek word monos, from which monasticism and all its cognates derive, means "one, alone." According to this etymology, therefore, the basic monastic person may be a hermit, a wandering ascetic, or simply someone who is not married or...

Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from Greek monos, alone) is the religious practice in which one renounces worldly pursuits in order to fully devote one's life to spiritual work. Many religions have monastic elements, including...

Encyclopedia of Monasticism. Edited by William M. Johnston. Chicago and London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2000. xxiv + 1556pp. (2 vols.) $295.00 (cloth). Most Episcopalians, I suspect, are unaware that their Church is (or once was?) essentially monastic. As Daniel Rees notes in his article...

From East to West: A History of Monasticism. By Mayeul de Dreuille, OSB. New York: Crossroad, 2000. ix + 137 pp. $16.95 (paper). A few years ago, after the demise of Soviet Marxism, Cardinal Ratzinger opined that Buddhism is now the greatest threat...

WAILUA, Hawaii _ In a clearing within Kauai Aadheenam's lush gardens, the ping, ping, pinging of metal chipping at stone can be heard as a half-dozen artisans from India put the finishing flourishes on the Hindu monastery's legacy for the ages.Hand-carved in granite and shipped...

In a clearing within Kauai Aadheenam's lush gardens, the ping, ping, pinging of metal chipping at stone can be heard over the sounds of bird calls. A half-dozen artisans from South India put the finishing flourishes on the Hindu monastery's legacy for the ages.Hand-carved in...

In the following essay, Georgianna analyzes Heloise's letters to Abelard concerning her conversion to monastic life and her requests for a new form of religious rule.

In the following essay, originally published in French in 1957, Leclercq surveys the types of literature written by the monks, including hagiographies, sermons, sententiae, and letters.

In the following essay, Ward discusses secular influences on monastic historiography.