Why Series #3: Monastic Focus

Question: Why are we so interested in all things “monastic” at Iona House?

It is, perhaps, a strange thing. Almost nobody who comes to Iona House is a monk or planning to become a monk. And yet, we’re always talking about monastic spirituality and monasteries and St. Benedict and St. Columba and other monastics and monastic practices.

The more I learn about monasticism, the more I think it is essential to Christianity… to ALL Christians. In the 4th century, the formal monastic tradition began with the Desert Fathers & Mothers of Egypt. By the end of the 4th century, monasticism was present in nearly every part of the Christian world. And perhaps the most striking thing was that nobody thought any of it was weird or foreign. Whatever formal monasticism was, it was merely a tweaking of something already native to Christianity. Namely, monasticism was focused on, arguably, three things:

1) A life focused on contemplation - seeking God above all else. As Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing I ask from the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in his house all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” Jesus was keenly focused on a life of contemplation and commended it to His disciples as the most important thing. See the story of Mary & Martha in Luke 10:38-42.

2) A lifestyle of asceticism - asceticism is the idea that we must practice discipline and intentionality in our spirituality. It is the notion of walking the way of the cross. There is no serious Christian who has not also been serious about asceticism. As Jesus tells us, “Any who want to be my disciple must take up their cross and follow me.” Monasticism is comprehensive and holistic. It is interested in ALL of life, not merely a small slice of the pie. It focuses on a balance of head, heart, and hands. It is relational. It is concerned with the body. It is concerned with the natural world and all manner of topics.

3) A communal way of life - the monastery doubles down on the notion of “doing life together.” It is a serious expression of camaraderie focused on numbers 1 and 2 above. It is not community as a “commodity” to be pursued, but community as something to give oneself to. It is self-giving community. This echoes the very life of the Triune God, which is nothing less than a continual dance of self-donation.

We believe that the modern church has MUCH to learn from the monastic tradition. The monastic tradition has preserved much that is vital for us today. Ultimately, monasticism is not a separate silo in the life of the church. It is a prophetic witness to what we are all called to do and be.

For me, much of what I am writing above is quite personal. I’ve been profoundly impacted by the monastic tradition. It has shaped my imagination in powerful ways about what it means to follow Jesus. In 2 weeks I will graduate from Nashotah House Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry degree - which I invested in researching monastic spirituality especially as it relates to non-monastics like myself. My research will be the focus of our 2nd Great Tradition Lecture Series talk (which I happen to be giving) entitled: The Monastic Rescue: How monasticism saved the Church once… and might yet again. Coming May 30, 2025