Green Monasticism

In May 2008, Buddhist and Christian monastics gathered at Gethsemani Abbey, Kentucky, to discuss how their respective religions conceived of our relationship with the planet, and what they felt was the responsibility of their faith traditions, orders, and individual communities toward healing both our inner and outer ecology. Green Monasticism collects the wisdom of these scholars and practitioners in a volume that reflects both deep engagement with and critical thinking about protecting the environment. "We need people of faith to encourage us to find ways to live more sustainably and responsibly on our planet. Monastic communities embody values such as modesty, thrift, and gratitude, and we can be inspired by their commitment and dedication to these ideals. Green Monasticism encompasses their voices and aspirations, and I welcome its contribution to the environmental debate, which is the most urgent challenge of our time."---Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, author of Unbowed and The Challenge for Africa "A unique contribution to the growing literature in the area of religion and ecology. It draws on the experience and reflection of those trying to live the monastic challenge in the midst of our massive environmental crisis. The essays convey a deep wisdom honed over time and convey a longing for the flourishing of the community of life."---Mary Evelyn Tucker, Forum on Religion and Ecology, Yale University "There is much wisdom for everyone contained in both Buddhist and Christian monastic practice, as there is in the Gethsemani dialogues. Green Monasticism will encourage others to continue this vital discussion and make monastic practice even more relevant to today's social and environmental challenges."---Ven. Yifa, author of Discernment

Christianity and monasticism have flourished along the Nile Valley in the Aswan region of Upper Egypt and in what was once Nubia, from as early as the fourth century until the present day. The contributors to this volume, international specialists in Coptology from around the world, examine various aspects of Coptic civilization in Aswan and Nubia over the past centuries. The complexity of Christian identity in Nubia, as distinct from Egypt, is examined in the context of church ritual and architecture. Many of the studies explore Coptic material culture: inscriptions, art, architecture, and archaeology; and language and literature. The archaeological and artistic heritage of monastic sites in Edfu, Aswan, Makuria, and Kom Ombo are highlighted, attesting to their important legacies in the region.

Can early medieval monasteries serve as a model of sustainable development and environmental conservation in today’s world? Inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Sí and Benedictine communities around the world whose shared monastic values inform ecological practice, Monastic Ecological Wisdom uncovers the hidden story of early Christian and monastic care for the earth. In Monastic Ecological Wisdom, Samuel Torvend shows how it is possible that medieval monastic values and practices could assist in the careful conservation of what we claim is God’s first gift, God’s first gesture of grace: the earth and all that dwells with it. By reflecting on an ecological reading of New Testament texts, the Rule of St. Benedict, and early monastic engagement with the natural world as seen in the life of St. Benedict, such practices can serve thoughtful Christians today who care deeply about living in harmony with the earth and all who call it home.

This is the first book to focus on Latin epic verse saints' lives in their medieval historical contexts. Anna Taylor examines how these works promoted bonds of friendship and expressed rivalries among writers, monasteries, saints, earthly patrons, teachers and students in Western Europe in the central Middle Ages. Using philological, codicological and microhistorical approaches, Professor Taylor reveals new insights that will reshape our understanding of monasticism, patronage and education. These texts give historians an unprecedented glimpse inside the early medieval classroom, provide a nuanced view of the complicated synthesis of the Christian and Classical heritages, and show the cultural importance and varied functions of poetic composition in the ninth, tenth and eleventh centuries.

Combining vivid ethnographic storytelling and incisive theoretical analysis, this study introduces readers to the fascinating and unexplored terrain of neo-monastic evangelicalism. This sweeping account of the transformation of American evangelicalism deftly challenges entrenched stereotypes and calls attention to the dynamic diversity of religious and political points of view which vie for supremacy in the American evangelical field.

The two-volume Encyclopedia of Monasticism describes the monastic traditions of both Christianity and Buddhism with more than 600 entries on important monastic figures of all periods and places, surveys of countries and localities, and topical essays covering a wide range of issues (e.g., art, behavior, economics, liturgy, politics, theology, and scholarship). Coverage encompasses not only geography and history worldwide but also the contemporary dilemmas of monastic life. Recent upheavals in certain countries are highlighted (Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, etc.). Topical essays subtitled Christian Perspectives and Buddhist Perspectives explore in imaginative fashion comparisons and contrasts between Christian and Buddhist monasticism. Encyclopedia of Monasticism also includes more than 500 color and black and white illustrations covering all aspects of monastic life, art, and architecture.