Wed 9 Jan 2013
New Monasticism
Posted by Mathew Block under Articles, Main
[2] Comments
There’s a movement afoot in Evangelicalism called “New Monasticism.” Christians are setting up shop in the fringes of society—places torn by violence, mental illness, drug abuse, racial discord, and more—and are developing intentional community in the brokenness of those places. It’s a lesson we in the ever-increasingly-individualistic church today need to hear. “New monasticism takes a stand against self-absorbed Christianity and says, ‘No, it’s not all about you. It’s about Christ and his body in this world, the Church.’”
The last part of that—the quote, that is—comes from my article New Monasticism: Rediscovering the Church. It appeared in the November-December 2012 issue of Converge Magazine. If you’d like to know more about the movement and what we in the wider Church can learn from it, check it out below. It appears on pages 39-43. You can check out Converge magazine itself at its website here.
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In the article, the Jeremiah Community mentions 12 “marks” of New Monasticism, but only mentioned one. What are the others?
Hi Peggy. The insets (from each of the communities) was an addition from the editors of the magazine (not something I wrote up). The 12 marks noted can be read here: http://www.thesimpleway.org/about/12-marks-of-new-monasticism/
It’s important to note that the 12 marks are meant not as a theological guidemark (though they affirm the importance of theological growth in 5, 6, and 12). The 12 marks rather focus on the physical acts of mercy Christians too often ignore – the call to love the unlovable, the poor, the forgotten, just as Christ has loved we who were unlovable, spiritually destitute, and not at all worthy of God’s notice – save in judgment. But of course, I will note that the 12 marks are certainly not the ones I would have chosen.