Monasticism In The Middle Ages

During the Medieval Ages, the practice of monasticism, the practice of withdrawing from everyday life to commit one’s life to prayer, poverty, and non-indulgence, greatly rose. Reasons why people would seek out this lifestyle included the hope for salvation, the need to repent for wanton lifestyles, religious fervor, peace of mind, and escaping misery and warfare. At this time, religion was a central part of people's lives, whether they be rich or poor. For Christian’s in this Era, it was commonly believed that only those who had devoted their lives to God, namely monks and nuns, were guaranteed salvation. The threat of an eternity burning in hell acted as a strong incentive to seek out an ascetic life. Also, those of the Christian community found themselves living lives that were full of excess and sin.
These wealthy persons found themselves torn between their religion and their wealth.
Unsurprisingly, the appeal of a life devoid of the temptations of their old life was irresistible. When entering these monastic communities, the wealthy would renounce their titles and their wealth and be rid of any hint of any gluttony, pride, and sloth. As Christianity grew, many of the more zealous believed that the new converts had not fully accepted the Christian God as they still held many pagan ways; This lead them to flee to the holy isolation of monastic communities or become hermits in lieu of staying in the communities that they perceived as tainted. Likewise, monasticism offered a certain peace of mind that would be alluring to those who had much to worry about. Members of a convent did not have to worry about where their next meal was going to come from, how they were going to pay for things, or what was sinful and what was not. Their lives were all planned out by a structured schedule, orders from their leader, and the rules given to them. With all these appeals, it was no wonder that so many during the Medieval Ages sought to live their lives in an ascetic
style.

No matter how appealing the monasticism was, its gruelingly strict and severe rules saw to it that those who were not completely devoted at heart would not last long. While these rules were based on the teachings of the Bible and the Christian scriptures on how all were supposed to live their lives, they were extremely difficult for common people to follow. The Rule of St. Benedict had the monks and nuns in monastic communities lead lives that were dull; strict; and, in some ways, dehumanizing. In a monastic community, life for the monks and nuns was comprised of prayer, manual labor, reading, writing, and nothing else. Excessive speaking, laughing, signing, or anything else that was not geared toward the service of God was harshly frowned upon and even punishable. While this lifestyle devoid of variety and amusement was to cut out any temptation of sin and leave only room for the worship and fear of God, it was also mundane to the point that it would begin to wear on members who were used to being able to have leisure time. What monks and nuns could do and think was also highly regulated. They could not murmur, grumble, hesitate, complain, or even think about doing any of these things. Most arduous were the rules that striped members of their identities. Monks and nuns were not allowed to have access to the outside communities, even if they had family there. They, also could not own anything, even themselves or their own minds. As St. Benedict quoted the Bible, “Narrow is the way that leadeth to life” (Mt 7:14), so was the way to a life in a monastic community (St. Benedict 20). Rules and expectations such as these lead many to shy away from monasticism.