Mondays are for Church History
7/8/24
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter IV. The Rise and Progress of Monasticism." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1908-1993). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). (through section 47)
"§42. St. Paula." (pp. 1973-1975).
Schaff turns to a discussion of St. Paula, a disciple of Jerome. Paula lived from 347 to 404 (Schaff 2014, p. 1973). Paula, widowed and with five children at the age of 36, took up a life of asceticism. Jerome defended her chastity and his, in response to rumors of an inappropriate relationship (Schaff 2014, p. 1974). He boasted of her dedication to the Scripture and her asking many questions regarding exegesis. She and Jerome knew each other well, as they had gone together from Antioch to Palestine and Egypt on a pilgrimage. Afterward, she returned to Bethlehem and founded a monastery and three nunneries, living out her remaining years as an abbess and an ascetic. Paula lived in poverty and left her daughter, Eustochium, significant debts (Schaff 2014, p. 1975).
"§43. Benedict of Nursia." (pp. 1975-1978).
Schaff considers Benedict of Nursia to have given "to the Western monasticism a fixed and permanent form, and thus carried it far above the Eastern with its imperfect attempts at organization, and made it exceedingly profitable to the practical, and, incidentally, also to the literary interests of the Catholic Church" (Schaff 2014, p. 1976). Born in 480 in Nursia, Benedict, by age 15, interrupted his studies in Rome and secluded himself for three years in a grotto at Subiaca (Schaff 2014, p. 1976). Schaff describes some of the privations by which Benedict fought fleshly temptations.
After his years of seclusion, Benedict founded twelve cloisters of twelve monks each (Schaff 2014, p. 1977). However, under persecution of a priest, he left to settle in a Neapolitan mountain district. There, after considerable preaching against pagan idolatry, in 529 he founded the cloister of monte Cassino. He remained there fourteen years until his death, on March 21, 543. Schaff notes that Pope Gregory I wrote a biography of Benedict in which he is portrayed as having exceptional abilities of prophecy and healing (Schaff 2014, p. 1978). Though he was not fully educated, he was exceptional in his ability to teach and lead.
"§44. The Rule of St. Benedict." (pp. 1978-1982).
Schaff notes that the Rule of St. Benedict quickly "superseded all contemporary and older rules of the kind" (Schaff 2014, p. 1978). He briefly reviews the contents and the tone of the work. The genius, in Schaff's opinion, was that it articulated a scalable cloister, which could at one and the same time work with an episcopate and still honor fundamental equality of Christians. This model maintained the structure of cloisters and enabled them to thrive through the Middle Ages. Schaff provides a lengthy quotation from the prologue, in which Benedict assembles and motivates the monks to strive for excellence and still acknowledge that there will be a need for repentance and forgiveness along the way (Schaff 2014, p. 1979). Schaff continues with a summary of the remainder of the Rule (Schaff 2014, pp. 1980-1982). I omit details but commend the work to be read, as it is readily available and not long.
7/8/24
Schaff, Philip. (2014). "Chapter IV. The Rise and Progress of Monasticism." In History of the Christian Church. (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Volume 3, Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity A.D. 311-600, from Constantine the Great to Gregory the Great. (pp. 1908-1993). (Original work published 1889). Amazon Kindle Edition. (Personal Library). (through section 47)
"§42. St. Paula." (pp. 1973-1975).
Schaff turns to a discussion of St. Paula, a disciple of Jerome. Paula lived from 347 to 404 (Schaff 2014, p. 1973). Paula, widowed and with five children at the age of 36, took up a life of asceticism. Jerome defended her chastity and his, in response to rumors of an inappropriate relationship (Schaff 2014, p. 1974). He boasted of her dedication to the Scripture and her asking many questions regarding exegesis. She and Jerome knew each other well, as they had gone together from Antioch to Palestine and Egypt on a pilgrimage. Afterward, she returned to Bethlehem and founded a monastery and three nunneries, living out her remaining years as an abbess and an ascetic. Paula lived in poverty and left her daughter, Eustochium, significant debts (Schaff 2014, p. 1975).
"§43. Benedict of Nursia." (pp. 1975-1978).
Schaff considers Benedict of Nursia to have given "to the Western monasticism a fixed and permanent form, and thus carried it far above the Eastern with its imperfect attempts at organization, and made it exceedingly profitable to the practical, and, incidentally, also to the literary interests of the Catholic Church" (Schaff 2014, p. 1976). Born in 480 in Nursia, Benedict, by age 15, interrupted his studies in Rome and secluded himself for three years in a grotto at Subiaca (Schaff 2014, p. 1976). Schaff describes some of the privations by which Benedict fought fleshly temptations.
After his years of seclusion, Benedict founded twelve cloisters of twelve monks each (Schaff 2014, p. 1977). However, under persecution of a priest, he left to settle in a Neapolitan mountain district. There, after considerable preaching against pagan idolatry, in 529 he founded the cloister of monte Cassino. He remained there fourteen years until his death, on March 21, 543. Schaff notes that Pope Gregory I wrote a biography of Benedict in which he is portrayed as having exceptional abilities of prophecy and healing (Schaff 2014, p. 1978). Though he was not fully educated, he was exceptional in his ability to teach and lead.
"§44. The Rule of St. Benedict." (pp. 1978-1982).
Schaff notes that the Rule of St. Benedict quickly "superseded all contemporary and older rules of the kind" (Schaff 2014, p. 1978). He briefly reviews the contents and the tone of the work. The genius, in Schaff's opinion, was that it articulated a scalable cloister, which could at one and the same time work with an episcopate and still honor fundamental equality of Christians. This model maintained the structure of cloisters and enabled them to thrive through the Middle Ages. Schaff provides a lengthy quotation from the prologue, in which Benedict assembles and motivates the monks to strive for excellence and still acknowledge that there will be a need for repentance and forgiveness along the way (Schaff 2014, p. 1979). Schaff continues with a summary of the remainder of the Rule (Schaff 2014, pp. 1980-1982). I omit details but commend the work to be read, as it is readily available and not long.
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