Monasticism And The Spread Of Christianity

Monasticism is a religious way of life in which people live in seclusion, take religious vows, and follow a set of rules on how they spend their time. Men are referred to as monks and women as nuns. The common goal is to achieve greater spiritual purity by withdrawing from the distractions of the material world. People led to seek this lifestyle because they want to dedicate their lives fully to God and the work of God. They wish to be separate from society to escape the temptations of society and to seek sanctity. No money or materialistic items will be gained from becoming a monk or nun, but they gain greater riches that are only seen in the Kingdom of God in Heaven. Basil was a fourth-century monk and bishop who recognized that a rule for monks to follow in community was necessary in order to avoid excesses and guide them in their path to God. He gathered a group of young men and created his own Christian community. His rule stated to own almost nothing, eat only what is necessary, and obey the abbot of the monastery. Since then, Basil’s rule has been observed for centuries in monasteries in Greece, Palestine, and Egypt.
Augustine grew up knowing the truth of the gospel because his mother was a Christian. He began studying to become a lawyer but then gave it up to devote himself to literary pursuits and gradually abandoned his Christian faith. He then became a Manichaean for several years which taught him a great struggle between good and evil. Because of his learnings of good and evil at an early age I think this helped Augustine develop Original Sin and Grace. Both concepts are relevant to each other. His story is definitely relevant today because he went through an amazing religious journey throughout his life with multiple conversions and ended up finding his way through God and created the concepts that we still follow