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Evangelical Monasticism |
By Monk Preston (Co-Founder and President, The Prayer Foundation) |
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Coining A New Term for an Entire Group of "New" (Old?) Christian Movements I coined a new term, "Evangelical Monasticism", in 2008. You may or may not have noticed it, but we have already been using it for some time in various places throughout The Prayer Foundation website. Evangelical Monasticism, which I use also in the narrower meaning of "Born Again Christian Monks", I have been using primarily as an "umbrella" term meant to include several other current movements in Christianity. I have used the new term, because I personally consider these to be essentially related movements; most involving a return to the practice of the early Christians, and many involving the study of the common history of all Christians. The growing interest in many of these "movements" is relatively new, though some of the movements themselves were already mentioned in the Bible thousands of years before even the New Testament was written: Whether or not this term, "Evangelical Monasticism", will enter into any general use, remains to be seen. Perhaps over time the term "New Monasticism" will instead broaden to embrace this same meaning. Properly speaking, Evangelical Monasticism is itself a part of (a subset of) the World Evangelism movement. A movement of attempting to fulfill Christ's "Great Commission" in our current generation. This movement was of course begun by our Lord Himself, and in recent times has received much inspiration through the leadership, examples, and ministries of Billy Graham and Bill Bright. We are simply ourselves (The Prayer Foundation) just being Christians---teaching prayer and doing our small part toward the fulfillment of Christ's "Great Commission" of the evangelization of the entire world. Historical Footnote: Bill Bright was the Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, and the producer of "The Jesus Film", which has been seen by over 1 Billion people around the world. He was also the originator of "The Four Spiritual Laws". Christians older than myself---like our own Monk Bob---remember when "The Four Spiritual Laws" first appeared. They were strongly attacked by many Born-again Christians because they were "not in the Bible". The Nicene Creed was attacked by many in 381 A.D.---though mostly by those following the Arian heresy that rejected Christ's Divinity---and by some Christians even up to and including our present time, for the same reason. Both "The Four Spiritual Laws" and "The Nicene Creed", of course, are based almost 100% on Bible verses. Evangelical Monasticism There are many separate "movements" all coming together in this---we consider ourselves to be a part of these several current movements in Christianity:
What I have now referred to as "Evangelical Monasticism", is a term which is intended to embrace and encompass all of these various movement strands. Most of these various movements involve a return to many of the practices of the early Church, and the study of our common Christian history. We ourselves would consider "New Monasticism" to be a part (a subset) of it. Perhaps in common usage it will eventually turn out to be the other way around. Our real concern is with what we actually are, and with following God's Will for our lives, and not with what we are called or referred to as, by others. What you are called, and how history remembers you, are often decided more by the media and the historians, than by how you yourself might desire. God's view of us, and of what we are doing---is ultimately all that really matters.
Postscript: A Call to A True Holiness All of these movements can be seen as a reaction against what many Christians perceive as a shallowness and superficiality in today's Church life. On the one hand, some are concentrating on "experiences" while neglecting the study of the foundational basic teachings of historic Christianity as revealed by God in the Holy Scriptures. On the other hand, some are practicing a "dead" orthodoxy that does not also rely on a true living communion with God through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit for a moment by moment, day by day, following of God's Will for one's life. These two extremes, though seeming to be polar opposites, both result in the same end. Christians who are not putting personal communion with Christ through the Word of God and prayer first in their lives. Christians whose lives are not transformed, and who are not truly living out true Christianity in their daily lives. Christians whose lives seem no different than that of those of that of the non-Christians of the world. I recently heard a noted Christian teacher lamenting the poor quality of many of the most popular Christian books of today. " Walk in almost any Christian bookstore", he said, "and you will see that an awfully lot of what is in there is just 'froth'." If not actually outright error and false teaching. Turn on some of the so-called "Christian" television stations. Hear belief in the Trinity mocked. Hear the most blatant heresies about the nature of God and His relation to this world taught as "Biblical truths". Sound Biblical teaching has in many cases been replaced by arrogant shouting and strutting con artists calling themselves "preachers" and "teachers" and pushing "give to get" schemes to fleece unwary believers of their money. Christ taught: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." -Matthew 6:24 The Holy Spirit revealed through the Apostle Paul:
"Mammon" refers to both money and other material wealth. We are to always place God first in our lives. (See our "Links" page for a listing of some of the many fine and Biblically sound Christian Preachers and Teachers in the Media today). Non-Christians have no problem seeing through, laughing at, and rejecting these plastic, phony so-called "Christian Teachers". The amazing thing is that so many Christians do not do so. If you are blessed to attend an excellent Church, you should indeed thank God that He has led you there. I am personally appalled that so many Christians can attend Church for thirty or forty years and yet seem to have learned nothing. Almost none of the most basic doctrines, almost none of Christian history. Our own Monk Bob is similarly stunned that he can attend so many Churches where the congregants do not seem at all to be living the Christian life (godliness). This is the current cry in own our era of many men and women of God; that there is almost no difference seen between the actual lives of Christians and non-Christians. Let us not just talk about living godly lives in Christ Jesus. Let us actually do it, and let us... "...be found to be in all holy living and godly conduct..." -II Peter 3:11 Let us take advantage of many of these movements, of these new moves of God. They are really just the same "old" moves of God that have always been there; only the interest in them, particularly among today's Evangelicals, is actually "new". Let us revive for today's Christianity the past prophetic role (calling the Church to repentance and godliness) of monasticism as understood by Lutheran Pastor, Eminent Theologian, Nazi Resistor, and Christian Martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer: "Monastic life thus became a living protest against the secularization of Christianity, against the cheapening of grace." “The expansion of Christianity and the increasing secularization of the church caused the awareness of costly grace to be gradually lost…. But the Roman church did keep a remnant of that original awareness. It was decisive that monasticism did not separate from the church and that the church had the good sense to tolerate monasticism. Here, on the boundary of the church, was the place where the awareness that grace is costly and that grace includes discipleship was preserved…. Monastic life thus became a living protest against the secularization of Christianity, against the cheapening of grace.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer (The Cost of Discipleship, p.46) ____________________________________________________________ Related Pages: ____________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2008 S.G.P. All rights reserved. Daily Prayer: Praying the Hours PRAYER Category
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