Module 7: Monasticism
Hi everyone, and welcome to the seventh module of the History of Christianity 1 Course. In this section, we'll be looking at a form of Christianity that has lasted for centuries, even remaining today. We'll look at the reasons behind this particular expression of faith, its history, and its impacts.
This module will help you to understand the history, attitudes, and practices of monasticism. You will be exposed to the different forms of monasticism over the centuries, how monasticism developed and changed, and some of the major individuals of these movements. You will get a sense of the typical life of a monastic and the reasons they lived that lifestyle. You will also wrestle through what positive principles can be imitated from monasticism, as well as any negative outcomes to be avoided. And the student will be given opportunity to process how these lessons can be applied to current social situations, by learning from their successes, as well as their failures.
The student will have opportunity to evaluate the longer-term effects of these movements, approaches, and practices, and the lessons that can be learned from monasticism. This module will also aid the student to work through how the lessons learned are applicable in their own life and ministry.
Introductory Scenario
Imagine that you are feeling overwhelmed by the pressures, distractions, and urgent demands of daily life (I'll pause while you think sarcastic thoughts about how hard that is for you to imagine). How can a Christian overcome these challenges? Is there a way to get away from these distractions? Would it be legitimate to forsake the business of life and live separately? What would that look like? Would it be worth it? What would we miss, or sinfully neglect if we attempted this? Please consider these questions and be watching for material that will help you answer them as you work through this module.
Module Objectives and Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will:
- Articulate and evaluate the various causes of monasticism.
- Describe the history of early monasticism and the two main types of monasticism in this era.
- Describe the history of medieval monasticism and the major changes to monasticism in this era and the people who made them.
- Articulate various impacts of monasticism on the church and wider society.
- Distinguish various approaches to monasticism and how their emphases differ.
- Articulate and evaluate the ideals of monasticism and their current relevance.
- Evaluate both the positive and the negative contributions of monasticism to Christianity, and how these lessons can be applied today.
- Place the major people and events from these movements in a general chronology.
Instruction Guides
In this section, you'll find links to important instructional documents for this module. Click the following links to open each document. There is a set of instructions for individual study and a document for group study.
Textbook Content
In this section, you'll find a study guide for the textbook reading for module 7. And then you'll find the link to a practice quiz covering this textbook reading.
This section also contains a review quiz to test your understanding of the textbook material for this module. By clicking the banner below, you will be given a series of questions, in random order. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once.

Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the Submit
button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.
Lecture Content
In this section, you will find the video lectures for the Early & Medieval Monasticism module. Click each banner to open access to each video. There are also links with each video if you prefer to watch on the Rumble or YouTube interface or download just the audio to listen offline.

