A New Kind of Monasticism: An Introduction

There has always been some romanticism attached to the idea of monastic living.

There’s something intriguing about shedding everyday cares and complexities, exploring the mysteries of silence and solitude, and telescoping life into a single-minded purpose.

Of course, most people aren’t interested in taking the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience required to enter a cloister.

What the heart yearns for when it finds itself strangely attracted to the ethos of the monastery is the idea of somehow living with the greater discipline, devotion, and transcendence of a monk . . . while still enjoying the freedoms, joys, and interests of a secular citizen.

But is such a way of life even possible?

One man thought it was, and created an experiment in a kind of worldly monasticism to prove its viability: Dietrich Bonhoeffer.