These are great lectures for a non-religious person interested in intellectual history. In addition to content, the delivery is great.Great speaking voice, pace, etc... Thanks for sharing these.

@RyanReevesM

8 жыл бұрын

+Michelle www.ellethekitty.ca // You're very kind and thank!

@seeriktus

7 жыл бұрын

Absolutely, they're genuinely very enlightening about why people do what they do in Christianity. Which is usually very abstract and unexplainable.

@LibertyJava

7 жыл бұрын

Michelle www.ellethekitty.ca I don't think so

There are still hermits and cenobitic monasteries (Mt. Athos, the 'Holy Mountain', is the most famous) throughout the World. There are many Orthodox Monasteries in the United States. My Parish visits a woman's monastery in the Arizona desert twice a year. Our young people love to visit! Visiting monasteries has always been a common practice everywhere. At the monastery we keep the hours of prayer (compline, vespers etc.). Often elderly widowed clergy or widows of Priests live out the rest of their lives at monasteries.

Great introduction. I am a graduate student in historical theology who specializes in early monasticism

@RyanReevesM

9 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!

It was believed that demons roamed desert arid places. Eremos being the Greek word for desert, the Eremites went into the desert to face the demons and battle with them. So it was not just the desire for solitude.

"Eremetical" derives from the word "heremos" (έρημος) which means "desert". It comes from the hermits of old that used to actually roam alone in the desert, such as St. John the Baptist or st Anthony . The term took a more general meaning for monks living simply alone, but not necessarily only in deserts. I.e. Monks not living together in monasteries.

Thank you for these enlightening and entertaining lectures. So much knowledge that my Pentecostal church did not focus on when I was a child which could have kept me interested, at least on an intellectual level. There is some irony in my indulging in much coffee and home-made macadamia-hazelnut mylk hot-chocolate while learning about the life of hermits and early monks...

Thank Ryan , all your lectures are great, they inspired me .It is the first time for me to get detail information about Christianity from apostolic Church to all the way Great Constantine , Nicaea and the great schism

as a history junkie, love the upload.

My great uncle was a monk at the Westmalle beer and cheese factory in Belgium Because he was ordered to complete silence for years he'd breathe heavily in-between sentences when speaking to me Such a good man... So much to say... So little time... He gave me my first beer against the wishes of my parents... With them in the room... "Oh c'mon! He's 13 years old already!"

Thank you, Dr. Reeves. Wonderful series of lectures, most appreciated

St. Anthony! My confirmation name and middle name! Of course, half my class in Catholic school had that middle name.

Thank you for your lectures, through which I am learning much religious history and world history that I would never have taken time to read. Your voice and delivery are very comfortable to follow. Now there is an incentive for me to buy or borrow from the library certain books that you have cited as references... SUBSCRIBED !!! Also, at 26:57, wherein you refer to the Monastic Houses of the West becoming "lazy" following the rise of Protestantism: 1: When the Vikings began to RAID and PILLAGE the Monasteries, they were drawn there because of the Opulent furnishings and decorations of Gold, Silver, and Bronze. 2: When I visited some of the Western European Cathedrals in the 20th Century, their Gold, Silver and Bronze decorations were Dazzling ..and.. distracting from the mood of Worship. It left me wondering if the Monasteries were not actually a society of Indulgence and Gluttony, more so than a place of Piety and Penance.

the thing about deserts is that they aren't necessarily barren wastelands. some have lots of life in them. plants, different things. lots of animals.

"The couch potato in us all must be forced to submit." Great way of explaining it. :-)

Excellent review of the basics of monasticism. He did however not mention the Irish monks, who although modeled on the Egyptian monks, yet later served a very important mission in the spread of Christianity throughout the British Isles and Europe. The importance of the Irish monks as missionaries and not just as scholars, also points out the basic weakness of monasticism, which the speaker does not mention. The mission of the church is missions. Christ sent His Apostles out as missionaries not monks.

It's clear from the archeological finds at Qumran and since, that Christian monasticism was in many ways a continuation of Jewish ascetic practices. John the Baptist may have served as the primary inspiration for Christian monasticism, but John the Baptist himself was not alone within Judaism as leading an extremely ascetic life.

@shawnhall3849

8 жыл бұрын

It's funny how most religions began from asceticism.

@Nonie46

7 жыл бұрын

All Eastern Philosophies like Confucianism, Buddhism and Hinduism are basically ascetic in their approach to man's life and existence! That's why, they are mistaken as religion!

@P.Whitestrake

7 жыл бұрын

dlwatib Yes. The Jewish group that embraced the ascetic life was called The Essenes (Isiyim, in Hebrew).

Was there any other place in the New Testament that says "sell all your possessions and follow God...". If you are talking about the single instance that I know of, it is the story of the rich young ruler. You must admit that he didn't tell everyone that, as if that were the way. He just knew what that guy could not possibly give up, so there would be no surrender for him as long as he was clinging to his riches.

i stumble upon your channel. i subbed it because you have academic background. some theological channels are not academically reliable.

@RyanReevesM

6 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the compliment and glad you subbed!

Μόνος (monos) in Greek means "one" or "single" or "left by himself". Correctly, "Monk" or "alone" is "monachos" which is the proper word for monk. Nevertheless the root of this word is still "monos". However the proper translation for monk is "monachos" (μοναχός) which has for ever been the proper term. There also is another more colloquial word in Greek, "kalogeros" meaning "good old man" that is also synonymous to "monk".

First, thank you for a fantastic video series on Church History. If only KZread existed in the 70s and 80s so I could watch and rewatch instead of sitting through HOURS of lectures, feeling lost! Do you have a recommended syllabus and readings on a website? I've picked up a few of your recommended books already and want to further expand my knowledge.

I love your videos.... Thank you! 💋

This is great!

Monasticism as a way to sidestep cravings of this world - lust of eyes and flesh and the pride of life. Matthew 19:21Amplified Bible (AMP) 21 Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, [a]have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, [b]be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me].

Read 'The highest poverty Monastic form of life' by Giorgio Agamben

Interesting talk; in Judaism the "nazir" would leave society for a period of time, abstain from wine. After returning he would be required to make a sacrifice as a way of repentance. This was due to the Jewish belief that basically this world is good, in its full material sense and was given to us by G-d to enjoy. So that the monastic way of life was accepted by Judaism, but in a much less profound way than in Christianity, and not as a permanent way of life.

This is interesting. It seems that John the Baptist's example for a monastic being evangelical as well as ascetical didn't really become realized until Benedict, if service can be loosely equated to a form of evangelizing.

@RyanReevesM

10 жыл бұрын

Yeah it's always a murky soup of connections and imagery they used to create their conceptions of ascetical life, and it may well be they moved on down the road before they looked back and clarified what they were doing. 

@dlwatib

9 жыл бұрын

Monasticism was not about evangelizing, at least as Protestants understand that term. The "service" that Christian monks performed was very similar to what pagan Romans expected to happen by performing their rites. Reciting and singing the praises of God was supposed to bless the land and the society in general with fecundity and prosperity and reconciliation to God. Monasteries were encouraged and sponsored by the ruling class because it was assumed that God would be pleased and look with favor on the kingdom if there were monks engaged in His praise daily.

@tcironbear21

9 жыл бұрын

Ryan Reeves Chris Hudgins I think that the reason it took so long for a monastic tradition to develop is a simple one of believer density & number. Don't you think it is telling that the Anthony had people coming to him to provide offerings pretty much from day one? That Benedict was kicked out of one such following before forming a lasting one. How did the believers know to patronize a man hiding out in the wilderness? If I had been a Christian during Benedicts time, I would not think to hunt down these hidden holy men for advice, especially when I have a local priest to talk too. And even if I was particularly generous, I would probably focus my charity on visible people in need instead of wasting days, weeks, or months chasing down one old man who chose to live in the wildernes. UNLESS this was an existing tradition of holy men living in the wilderness and seeking their advice. (And the Christian tradition of visiting wilderness holy men could have continued from the time they converted. So instead of seeking out pagan oracle, they sought a Christian monk) What very likely happened is that Anthony & Benedict were the first monastic organizers to appear AFTER a critical believer density & number had been reached. Before this threshold was reached, the rate of death of monks and raids on monastic communities probably outpaced the rate of monastic/athestic formation. Afterall in order for such a tradition to last, there aways has to be at least one monk to carry it on to the next generation. If the raiders are particularly vicious, a drought particularly cruel, or a Christian community particularly undevout & impoverish one year, that could spell the end of a group of monks. So the monastic tradition was constantly being reborn. Meanwhile the Christian community would remember these holy men in their stories, and when they reformed, would patronize them. A monastic tradition may require continuous participants to continue, but a community tradition only has to be revisited every other generation for it to last.

Why isn't there any form of monasticism within any of the protestant denominations??

@RyanReevesM

7 жыл бұрын

That's a great question. Mostly it involves the Protestant stance on works as not being mandatory for salvation but rather fruit of salvation. Monasticism by the 1500s is so tied to the system of merit in Catholicism that recovering it in many ways was quite hard. Protestants do have quite a lot of rigorists in their camps, though, who almost would qualify as 'monks in the world'. Puritans and Weslyans and others often approach this level of self-denial, for example.

@34Packardphaeton

7 жыл бұрын

+SouthernPitt There ARE some nuns in the Episcopal church... perhaps in Ohio or nearby. Author Richard Bolles mentioned this.

@jgw5491

7 жыл бұрын

Well, if you consider the Anglican world Protestant. there is monasticism in it. Of course, we've borrowed our orders wholesale from the Catholics. I've been to an Episcopalian retreat house in California that holds to the Benedictine rule. And currently the mission center I volunteer for is making plans to invite a small group of Anglican Franciscans to live in a friary in the mission center to further help our efforts to aid the poor . Catholic monastics I've talked to don't seem to mind others riding on their habit tails as long as good work is done.

@st.jerome384

7 жыл бұрын

If you don't recognize the Pope you are a protestant

@Eusebeia7

7 жыл бұрын

St. Jerome That or Russian Orthodox, or Greek Orthodox or Coptic or an antisocial hermit.

What is the role of the Eucharist in these early saints who sought seclusion in the desert; for with food being in short supply, they must have unleavened bread set aside for consecration? I assume these monks that sought seclusion in the desert away from people were ordained, but if not as some, had regular contact with those who were ordained?

@aaronmunn2918

7 жыл бұрын

In many cases they just lived without the Eucharist.

@John-mi2wj

7 жыл бұрын

Aaron Munn Then they didn't have Mass.

I'd want to be a cinnabon monk.

Again another great lecture. Ryan I hope you have tenure or are well on your way to having it. Question. Have you published any books? If so please advise on where I could get them?

@RyanReevesM

9 жыл бұрын

Thanks Allen. I'm afraid I'm too young in my career to be at the tenure point (5 years after the PhD), but maybe we can start a petition for me to get it?! I do have my dissertation out with Brill, but frankly it's a book designed for library purchase (costs ~$90) and it's pretty specifically on the role the Reformation played in Tudor England. I am writing a book, however, called "The Story of Creeds and Confessions", which essentially takes much of these stories I'm telling on KZread and weaves them into a larger story on how the story of Christianity has unfolded over the centuries. But that's going to take some time to complete (18-20 months) and then will be edited and finished. But I'm cranking away at writing, at least. :)

@vadermasktruth

8 жыл бұрын

+Ryan Reeves Good job with this video! I'm a practicing Roman Catholic & a hobby historian studying Eastern & Oriental Orthodox Christianity. Obviously you're coming from a Protestant background, but I feel you've given monasticism a fair shake! Cheers from Detroit!

@bruzdneebly

7 жыл бұрын

+Ryan Reeves I enjoy your videos however regarding this idea that John the Baptist was an ascetic living poorly, that from a more modern perspective wearing a 'hair' shirt and living on locusts and honey was the eccentric diet of a holy man. Personally my theory is that he wore furs which were very expensive then as they are today, and you may not know this but under the Kosher laws Jews are forbidden from eating insects. There is however one species of locust that was kosher and that when prepared properly ie the meat of its thorax was removed and that was then preserved in honey and was in biblical times a rare delicacy only eaten by the very rich. In fact honey by itself was considered a delicacy. You can still get them today. I believe John was a Jewish nobleman from a wealthy family who perhaps left his home to consider Christianity. Any opinion?

What's the song at the end?

@RyanReevesM

7 жыл бұрын

Just something I made. :)

@douglaos

7 жыл бұрын

I dig it! Is there a full version?

@RyanReevesM

7 жыл бұрын

Afraid not. Just that snippet. Made it especially as music for the end of these videos. :)

I once visited a German fortress in Koch... On the table was a statue of a guy swinging a snake around by it's tail above his head in circles The snake almost biting it's end... I asked "What's that for?" She (the guide) said "To remind the monks every day was a celebration and to drink a lot" Then she opened the balcony doors and I was struck by vertigo... Right before she showed off the armor of a 7'3"+ man who apparently drank more free beer than he actually killed free men Including monks... Who made the beer happen

Sir itao gwapo

An additional point: Jesus was not telling everyone to "sell all their possessions and follow God." At least not literally. Please consider that, in the scripture you refer to, Jesus' answer and subsequent discussion was in regard to a wealthy person who sought to follow Jesus himself. As the verse mentions, "Jesus felt love for him." Thus he recommended that the young man divest himself of his belongings (thus avoiding any distractions from the ministry) and follow him. The young man went away sorely conflicted, not wanting to lose his possessions. If you read later in the Gospels, you'll find that there were many persons who both followed and ministered to Jesus who were wealthy and thus possessed many things.

Good explanation but you are wrong regarding St Anthony, he was not Greek. He was Egyptian( St athnasius biography is a testament to that)

@RyanReevesM

8 жыл бұрын

+Medhane Redda // Alexandria is the Greek speaking city that is part of Egypt. You're not understanding the culture, the cities or the context.

@medhaneredda8299

8 жыл бұрын

Ryan Reeves, the reason for that was because Alexander conquered Egypt and so Greek language and culture was prevalent. But that doesn't make the people that live in Alexandria Greek. Saint Athnasius specifically states that Saint Anthony was Egyptian and that he used to communicate with the Greeks through a translator), he spoke coptic which is native to Egypt (with 7 Greek letters borrowed), I'm on your side bro, stuff you might not have noticed and I'm sure the other way around goes for me too

@RyanReevesM

8 жыл бұрын

+Medhane Redda //Ohhh, totally get where you're coming from now (and I agree). Yeah for me the focus is Greek speaking language and culture, which I'm only trying to point out to newer students at that point. I can see how saying 'Greek' loosely like that makes it sound as if I'm saying ethnicity, as if they only spoke Greek. Great points about the coptic, etc. :)

@medhaneredda8299

8 жыл бұрын

I want to subscribe to your channel, not only are you knowledgeable but a bag of humility that comes with it ;)

Im protestent and I want to live monastically. IS THIS POSSIBLE???

@uriahpeep9036

7 жыл бұрын

Dearest Eric: Absolutely NOT........because.....you have not been paying attention in your English class.......it is spelled......PROTESTANT!!!!!

@AveChristusRex

7 жыл бұрын

Why adopt a novel religion instead of what the first martyrs were (Catholic)? Then join a monastery. No Christian was Protestant. even Luther wasn't Protestant until he invented it. He wasn't reigniting some long ago quieted fire-Protestantism was unheard of in christian history, and is therefore pure novelty. I just wonder why you would rather be Protestant than what the first martyrs were (NOT Protestant). God bless.

@abeljoshua170

7 жыл бұрын

No Christian was Catholic toooo. A ll were followers of Christ..

@jayasuryangoral-maanyan3901

7 жыл бұрын

Libera Nos Domine how can you say that catholicism was the first type of christianity when orthodox christianity was around at the same time? they split into catholicism and orthodox as they were based on the nicene creed, made with the help of Constantine I, leader of orthodox christianity in the east, not the pope. and before that, Arius taught a version of christianity that didn't include the idea of the trinity, and before even that, it was mainly jews who saw themselves as jews and not christians, who believed in Jesus. So tell me, how is catholicism the most ancient type of christianity?

@benfranklin9981

7 жыл бұрын

Jesus was a deranged Jew who thought he was a rabbi. No prejudice on my part - I have no use for the "religions of Abraham."

Theres's a theory that John the Baptist might have been part of the asences from Qumran that was exiled or in penitence for breaking there laws. They say when someone was punished they still wouldn't eat food from another man or live in society because they still lived under the laws outside Qumran . John baptist eating honey , locust living in the wilderness how he dressed even his teachings are so similar as if he was. John thinking Jesus was messiah would've been enough to be punished by the asences.

@dadsonworldwide3238

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for so much info really enjoyed the lecture.

Anything on divinization?

I have to say that I truly enjoy your lectures, although I must disagree on a point or two: 1) On Elijah: It would seem that to a nonreligious person that you suggest that the prophet just decides to go off and live a life of seclusion and "asceticism" to "pray and intercede in behalf of man". However if you read the entire text, it was at God's command that Elijah goes essentially into hiding as he'd just delivered a sharp and self detrimental message to king Ahab. Remember; at that time the nation followed a paganistic state religion as supported by the queen Jezebel. Hence Elijah was directed to go off into the wilderness for his own protection. There God provided for him until the foretold drought affected his water supply. 2) John the Baptist: by your discourse you suggest that John "moves out into the wilderness, eating locust and honey and preaching the kingdom of God," again as if it was just a personal inspiration. You should note, however, that in the book of Luke, John's parents were basically told that he would be a Nazerite , thus the stipulation to avoid fermented drink. In either case, I think the sad fact was that early monastics embarked on an initially benign but misguided ascetic course. Nevertheless, I applaud your insights and dissemination of info.

It always still amazes me at the penchant for people to embroider the simplicity of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Remember the Sabbath, keep the commandments, keep the feasts, biblical diet. It's all in Scripture--just do it.

It's interesting how goofy some of these things are like the having satan trying to harm them and so forth. Well to me anyways.

Why no lectures on JWs or Mormonism?

it is my opinion wide scale and long periods of Monasticism is fundamentally flawed in how it is expressed. this separation from the world paradoxically have to be done while in the world. it is not suppose to be a fundamental escape from the world, jesus said it in his prayer , "I do not pray that be taken out of the world" so think this was major mistake of the church

Ah Protestantism.....one Pope away from perfection....

@AveChristusRex

7 жыл бұрын

The novel religion of Protestantism is 1 Pope and countless heresies away from perfection (the Catholic Faith).