LIB495
Western Monasticism: A Brief History
This course provides a comprehensive overview of Western monasticism, from its third-century origins to the current day. Beginning with the early Desert Monks, such as St. Anthony and St. Pachomius, we'll examine the transformative influence of Benedict's Rule, the fulcrum of Western monasticism. We'll explore the many new reformist monastic orders that came into effect, as well as challenges posed by the Reformation and the Enlightenment. We'll consider the resurgence of tradition in modern monasticism; the growing influence of women monastics; and the problems of secularization. We'll conclude with monasticism's enduring legacy, with Thomas Merton as a key figure.
A $50 discount will be applied automatically for adults 55+.
This course will be offered at Harbour Centre on Thursdays, May 8鈥揓un 12, from 1:30 pm 鈥� 3:20 pm.
Overview
Location: Vancouver
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $189
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
- Thu, May 8, 1:30 p.m. 鈥� 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Thu, May 15, 1:30 p.m. 鈥� 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Thu, May 22, 1:30 p.m. 鈥� 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Thu, May 29, 1:30 p.m. 鈥� 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Thu, Jun 5, 1:30 p.m. 鈥� 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Thu, Jun 12, 1:30 p.m. 鈥� 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
Course outline
- Week 1: The Origins of Christian Monasticism
Introduction and definitions
The Desert Fathers and Mothers: St. Anthony, St. Pacomius
Monastic traditions in other religions - Week 2: Benedict of Nursia
The Rule of St. Benedict, and its influence in shaping Western monasticism
The importance of Monte Cassino, the mother house of the Benedictines
鈥淥ra et labora鈥�: the structure of daily monastic life, both spiritual and temporal - Week 3: Expansion and reform
The reform climate: Carolingian and Gregorian
New orders: Cluniacs, Cistercians, Carthusians and Dominicans
鈥淒ivine poverty鈥�: the Franciscan challenge - Week 4: Turbulence and transformation
Martin Luther鈥檚 鈥渟ola fide鈥�
Reformation and Counter-Reformation
The Enlightenment Critique
New orders: Jesuits, Ursulines and Capuchins - Week 5: Modern monasticism and new challenges
Resurgence of tradition
The role of women
Missionary and social contexts
Secularization - Week 6: The Legacy, and future, of monasticism
Review of history and founding figures
The influence of Thomas Merton
21st-century monasticism: goals and challenges
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Reflect on monastic traditions and the various Western monastic orders
- Summarize the importance of Benedict of Nursia
- Explain how Luther鈥檚 sola fide affected Western monasticism
- Describe the current problems faced by monastic orders
How you will learn
- Lectures
- Participation in discussions
- Supplementary resources accessed through Canvas
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.
Technical Requirements
Handouts and other course resources will be available on Canvas, SFU鈥檚 online learning system.
To access the resources, you should be comfortable with:
- Using everyday software such as browsers, email and social media
- Navigating a website by clicking on links and finding pages in a menu
- Downloading and opening PDF documents