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MONASTICISMThe Katholicon of the Grand Lavra, the Holy Mountain, Athos
Most of this web site is dedicated to Orthodox parish life in the UK, and the Community of St. Aidan, Manchester in particular. However, we have also attempted to give a basic introduction to Orthodoxy as a whole. This remains incomplete without a reference to the monastic life which is vital to Orthodoxy. In the UK there are two main monasteries as follows:- The Monastery of St. John the Baptist, Tolleshunt Knights, Near Maldon, Essex, CM9 8EZ The Monastery of St. Antony and St. Cuthbert, Gatten, Pontesbury, Shropshire SY5 0SJ Tel. +44 (0)1588 650571 WEB SITE Monasticism in Orthodoxy is not organised into different "orders" as in the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches. Monks and nuns make different commitments to solitary or communal life at different levels of intensity according to vocation and experience. In common with much else in Orthodoxy the emphasis is not on institutional forms distinct from the charisms which are foundation of all Christian ministries. Charism precedes organisation even if, (as it is certainly true), that one cannot do without the other. This needs to be emphasised because the origins of Christian monasticism, (at a time when East and West were united and both Orthodox), lie in a flight from worldliness into the desert. When the Church was able, in the period of Constantine and afterward, to put down roots into a culture which accepted her and even promoted her interests, "a new martyrdom" became necessary as the fires of persecution died down. This self oblation of the monks has been a vital part of Orthodoxy ever since. It has not only given us the glories of Byzantine worship but also the necessary spiritual fibre in the Church to withstand the powers of this world for the Kingdom of God. Orthodox Monasteries On LineTry this link to visit sites in the Old and New World, including the Holy Mountain, Mt. Athos. For More Information visit the Monasticism page (Orthodoxy section) here:-
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