a new community

One thing that is almost certainly not promoted when one thinks of traditional monastaries is the idea of community. We have an impression that monastaries were places where people went to be alone, completely seperate from the world and its people, to pray and meditate. Sadly, the later examples of the monastary, even the more contemporary ones, have reinforced this perception. However, early on it was not like this. A monastary was an attempt to recreate the kind of "committed community" relationship that came so naturally before Christianity had any sort of power. In short, people wanted a Christianity where they were required to give their whole lives to, something much bigger than themselves. The idea of shopping around for churches that we now have, of showing up and deciding if what the church has to offer is attractive to us, treating Christianity like a buffet line (and a cheap one) - all this was a very foreign concept to these people. You gave your heart and soul to Christ and at the same time gave your heart and body to the church community. They owned you, and you were happy to be owned. A beneficial captivity. Imagine that.