Christian Mission and Poverty

Chapter 2: A Monastic Response

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governed by an Abbot or Abbess. In general, monks and nuns took vows of poverty, celibacy, and obedience. Sometimes monasticism has been pictured as an escape from the world. While pulling away from the temptations of society was certainly part of the guiding impulse for monasticism, monastic communities formed institutions and works that ministered to the poor and changed society. Not simply a retreat, monasticism sought to preserve something distinct about the Christian faith. Monastic communities founded hospitals, farms, schools, seminaries, businesses, publishing centers, artisan gatherings, homes for the poor, orphanages, homes for people with disabilities, and retreat centers, among many more works. Monastic communities were the homes of the scribes who copied the Scriptures and ancient Christian writings. Before modern printing presses, monasteries preserved the written word. This section of Benedict’s Rule focuses on the use, ownership, and stewardship of goods. It demonstrates how monastic communities practice their vow of poverty. Many ministries in under-resourced contexts today have drawn from monasticism in thinking about how they should be organized for mission among the poor.

Text Benedict’s Rule 1. Of the Tools and Goods of the Monastery

Let the Abbot appoint brothers whose life and character he can rely on, over the property of the monastery in tools, clothing, and general things, and let him assign to them, as he shall think is right, all the articles which must be