In medieval times, there was a huge movement within Christianity to withdraw from what the religious saw as a corrupt world of terrible people, and join isolated communities to pray and await the end of the world. Monks in that tradition took a vow of poverty, and often chose to live alone with no outside supplies on very difficult to survive on islands. The idea, loosely, was to atone for their sinfulness by creating enormous physical challenges for themselves, and put themselves in the hands of their God. These holy hermits often died from their quest.
They wanted simplicity, an escape from the money that's the root of all evil, and to show absolute dedication to their faith.
The were also monastic communities that tended to become wealthy, but they were a different strain within the Christianity of the times. They're the ones who get the bad press, as they had a liking for money that the others saw as going against Christ's teachings.
It's neat stuff. I am not a Christian but I have studied the history of Christianity. The evolution of religions is neat to look at, as for so long, these were the dominant ideas in many cultures. That period from about the year 50 to 1300 is quite interesting. I would recommend it for religious homeschoolers who aren't afraid to see different ways of thinking compared to some modern (post 1400s) versions. There were some bright people in the so called dark ages.
@Rocky998 , you sometimes sound like one of those people who yearned for entirely Christian communities sheltered from the rough and tumble world around them. The ideas you express are very old ones.
They wanted simplicity, an escape from the money that's the root of all evil, and to show absolute dedication to their faith.
The were also monastic communities that tended to become wealthy, but they were a different strain within the Christianity of the times. They're the ones who get the bad press, as they had a liking for money that the others saw as going against Christ's teachings.
It's neat stuff. I am not a Christian but I have studied the history of Christianity. The evolution of religions is neat to look at, as for so long, these were the dominant ideas in many cultures. That period from about the year 50 to 1300 is quite interesting. I would recommend it for religious homeschoolers who aren't afraid to see different ways of thinking compared to some modern (post 1400s) versions. There were some bright people in the so called dark ages.
@Rocky998 , you sometimes sound like one of those people who yearned for entirely Christian communities sheltered from the rough and tumble world around them. The ideas you express are very old ones.
