People with conservative protestant theology being attracted to monasticism is not new or surprising.  There is probably something everything can appreciate, regardless of one’s tradition, about a space dedicated to prayer, solitude, ancient liturgy and community life.  Although not generally practiced by Protestants, many Catholics become oblates with various monastic orders where they try to practice certain elements of monastic life while living outside a monastery, most commonly by praying the daily office.  There seems to be a lot of interest in Protestant circles in adopting similar forms of spirituality.

My own fascination with monasticism is certainly motivated by these usual reasons, most significantly a longing for solitude, but beyond this, visiting monasteries has been an unexpected source of theological reflection.  The main reason is that every monastery I visit departs significantly from the particular form of Christianity I grew up with – conservative Protestantism, mostly reformed, with a strong Charismatic element.  For example, the Episcopalian monastery, in its theology, is a rather typical mainline church which deemphasizes or rejects many tenets of conservative theology.  The remaining monasteries I have or would like to visit are Catholic.  I’ve wondered sometimes if I have a superficial infatuation with Catholicism.  I don’t subscribe to all Catholic doctrine but I find myself drawn everytime the Catholic channel shows a Papal mass or various forms of Catholic devotion (my favorite is the fifteen minute segment of a congregation praying the Litany of Divine Mercy.)   

At various points of my exposure to monasticism, I have been particularly intrigued by books written by people who decided to actually make the transition from conservative Protestantism to some other form of Christian spirituality.  The head of the Episcopalian monastery I visit for instance is a graduate of Wheaton College and I tried to look up many of his previous sermons to learn about his spiritual journey.  There is a small literature out there by former evangelical Christians who decided to join the Roman Catholic Church.  Scott Hahn, former professor at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, is perhaps the best known spokesperson for that group (and a regular guest on the Catholic channel.)

Where all this leaves me in my own theology and practice is, in one sense, complicated, because it is based on what I have observed in the lives of monks and others and I only have a brief glimpse into each person’s spiritual journey.  At the same time, I’m grateful that with a little hindsight, I can see that I am moving in a specific overall direction.