Deep within the trees little hooded men walk along a path to meditate and pray dressed in brown robes tied with nautical rope. They dwell in silence and live a life of celibacy. This is what most of think of when we hear the word monk. Throughout the years, monks have always been people of intrigue. They live a different lifestyle than most. They live a life of seclusion far from the mores of modern society, which often makes people ponder who these people really are and why they choose to participate in such a foreign religious movement. This paper will attempt to unravel the mysteries of this peculiar movement of by researching it's origin, the true meaning of a silent lives, and how key leaders have helped to develop it one of the most popular movements in the history of Christianity. A movement called Monasticism. "The word 'monk' comes from the greek 'Monakos' which means 'alone'. In the beginning it stood for ascetic who was not married and lived alone. Cenobites did not use this word. However it quickly acquired a deeper meaning: a person who is 'one' in his inmost being. It means a person united within himself, a person with a single gaze, a single desire." To understand whom these people are let us first explore the events that led up to the surfacing of this movement. History tells us that around 320 AD, Emperor Constantine. The popularity of the church begin to rise due to the efforts of Constantine who became a friend of Christianity. Constantine issued the Edict of Toleration in 313 AD, which stopped the persecution of Christians, gave Christianity a favored position with the State, and slowly restricted pagan rituals.As a result, the church grew in vast numbers and was populated by people from all walks of life- even those not so desirable. An increasing number of barbarians crowded into the church bringing along with them many semipagan practices. Their presence was followed by an increase of moral deterioration in...
