Monasticism in the Byzantine Empire

AbstractModern scholars are in a good position to write broad, engaging, and coherent accounts of Byzantine monasticism, ones that explain its vital role in politics and society, its remarkable resiliency in response to historical change, and its lasting contribution to values and culture. Yet scholars today tend to prefer more specialized research, and very few comprehensive studies exist. Hagiography and charters (or typika), along with the writings of important reformers such as Theodore of Stoudios and Paul of the Evergetis Monastery, offer valuable insights into the movement. Important centres in Asia Minor, Constantinople, Mount Athos, and elsewhere are sufficiently documented and well studied. This chapter recommends three approaches towards a new narrative of monasticism. The first focuses on historical continuities, including an enduring attachment to patristic authority. The second charts historical divergences, notably over right relations between monks and society. The third discusses sporadic internal conflicts, including that over hesychasm.