Monastic Movements

Nota:

• Celts occupied Gaul, Asia Minor, Galatia. Paul wrote to the Celts.  As well as Latin & Celtic there are also Germanic peoples.  The lure of Roman Citizenship was losing interest as the Roman Empire was diminished.  Germanic people were agricultural and warriors. Romans were city dwelling civilised people.  Tribal rural life had no value on urban civilised life. 
• Christianity had become acceptable - but other religions continued to exist.  Latin word for pagan was "pagani" meaning country dweller - old paganism was being replaced with new paganism Some of the newcomers were Arian Christians.  Out of all this confusion comes a new monastic missionary movement. 

1. Monks

   Nota:

   • Monastic roots isn't very outward looking but  rooted in spiritual passion and purity. 
   1. St Martin of Tours

      Nota:

      • Roman solider who became a monk. He established a monastic community in Poitiers 360AD. He became Bishop of Tours 372AD. He did missionary work amongst the pagan celts, scholarship came out of the Monastery. 
      1. Ninian

         Nota:

         • He was inspired by M of T and came back and established Candida Casa in Scotland. 
         1. Patrick

            Nota:

            • Worked in Ireland and produced thousands of missionary monks. 
         2. Columba

            Nota:

            • established a base in Scotland (cradle of Christianity). He came out of Patricks school and landed on a beach on Iona. 
            1. Aeiden

               Nota:

               • Lindisfarne was planted out of Iona. 
            2. Patrick
   2. Travel

      Nota:

      • No central command. Organic grassroots missionary movement. They ministered along river routes and somehow went with the flow of where God was leading them. 
      1. Hospitality

         Nota:

         • Served others with food, education, fed the poor and weak and ministered to the sick. The monasteries grew up and provided much of the infrastructure that a city would do today. 
2. How They Did Mission

   Nota:

   • Integrated into the society in order to serve it. 'Minster' means mission. Established cathedrals as missional centres