HIST 210: The Early Middle Ages, 284-1000
Lecture 13 - Monasticism. Professor Freedman discusses some of the paradoxes of monasticism in the Early Middle Ages. To the modern mind, monks and learning make a natural pair. However, this combination is not an obvious outcome of early monasticism, which emphasized asceticism and renunciation of the world. As it moved west, monasticism shifted away from its eremetic beginnings in Egypt and Syria to more communal way of life under the Rule of St Benedict. In addition to communal life, the Rule emphasized prayer and labor; the latter of which was interpreted to include reading and eventually the copying of manuscripts. (from oyc.yale.edu)
| Lecture 13 - Monasticism |
| Time | Lecture Chapters |
| [00:00:00] | 1. Introduction to Monasticism |
| [00:10:21] | 2. Renouncing the World |
| [00:17:59] | 3. Monks and Hermits as Spiritual Patrons |
| [00:25:18] | 4. Monasticism in the West |
| [00:30:20] | 5. Rule of St. Benedict |
| [00:43:33] | 6. Monasticism and Learning |
| References |
| Lecture 13 - Monasticism Instructor: Professor Paul H. Freedman. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov]. |
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