Until the early twelfth century the Benedictines all but monopolised Western monasticism. |
But Greek monasticism was not eclipsed until the thirteenth century, when Latin culture finally prevailed in southern Italy. |
The two brands of monasticism differed in their attitude toward the state, and toward the question of monachal property. |
Although monasticism is not part of mainstream Judaism, the Essenes, a messianic sect, founded a remote community by the Dead Sea. |
What Basil's rule was for Eastern monachism, St. Benedict's was for early Western monasticism. |
Chapter 3, on pre-Christian Egyptian monasticism, along with a paragraph on Sufi mysticism, is too sketchy and vague to be of much help. |