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Monasticism

Monasticism

While monasteries have always been key to the Orthodox Church, they have played a somewhat different role than in the Roman Catholic Church and have never been organized into monastic orders as is the case under Rome. Each monastery is independent of others, and there are monastics who don't even live together with other monks or nuns: the hermits.

The calling to monasticism is one of calling to a life of repentance and total dedication to God. While all Orthodox bishops are selected among the ranks of the monasteries, and many teachers and missionaries have come out of Orthodox monasticism, such ministries are not the purpose of Orthodox monasticism. Instead, it is an individual calling.

Very few truly monastic societies exist in the Western world today, while in the traditionally Orthodox countries in eastern and southeastern Europe and the Middle East, monasticism has been going through a serious revival since the fall of Communism.

While never having been considered having any sacramental significance, the Orthodox monastics have still had considerable influence on the Church's development and its spiritual traditions.