Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article explores “contestation” as a constitutive and enduring dimension of Christian monasticism. From its origins in the contemptus mundi and fuga mundi of the Desert Fathers to its modern cultural and ecological expressions, monasticism has embodied a form of resistance—spiritual, social, and existential—toward dominant models of life, thought, and power. This study examines the multiple modalities of monastic contestation: withdrawal and protest, spiritual combat, constructive critique, and the creation of alternative forms of living. Drawing upon sources ranging from Cassian and Benedict to contemporary thinkers such as Panikkar, Jonveaux, and Hervieu-Léger, the paper argues that monasticism’s critical stance toward the world is not mere negation but a creative search for simplicity, authenticity, and integral humanity. By analysing its expressions in education, economy, art, and ecology, the paper demonstrates that monastic contestation remains a vital, transformative force capable of renewing the dialogue between faith, culture, and society.
Source: Religions
DOI: 10.3390/rel16121496
Author: Bernard Lukasz Sawicki
Language: English
Subfield: Classics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,172
OpenAlex ID: W4416695872