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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].

Go to the Course Home or watch other lectures:

Lecture 01 - Course Introduction: Rome's Greatness and First Crises
Lecture 02 - The Crisis of the Third Century and the Diocletianic Reforms
Lecture 03 - Constantine and the Early Church
Lecture 04 - The Christian Roman Empire
Lecture 05 - St. Augustine's Confessions
Lecture 06 - Transformation of the Roman Empire
Lecture 07 - Barbarian Kingdoms
Lecture 08 - Survival in the East
Lecture 09 - The Reign of Justinian
Lecture 10 - Clovis and the Franks
Lecture 11 - Frankish Society
Lecture 12 - Britain and Ireland
Lecture 13 - Monasticism
Lecture 14 - Mohammed and the Arab Conquests
Lecture 15 - Islamic Conquests and Civil War
Lecture 16 - The Splendor of the Abbasid Period
Lecture 17 - The Crucial Seventh Century
Lecture 18 - The Splendor of Byzantium
Lecture 19 - Charlemagne
Lecture 20 - Intellectuals and the Court of Charlemagne
Lecture 21 - Crisis of the Carolingians
Lecture 22 - Vikings/The European Prospect, 1000