History glossary
monasticism
religious life organised around vows, community, discipline, prayer, and work.
- Category
- Religious practice
- Region
- Global
- Date range
- Varies
What it means
Monasticism is a form of religious life in which monks or nuns live under vows and follow disciplined patterns of prayer, work, study, and community. In medieval Europe, monasteries became major centres of learning, farming, charity, and reform.
Stories using this term
The Fall of Rome to Early Medieval Europe
From the arrival of Gothic peoples at the Danube to the crowning of Charlemagne, this story traces how the Western Roman Empire fragmented into successor kingdoms and how a new medieval world took shape.
The Rise of the Medieval Church
From the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Avignon papacy, this story traces how the Christian Church built its authority through bishops, monasteries, missions, reform, and direct confrontation with Europe's rulers.
