Things didn’t quite work out with the Thelemites. It just so happens to turn out that when everyone does whatever they want, nothing gets done. First they forgot to pay the maids. Then the pizza boxes started piling up. And the last straw was when Br. Monday was all set to watch The Walking Dead … More The Hermitage of Br. Monday
With all the trouble they’re having with Br. Monday, the abbas are pretty busy today. Some are discussing what to do. Others are secretly wondering if the new Thelemite way of life is all that bad. And one abba (I won’t say who) hasn’t been seen all day… So, I thought we would head out from … More Tales of the Hasidim
Good news everyone! We’ve found Br. Monday. But here’s the thing: he’s found a new community and isn’t coming back to the desert with the abbas. You see, while we were looking for him, he came across a new kind of monastic community, the Abbey of Theleme. Some say it was built by the giant … More The Rule of the Thelemites
How can deconstruction relate to the Desert Fathers? Jacques Derrida’s method of deconstruction is in some ways a critique of religious thought. It exposes assumptions that we rely on in Western culture, such as an overlying concept of intelligibility and reason, that we call the logos, that transcends and anchors all meaning. Early monasticism is … More Deconstructing the Desert
I’m sorry to say, but Br. Monday was quite hurt by my words last week. He hasn’t spoken to me since and has been gallivanting around the countryside rather than following his monastic schedule (not that he actually followed it before, but he always made a splendid show of pretending to follow it). I discovered he had … More Where is Br. Monday?
We learned about a new mission statement last time on Monastic Mondays, but some of you may be wondering perhaps what Br. Monday’s rejected statement was. Fortunately, I found it crumpled up in the corner of the chapter room after he sulked away. Here it is: “To seek myself and share nothing anywhere.” In case … More The Worst Kind of Monk
Br. Monday has been through a lot since we first met him. That original wide-eyed innocence has been replaced by wide-eyed horror. But we’re all about healing and hope here, so we aren’t giving up on Br. Monday. Here’s a recounting of his healing process from his retreat to the new mission statement. 1. Design Br. … More The Healing of Br. Monday
