The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1567 page)

Christianity
The Gk.,
monachos
, underlying ‘monk’, points to someone being ‘on their own’. It may originally have meant
‘celibate
’ and only later ‘solitary’; but monasticism came to refer to those who withdraw from society (in a celibate state) in order to devote themselves with greater intensity to God through prayer, austerity, and discipline. In its extreme form, it is
anchorite
(living alone), but it may also be
coenobitic
(living in community). Monasticism began to emerge in Egypt in the 3rd cent.;
St Antony
is regarded as the ‘father’ of Christian monasticism, although
Pachomius
had begun to organize communities before him.
The Sayings of the Fathers (Apothegmata Patrum
), brought together by
Evagrius of Pontus
, did much to popularize the ‘spirituality of the desert’, affecting especially
Palladius
and John
Cassian
. Monasticism received its major impetus and order from
St Benedict
. Monasticism subsequently divided into a myriad of different orders and styles, among which the Benedictines,
Dominicans
,
Cistercians
, and
Carthusians
have been prominent. In the Eastern Church, the influence of
Basil
the Great has been acknowledged as supreme, along with the desert fathers. Of particular importance is Mount
Athos
, where monks from many different parts of
Orthodox
Christianity live.
Islam
Rahb
n
ya (monasticism, derived from
r
hib
, ‘monk’) is taken to be opposed in Qur’
n 57. 27. Muslim opposition to monasticism is strong, not least because it seems to denigrate (by vows of poverty and celibacy) the good things of God's creation.
Buddhism
The monastic lifestyle arises quite naturally out of the general Indian tradition of the homeless wanderer as a private option on the periphery of society, and develops into an institution at the heart of the religion so much so that to take refuge in the
sa
gha
(the Buddhist community, but also the community of monks) is one of the
Three Jewels
.
kyamuni Buddha is taken as the model monk. He is said to have composed the monastic regulations
(Skt., P
li:
Vin
ya
) and ideally a monk can trace his ordination lineage back to the Buddha. Renunciation (see
ASCETICISM
) is moderate by Indian standards: clothing is worn, made originally from discarded material, yellowed
(Skt.,
ka
ya
, ‘earth-coloured’) with age, and pieced together. The modern habit in
Therav
da