by Cody A. Cunningham
Between the vast resources of Christian sermons at our fingertips and the steady march of individualism in our society, the presence of Christian community is increasingly viewed as an optional component of our spiritual life. A vibrant faith—according to this view—can be attained alone. Belonging to a local church may be a helpful component of spirituality for some, but it’s certainly not essential for all.
When people think of monasticism, their thoughts often turn to the solitary, eccentric individual out in the desert. While one form of monasticism—specifically the eremitic form of monasticism—emphasized solitary withdrawal from the world, that was not the only form of monastic thought. Coenobitic monasticism stands on the other end of the spectrum as a form of withdrawal from the world that also emphasized the pursuit of godliness within a Christian community.
Pachomius stands as an early popularizer of this latter form of monasticism, but Basil of Caesarea is known as one of the movement’s leading voices. Basil, the Cappadocian Father who is often remembered for his important work in defending an orthodox view of the Holy Spirit, wrote extensively on the monastic life. His Long Rules and Short Rules outline the details of his monastic vision.
As Baptists, we would certainly not agree with everything that Basil prescribes, but there is a lot of wisdom to glean from his writing. More specifically, the monastic reformer gives a solid defense for the need for uniting oneself to a Christian community. Thus, in the spirit of Baptist catholicity, we want to evaluate Basil’s Long Rules 7[1] to see what our brother has to say to our current ecclesiological milieu.
Basil on the Need for Christian Community
Basil’s Long Rules are an important guide for life in the monastic community, and Long Rule 7 specifically focuses on the importance of living in Christian community. He uses this passage to give multiple reasons why eremitic monasticism was not the most biblical form. First, men and women need others to help them meet their physical needs. As Basil puts it, “The foot…possesses one kind of power and lacks another, and without the co-operation of the other members of the body it finds itself incapable of carrying on its activity independently for any length of time, nor does it have wherewithal to supply what is lacking.”[2] In other words, most individuals cannot live self-sufficiently. We need others to help produce necessary items, like food or clothes or shelter. Therefore, our Christian community is a necessary aid when needs arise.
Second, Basil argues that living in solitude goes against the Bible’s call for Christian charity. The bishop goes so far as to say that pursuing a solitary life is “openly opposed to the law of love which the Apostle fulfilled, who sought not what was profitable to himself but to many that they might be saved.”[3] Basil’s monastic vision was centered on carrying out the life of the church as described in Acts 2:34–37, which meant sacrificial generosity and caring for the needs of others. For Basil, the thought of turning one’s back on caring for others is unconscionable, and the monastic who withdrew to a solitary life was abandoning Christ’s call to be charitable.
Third, not only does isolation lead a person to neglect their call to be charitable, but “a person living in solitary retirement will not readily discern his own defects, since he has no one to admonish and correct him with mildness and compassion.”[4] Basil observes that people are not prone to identify their own blind spots and weaknesses. A godly community, though, can spot and address those flaws. Although many people sought spiritual progress through solitude, Basil actually makes the case that isolation is a spiritual hindrance. This is particularly helpful for our current day, and churches would do well to move beyond a superficial unity to a gracious love that addresses one another’s sin and weaknesses.
Fourth, “the majority of the commandments are easily observed by several persons living together, but not so in the case of one living alone.”[5] In other words, Christians need others in order to carry out the commands of Christ. The call to care for the sick, for example, is forsaken when one lives alone in the wilderness. Likewise, one need only glance through the various “one another” passages in the New Testament to see that the expectation is for a Christian to live in close proximity to others.
Fifth, the reality that the Holy Spirit has given spiritual gifts means that Christians should exercise them among other believers. If a man lives in community, his spiritual gift can be used for the good of the whole community. Basil explains, “If we are not joined together by union in the Holy Spirit in the harmony of one body, but each of us should choose to live in solitude, we would not serve the common good in the ministry according to God’s good pleasure, but would be satisfying our own passion for self-gratification.”[6] As Basil goes on to point out, this is contrary to Paul’s teaching to the Corinthian church about the use of spiritual gifts. We have been given spiritual gifts to be a blessing to others.
Sixth, Basil says that living in solitude puts a person in a dangerous spot spiritually. The individual could fall into self-satisfaction or even pride if they do not rightly assess their spiritual condition. Basil goes on to argue, “For the sinner, the withdrawal from his sin is far easier if he fears the shame of incurring censure from many acting together…and for the righteous man, there is a great and full satisfaction in the esteem of the group and in their approval of his conduct.[7] Obviously, those contrasting motivations are missing for those who live in solitude.
Seventh, the cultivation of virtues requires a man or woman to have relationships with others. Some aspects of the Christian life are learned by reading and reflection. Others are learned through experience. Basil explains that virtues like long-suffering and compassion cannot be sufficiently learned apart from the context of community. The isolated ascetic who says that he can learn compassion from only reading passages on the topic is like “a man who learns carpentry without ever actually doing a carpenter’s work”.[8] In other words, there are certain aspects of sanctification that are only realized or sharpened in the midst of a Christian community.
Basil was a faithful and wise brother who went before us, and his vision for communal monasticism provides a helpful challenge to our contemporary spirituality that is often marked by individualism. Baptists need not disregard all of monasticism because of its excesses and disagreeable theological underpinnings. Rather, we must evaluate the movement, especially Basil’s iteration of monasticism, and see what we can use as a valuable resource in cultivating a rich communal fellowship.
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[1] All references and page numbers correspond to Basil’s Long Rules in Basil of Caesarea, Ascetical Works, ed. Roy Joseph Deferrari, trans. M. Monica Wagner, vol. 9, The Fathers of the Church (Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1962).
[2] Ibid., 248.
[3] Basil, Ascetical Works, 248.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid., 249.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Basil, Ascetical Works, 251.
[8] Ibid.