New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today's Church [Paperback]

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2008

New Monasticism is a growing movement of committed Christians who are recovering the radical discipleship of monasticism and unearthing a fresh expression of Christianity in America. It's not centered in a traditional monastery--many New Monastics are married with children--but instead its members live radically, settling in abandoned sections of society, committing to community, sharing incomes, serving the poor, and practicing spiritual disciplines.

New Monasticism by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove offers an insider's perspective into the life of the New Monastics and shows how this movement is dependent on the church for stability, diversity, and structure. A must-read for New Monastics or those considering joining the movement, it will also appeal to pastors, leaders, those interested in the emerging church, and 20- and 30-somethings searching for new ways to be Christian.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's a vision so old it looks new, writes Wilson-Hartgrove, a 20-something North Carolina pastor who is part of New Monasticism.New Monastics, he says, are a loosely confederated group of Christians who choose to live in intentional communities, often in blighted areas.It's age-old monasticism, but with new twists: some practitioners are celibate singles, but many others are married with children; some communities hold all goods in common and pool their economic resources, while others retain individual ownership.The book's more coherent and invigorating second half explores the marks of New Monasticism, including geographic relocation, redistribution of wealth, ecumenism, peacemaking and submission to the church.These chapters, which offer a treasure trove of concrete examples and stories of real communities that practice these values, eclipse the book's unfocused first half, which mires down in broad descriptions of American Christianity's complex problems and an obligatory dose of monastic history.Readers who are serious about putting New Monastic ideas into practice may want to skip the first 75 pages in favor of life-changing practices like relational tithing (maintaining no more than one degree of separation between the giver of charity and its receiver).(May)
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From the Back Cover

"It's hard to be a Christian in America," writes Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, a leader in the new monasticism movement, a growing group of committed Christians who are living lives of radical discipleship and unearthing a fresh expression of Christianity. He takes readers inside new monasticism, tracing its roots through scripture and history and illuminating its impact on the contemporary church."It is my sincere hope that new monasticism will grow so strong and healthy and widespread that every follower of Jesus in every church has the opportunity, if not to actually live in a new monastic community, to at least have enough proximity and relationship to be influenced by it. This book can help that dream and prayer come true."--Brian McLaren, author of Everything Must Change"This is the most informative work to date on its subject. Written in fluid, accessible prose and without pretense, it is also rich in personal and historical insights. The result is a book that is both beguiling and highly credible."--Phyllis Tickle, author of The Divine Hours"This book demonstrates how embracing the lifestyle prescribed by Jesus is a realistic possibility in our present age. It also shows how countercultural Christianity can provide a needed critique of our self-centered, consumerist society."--Tony Campolo, Eastern University"This book is a scavenger hunt into Christian history and the abandoned places of Empire where the Spirit is stirring today. It's like digging around in the dirt trying to find the pearl we buried, the pearl that is so beautiful it's worth giving up everything else in the world for."--Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution"Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is bringing things both old and new out of the great Christian storehouse! New monasticism is discovering what is always rediscovered--and always bears great life for the gospel."--Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, Center for Action and Contemplation

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Brazos Press (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587432242
• ISBN-13: 978-1587432248
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #405,381 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #90 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Monasticism

More About the Author

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is an author, New Monastic, and sought-after speaker. A native of North Carolina, he is a graduate of Eastern University and Duke Divinity School.

Shortly before the United States began bombing Iraq in 2003, Jonathan and his wife, Leah, traveled there as members of a Christian Peacemaker Team determined to tell Iraqis that American Christians did not all support the war. Their experiences became the subject of To Baghdad and Beyond (Cascade Books: 2005), which describes the couple's conversion to the "new monasticism."

Jonathan is an Associate Minister at the historically black St. Johns Baptist Church, and is engaged in peacemaking and reconciliation efforts in Durham, North Carolina. The Rutba House, where Jonathan lives with his family and other friends, is a new monastic community that prays, eats, and lives together, welcoming neighbors and the homeless.

Jonathan directs the School for Conversion, an alternative seminary that hosts courses around the country. He is Editor of the New Monastic Library Series (Cascade Books) and Associate Editor of the Resources for Reconciliation Series (InterVarsity Press).

An evangelical who connects with the broad Christian tradition and its monastic witnesses, Jonathan is a leader in the new monastic movement and conversations about Christianity in the 21st century. He speaks often to churches and conferences of the "new evangelicals," but also connects with Mainline and Catholic audiences who are interested in reconnecting with ancient Christian practices. Writing as both a grassroots intellectual and popular theologian, Jonathan connects with a broad audience, engaging them personally on a wide spectrum of challenges facing the church today.

Connect with Jonathan at www.jonathanwilsonhartgrove.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A strategy so old that it seems new!, September 29, 2009

By 

Jeremy Daniel Voss "jdvoss" (Abilene, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today's Church (Paperback)

"...almost everywhere I go these days, people agree that something is wrong in American Christianity."

This is the motivation for the book New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today's Church by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. He points out many areas in which he believes the church is falling short of God's design and offers some possibilities for how to rethink our approach to these problems using monastic ideas, "a vision for society that is `so old it looked like new.'" The book was relatively short, only 140 pages, but it was filled with concepts and ideas that will challenge our ideas of church and community in North America and definitely for us here in the Bible belt.

In the first few chapters, Wilson-Heartgrove supplies us with a biblical perspective of God's community starting from the creation story in Genesis through the 1st century New Testament Church. He gives us the origins and history of monastic communities through the centuries including the new monastic movement he is a part of today.

In the remainder of the book, Wilson-Heartgrove shares with us the knowledge that can be gleaned from the practices and experiments of new monastic communities in the 20th and 21st centuries.

I struggled with this book. I had to keep reminding myself that this book has a message for the church today. Its purpose was not to suggest getting rid of churches in favor of communal living, but instead, what do these ventures in communal living have to say to churches about how they behave as a community? At times, it seemed the suggestion was to join a community where everything is shared or not. There was no in between. I'm sure that was not his intention, but it comes across at times that this is the only way things should be done.

Wilson-Heartgrove and his companions have been bold and courageous enough to experiment with their lives what they believe Christian community should be. I would recommend this book to develop and nurture a perspective of Christian community that may at times seem challenging and at other times frightening. I often found myself thinking "You are absolutely right!" and "Would I be able to do that?"

Wilson-Heartgrove would probably say, "No you can't do this...not alone!"

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Community Living, August 5, 2009

By 

Julie L. Pogue "Jewel1967" (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today's Church (Paperback)

Monasticism conjures up images of monks quietly moving through dark monasteries, sequestered from the "real" world as they seek God's will through meditation, prayer and communal living.

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove brings fresh perspective to the age-old concept of living in Christian community in "New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today's Church". Starting with a strong historical foundation, the author explores ancient concepts of community through an informative study of the early church at Antioch, as well as more contemporary figures in the monastic movement such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, St. Benedict, and Mother Teresa.

This book forced me to honestly examine the Bible's radical ideas and how its teachings should impact my choices as a 21st Century American. Wilson-Hartgrove begins with the convincing concept, beginning with Genesis and moving through Biblical history, that God's plan to save the world was not one person at a time, but through a people. From this premise, he boldly states, "If the Bible is a story about God's plan to save the world through a people, then my salvation and sanctification depend on finding my true home with God's people. Apart from the story of this people, I can't have a relationship with God. Without the church, there's no chance of becoming holy."

The focus of the book then shifts to an examination of the movement's current marks of distinction including: sharing economic resources; geographical proximity to other community members; peacemaking; and the active pursuit of "just reconciliation". While Wilson-Hartgrove shares intimate details of his own monastic experiences and gives an abundance of examples of practical community living from other groups, he wisely avoids prescribing a specific formula for an ascetic, communal-driven lifestyle. Instead, he challenges his readers to shift their own paradigms and allows them to imagine life from a Kingdom perspective. The author writes beautifully of his experiences with relocation, Earth's scarcity versus God's abundance, what it means to be a peacemaker in our war-ravaged culture, and how to live with others in a "culture of grace and truth."

This little gem covers a lot of ground, delving into the heart of Jesus' mission to live in relationship with others. When you pick up "New Monasticism", be prepared to have your old ways of thinking challenged and re-worked, for you may find yourself wondering how to become a more integral part of God's "peculiar people".

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So inspiring, January 16, 2009

By 

Nervous Girl - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today's Church (Paperback)

I think this book is great. Jonathan Wilson Hartgrove gives the topic a very thorough treatment, but still manages to keep it short. One thing I wasn't too crazy about: the endorsement of Jesus People USA. I understand they started out right, but it's generally known at this time that they are a cult.. so that pricked me a little. But other than that, the book was great.