perfection of solitude, The
Book Description
In the twelfth century, while Crusaders fought for control of the Holy Land, a quieter spiritual migration was taking place. Countless European monks, hermits, and devout laypeople journeyed eastward, drawn not by conquest but by an irresistible calling to experience the sacred in its original setting.
Andrew Jotischky unveils this forgotten chapter of spiritual history in his groundbreaking exploration of Latin monastic communities in the medieval Holy Land. Drawing on newly discovered writings by Gerard of Nazareth, he reveals the stories of Frankish hermits and monks who abandoned familiar European monasteries to seek deeper spiritual fulfillment in the East.
What emerges is a fascinating portrait of spiritual seekers who discovered that Eastern monastic traditions offered something their Western counterparts could not. These pioneers found that solitary contemplation and communal worship could blend in ways previously unimaginable, creating new forms of spiritual practice that transcended traditional boundaries.
The book illuminates how exposure to Eastern spiritual wisdom transformed these medieval seekers, leading them to develop more flexible and integrated approaches to monastic life. Their exodus was so significant that Bernard of Clairvaux himself warned against monks "deserting the flock."
For modern readers interested in spiritual growth and contemplative practice, this scholarly yet accessible work offers profound insights into how crossing cultural and geographical boundaries can deepen one's spiritual journey and open new pathways to inner transformation.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~6 hours)
📄 Length: 198 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Carmelites
- ✓ Explore Monasticism and religious orders, middle ages, 600-1500
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Monasticism and religious orders
- ✓ Explore Monasticism and religious orders, middle east
- ✓ Explore Monastic and religious life
- ✓ Explore Monasticism and religious life
- ✓ Explore Monasticism and religious orders, palestine
