New Monasticism & intentional living

My closest connection to an "intentional Christian community" has been with Subiaco Abbey, a Benedictine monastery nestled in the Arkansas River Valley. I have stayed there twice and find myself very attracted tothe contemplative aspects of the monastic lifestyle.

There are lots of Protestant intentional communities, of course. One here in Durham is called Rutba House, and I have visited there and shared a meal with the folks who live there. My understanding of Rutba House is that it is the leading community in the "New Monasticism" movement that is growing in cities around the country and is largely made up of Gen X and Millennial aged Christians who are seeking to reclaim Christian identity in an increasingly fragmented world.

Whether Catholic or Protestant, I admire intentional communities largely because they seem able to integrate their discipleship into the entirety of their lives in a way that I find extremely difficult to do in my own life. And they seem to have a very clear understanding of what Christian identity means in its totality (that is, it is something who defines who you are and how you live down to your bones, rather than an occasional label you claim). I recognize that such a commitment can only come about in community; it just isn't sustainable on one's own. It remains beyond my reach at this point in my life, and yet it is something that I yearn for very much.

The UM Reporter recently published a story on Shane Claiborne, who is probably the most well-known leader of New Monasticism. I have not read his book, Irresistible Revolution, but friends here who have say it is remarkable. Shane is a part of the Simple Way community in Philadelphia rather than Rutba House. I don't know what, if any, official connection exists between the two. But they are clearly expressions of the same Spirit-led movement. And I think it is going to be an extremely important one of the course of this generation's life, as we continue to see the church redefined in relation to the culture.