Monasticism is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions as well as other faiths such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.
Christian monasticism is the devotional practice of individuals who live ascetic and typically cloistered lives that are dedicated to Christian worship. It began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, modeled upon scriptural examples and ideals, including those in the Old Testament, but not mandated as an institution in the scriptures.
As the most authentic African indigenous Christianity, Ethiopian Orthodoxy has more implicit forms of knowledge, embedded in spiritual practices, oral narratives, and the organization of everyday life.
According to Father Dr. Jossi Jacob’s article Monasticism in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church: A Brief Introduction, monasticism constitutes the backbone of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity expressing its identity, internal strength, and organization. Ethiopian monasticism throughout the course of its history as positively integrated into the life of the nation and always contributed to ongoing revivals of religious life among members of the Church.
Traditional accounts of monasticism view it as part of an ancient ascetic tradition stretching back to Old Testament times. Even though there is a little documentation available on Ethiopian monasticism before the 13th century, we can somehow trace its history back to the 5th century. It was with the support of the Christian Kings of northern Ethiopia that monasteries were founded all over the country.
According to Father Dr. Jossi Jacob, the first monastic communities are believed to have been founded by the ‘Nine Saints’, great missionary monks who came to the northern part of the country during the reign of King Ela Amida II (circa 480 A.D.). The major evangelical activities of the Nine Saints were focused in and around Aksum, the capital of northern Ethiopia during that time.
It is traditionally believed that they were originally from different areas of the eastern Roman Empire (i.e. greater Syria), and they are said to have spent some years in Pachomian monasteries in the Egyptian desert prior to their arrival in Ethiopia. Such traditions are not sufficient to attribute the origin of Ethiopian monasticism to the influence of the Pachomian communities in Egypt.
Despite the absence of solid historical evidence, there are various indications of the possibility of interaction between early Syriac and Ethiopian monasticism. It is really tantalizing to consider the possibility of connections between Ethiopia and the ancient monastic traditions of East Asia, perhaps facilitated by some extreme ascetical movements of that time. Ethiopian Monasticism shows affinity to the early Syriac Proto-monasticism (benai qyomo or benat qyomo) in many of its characteristic features. Trading and cultural links between Syria and Ethiopia existed even in the early phase of the spread of Christianity and monasticism could have followed the same route.
Ethiopian Monasticism became more organized and was revived in the 13th century through the activities of certain well-known monastic figures like Iyasu Moa (+1287), Teklehaimanot, Ewostatewos (1273-1352),etc. The establishment of monastic communities in central and southern Ethiopia also happened in the same era, although there are communities which claim to have been centers of worship in Old Testament times (Tana Qircos, and Mertula Mariyam). The histories of many of the prominent monasteries of today’s Ethiopia can be traced back to the same era, which constituted a pivotal period for Ethiopian monasticism.
According to a paper Ethiopian monasticism by Joachim Persoon, available literature on Ethiopian monasticism, in English or other European languages, falls broadly into three groups. These include a small number of major works written some years ago, of which Stephen Kaplan’s The Monastic Holy Man and the Christianisation of the Early Solomonic Empire and Kirsten Stoffregen Pedersen’s Les Éthiopiens are examples, and a number of historical theses (some published as books) written more recently under the supervision of Professor Bertrand Hirsch at the Sorbonne, Paris.
Chapters dealing with monasticism are to be found in more general works on the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, such as Christine Chaillot’s The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Tradition, which is based on first-hand observation and aims mainly to give a factual overview rather than a detailed analysis, and there are a number of substantial encyclopedia entries, for example, in the Oxford History of Christian Worship, to which readers who are not specialists in this area might refer.
It is remarkable that after many centuries of Coptic leadership and literary influence, Ethiopian monasticism still retains traits more evocative of the models depicted in Syriac hagiographies. Ethiopian monasticism in its diverse manifestations retained a fluidity and flexibility which was a characteristic feature of Syrian prototypes rather than the highly institutionalized and centralized systems of Egyptian communities.
The widespread penetration of Orthodox Christianity all over Ethiopia can be viewed as the greatest contribution of the Ethiopian monastic movement. By the tireless efforts of monks with evangelical zeal and exemplary spirituality, Christianity and monasticism became essential components of an already existing civilization facilitating its expansion and growth. Their missionary activities eventually acculturated large areas into the Ethiopian sphere of influence.
Evangelisation and proper functioning of ecclesia required the production of theological and catechetical literature. Consequently, the monks by their works of translation and literary composition laid the foundation and nurtured classical Ge’ez civilization. Monasteries became the centers of cultural and intellectual development. The second generation monks, especially St. Yared, facilitated the development of indigenous Christian hymnology by originating the unique system of Ethiopian liturgical music. His hymnological literature served as the foundation for traditional education system and the poetic tradition of Ethiopia.
Monasteries continue to be the cradle for the growth of intellectual and artistic identity of the whole of Ethiopian society. Literature and iconography developed in the monasteries as means for evangelism, catechism and the spiritual enrichment of the believers. Eventually, the monasteries occupied a central position in society being the focus of educational, religious and cultural activities and thus the powerhouses holding society together. The whole ethos of the Ethiopian civilization owed much to the monastic movements in the country.
The Ethiopian herald June 11,2020
BY STAFF REPORTER
