La Vie Quotidienne des Moines en Orient et en Occident. Vol. 1: Etat des Sources

Christian monasticism emerged in Egypt at the close of the 3rd century and spread rapidly to the whole Eastern Mediterranean area and beyond. The choice of a monastic life was more than a spiritual decision; it implied acceptance of a way of life that conformed to more or less formal rules. Originating from a colloquium that was organized in Athens in 2009 within the framework of a collective program, Everyday Life in Eastern and Western Monasticisms (4th-10th century AD), this book brings twenty articles illustrating an interdisciplinary approach to an important question: the state of the sources available for the study of various aspects of monks' daily life. Both archaeological and written evidence-normative, literary and documentary-is presented according to six geographic zones, from northern Mesopotamia to Ireland. This approach yields a better understanding of the dissemination of monasticism, an essential and yet varied form of Christian life, which had a lasting impact on the societies in late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages.