Why Do Communes Fail While Monasteries Succeed?

Community

Humans have been social animals since prehistoric times. A few species are largely asocial. Humans are not among them. That has been well established science for a long time already. Both secular communes and monastic communities reflect this tendency. Here is where they differ:

Worship

Every civilization on the planet has some sort of religion, but different from place to place and from time to time. Wars have been fought over even subtle differences. Monasteries are long-lasting because the residents cultivate or worship something outside of themselves, something eternal. You could say worship is the glue that keeps them together. In worship monastics tend to surrender to the community much more readily than their secular counterparts who tend to be more individualistic oriented. Their vision is much more changeable and therefore temporary.

Monasticism

The word monastery means to live alone. Monasteries are typically founded by one person who chooses to leave the well trodden path. Communes are typically founded by a group of people. The monastic builds his following one disciple at a time resulting in great coherence, the source of the longevity. The group, egalitarian or one strong leader, can come up with a common vision but with much greater difficulty. Because of greater individualism, conflicts are likely to tear them apart rather than unite them.

I decided to found New Covenant House here in the Catskills region of New York for two reasons: First, I looked around, but could not find an existing community to join that would match my values. Second, my own faith has evolved dramatically over the past 20 years and I needed input from other travelers on this path. I hope this blog will accomplish some of that.