In the past I've blogged about the new monasticism, as well as contemporary outworkings of extant monasticism and 'friarism'*. And about intentional and missional community. About followers of Christ living in community, pooling resources, finding commonality, praying the hours together, maybe even abiding by a rule of life. Exemplars include our friends up at Oak Grove Abbey in Austin, the folks at Simple Way, Seven in the Bay Area, JPUSA, Paraclete Press (I just found out these guys are largely an intentional community, monastic, in the Benedictine tradition).
It was a great joy for Amy and I to catch up with and deepen our friendship with Karen Sloan, an author who has worked through a lot of her own experiences with monasticism and the like. She contributed to An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, and her book Flirting with Monasticism has been out since December. She's making her way around the country in and around writing her next book, and so the Soups hosted her in S.A. last night; and tonight and tomorrow she's hanging with my cohort partner Tim Snyder up at TLU. Gordon and I had a great breakfast with Karen this morning.
I'm diving into the book, and will definitely add it to my reading stack. I have a lot of books I'm supposed to be reviewing (and one CD as well, Ryan!). I've just fallen behind in the leisure writing time category.
In any case, Karen, if you're readin' this, we'll catch up again in Santa Fe!
*I think 'friarism' was Karen's term.
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