The Evolution of the Monastic Ideal: From the Earliest Times Down to the Coming of the Friars; A Second Chapter in the History of Christian Renunciation

by Herbert B. Workman

Herbert Brook Workman (1862-1951) was born in London and educated at Owens College, Manchester. He entered the Wesleyan ministry in 1885 and served as a circuit minister in England and Scotland until 1903 when he was appointed Principal of Westminster College. He was elected President of the Wesleyan Conference in 1930. A distinguished historian, Workman was Cole Lecturer at Vanderbilt University in 1916 and Visiting Professor of Methodist Church History at the University of Chicago in 1927. He published extensively in the field of medieval church history as well as Methodism. His other publications include 'Persecution in the Early Church, ' 'The Dawn of the Reformation, ' 'The Evolution of the Monastic Ideal, ' 'Martyrs of the Early Church, ' 'Methodism, ' and 'The Age of John Hu

386 pages, Paperback

First published July 9, 2006

About the author

Herbert Brook Workman

Reviews

[Michael Joosten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Workman's turn-of-the-century prose is lucid and personable in ways modern academic writing typically shirks from, but this book is still, at its heart, a scholarly tome. A believer, albeit a Methodist and not a monk, Workman has the advantage over a more dispassionate writer, though his work is thoroughly footnoted, betraying a breadth of familiarity with the original sources and the scholarship on them (even if it is a century old now) that is fully credentialed and laid at the reader's disposal.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an obscure, older book but is one of my favorite books of all time. This is a thorough look at the history of monastic movements that is an important read for anyone interested in the history of Christianity and Western civilization. Know the past and you will have more insight to navigate our cultural present.

[Pat Loughery]

The Evolution of the Monastic Ideal by Herbert Workman (1962)