Accountability and the New Monasticism

I had an interesting discussion with a group of people recently regarding what is referred to as the New Monasticism, a particular way of being in community with others that is distinctive from older orders of monasticism which required residency in a monastic community (cloister, abbey or monastery). New Monasticism attempts to address our need for spiritual centeredness within the reality of our work and family life. It also centers on (as most monastic traditions have) on holding one another accountable for a rule of life that not only transforms the life of the individual but keeps the community accountable for the work of justice and peace in our world.
The issue of accountability was surprisingly contentious. Apparently we do not want to feel accountable to anyone - as though accountability were primarily about someone having the power to judge us. I wondered how we might transform our understanding of accountability so that it was understood in the light of monasticism; accountability that is life giving rather than draining. People in 12-step programs often seem to get this concept.
I like the image above of the monk on a bus - a good image for where a new monasticism might take us.



On the New Monasticism - some common themes
Relocation to the abandoned places of Empire.
Sharing economic resources with fellow community members and the needy among us.
Hospitality to the stranger.
Lament for racial divisions within the church and our communities combined with the active pursuit of a just reconciliation.
Humble submission to Christ’s body, the church.
Intentional formation in the way of Christ and the rule of the community along the lines of the old novitiate.
Nurturing common life among members of intentional community.
Support for celibate singles alongside monogamous married couples and their children.
Geographical proximity to community members who share a common rule of life.
Care for the plot of God’s earth given to us along with support of our local economies.
Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities along the lines of Matthew 18.
Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life.