Early Double Monasteries

Stoney, ConstanceProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 43K words
Chapters: 5

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Early Double Monasteries by Constance StoneyAuthor: Stoney, Constance,Language: English, Class: BX: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Churches, Church movements, Release Date: Feb 18, 2008

Editor's review

This book is Constance Stoney's study of early double monasteries, a specialized work in church history and the history of religious institutions. A double monastery historically refers to an arrangement in which communities of men and women lived adjacent to one another and operated together under a unified rule or the authority of the same superior—a specific entry point for understanding how early Christian monastic life was organized. The author examines the origins, forms, and evolution of this institution in a focused study. The book is concise and suitable as supplementary reading for readers in religious history and medieval history. Because the original is a public-domain English e-book, the language barrier and density of terminology are the main practical challenges in reading; readers without basic background in monastic institutions are advised to first acquire general knowledge of the Christian monastic movement before approaching this book, which will make it easier to grasp the argument and the questions at issue.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University students studying the history of Christian monastic institutions and forms of church organization
Readers interested in medieval religious life and models of monastic communities where men and women lived together
Researchers in religious history who need English primary sources for specialized supplementation
Readers accustomed to public-domain academic e-books who have basic English reading skills

Not a good fit for

General readers looking for popular religious stories or biographies
Readers who struggle with English and are unwilling to look up terminology in reference works
Beginners seeking a systematic general history rather than a specialized study

Reading tips

First look up the basic definition and typical examples of double monasteries to establish a background framework before reading the main text.
While reading, organize the author's sources and lines of argument to form your own timeline of institutional evolution.
Note Latin or ecclesiastical terms as you encounter them and look them up in batches to avoid excessive interruptions.
Read alongside other works on monastic institutional history to test where the book's arguments fit within the broader context.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background in religious history at all?

Not very suitable for complete beginners. This is a specialized study that assumes readers have a basic understanding of the Christian monastic movement. If you have no background at all, it is advisable to first read a general history of monastic institutions or relevant encyclopedia entries to understand the concept and historical context of double monasteries; returning to this book afterward will make your reading noticeably more efficient.

Is this the original English edition? How difficult is it to read?

This is a public-domain English e-book released by Project Gutenberg; the original language is English. As a specialized academic work, it uses fairly formal sentence structures and dense terminology, posing a certain challenge for non-native English readers. Readers with university-level English reading ability who are willing to look up specialized vocabulary can complete it successfully.

What does "double monastery" mean in the book?

A double monastery is an institutional form in early Christian monasticism, generally referring to communities of men and women living adjacent to one another and operating together under the same rule or the same superior. The book discusses the origins, organizational forms, and historical evolution of this institution as a specialized topic; it is a specific study within the history of church institutions.

Do I need other materials to read this book?

It is advisable to use supplementary materials. Prepare a general history of Christian monastic institutions as background reference, and have tools ready for looking up ecclesiastical and Latin terms. If you can consult relevant maps and chronologies for the historical figures and institutional details mentioned in the book, your understanding will be more concrete and it will be easier to evaluate the book's arguments within the overall historical context.

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About the author

Stoney, Constance Author

Constance Stoney is an author about whom very little public information is available; all that is known is a single work attributed to her, Early Double Monasteries. The book concerns the double monastery, a form of early medieval Christian monasticism in which monks and nuns lived in one house or in adjacent communities, and it falls within the history of religious institutions and the church. The subject suggests an interest in the organization of early monastic life, gender relations, and institutional change, written in the manner of a focused scholarly study and addressed to readers interested in medieval religious history and monasticism. Because her life, education, and academic standing cannot be confirmed, the full character and scholarly influence of her work are difficult to assess; it may be regarded simply as one study on this topic.