This is the beginning of a blog that will take a look at monastic life as it has been lived in the Catholic Church over the last millenium and a half. Benedictine monasticism, and in particular the Cistercian expression of the tradition will be my area of examination.

Monasticism has had a profound, often overlooked impact on the development of the culture of the West. The image of the monk, hooded and either sinister or a bumbling innocent, has been the type promoted in contemporary culture, from film to fiction. It’s my hope to provide, in a small way, a counterbalance to this stereotype.

I hope ‘Monk?’ will be interesting, informative, and maybe even inspiring. Perhaps someone will read what’s here and ask himself, as so many have done before, “Could this way of life be what I was meant for?” The simple answer is hidden in the heart…