The author examines the social and religious dimensions in the fourth century that gave rise to monasticism, then looks at Christian leaders from late antiquity to the medieval period associated with monasticism in both East and West who have much to teach about monastic values and their relevance for today, among them Antony, the "first monk," Augustine and Jerome, John Cassian, Brigit of Kildare and early Celtic monasticism, Gregory the Great, Benedict and Scholastica and, finally, Bernard of Clairvaux.
"By studying the history of monasticism and its great heroes we come to realize that, for the Christian, much of what we call `monastic' is purely and simply what being a follower of Christ is all about, and that being a monk, whether inside monastic enclosures or outside `in the world,' is simply becoming the sort of person everyone ought to be, a person who unites action and contemplation in the care of souls," writes the author.
By becoming familiar with the stories and thought of these inspirational figures, readers will be inspired to incorporate monastic perspectives and values into their own lives.