Do you take interest in religious history? “Saints and Sinners: Britain’s Millennium of Monasteries” is a fantastic documentary series about Monasticism history in Britain.
The series was produced by cultural historian Dr. Janina Ramirez and BBC, and was released in 2015.
While religious history in Britain tends to often be viewed in a dark light by the general public, this documentary series showcases a balanced approach of the positives and negatives monasteries had on society. The term monastery is associated the term “Monasticism,” which is a religious lifestyle where men and women denounce worldly desires in order to live a spiritual life. It is primarily noted in Christianity and Catholicism, but can also be found in other religions.
Ramirez noted in the series that monasteries played a big role in initiating interest in education in Britain. Monasteries were one of the earliest locations in Britain that valued reading, writing and science. Monks devoted a significant amount of time to writing the bible and creating beautiful pieces of art, which they felt was a method of praising God. (Take note, this was before the printing press). Monasteries even paved the way for hospitals in Britain, as they opened locations to help aid the ill, and were a foundation influence on education institutions throughout the country.
Another observation I found interesting while watching the series was that monasteries had a roller coaster history of morality, rather than a linear history. There were a number of times where a monks would break off from the powerful monasteries to return to the “pure state” of worshiping God, and create their own form of monasticism. Monasteries had moments of corruption as they grew in size and made connections with royalty, but there were always monks who deviated back to simplicity.
Finally, a final fascinating part of the series explained how the monasteries came to a sudden end. They did not just gradually fade into obscurity. Instead they were forced by a king to hand over their property to the crown. He allowed the common people to descend on the monasteries and take anything they wanted, including parts of the monastery structures themselves. Monks who refused to hand over their property were brutally killed. As a result, monasteries that existed for hundreds of years were suddenly empty, and monasticism began to fade away. However, a number of the most impressive monasteries have been preserved and still stand to this day.
There are plenty of other interesting topics to discuss from this series. I encourage you to view it when you have the chance. I’m not exactly sure where you can view the entire episodes, but here is the link to BBC’s listing of the documentary.
Lauren Ell is an American blogger born and raised in Southern California and is currently based in Sweden. She discusses Epilepsy, Politics and Fun. Professionally Ell is an Online Marketing Consultant and Virtual Assistant. She is also founder and president of Republican Atheists and GunSafetySociety.org. Connect with Lauren on Facebook and Twitter.