Rule of St. Benedict Influence on Medieval Monasteries

Around 530 C.E., after living in solitude for a number of years, St. Benedict wrote his rule that would change the monastic world forever. It established a stable and obedient lifestyle for all monks living in the medieval era. The Rule of St. Benedict (RB) designs a life for “cenobites…those who belong to a monastery, where they serve under a rule and an abbot.”# The three main concepts of the rule are: 1- a …

…the placement of the cloister, the outer wall, the church, and all of the other essential buildings in the monastery, the monks were able to lead the life that they set out to lead competently due to and without worry about the architectural order of the monastery. This order aided the monks in their true motivation upon joining the monastery, to discipline themselves through stability and obedience in the pursuit of the love of God.