What is Monasticism and how did it help spread Christianity?

Answer 1

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Catholic AnswerMonasticism primarily helped the spread of Christianity through prayer, their witness to God, and their lifestyle of obedience, stability, and conversion of manners. Some of their more active works through the centuries: it was primarily the monasteries that we can thank for having a Bible today. There were a lot of books around in the first century - whole libraries that we know of. All of them have been lost through time because the materials they were on disintegrated over time. It is thanks to the monks who spent their whole lives in their Scriptoriums making Bibles - it would take over 400 sheep, and years for a monk to make one Bible. Monks have also contributed greatly to the liturgy, they have had schools since the early centuries up through the present day.

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from

Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

Monasticism.

The way of life, characterized by asceticism and self-denial, followed by religious who live more or less secluded from the world, according to a fixed rule and under vows, in order to praise God through contemplation and apostolic charity. The principal duty of those living the monastic life is to offer humble service to God within the boundaries of the monastery. Some monastic institutes dedicate themselves wholly to contemplation; others engage in some works of the apostolate or of Christian charity, in accord with the character of monastic life.