How Did Monasticism Influence Medieval Society

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In medieval Europe, monasticism had a powerful influence on society, culture and art and it was one of the key reasons medieval Christianity was so dominant. Monasticism, derived from the Greek word ‘Monachos’ meaning a solitary person, involved men and women devoting their life to God in prayer and service. Hence, monks and nuns performed many practical services which were significant to medieval society. They assisted the poor, cared for the sick and housed travellers, abbots and abbesses also advised the wealthy of the society. Medieval monastic communities were also key in the popularising of innovations as agricultural methods and processes invented to assist in making one monastery self-sufficient often spread to other orders and