Monks and Nuns 2.0: intentional religious communities

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This is a very interesting article about well-educated young people who choose to avoid the achievement track and dedicate themselves to a life of poverty and helping the poor. While I don't agree with Catholic theology or sexual mores, I do admire these people for living a life that is very different from the one that was laid out for them. I think our culture needs more examples of how a successful life does not have to be one based on material achievement or social status, and that's what these people seem to be striving for.

I think I might be romanticizing the monastic life somewhat: lately my worldly one has seemed quite demanding, and there is an aspect of escapism to my interest in these folks. I think a few weeks without my family, privacy, affluence, and broadband access would see me scurrying back to my bourgeois lifestyle.

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