Abstract
This paper aims to illustrate an example of how Anglican monastic communities make sense of their identity and purpose. By focusing on Anglican monasticism, this paper addresses a gap in existing literature on monastic identity and purpose. Holy Cross Monastery—an Anglican Benedictine monastery for men in West Park, New York, USA—is the case study used in this project. Using interview data from six individual interviews with monks at Holy Cross, this paper demonstrates the importance of values such as seeking God and being one’s true self in the monastic life. The paper examines the monastery environment and monastic practices as avenues through which monastic identity and purpose are made. The paper is written in a narrative, conversational tone, and extended quotes from the interviews are included on their own as interstitial chapters to foreground the voices of the monks.
Advisor
Graham, Mark
Department
Religious Studies
Recommended Citation
McCreath, Gabriel Z. E., "The Human Person, Fully Alive: A Case Study of Identity and Purpose in Anglican Monasticism" (2025). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 11443.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/11443
Disciplines
Christianity | Religion
Keywords
monasticism, Christianity, Anglicanism, identity
Publication Date
2025
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2025 Gabriel Z. E. McCreath