- Skete
A skete is a community of
Christian hermit s following a monastic rule, allowing them toworship in comparativesolitude , while also affording them a level of mutual practical support and security.A skete usually has a common area of
worship (achurch or achapel ), with individual hermitages, or small houses for a small number ofmonk s ornun s.In the early tradition of
Christianity , the skete was one form of monastic life, forming a bridge between thecenobium (community of monks or nuns living together) and the isolated hermitage (solo monks and nuns). In the early church, once steps began to be taken to further religious ascetiscism by giving it organised forms, men and women aspiring to be hermits oranchorite s, might first be sent to the skete in preparation – the skete acted as almost a 'halfway house' between the cenobium and total solitude.The term "skete" has fallen out of use in Western Christianity; however, the eremitic communal life of the
Carthusian ,Camaldolese , andCarmelite hermits is similar to that in theEastern Christian tradition.ee also
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Scetes
*Lavra
*Desert Fathers
*Mount Athos
*New Skete
*Community of Hermits of St. Bruno External links
* [http://www.newsketemonks.com/ New Skete - a skete for monks]
* [http://stmichaelsskete.org St. Michael's Skete, New Mexico]
* [http://www.societystjohn.com/vocations/vocations.html Holy Transfiguration Skete of the Society of St. John]
* [http://www.chartreux.org/ Carthusian Order]
* [http://www.carmelitehermits.org/ Carmelite Hermits]
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