Religious life emerged after the legacy of Christian martyrs who followed no earthly law, only the highest, making them the most liberated. The origins of Religious life can be traced back to monastic hermits, for whom obedience to another person was of minimal importance. Hermits sought solitude, distancing themselves from society to focus solely on listening to God. Some would seek out wisdom from sages in their spiritual quest, but these encounters were brief.
As religious life evolved with time into cenobitic monasticism, the focus shifted to community living. The goal of community life was to seek God’s voice together. The early Benedictines though did not seek a childish dependency model of obedience, adopting instead a mature, communal discernment process.
In the following unpacking of the vow of obedience, we will delve into four of its distorted deviants (blind obedience, dependence, authoritarianism and individualism) and three of its essential elements (empowerment, discernment and collaboration)
BLIND OBEDIENCE
The cruel Inquisition by the Catholic Church, the Holocaust of Jews by the Nazis, religious terrorism and many such atrocities in modern history were often fueled by blind obedience as much as by authority. People unquestioningly followed orders, embraced inhumane ideologies, and committed unspeakable evils under the guise of obedience. When a group learns to ‘take orders’ without question, they can commit the most heinous of crimes with a clear conscience, as seen at Nuremberg and Auschwitz.
This prompts us to approach obedience with caution, realizing it is not inherently virtuous. Obedience, in fact, demands scrutiny. In a world where obedience often leads to harm, the vow itself becomes suspect.
Br. Sunil Britto CFC
To read the entire article, click Subscribe
