High Street Monasteries by Ray Simpson

This is a study of the new monastic movement and how many Christians around the world are using values and practices from the monastic way of life in creative ways in their churches and communities. I found it incredibly inspiring and fascinating. I met the author on a retreat on Lindisfarne, where he lives, and had a great chat with him about this stuff.

The book outlines the current expressions of new monasticism around the world, then looks at what we can learn from the history of the monastic movement over the last 2000 years. Then there is a great chapter discussing how much of the monastic way of life is really just Christianity lived as it should be.

Then the book really comes into its own with the chapter 'Monastic Churches and Villages of God'. This is about how churches are adopting monastic values, but also contains this idea of 'Villages of God' - places where there is daily prayer led by a community of Christians committed to that area. This is the heart of the village, but around it are places to eat healthy food, places for pilgrims to stay, Eco-spaces like community allotments, education, job creation and much more. He then suggests what this might look like in different areas, such as Central London, around a Cathedral, in places of beauty, and other places.

I would love to see what this might look like in an inner-city estate in Salford! Really good stuff and definitely recommend you get a copy.