Section 07: The Monastic Founding of Georgia

What the Thirteen Fathers planted, considered as a whole. The first file treats the two forms of monasticism they are remembered as founding — the coenobitic (communal) and the eremitic (desert) — and shows how the Fathers seeded the full range of the ascetic tradition in a single generation. The second treats their role in consolidating the faith after St. Nino: the deepening of a court-conversion into a monastic Church, the building of the institutions of Georgian Christianity, and the frontier mission against paganism and the fire-cult.

Tradition: Georgian Orthodox

Contents

File Topic
Coenobitic and Eremitic Monasticism The two forms the Fathers planted — the communal lavra (Shiomgvime) and the desert (Gareji); the Syrian derivation of both; the full ascetic repertoire seeded in one generation
The Shaping of Georgian Christianity The Fathers’ role in consolidating the faith after St. Nino: from court-conversion to monastic Church; the building of institutions; the frontier mission; the making of the Georgian Church

How to Use

  • Read Coenobitic and Eremitic Monasticism for the form of what the Fathers founded — the two great patterns of the monastic life.
  • Read The Shaping of Georgian Christianity for the effect — how the monastic founding turned St. Nino’s enlightenment into an enduring Church.

Cross-References