Come to think of it, do any of the religions other than Catholicism have nuns? There are several that have monks or similar, but none that have nuns that I know of.
This calls for a famous latin proverb about the cloistered (and which I figure applies to nuns as well as to monks):
Monachus in claustro non valet ova duo, sed quando est extra, valet bene triginta!
Anyone? The one who guesses who I’m quoting gets two chocolate eggs.
There are definitely nuns OTHER than Catholics. And other than female. And other than celibate 😀 Thanks be!
I’m a nun with the Order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We go through a year-plus of training, then take lifelong vows of community service, social activism, and charity fundraising.
Hehehe. Yes, it was Rabelais (Gargantua, specifically)!
And Author, don’t you just love Leviticus? 🙂
Actually, TaoAndZen, nuns have their origins in monks! Monks came first, and then the women had to have a piece of the action. It took them quite a while to be accepted by the Pope. And, according to Heloise (of Abelard and Heloise), it took them a while to get their own uniforms. (Heloise points out in a letter to Abelard that nuns on the rag aren’t really comfortable in the men’s robes and hose.)
So, unless monks have their origins in the Vestal Virgins (who were simply the pure and maidenly keepers of the flame, since there was no ConEd in the time), nuns don’t have their origin in Vestal Virgins either.
Hey Sister Mable Syrup, are you serious? Non-celibate nuns? And not Catholic? That sound so unbelievable reasonable!
Of course, Anglicans are often accused of being wannabe Catholics, so it figures they’d have nuns too. Not that I ever heard of any while I was one. An Anglican, that is. :-p
Carolita, you are quite right. There is no organizational continuity between the Vestals and the Nuns. Sloppy of me not to qualify that statement. I could have put it thus: Nuns served the same invested socio-political function as the Vestals inasmuch as the Catholic church is manifestly a perpetuation of the vestigial Roman State.
Vestals were not just the maiden keepers of the flame of Vesta. They held significant institutional status, powers and priveleges sanctioned by Pontifex Maximus (the Pope).
Google is your friend and a search for “Anglican Nuns” will turn up such communities even in the USA.
In the UK Walsingham is a well known Anglican place of pilgrimage where high church people carry on in ways that would embarrass the average Catlick today.
Mind you in times of crisis a couple of days stay at Walsingham can help even a non-believer.
The Anglican church is a broad one, from fairly conservative Protestants to Catholics that happen not to be Roman. It’s not surprising they have nuns. The Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox (“Monophysite”), and Assyrian (“Nestorian”) variants of Christianity have nuns as well.
Virtually all religious systems have some sort of ascetic/monastic element. If you want to call the female participants in such practices “nuns” then you could say that virtually all religions have nuns.
Every society needs a occupations for those who can’t do anything usefull. Priesthood, monkhood & nunhood are for religious societies. Manicurist, hairdresser & telemarketer are for secular societies.
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There aren’t any monastries in the Islam, are there?
Would be interesting to find out, what Mo thinks nuns are useful for …
Islam has better use for women. To have families and raise kids. But nuns are respected in middle east. I have no idea why.
Come to think of it, do any of the religions other than Catholicism have nuns? There are several that have monks or similar, but none that have nuns that I know of.
I used to frequent a restaurant operated by a Buddhist nun.
Yeah the Anglican church has nuns
nun of this is relevant.
sorry. too obvious.
{:-)
i’m sure it had *nothing* to do w/ a bad initial diagnosis.
This calls for a famous latin proverb about the cloistered (and which I figure applies to nuns as well as to monks):
Monachus in claustro non valet ova duo, sed quando est extra, valet bene triginta!
Anyone? The one who guesses who I’m quoting gets two chocolate eggs.
(correction: “non valet ova dua!” sorry about the accord error. And the “est” is superfluous, natually.)
(but not the “r” in “naturally” I think I need a nap.)
Nuns have their origins in the vestel virgins. Pagan.
It’s an escapism, same as for Monks.
Carolita: Rabelais?
There are definitely nuns OTHER than Catholics. And other than female. And other than celibate 😀 Thanks be!
I’m a nun with the Order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We go through a year-plus of training, then take lifelong vows of community service, social activism, and charity fundraising.
Welcome, Sister Mable Syrup. [bows]
Carolita, going by the valuations laid down in Leviticus 27:3-4:
Sanctimonialis in claustro non valet ova duo, sed quando est extra, valet bene duodeviginti!
(Or maybe only quindecim, depending on her age)
Hehehe. Yes, it was Rabelais (Gargantua, specifically)!
And Author, don’t you just love Leviticus? 🙂
Actually, TaoAndZen, nuns have their origins in monks! Monks came first, and then the women had to have a piece of the action. It took them quite a while to be accepted by the Pope. And, according to Heloise (of Abelard and Heloise), it took them a while to get their own uniforms. (Heloise points out in a letter to Abelard that nuns on the rag aren’t really comfortable in the men’s robes and hose.)
So, unless monks have their origins in the Vestal Virgins (who were simply the pure and maidenly keepers of the flame, since there was no ConEd in the time), nuns don’t have their origin in Vestal Virgins either.
Hey Sister Mable Syrup, are you serious? Non-celibate nuns? And not Catholic? That sound so unbelievable reasonable!
Of course, Anglicans are often accused of being wannabe Catholics, so it figures they’d have nuns too. Not that I ever heard of any while I was one. An Anglican, that is. :-p
Carolita, you are quite right. There is no organizational continuity between the Vestals and the Nuns. Sloppy of me not to qualify that statement. I could have put it thus: Nuns served the same invested socio-political function as the Vestals inasmuch as the Catholic church is manifestly a perpetuation of the vestigial Roman State.
Vestals were not just the maiden keepers of the flame of Vesta. They held significant institutional status, powers and priveleges sanctioned by Pontifex Maximus (the Pope).
JohnnieCannuck
Google is your friend and a search for “Anglican Nuns” will turn up such communities even in the USA.
In the UK Walsingham is a well known Anglican place of pilgrimage where high church people carry on in ways that would embarrass the average Catlick today.
Mind you in times of crisis a couple of days stay at Walsingham can help even a non-believer.
As Ambrose Bierce defined it in his “Devil’s Dictionary”
convent, n. A place of retirement for women who wish for leisure to meditate on the vice of idleness.
The Anglican church is a broad one, from fairly conservative Protestants to Catholics that happen not to be Roman. It’s not surprising they have nuns. The Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox (“Monophysite”), and Assyrian (“Nestorian”) variants of Christianity have nuns as well.
Are nuns useful?
Question answered:
http://pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF218-The_Great_Circle.jpg#206
Actually buddhist’s have nuns too
Virtually all religious systems have some sort of ascetic/monastic element. If you want to call the female participants in such practices “nuns” then you could say that virtually all religions have nuns.
@TB: I’m glad to be part of a culture that has even a *better* use for women than Islam: whatever she decides she wants to be.
Mephisto (1st post) asks “Would be interesting to find out, what Mo thinks nuns are useful for …”
At a guess, target practice.
Every society needs a occupations for those who can’t do anything usefull. Priesthood, monkhood & nunhood are for religious societies. Manicurist, hairdresser & telemarketer are for secular societies.