Editing Monasticism (section)

{{Short description|Religious way of life}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}

'''Monasticism''' ({{etymology|grc|''{{Wikt-lang|grc|μοναχός}}'' ({{grc-transl|μοναχός}})|solitary, monastic}}; {{etymology||''{{Wikt-lang|grc|μόνος}}'' ({{grc-transl|μόνος}})|alone}}), also called '''monachism''' or '''monkhood''', is a [[religion|religious]] way of life in which one renounces [[world (theology)|worldly]] pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many [[Christianity|Christian]] churches, especially in the [[Catholicism|Catholic]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] and [[Anglican]] traditions as well as in other faiths such as [[Buddhist monasticism|Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Jain monasticism|Jainism]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Monasticism |url=https://britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/388935/monasticism |publisher=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]] |access-date=2014-10-06 |archive-date=8 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008223318/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/388935/monasticism |url-status=live}}</ref> In other religions, monasticism is generally criticized and not practiced, as in [[Islam]] and [[Zoroastrianism]], or plays a marginal role, as in modern [[Nazirite|Judaism]].

Many monastics live in [[abbey]]s, [[convent]]s, [[monastery|monasteries]], or priories to separate themselves from the [[secular]] world, unless they are in [[mendicant]] or [[missionary order]]s.