The New Monastic Movement is a vibrant source of renewal for the church's life and mission. Many involved in this movement have quoted Dietrich Bonhoeffer's conviction that the church must recover ancient spiritual disciplines if it is to effectively engage "the powers that be." "Melodies of a New Monasticism" adopts a musical metaphor of polyphony (the combination of two or more lines of music) to articulate the way that these early Christian virtues can be woven together in community.

Creatively using this imagery, this book draws on the theological vision of Bonhoeffer and the contemporary witness of George MacLeod and the Iona Community to explore the interplay between discipleship, doctrine, and ethics.

A recurring theme is the idea of Christ as the cantus firmus (the fixed song) around which people perform the diverse harmonies of God in church and world, including worship, ecumenism, healing, peace, justice, and ecology.

With a foreword by Rowan Williams

Contents:

Permissions ix

Foreword by Rowan Williams xi

Acknowledgements xv

Chapter 1: Introduction: The Melodies of George MacLeod and Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Chapter 2: Mixing Metaphors and Making Melodies

Chapter 3: Polyphonic Jesus: Cantus Firmus of Melody Making

Chapter 4: Fragmented Epiphanies

Chapter 5: Worldly Monasticism

Chapter 6: The Colony of Heaven

Chapter 7: Performing the Discipline of Counterpoint

Chapter 8: Making Melodies in the Church: Three Movements

Chapter 9: Making Melodies in the World: Three Movements

Chapter 10: Cadenzas and Conclusions

Appendix A

The Rule of the Iona Community: As It Was until 2014

Appendix B

The Rule of the Iona Community: As It Is from 2015