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Why did monasticism play such an important part in the expansion of the Irish and Anglo-Saxon Churches between 500 and 750? The term "monasticism" is not entirely straightforward: in this period the word "monasterium" was used to refer to a wide variety of institutions and it must be borne in mind that there was not some kind of 'standard monastery'. The basic characteristics of monasticism were prayer and abstinence, although the levels of dedication demanded varied greatly and encompassed both coenobitic and eremitic forms. We should not force anachronistic ideas onto monasticism in this period: the isolation and simplicity demanded by the Rule of St Benedict were generally not required until the reforms of the tenth century, although some monasteries, like Monkwearmouth and Jarrow, where Benedict Biscop's rule was used, incorporated strong elements of Benedictine tradition. Indeed, in many monasteries, monks had considerable freedom of movement and clerics were also part...

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