Monastic Vows

Definition and Meaning

Monastic vows are the public promise a religious makes before God upon formally entering a religious community. The Korean term for a vow, seowon (誓願), literally means "to swear and desire," and refers to a promise by which a person voluntarily binds himself or herself to do something for God. The content of monastic vows is usually summarized under three headings: poverty, renouncing private property; chastity, remaining unmarried and celibate; and obedience, submitting to the community and to its superior (the person responsible for the religious community). Monastic vows should be distinguished from the personal vows commonly spoken of in Korean Protestantism. Personal vows, such as vowed prayers or vowed offerings, do not commit a person to membership in a community or to a lifelong way of life.

Biblical and Historical Background

The monastic tradition cites several biblical passages in support. Examples include Jesus' words to the rich young man, "go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor" (Matthew 19:21; see Rich Young Man); Matthew 19:12, which speaks of celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of heaven; 1 Corinthians 7, which discusses the benefits of celibacy; and the early church's practice of holding property in common (Acts 4:32–35). The Old Testament Nazirite vow is also frequently mentioned in this connection.

In the Western monastic tradition, the sixth-century Rule of Saint Benedict is well known for requiring monks to vow stability (remaining in one community), conversion of life (fidelity to the monastic way of life), and obedience. The three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience later became the standard formula. Today monastic vows remain an established institution in the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the Catholic Church, a religious first makes temporary vows, valid for a set period, and later makes perpetual vows, valid for life.

During the Reformation, the Reformers sharply criticized monastic vows. Martin Luther, himself a monk, wrote a treatise on monastic vows around 1521 in which he attacked the idea that vows are meritorious for salvation. John Calvin likewise criticized monastic vows in the Institutes of the Christian Religion. In its chapter on vows, the Westminster Confession of Faith regards vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience not as degrees of higher perfection but as superstitious snares.

Practice in the Korean Church

• Presbyterian: Denominations that follow the Westminster Confession of Faith have no institution of monastic vows. They understand devotion as being lived out within family and work according to one's calling.
• Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, and Full Gospel traditions: These have no official institution of monastic vows. Spiritual formation programs and life at prayer retreat centers exist, but they differ from communities in which members take lifelong vows.
• Anglican: The Anglican Church of Korea has religious orders in which monastic vows are taken. The Society of the Holy Cross, reportedly founded in 1925, is a leading example.
• Other Protestant communities: Some interdenominational and Protestant communities live under a commitment to celibacy and common life. However, such arrangements are rarely recognized as an official institution of the members' denomination.