What Is the Christian View of Asceticism / Monasticism?
- Edward D. Andrews
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Defining Asceticism and Monasticism in Moral and Spiritual Terms
Asceticism is the attempt to achieve spiritual purity or higher status through severe self-denial, often by rejecting normal goods Jehovah created, such as marriage, ordinary food, rest, or engagement with society. Monasticism is an organized form of asceticism where people withdraw from ordinary life to live under vows and rules intended to produce holiness. Christianity, however, defines holiness primarily as obedience to God’s Word flowing from faith in Christ, not as a man-made system of deprivation. The New Testament consistently insists that righteousness comes from Christ’s sacrifice and is expressed through faithful living, not earned by punishing the body.
This matters because the Bible does call Christians to self-control and self-denial, but never as a method of purchasing salvation or attaining a spiritually superior class. Jesus says, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his torture stake daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). That denial is not a rejection of Jehovah’s good gifts as evil; it is the rejection of sin, selfish ambition, and worldly priorities that compete with loyalty to Christ. Biblical self-denial is moral and mission-focused, not a withdrawal into religious performance.
Biblical Self-Control Versus Self-Made Religion
The clearest corrective to ascetic extremes appears in Colossians 2. Paul warns against religious rules that look impressive but are disconnected from Christ: “If you died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why do you submit to decrees … ‘Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch’?” (Colossians 2:20–21). He explains that these practices have “an appearance of wisdom” in severe treatment of the body, but they are of no real value against fleshly indulgence (Colossians 2:23). The problem is not discipline; the problem is discipline detached from Christ and from Scripture, discipline used as a badge of spirituality while leaving the heart unchanged.
Likewise, 1 Timothy 4 warns against teachings that forbid what Jehovah permits: “Some will depart from the faith … forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods” (1 Timothy 4:1–3). Paul’s response is direct: Jehovah created foods to be received with thanksgiving, and marriage is honored in Scripture (1 Timothy 4:3–5; Hebrews 13:4). A Christian does not treat Jehovah’s good gifts as inherently dirty. The issue is not whether a believer may fast or simplify life for a time. The issue is whether a person turns deprivation into righteousness and judges others by rules Jehovah did not command.
Solitude, Fasting, and Simplicity in Their Proper Place
Scripture includes examples of temporary solitude and fasting as purposeful acts of devotion. Jesus rose early to pray in a solitary place (Mark 1:35), and He fasted in connection with spiritual focus (Matthew 4:1–2). Yet Jesus did not build a spirituality of permanent withdrawal. He ate with others, traveled among towns, preached publicly, and trained disciples in everyday life. His pattern shows that spiritual discipline exists to strengthen obedience and mission, not to escape people. Christians are called to love neighbor, serve the congregation, and preach the good news, all of which require engagement rather than retreat (Matthew 5:14–16; Matthew 28:19–20).
Fasting, when practiced biblically, is not hunger as holiness. It is a chosen temporary restraint to intensify prayer and dependence on Jehovah, never a bargaining chip with God and never an excuse for pride. Simplicity is similarly valuable when it frees a believer from greed and distraction. Paul models contentment, not luxury worship and not misery worship: “If we have food and covering, with these we will be content” (1 Timothy 6:8). Biblical discipline puts material things in their place so that devotion to God is not crowded out.
The Christian Calling Is Faithful Living in the World, Not Withdrawal From It
Monasticism often claims that holiness is best achieved by leaving ordinary responsibilities behind. The New Testament presents the opposite direction: believers live faithfully in ordinary callings while refusing the world’s wicked values. Jesus prayed not that His disciples would be taken out of the world, but that they would be protected from the evil one while remaining in it for their mission (John 17:15–18). Christians do not isolate themselves as if contact with society automatically contaminates; they resist sin and corruption while shining as light through godly conduct and truthful speech.
This also guards against mystical spirituality. Scripture does not teach that deeper holiness is accessed through secret techniques, private vows, or elite religious environments. Christians are shaped by the Spirit-inspired Scriptures, which equip the man of God for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Guidance comes through that Word, understood and obeyed, not through monastic impressions or claims of inner voices. When spiritual discipline is healthy, it drives the believer back into the responsibilities Jehovah assigns: family faithfulness, congregational service, honest labor, sexual purity, generosity, and evangelism.
A Balanced Christian Assessment of Monastic Traditions
Christians can acknowledge that some people pursued monastic life out of sincere desire to avoid sin and to devote time to prayer. Sincerity, however, does not turn an unscriptural model into a biblical mandate. The New Testament does not command monastic vows, nor does it present withdrawal as a superior path. It presents marriage and singleness both as honorable, depending on one’s calling and self-control, and it presents devotion as obedience, love, and endurance in righteousness (1 Corinthians 7:7–9, 32–35). A Christian who remains single for focused service does not need a monastery; he needs a clean life, a disciplined schedule, and faithful involvement with Christ’s congregation.
Therefore, the Christian view rejects asceticism and monasticism wherever they imply that rejecting Jehovah’s gifts earns righteousness, wherever they substitute human rules for Scripture, and wherever they separate believers from the mission Christ assigned. At the same time, Christianity embraces disciplined self-control, purposeful fasting, and simplicity as tools for obedience when they remain under Scripture and when they produce humility, love, and faithful service rather than pride and withdrawal.
About the Author
EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).
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