Miejsce i rola wspólnoty monastycznej w Kościele według św. Augustyna

Abstract

The monastic movement among Christians appeared rather spontaneously and initially it did not have any community dimension. When it began to take organized forms it encountered a wide variety of responses from other Christians, from some admiration to critique. The article attempts to answer the question of the meaning and the role of monastic communities towards the Church according to St. Augustine. It presents, how the Bishop of Hippo perceived the purpose of separating the communicty from society, and to what extent he was aware of the value of the involvement of monks in the life of the whole Church.