Monasticism without Monasteries

• In the early days of Roman monasticism, many monastics were aristocrats whose "cells" were their own mansions or estates:
  • St. Jerome: Epistle 58: To Paulinus. Paulinus had sent Jerome a copy of his book in defence of the Emperor Theodosius and a letter asking for advice on the ascetic life. --- SPL
  • St. Jerome: Epistle 117: To a Mother and Daughter Living in Gaul. Both widowed mother and single daughter are trying to live as nuns, but through some disagreement live apart. Moreover, both have invited male monastics to live with them as "chaste protectors". Jerome addresses some of the problems of "double monasticism" and "monasticism in the world". He also paints an extremely vivid portrait of an upper-class Roman dinner-party -- not particularly decadent, but still an inappropriate place for nuns. --- SPL