The Sociopolitical and Economic Concepts of Monasticism in the 4th c. AD Byzantine Egypt and their Importance in Understanding Contemporary Monasticism

Abstract

Looking at the socio-political concept of Byzantine monasticism in Egypt in the 4th cent., we understand not only the historical context but also the temporal evolution through historical continuity. We deem it necessary to give an overview of the Roman Empire and the differences between its eastern and western parts. The eastern part, the later Byzantine Empire, is characterized by four elements according to Ek. Christofilopoulou.