A nun is a woman who has taken special vows committing her to a religious life. A cloister (from Latin claustrum) is a part of Cathedral, Monastic and Abbey architecture Doris Ulmann (May 29 1882-August 28 1934 was an American photographer best known for her portraits of the people of Appalachia made between 1928 and 1934 [1] She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent. Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from Greek monos, alone is the religious practice in which one Mainstream is generally the common current of Thought of the Majority. A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. A convent is a community of Priests religious brothers religious sisters or Nuns or the building used by the community particularly in the Roman Catholic Church The term "nun" is applicable to Roman Catholics, Eastern Christians, Anglicans, Lutherans, Jains, Buddhists, and Taoists, for example. Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma / Shraman Dharma (जैन धर्म is an ancient religion of India. A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions While in common usage the terms nun and sister are often used interchangeably, properly speaking a nun is a female religious who lives a complemplative life of prayer and meditation within a monastery while a sister lives an active vocation of service to the needy, sick, poor, and uneducated. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. [2]
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Christianity
Eastern Orthodox
In the Eastern Orthodox Church there is no distinction between a monastery for women and a monastery for men. In Greek, Russian, and other Eastern European languages, both domiciles are called "monasteries" and the ascetics who live therein are "Monastics". Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages In English, however, it is acceptable to use the terms "nun" and "convent" for clarity and convenience. The term for an abbess is the feminine form of abbot (hegumen)—Greek: hegumeni; Serbian: Игуманија (Igumanija); Russian: игумения, (igumenia). Hegumen, hegumenos, or ihumen ( Greek: ἡγούμενος; Macedonian, Bulgarian and Russian: игумен Serbian (sr-Cyrl српски језик sr-Latn ''srpski jezik'' is a South Slavic language, Hegumen, hegumenos, or ihumen ( Greek: ἡγούμενος; Macedonian, Bulgarian and Russian: игумен Orthodox monastics do not have distinct "orders" as in Western Christianity. Orthodox monks and nuns lead identical spiritual lives. [3] There may be slight differences in the way a monastery functions internally but these are simply differences in style (Gr. typica) dependent on the Abbess or Abbot. The term Typica may be used among Orthodox Christians with two distinct meanings (a a description of the fact that within the Church there are a variety of liturgical practices The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity. The Abbess is the spiritual leader of the convent and her authority is absolute (no priest, bishop, or even patriarch can override an abbess within the walls of her monastery. A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a Pater familias over an extended family There has always been spiritual equality between men and women in the Orthodox Church (Galatians 3:28). Abbots and Abbesses rank in authority equal to bishops in many ways and were included in ecumenical councils. This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. Orthodox monasteries are usually associated with a local synod of bishops by jurisdiction, but are otherwise self governing. Abbesses hear confessions (but do not absolve) and dispense blessings on their charges, though they still require the services of a presbyter (i. The confession of one's Sins is a religious practice important to many faiths e Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the traditional Churches in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations then a synonym of episkopos (which has now come to mean Bishop e. , a priest) to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and perform other priestly functions, such as the absolution of a penitent. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy.
Orthodox monastics, in general have little or no contact with the outside world, especially family. The pious family whose child decides to enter the monastic profession understands that their child will become "dead to the world" and therefore be unavailable for social visits.
There are a number of different levels that the nun passes through in her profession:
- Novice—When one enters a monastery the first three to five years are spent as a novice. Novitiate, alt noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Novice (or prospective) monastic or member Novices may or may not (depending on the abbess's wishes) dress in the black inner robe (Isorassa); those who do will also usually wear the apostolnik or a black scarf tied over the head (see photo, above). The cassock, an item of Clerical clothing, is a long close-fitting ankle-length Robe worn by clerics of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox The isorassa is the first part of the monastic "habit" of which there is only one style for Orthodox monastics (this is true in general, there have been a few slight regional variations over the centuries, but the style always seems to precipitate back to a style common in the 3rd or 4th century). A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a Religious order. If a novice chooses to leave during the novitiate period no penalty is incurred.
- Rassaphore—When the abbess deems the novice ready, the novice is asked to join the monastery. If she accepts, she is tonsured in a formal service during which she is given the outer robe (Exorassa) and veil (Epanokamelavkion) to wear, and (because she is now dead to the world) receives a new name. Tonsure is the practice of some Christian churches mystics Buddhist novices and Monks and some Hindu temples of cutting the Hair from the The cassock, an item of Clerical clothing, is a long close-fitting ankle-length Robe worn by clerics of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox An epanokamelavkion (also epanokameloukion or epanokalimafko) is an item of Clerical clothing worn by Orthodox Christian monastics Nuns consider themselves part of a sisterhood; however, tonsured nuns are usually addressed as "Mother" (in some convents, the title of "Mother" is reserved to those who enter into the next level of Stavrophore).
- Stavrophore—The next level for monastics takes place some years after the first tonsure when the abbess feels the nun has reached a level of discipline, dedication, and humility. Once again, in a formal service the nun is elevated to the "Little Schema" which is signified by additions to her habit of certain symbolic articles of clothing. In addition, the abbess increases the nun’s prayer rule, she is allowed a stricter personal ascetic practice, and she is given more responsibility.
- Great Schema—The final stage, called "Megaloschemos" or "Great Schema" is reached by nuns whose Abbess feels they have reached a high level of excellence. The Degrees of Eastern Orthodox monasticism are the stages an Eastern Orthodox Monk or Nun passes through in their religious vocation In some monastic traditions the Great Schema is only given to monks and nuns on their death bed, while in others they may be elevated after as little as 25 years of service.
Roman Catholic
In Roman Catholicism, a nun is a female monastic who has taken solemn vows (the male equivalent is a "monk"). Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from Greek monos, alone is the religious practice in which one In the Canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, public Vows are either simple vows or solemn vows. MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective Nuns are cloistered to the degree established by the rule of the religious institution they enter. A cloister (from Latin claustrum) is a part of Cathedral, Monastic and Abbey architecture This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. [4]
In the Roman Catholic tradition, there are a number of different orders of nuns each with its own charism or special character. A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion usually Religious meaning A charism (plural charismata. From the Greek charis - grace the divine influence on the receiver's heart and its reflection in his
In general, when a woman enters a convent she first undergoes an initial period of testing the life, known as postulancy, for a period of six months to a year. A convent is a community of Priests religious brothers religious sisters or Nuns or the building used by the community particularly in the Roman Catholic Church A Postulant (from the Latin postulare, to ask was originally one who makes a request or demand hence a candidate If she, and the order, determine that she may have a vocation to the life, she receives the habit of the order (usually with some modification to distinguish her from professed nuns) and undertakes the novitiate, a period of living the life of a nun without yet taking vows that lasts one to two years. A vocation is an occupation for which a person is suited trained or qualified A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a Religious order. Novitiate, alt noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Novice (or prospective) monastic or member A vow ( Lat votum, vow promise see Vote) is a promise or Oath. [5]. Upon completion of this period she may take her initial, temporary vows. [6] Temporary vows last one to three years, typically, and will be professed for not less than three years and not more than six. Religious vows are the public Vows made by the members of the religious life – cenobitic and eremitic – of the Roman Catholic, [7] Finally, she will petition to make her "perpetual profession", taking permanent, solemn vows. In the Canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, public Vows are either simple vows or solemn vows. [8]
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In the various branches of the Benedictine tradition (Benedictines, Cistercians, Camaldolese, and Trappists among others) nuns take vows of stability (that is, to remain a member of a single monastic community), obedience (to an abbess or prioress), and "conversion of life" (which includes the ideas of poverty and chastity). Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in An abbess ( Latin abbatissa fem form of abbas Abbot) is the female superior, or Mother Superior, of an Abbey A priory is a House of men or women under religious vows headed by a Prior or prioress The "Poor Clares" (a Franciscan order) and those Dominican nuns who lived a cloistered life take the three-fold vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The Order of Poor Ladies, also known as the Order of St Clare, the Poor Clares, the Poor Clare Sisters, the Clarisse, the Minoresses The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic The Order of Preachers ( Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum) after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and Chastity is Sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the ethical norms and guidelines of a culture civilization or Religion. The Vow of Obedience in Christianity concerns one of the three counsels of perfection. Most orders of nuns not listed here follow one of these two patterns, with some orders taking an additional vow related to the specific work or character of their order (e. g. , to undertake a certain style of devotion, praying for a specific intention or purpose).
Cloistered nuns (e. g carmelites) observe "papal enclosure" [9]rules and their monasteries typically have walls and grilles separating the nuns from the outside world. The nuns rarely leave (except for medical necessity, or occasionally for purposes related to their contemplative life) though they may have visitors in specially built parlors that allow them to meet with outsiders. They are usually self-sufficient, earning money by selling jams or candies or baked goods by mail order, or by making liturgical items (vestments, candles, bread for Holy Communion). They sometimes undertake contemplative ministries—that is a monastery of nuns is often associated with prayer for some particular good or supporting the missions of another order by prayer (for instance, the Maryknoll order includes a monastery of cloistered nuns who pray for the work of the missionary priests, brothers and religious sisters; the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master are cloistered nuns who pray in support of the religious sisters of the Daughters of Saint Paul in their media ministry; the Dominican nuns of Corpus Christi Monastery in the Bronx, N. Y. , pray in support of the priests of the Archdiocese of New York).
A nun who is elected to head her monastery is termed an abbess if the monastery is an abbey, a prioress if it is a priory, or more generically may be referred to as the Mother Superior and styled "Reverend Mother". The distinction between abbey and priory has to do with the terms used by a particular order or by the level of independence of the monastery. Technically, a convent is any home of a community of sisters—or, indeed, of priests and brothers, though this term is rarely used in the U. A convent is a community of Priests religious brothers religious sisters or Nuns or the building used by the community particularly in the Roman Catholic Church S. The term "monastery" is often used by communities within the Benedictine family, and "convent" (when referring to a cloister) is often used of the monasteries of certain other orders.
Distinction between nun and religious sister
In modern English, the word "nun" is commonly used for all women religious and this term is acceptable in most informal situations, however, to be technically correct, in the Roman Catholic Church, the terms "nun" and "religious sister" have distinct meanings. Women belonging to communities like the Sisters of Charity, or Third Order Franciscans or Dominicans are religious sisters, not nuns. Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic Nuns and sisters are distinguished by the type of vows they take (solemn vows vs. In the Canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, public Vows are either simple vows or solemn vows. simple vows) and the focus of their good works. In the Canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, public Vows are either simple vows or solemn vows. The type of vows that are taken are dependent on the Constitutions and/or rule of each community, which are submitted for approval to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, a body of the Roman Curia. The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life ( Congregatio pro Institutis Vitae Consecratae et Societatibus Vitae Apostolicae) is the The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Roman Catholic Church, together with the Pope The religious community of a nun is referred to as a "religious order" while the religious community of a sister is referred to as an "institute" or "congregation". A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion usually A congregation is a religious institute of Roman Catholics in which only Simple vows not solemn vows are taken Hence, all nuns are religious sisters, but not all religious sisters are, properly speaking, nuns.
To be a Roman Catholic nun, one must
- Live in a convent, cloister, or monastery;
- belong to an order in which the members eventually take the solemn vows; and
- recite the Liturgy of the Hours or other prayers together with her community. A convent is a community of Priests religious brothers religious sisters or Nuns or the building used by the community particularly in the Roman Catholic Church A cloister (from Latin claustrum) is a part of Cathedral, Monastic and Abbey architecture This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. In the Canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, public Vows are either simple vows or solemn vows. This article refers to the Liturgy of the Hours as a specific manifestation of public prayer in the Roman Catholic Church.
Nuns are restricted from leaving the cloister, though some may engage in teaching or other vocational work depending on the strictness of enforcement, which is up to the monastery itself. A cloister (from Latin claustrum) is a part of Cathedral, Monastic and Abbey architecture Visitors are not allowed into the monastery to freely associate with nuns. In essence, the work of a nun is within the confines of her monastery, while the work of a sister is in the greater world. Both sisters and nuns are addressed as "Sister".
There may be both nuns and sisters within a religious order. For instance, the Poor Clares (sometimes known as "Second Order Franciscans") are cloistered nuns following the Franciscan tradition, while the Sisters of St. The Order of Poor Ladies, also known as the Order of St Clare, the Poor Clares, the Poor Clare Sisters, the Clarisse, the Minoresses Francis are among the many groups of "Third Order Franciscan Regulars" who exist to teach, work in hospitals or with the poor or perform other ministries; there are also groups of cloistered Dominican nuns, and groups of Dominican sisters who are dedicated to teaching or working with the sick.
Anglican Communion
Anglican religious orders are organizations of laity and/or clergy in the Anglican Communion who live under a common rule. In religious organizations the laity comprises all persons who are not Clergy. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches The term "religious orders" must be distinguished from Holy Orders (the sacrament of ordination which bishops, priests, and deacons receive), though many communities do have ordained members. In a general sense the term Holy Orders refers to those in the Christian religion who have been ordained in Apostolic Succession. In general religious use ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is set apart as Clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies
The structure and function of religious orders in Anglicanism roughly parallels that which exists in Roman Catholicism. Religious communities are divided into orders proper, in which members take solemn vows and congregations, whose members take simple vows.
Religious communities throughout England were destroyed by King Henry VIII when he separated the Church of England from the papacy during the English Reformation (see Dissolution of the Monasteries). Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded Monasteries were deprived of their lands and possessions, and monastics were forced to either live a secular life or flee the country.
With the rise of the Catholic Revival and the Oxford Movement in Anglicanism in the early 1800s came interest in the revival of "religious life" in England. The Oxford Movement or Tractarianism was an affiliation of High Church Anglicans, most of whom were members of the University of Oxford, who sought The Oxford Movement or Tractarianism was an affiliation of High Church Anglicans, most of whom were members of the University of Oxford, who sought Between 1841 and 1855, several religious orders for nuns were founded, among them the Community of St. Mary at Wantage and the Community of St. Wantage is a Town and Civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, near the Thames Valley, in the English county of Oxfordshire Margaret at East Grinstead. East Grinstead (archaically spelt Grimstead) is a town and Civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England
In the United States and Canada, the founding of Anglican religious orders of nuns began in 1845 with the Sisterhood of the Holy Communion (now defunct) in New York.
In the Episcopal Church in the United States, there are two recognized types of religious communities, called Religious Orders and Christian Communities. The Episcopal Church is the official name of the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States. The differences are as follows:
A Religious Order of this Church is a society of Christians (in communion with the See of Canterbury) who voluntarily commit themselves for life, or a term of years, to holding their possessions in common or in trust; to a celibate life in community; and obedience to their Rule and Constitution. (Title III, Canon 24, section 1)
A Christian Community of this Church is a society of Christians (in communion with the See of Canterbury) who voluntarily commit themselves for life, or a term of years, in obedience to their Rule and Constitution. (Title III, Canon 24, section 2)
In some Anglican orders, there are Sisters who have been ordained and can celebrate the Eucharist. [10]
Other Christian
Some churches that are directly descended from the Reformation, such as Lutherans, and some Calvinists continue to have small monastic communities, though these generally play a much smaller role in religious practice than in Roman Catholic or Orthodox churches. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the Most Protestant monastic communities are not organized into formal orders.
Buddhism
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People of the Pali canon |
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Monk, Nun |
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Upāsaka, Upāsikā |
Lay devotee (m. In religious organizations the laity comprises all persons who are not Clergy. Precepts The five vows to be held by upāsakas are referred to as the " Five Precepts " (Pāli pañcasīla) I will not take In English translations of Buddhist literature, householder denotes a variety of terms In English translations of Buddhist literature, householder denotes a variety of terms , f. ) |
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Related Religions |
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All Buddhist traditions have nuns, although their status is different among the various Buddhist countries. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The Buddha is reported to have allowed women into the sangha only with great reluctance, predicting that the move would lead to Buddhism's collapse after 500 years (rather than the 1000 years it would have enjoyed otherwise). Fully ordained Buddhist nuns (bhikkhunis) have more Patimokkha-rules than the monks (bhikkhus). A Bhikkhuni ( Bhikṣuṇī ( Sanskrit), Bhikkhuṇī ( Pāli) or 比丘尼 ( Chinese characters, ภิกษุณี In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks ( Bhikkhus and 311 for nuns ( Bhikkhunis A Bhikkhu ( Pāli) or Bhiksu ( Sanskrit) is a fully ordained male Buddhist Monastic. The important vows are the same, however.
As with monks, there are quite a lot of variation in nuns' dress and social conventions between different Buddhist cultures in Asia. Chinese nuns possess the full bhikkuni ordination; Tibetan nuns do not; and in Theravada countries women renunciates are discouraged from even wearing saffron robes. Disparities may often be observed in the amount of respect and financial resources given to monks viz. nuns, with nuns receiving less of both in all countries with the possible exception of Taiwan. Buddhism is a major religion in Taiwan More than 90 percent of Taiwan's people practice the Chinese folk religion which integrates Buddhist elements alongside a basically Despite barriers, some nuns succeed in becoming religious teachers and authorities.
Thailand
In Thailand, a country which never had a tradition of fully-ordained nuns (bhikkhuni), there developed a separate order of non-ordained female renunciates called Mae Ji. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj A Bhikkhuni ( Bhikṣuṇī ( Sanskrit), Bhikkhuṇī ( Pāli) or 比丘尼 ( Chinese characters, ภิกษุณี Mae ji (sometimes transliterated mae chi) ( แม่ชี) are Buddhist laywomen in Thailand occupying a position somewhere between that of At the beginning of the 21st century some Buddhist women in Thailand have started to introduce the bhikkhuni sangha in their country as well, even if public acceptance is still lacking[1]. Venerable Dhammananda (Thai: ธัมมนันทาี),[2], the former successful academic scholar Dr. Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, established a controversial monastery for the training of Buddhist nuns in Thailand. [3]
Taiwan
Chinese Buddhism possesses the full bhikkuni tradition. Thanks largely to the efforts of Master Cheng Yen of the Buddhist charity Tzu Chi (which organization utterly dominates philanthopic giving in Taiwan), Taiwan's nuns nowadays probably receive more public respect and support than monks. Cheng Yen ( TC: 證嚴法師 PY: Zhèngyán) (11 May 1937- is a Taiwanese Buddhist nun teacher and philanthropist The Tzu Chi Foundation ( is one of the three largest Buddhist organizations in Taiwan (the others being Fo Guang Shan and Dharma Drum Mountain
Researcher Charles Brewer Jones estimates that since 1952, when the Buddhist Association of the ROC organized public ordination, female applicants have outnumbered males by about three to one. He adds:
- "All my informants in the areas of Taipei and Sanhsia considered nuns at least as respectable as monks, or even more so. [. . . ] In contrast, however, Shiu-kuen Tsung found in Taipei county that female clergy were viewed with some suspicion by society. She reports that while outsiders did not necessarily regard their vocation as unworthy of respect, they still tended to view the nuns as social misfits. " [11]
Tibet
The August 2007 International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha, with the support of H. The International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha: Bhikshuni Vinaya and Ordination Lineages took place on July 18-20 2007 H. XIVth Dalai Lama, is expected to reinstate the Gelongma (skt. Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (born Lhamo Döndrub ( 6 July 1935 in Qinghai) He is the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile Gelongma (feminine term or Gelong (masculine term is the Tibetan word for a fully ordained monastic observing the entire Vinaya. Bikshuni, tib. Gelongma) lineage, having been lost, in India and Tibet, for centuries. It is currently only possible for women to take Rabjungma ('entering') and Getshülma ('novice') ordinations in Tibetan tradition. Gelongma ordination requires the presence of ten fully ordained people keeping the exact same vows (men's and women's vows differ slightly). Because 10 Gelongmas are required in order to ordain a new Gelongma, the effort to reinstate the Gelongma tradition has taken a long time.
It is permissible for a Tibetan nun to receive Bikshuni ordination from another living tradition, e. g. in Vietnam. Based on this, Western nuns ordained in Tibetan tradition, like Venerable Thubten Chodron, took full ordination in another tradition, in order to revive 'Gelongma' ordination. Thubten Chodron is an American Tibetan Buddhist nun and a central figure in reinstating the Bhikshuni (tib The same socio-cultural reasons that make it difficult for women to be nuns will still present challenges to the first Tibetan Gelongmas.
The ordination of monks and nuns in Tibetan Buddhism distinguishes three stages (rabjung(ma), getshül(ma), and gelong(ma)). The clothes of the nuns in Tibet are basically the same with those of monks, but there are differences between novice and gelong robes.
Fiction and dramatizations featuring nuns
Nuns play an important role in the public's imagination. The following list, of works with Wikipedia articles where nuns play a major part, ranges from A Time for Miracles which is literally hagiography to realistic accounts by Kathryn Hulme and Monica Baldwin to the blatant nunsploitation of Sacred Flesh. A Time For Miracles is a 1980 made for TV film chronicling the life story of America 's first native born saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Hagiography ( is the study of Saints. A hagiography, from Greek (hağios (ἅγιος "holy" or "saint" and graphē (γραφή Kathryn Hulme ( July 6, 1900 - August 25, 1981) Author of The Nun's Story ( 1956) the best selling novel § Monica Baldwin (1893-1975 English writer and a niece of British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. Nunsploitation is a subgenre of Exploitation film, which had its peak in Europe in the 1970s Sacred Flesh is a 1999 contemporary Nunsploitation film It is set in an indeterminate past and consists of a series of loosely connected vignettes that depict pseudo-lesbian All the works use Catholic nuns save Black Narcissus (Anglicans). All are outsiders' views with the exceptions of Dead Man Walking based on an autobiography by Helen Prejean, Monica Baldwin, and The Nun's Story, based on the book by Kathryn Hulme relating the experiences of lapsed nun Marie-Louise Habets. Dead Man Walking is a work of non-fiction by Sister Helen Prejean, a Roman Catholic nun and one of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille. Sister Helen Prejean CSJ (b April 21, 1939, Baton Rouge Louisiana) is a Roman Catholic Nun § Monica Baldwin (1893-1975 English writer and a niece of British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. The Nun's Story is the title of a 1956 novel by Kathryn Hulme.
See also
- Ani (nun)
- Anne Catherine Emmerich
- Bernadette Soubirous
- Black Veil
- Catalina de Erauso
- Catherine Laboure
- Catherine of Siena
- Community of St. Michael & All Angels
- Conception of Our Lady
- Congregation of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (Grey Ursulines)
- Dominican nuns
- Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, California
- Dominican Sisters of the Heart of Jesus
- Dorothy Stang
- Edith Stein
- Eibingen Abbey
- Enclosed religious orders
- Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
- Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters
- Infanta Sancha of Portugal
- Ita Ford
- La Sainte Union
- List of former nuns
- Lucia dos Santos
- Magdalen Asylum
- Marguerite Marie Alacoque
- Monica Baldwin
- Mother Angelica
- Mother Cabrini
- Mother Teresa
- Order of St. Anne
- Ordination of Women: Buddhism
- Pontifical Congregation of the Benedictine Sisters of the Reparation of the Holy Face
- Racine Dominican Sisters
- Saint Therese
- Santa Catalina Monastery
- School Sisters of Notre Dame
- Sister Brigitte Yengo
- Sister Karen Klimczak
- Sister Kate
- Sister Mary Bernard
- Sister Mary Elizabeth Clark
- Sister Mary Stanislaus MacCarthy
- Sister Philippa Brazill
- Sister Wendy Beckett
- Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest
- Sisters' college
- Sisters of the Holy Family
- Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
- Society of Saint Margaret
- Teresa of Avila
- The Singing Nun
- Theophister Mukakibibi
References
- Simpson J. 3 Needles is a 2005 Dramatic film directed by Thom Fitzgerald. Agnes of God is a play by John Pielmeier which tells the story of a Novice Nun who gives birth and insists that the dead child was The Bells of St Mary's is a 1945 film which tells the story of a priest and a nun at a school who set out despite their good-natured rivalry to save the school Brides of Christ was an Australian Television Miniseries produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1991 Change of Habit is a 1969 Motion picture musical Drama starring Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore. known as Chrno Crusade in Japan, Singapore, Germany, France, Australia and Estonia, is an eight volume Come to the Stable is a 1949 film which tells the story of two French nuns who come to a small New England town and involve the townsfolk in helping them Dark Waters ( 1994) also known as Dead Waters in the American Home-video Edition, is a Horror film directed Dead Man Walking is a 1995 film based on the book of the same name, which tells the story of Sister Helen Prejean (played by Susan The Devils ( 1971) is a Film directed by Ken Russell starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave, and based on the 1952 book Doubt A Parable is a 2004 play by John Patrick Shanley originally staged Off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club on November 23 Dark Habits ( Entre tinieblas) is a Black comedy from director Pedro Almodóvar. Father Dowling Mysteries (also known as Father Dowling Investigates in the UK) is an American Television mystery series Faustina is a 1995 Polish movie directed by Jerzy Lukaszewicz about Blessed Sister Faustina Kowalska, a Saint Flesh & Blood ( 1985) is a Film directed by Paul Verhoeven. The film is set in 1501 in Europe and the title is an The Flying Nun is a Sitcom produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios Girls Town was a 1959 film produced by MGM, starring Mamie Van Doren, Mel Tormé and Ray Anthony; Paul Anka Heaven Knows Mr Allison is a 1957 Cinemascope film which tells the story of two people stranded on an island in the Pacific Ocean during World War II Killer Nun (Also known as Suor Omicidi, or Deadly Habits) (1978 is an Italian Nunsploitation Film Lilies of the Field is a 1962 book by William Edmund Barrett which was made into a 1963 film and adapted for the musical stage with the title Madeline is a Children's book series written by Ludwig Bemelmans, an American author of Belgian, Austrian and German origins The Magdalene Sisters is a 2002 Film written and directed by Peter Mullan about teenage girls who were sent to Magdalene Asylums otherwise Mother Joan of the Angels ( Matka Joanna od aniolów) is a 1961 Film directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz about Exorcism. Mother Teresa, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, (born August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997) was an Albanian ref>Spink Nacho Libre is an American Comedy Film that was released on June 16, 2006, by Paramount Pictures, though A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 The Dream Child ( 1989) is an American Slasher film. Nunsense is a musical comedy with a book music and lyrics by Dan Goggin. Nuns on the Run is a 1990 British Comedy film starring Robbie Coltrane and Eric Idle. The Nun's Story is the title of a dramatic film that was released by Warner Bros Quiet as a Nun - A Tale of Murder was a thriller novel published 1977 by Antonia Fraser. Sacred Flesh is a 1999 contemporary Nunsploitation film It is set in an indeterminate past and consists of a series of loosely connected vignettes that depict pseudo-lesbian Saving Silverman is a 2001 Comedy film, directed by Dennis Dugan. Silent Night Deadly Night is a 1984 Slasher film directed by Charles E Sister Act is a 1992 American Comedy film released by Touchstone Pictures. Sister Act 2 Back in the Habit is a 1993 Comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg, directed by Bill Duke, and released by Touchstone Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You is a play by Christopher Durang first performed on December 14, 1979, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre The Song of Bernadette is a 1943 Film which tells the story of Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who from February to July 1858 in Rodgers and Hammerstein 's The Sound of Music is a Musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews in the lead role A Time For Miracles is a 1980 made for TV film chronicling the life story of America 's first native born saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley The Trouble with Angels is a 1966 Comedy film about the adventures of two girls in an all girls school run by nuns Two Mules for Sister Sara is an American western movie starring Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine. Ani is a prefix added to the name of a nun in Tibetan Buddhism. Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (Anna Katharina Emmerick September 8, 1774 - February 9, 1824) was a Roman Catholic Saint Bernadette (born Marie-Bernarde Soubirous January 7 1844 – April 16 1879) was a miller's daughter from the town of Black Veil, in the Roman Catholic Church, the symbol of the most complete renunciation of the world and adoption of a Nun 's life Catalina de Erauso, also known as La Monja Alférez (English The Nun Lieutenant) (1592 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain &mdash1650 Cuetlaxtla Saint Catherine Laboure ( May 2, 1806 &ndash December 31, 1876) was a sister of the Daughters of Charity and a Marian visionary Saint Catherine of Siena, OP ( March 25 1347 – April 29 1380) was a Tertiary of the Dominican Order, The Community of St Michael and All Angels is an Anglican religious order of nuns in South Africa. Conception of Our Lady, an order of Nuns founded in Portugal in 1484; at first followed the rule of the Cistercians but afterwards thatof The Congregation of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, also known as the Grey Ursulines, are a Catholic order founded by St The Order of Preachers ( Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum) after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is The Dominican Sisters of San Rafael is a Roman Catholic congregation of Dominican nuns located in San Rafael, California, USA. The Dominican Contemplative Sisters of the Monastery of the Heart of Jesus, located in Lockport Louisiana, belong to a world-wide Religious Dorothy Mae Stang ( July 7, 1931 &ndash February 12, 2005) was an American -born Brazilian sister of the Edith Stein ( October 12, 1891 &ndash August 9, 1942) was a German-Jewish philosopher, a Carmelite nun Martyr Eibingen Abbey, otherwise St Hildegard's Abbey Eibingen, is a community of Benedictine nuns in Eibingen near Rüdesheim in Hesse Enclosed religious orders of the Christian church have solemn vows with a strict separation from the affairs of the external world Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was founded by Mother Catherine Troiani. The Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters are a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered Nuns The nuns live a contemplative life focused on perpetual For the daughter of Sancho I of Portugal see Infanta Sancha Lady of Alenquer Infanta Sancha of Portugal (ˈsɐ̃ʃɐ was a Portuguese Ita Ford, MM ( April 23, 1940 - December 2, 1980) was a Roman Catholic Maryknoll Sister missionary to Bolivia This is a list of notable former Roman Catholic Nuns Monica Baldwin Karen Armstrong Lúcia de Jesus Rosa Santos &ndash Sister Lúcia of Jesus and of the Immaculate Heart, better known as Sister Lúcia of Jesus &ndash ( March 28, Magdalene Asylums were institutions for so-called "fallen" women most of them operated by different orders of the Roman Catholic Church. Saint Marguerite Marie Alacoque or Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque ( 22 July 1647 – 17 October 1690) was a French § Monica Baldwin (1893-1975 English writer and a niece of British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. Mother Angelica, PCPA (born Rita Antoinette Rizzo on April 20 1923 is an American Roman Catholic Nun and founder of the Eternal Mother Teresa, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, (born August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997) was an Albanian ref>Spink The Order of St Anne (OSA is an Anglican religious order of Nuns founded in 1910 by the Rev In general religious use Ordination is the process by which a person is consecrated (set apart for the administration of various religious rites The Pontifical Congregation of the Benedictine Sisters of the Reparation of the Holy Face is a Roman Catholic order whose focus is providing Acts of Reparation The Congregation of Sisters of St Dominic of St Catherine of Siena is a Catholic Religious order for women The Monasterio de Santa Catalina is a Cloistered Convent located in Arequipa, Peru. School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide order of Roman Catholic nuns devoted to primary, secondary, and Post-secondary education Sister Brigitte Yengo is a Roman Catholic Congolese nun and the head of Sister Yengo's Children Inc Sister Karen Klimczak ( October 27, 1943 &ndash April 14, 2006) a Catholic nun in Buffalo New York, was murdered on April 14 Following is a comprehensive list of every recurring character in the ABC Television series Desperate Housewives. Sister Mary Elizabeth Clark (born 1938, Pontiac Michigan) is the main mover of the AIDS Education and Global Information System database previously a Sister Mary Stanislaus MacCarthy, Irish poet and nun (1849-1897 Sister Mary Philippa Brazill DBE, Honorary LLD wasborn Joanna Brazill on Christmas Day 1896 in County Limerick Ireland. Sister Wendy Beckett (born February 25 1930) is a South African born British art expert Consecrated virgin and contemplative The Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest is a religious order of Nuns in the Roman Catholic Church, associated with the A sisters' college is a College that primarily serves as a place for the education of future and current Nuns They are not to be confused with Catholic The Sisters of the Holy Family is the name for two different American orders of nuns The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence ( SPI) also called Order of Perpetual Indulgence ( OPI) in Australia and elsewhere are " radical The Society of Saint Margaret ( SSM) is an order of women in the Anglican Church. For other saints with similar names please see Saint Teresa. Saint Teresa of Ávila, known in religion as Saint Teresa of Jesus and Jeanine Deckers ( October 17, 1933 &ndash March 29, 1985) better known internationally as The Singing Nun, was a Belgian Sister Theophister (also spelled "Theopister" Mukakibibi is a Rwandan Nun convicted by a Gacaca court of Genocide for her actions A. & Weiner, E. S. C. (1989) The Oxford English Dictionary, Clarendon Press, Oxford
Notes
- ^ The Oxford English Dictionary, vol X, page 599.
- ^ Ebaugh, Helen Rose (1998), “Orders”, in Swatos, William H. , Encyclopedia of Religion and Society, Rowman Altamira, pp. 341
- ^ Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy, The Law of God (Printshop of St. Job of Pochaev, Jordanville, NY, ISBN 0-88465-004-8), p. 618.
- ^ " Monasteries of nuns which are ordered entirely to contemplative life must observe papal cloister, that is, cloister according to the norms given by the Apostolic See. The word Contemplation comes from the Latin root templum (from Greek temnein to cut or divide and means to separate something from its environment and to enclose it in a sector Other monasteries of nuns are to observe a cloister adapted to their proper character and defined in the constitutions. " Canon 667 §3, CIC 1983
- ^ Canon 648, CIC 1983
- ^ Canon 656, CIC 1983
- ^ Canon 655, CIC 1983
- ^ Canon 657, CIC 1983
- ^ Canon 667 §3, CIC 1983, SCRIS instruction, Venite seorsum August 15, 1969, in AAS 61 (1969) 674–690
- ^ What We Do Sisters of St. Margaret, (Episcopal religious community of women)
- ^ Charles Brewer Jones, Buddhism in Taiwan: Religion and the State, 1660-1990; University of Hawaii Press, 1999; pp. 154-155
External links
- Blogs by Catholic Nuns
- Monastic Matrix: A Scholarly Resource for the Study of Women's Religious Communities 400-1600 C.E.
- Nuns article from The Catholic Encyclopedia
- Instruction on the Contemplative Life and on the Enclosure of Nuns Verbi Sponsa of the Vatican's Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life
- A Biography of a Vajrayana Buddhist Nun
- Martin Luther's letter To Several Nuns, August 6, 1524. (Two reasons life at the convent and vows may be forsaken)
- Sakyadhita — The International Association of Buddhist Women
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