When Jesus walked the earth, his twelve disciples put aside all their possessions and worldly pursuits to follow him fully and faithfully. After the fall of Rome, Europe slipped into what has been called the “dark ages”. However, even in these dark ages, men and women put aside their secular desires and dedicated themselves to a life of celibacy and simplicity. This similar desire among many people united them and this pursuit became known as monasticism. No one had a greater influence on this way of life and on these people who chose this profession than Saint Benedict of Nursia. His teachings and life would impact monasticism throughout Europe, helping to shape its spirituality and culture. We live in a fallen world full of evil desires, temptations, and idols. Many believed that if you want to be as holy and as close to God as possible you must distance yourself from sin. This involves setting aside worldly desires and possessions since anything of this fallen world is sinful. This calling has led many people to live simplistic lives alone. However, around the 4th century, a man named Pachomius founded a place where people with this same interest could live together, known as a monastery (Benedictine Abbey of Christ in the Desert). This way of life became very attractive not only for spiritual activities but also for the pursuit of knowledge. Outside the monasteries the literacy rate was extremely low. For the most part only monks could read and write. For these reasons monasteries began to be founded throughout Europe. However, with so many of them the styles and rules have become very different. There were many different types of rules that separated the monasteries from...... middle of paper ......d His Order/A Brief History." Benedictine Abbey of Christ in the Desert: San Benedetto/Saint Benedict and his Order/A Brief History. Monastery of Christ in the Desert, nd Web. 8 December 2013. “Benedictine Rule.”: The Teaching of St. Benedict on Humility.Liguori, MO: Liguori/Triumph, 2001. Print.Gregory and Terrence Kardong The Life of Saint Benedict Collegeville, MN:Liturgical, 2009. Print.Leclercq, Jean the Desire of God; New York: Fordham UP, 1974. Print to St. Bernard Vol. 2, 1860. Print.Ware, Corinne St. Benedict on the Highway: A Rule of Life for the 21st Century.Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2001. Print..