Monastic Anabaptist

[MrJim]

Most of us are familiar with the Hutterites. They are a communal group, but most wouldn't consider them monastic.

Here is an early anabaptist group that was monastic:
http://www.ephratacloister.org/History/history.html

As the article goes on to say, they eventually formed the German Seventh Day Baptists. There are still plenty of them around my neck of the woods--they are more commonly referred to as German Baptists. They often get mistaken for plain mennonites or amish since they do wear beards and dress very plain.

I've been to this cloister, it's a neat place to see for its history.

[Jehane]

I saw a docomuntry on a similar group of Shakers; beautiful furniture, very simple but lovely clean lines. Also monastic & communal but I do think it is a peculiar (in the biblical sense) calling on one's life & not to be entered into lightly.