Thursday, April 23, 2015

What is a Benedictine Oblate?

Our "blogroll," the one that is mainly in our heads, includes The Anchoress written by Elizabeth Scalia.  Her short bio on the home page of the blog states, among other things, she is a "Benedictine Oblate."   What is that? Here is the answer.

Wikipedia's article on oblates defines oblate as follows: 

Currently, oblate has two meanings:
  • Oblates are individuals, either laypersons or clergy, normally living in general society, who, while not professed monks or nuns, have individually affiliated themselves with a monastic community of their choice. They make a formal, private promise (annually renewable or for life, depending on the monastery with which they are affiliated) to follow the Rule of the Order in their private life as closely as their individual circumstances and prior commitments permit. Such oblates do not constitute a separate religious order as such, but are considered an extended part of the monastic community, and as such also often have the letters OblSB[1][2] after their names on documents. They are comparable to the tertiaries associated with the various Orders of friars.
  • "Oblate" is also used in the official name of some religious institutes as an indication of their sense of dedication.
 Are there oblates among Protestants?  The Wikipedia article says that there are Anglican and Methodist oblates.

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