Christopher Jamison
Encyclopedia
Christopher Jamison OSB
is a Benedictine
monk and former Abbot
of Worth Abbey
in West Sussex
, England
. He became well-known through the BBC TV series The Monastery
.
, Australia, in 1951 as one of four siblings whose family moved to Buckinghamshire
, England
while he was a child. He went on to study at Downside School
and later Oxford University where he attained a Bachelor's degree
in French and Spanish.
television documentary
, The Monastery
. The series charted the trials and tribulations of six men of varying levels of belief over a period of forty days and nights as they attempt the follow the monastic life. He also made the TV documentary The Big Silence in 2010, which follows several ordinary people as they explore the value and challenge of silent meditation.
Jamison has written two books: Finding Sanctuary: Monastic steps for Everyday Life and Finding Happiness: Monastic Steps For A Fulfilling Life
as well as contributing to many others. He is also the president of the International Conference on Benedictine Education (ICBE) which facilitates dialogue between Benedictine secondary schools across the world.
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
is a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk and former Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Worth Abbey
Worth Abbey
The Abbey of Our Lady, Help of Christians, commonly known as Worth Abbey, is a community of Roman Catholic monks who follow the Rule of St Benedict near Turners Hill village, in West Sussex, England....
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He became well-known through the BBC TV series The Monastery
The Monastery (BBC TV series)
The Monastery was a documentary television series made by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC Two which aired in the UK in May 2005. The programme follows five modern lay men as they embark on a 40 day and night introduction to Roman Catholic monastic life at Worth Abbey, West Sussex, England under...
.
Early life
Jamison was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia, in 1951 as one of four siblings whose family moved to Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
while he was a child. He went on to study at Downside School
Downside School
Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent school for children aged 11 to 18, located in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, between Norton Radstock and Shepton Mallet in Somerset, south west England. It is attached to Downside Abbey...
and later Oxford University where he attained a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in French and Spanish.
Work
Jamison came into wider public awareness after his appearance in the BBC TwoBBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
television documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, The Monastery
The Monastery (BBC TV series)
The Monastery was a documentary television series made by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC Two which aired in the UK in May 2005. The programme follows five modern lay men as they embark on a 40 day and night introduction to Roman Catholic monastic life at Worth Abbey, West Sussex, England under...
. The series charted the trials and tribulations of six men of varying levels of belief over a period of forty days and nights as they attempt the follow the monastic life. He also made the TV documentary The Big Silence in 2010, which follows several ordinary people as they explore the value and challenge of silent meditation.
Jamison has written two books: Finding Sanctuary: Monastic steps for Everyday Life and Finding Happiness: Monastic Steps For A Fulfilling Life
Finding Happiness: Monastic Steps For A Fulfilling Life
Finding Happiness: Monastic Steps For A Fulfilling Life is a 2008 book by Christopher Jamison. In the book Jamison discusses the modern error of equating external pleasures with happiness and argues that the interior world is the true source of happiness. Jamison challenges the reader to step back...
as well as contributing to many others. He is also the president of the International Conference on Benedictine Education (ICBE) which facilitates dialogue between Benedictine secondary schools across the world.