The Monastery (BBC TV series)
Encyclopedia
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 guidance of Abbot
Christopher Jamison
and the community of 22 Benedictine monks.
It won the Merit Award for Religious Programming in the prestigious Sandford St. Martin Trust
Awards in 2006. The series was re-broadcast by other television network
s and led to several sequels in the UK and elsewhere.
. Worked in the world of advertising and production of television trailers for sex chat lines. Of the five, it was Tony whose experience on the show was most profound.
Nick Buxton, 37, a PhD
student who subsequently completed his doctoral in Buddhist Studies
at Cambridge University and who has stayed in numerous monasteries around the world. After the series Nick trained to be an Anglican
priest at St Stephen's House
, Oxford University
and has contributed to media with his thoughts on theology which have included a visit to the Coptic Monastery of Saint Anthony
in Egypt
. He is now a Minor Canon at Ripon Cathedral
. His book on monasticism Tantalus and the Pelican, which includes considerable description and assessment of his experience at Worth Abbey
and at St. Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster
, the Carthusian
monastery visited during the series, was published in January 2009.
Peter Gruffydd, 69, married and a retired teacher from Bristol. The published poet wanted to re-examine the faith in which he was raised as a child, having rejected religion in his youth.
Gary McCormick, 36, single and from Cornwall
. Originally from Belfast
, he joined the loyalist
paramilitary
group, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA)
at 18 years of age. He claims to have been falsely accused of fire bombing
a shop and vandalising a catholic home which in turn led to time in prison. Now a committed Christian
who found God
at the age 23. Struggling with alcohol and low self esteem as a consequence his troubled past, Gary decided to participate on the show to come to terms with issues prior to getting married to his fiancée.
Anthoney Wright, 32, single and from Nottingham
. Working for a legal publishing company in London, he was raised by his Baptist
grandparents, he was in search of a way to deal with issues surrounding his mother and alternatives to his hedonistic lifestyle. After the series Anthoney became a practising Buddhist and is now a published singer-songwriter; his debut album Feet on the Ground was released in March 2009.
Worth Abbey and the Abbot
The laymen
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...
television series made by Tiger Aspect Productions
Tiger Aspect Productions
Tiger Aspect Productions is a British television production company, particularly noted for its situation comedies. Co-founded by producer Peter Bennett-Jones, its productions have included popular hits such as The Vicar of Dibley and Mr. Bean...
for BBC Two
BBC 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...
which aired in the UK in May 2005. The programme follows five modern lay men
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
as they embark on a 40 day and night introduction to Roman Catholic monastic life at 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....
, 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...
under the guidance of 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...
Christopher Jamison
Christopher Jamison
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.-Early life:...
and the community of 22 Benedictine monks.
It won the Merit Award for Religious Programming in the prestigious Sandford St. Martin Trust
Sandford St. Martin Trust
The Sandford St. Martin Trust is a United Kingdom-based religious charity established in 1978 that promotes excellence in religious broadcasting...
Awards in 2006. The series was re-broadcast by other television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
s and led to several sequels in the UK and elsewhere.
The Laymen
Tony Burke, 29, single and from LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Worked in the world of advertising and production of television trailers for sex chat lines. Of the five, it was Tony whose experience on the show was most profound.
Nick Buxton, 37, a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
student who subsequently completed his doctoral in Buddhist Studies
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
at Cambridge University and who has stayed in numerous monasteries around the world. After the series Nick trained to be an Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
priest at St Stephen's House
St Stephen's House, Oxford
St Stephen’s House, Oxford , is an Anglican theological college and one of six religious Permanent Private Halls of the University of Oxford, England...
, Oxford University
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and has contributed to media with his thoughts on theology which have included a visit to the Coptic Monastery of Saint Anthony
Monastery of Saint Anthony
The Monastery of Saint Anthony is a Coptic Orthodox monastery standing in an oasis in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, in the southern part of the Suez Governorate. Hidden deep in the Red Sea mountains, it is located southeast of Cairo. It is one of the oldest monasteries in the world, together with...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He is now a Minor Canon at Ripon Cathedral
Ripon Cathedral
Ripon Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and the mother church of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, situated in the small North Yorkshire city of Ripon, England.-Background:...
. His book on monasticism Tantalus and the Pelican, which includes considerable description and assessment of his experience at 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....
and at St. Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster
St. Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster
St. Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster is the only post-Reformation Carthusian monastery in the United Kingdom. It is located in the parish of Cowfold, West Sussex, England....
, the Carthusian
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monastery visited during the series, was published in January 2009.
Peter Gruffydd, 69, married and a retired teacher from Bristol. The published poet wanted to re-examine the faith in which he was raised as a child, having rejected religion in his youth.
Gary McCormick, 36, single and from Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. Originally from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, he joined the loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
group, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA)
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
at 18 years of age. He claims to have been falsely accused of fire bombing
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
a shop and vandalising a catholic home which in turn led to time in prison. Now a committed Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
who found God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
at the age 23. Struggling with alcohol and low self esteem as a consequence his troubled past, Gary decided to participate on the show to come to terms with issues prior to getting married to his fiancée.
Anthoney Wright, 32, single and from Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. Working for a legal publishing company in London, he was raised by his Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
grandparents, he was in search of a way to deal with issues surrounding his mother and alternatives to his hedonistic lifestyle. After the series Anthoney became a practising Buddhist and is now a published singer-songwriter; his debut album Feet on the Ground was released in March 2009.
External links
Television- BBC press releases of the series
- The Monastery on Tiger Aspect website
Worth Abbey and the Abbot
- Worth Abbey website
- Finding Sanctuary, Father Christopher Jamison's website
The laymen
- Rev Dr Nicholas Buxton's website
- Anthoney Wright's website
- Tony Burke's story on Worth Abbey website