Monastic Tonsure & Vows
A cut of hair and a lifelong vow that open the door to the monastic life
Monastic tonsure and vows form the rite by which a person enters the monastic state, marked by cutting the hair and professing vows. Rooted in early Pachomian and Basilian rules and the Rule of St. Benedict, the practice took varied forms across traditions. It remains central to Catholic, Orthodox, and Oriental life, though vow-sets and tonsure styles differ. The Reformers largely abolished such vows, while some Anglican and Lutheran communities later revived them.
How it traveled
- Selected Epistles of Gregory the GreatRome · 604applies
- The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext CouncilConstantinople (Istanbul) · 692applies
Key passages(20)
Selected Epistles of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council · The Ecumenical Councils
The Seventh Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of Nice · The Ecumenical Councils
The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council · The Ecumenical Councils
The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council · The Ecumenical Councils
The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council · The Ecumenical Councils
Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
The Fourth Ecumenical Council. The Council of Chalcedon · The Ecumenical Councils
Thoughts Helpful in the Life of the Soul · Thomas à Kempis
The Letters · Basil of Caesarea
Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus · Rufinus of Aquileia
Selected Epistles of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great · Pope Gregory the Great
The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council · The Ecumenical Councils
The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X · John Cassian
The Letters of St. Jerome · Jerome