TAMAP

The American Monastic Archive Project

Why We Exist

Does any other organization do what TAMAP does? What happens if no one does this work? Is this really the best time to engage in this work?

No other organization serves as a repository of archives, artifacts, and digital resources for American Christian monasticism. Each monastery has their own archives. When a monastery closes, some items may be sent to another monastery within its federation or congregation.

Some organizations have conserved the lands and monastic buildings. One example is the Ogden Valley Land Trust that has preserved Holy Trinity Abbey.

Several museums have monastic artifacts. For example, the Toledo Museum of Art has a room called “The Cloister” with cloister pillars from four different European monasteries.

Since 1996, the Internet Archive has been taking snapshots of web pages and making them available to the public. Monastic communities with websites are included in this archive.

The Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (HMML) collects manuscripts, including monastic manuscripts, from around the world.

Catholic religious communities in the United States are aging and many are closing. This is in step with American religiosity as fewer people identify with an organized religious institution (c.f. In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace).

Without an archive and artifact repository, many communities will disappear from the broader narrative. That narrative includes the monastic community writ large as well as the faith community (e.g. Catholic, Orthodox, Episcopalian, etc.). The monastic narrative is also viable for alternative or intentional communities (c.f. Foundation for Intentional Communities).

The Monastic lifestyle is common in many of the world religions and has been around for thousands of years. American Christian monasticism will most likely experience a revival. Without a substantial archive, there is a greater risk that the revival will misunderstand the legacy upon which it seeks to build.

In 1928 the Library of Congress (LOC) established The Archive of American Folk Song. Alan Lomax Sr., Alan Lomax Jr., Pete Seeger, Ruth Crawford Seeger, traveled throughout the United States to record and preserve folk music and traditions. There was no immediate commercial value, though many folk songs inspired musicians in the United States, England, and other countries. The LOC and the participants understood the value of preserving the art as a part of the American story. Monasticism is also a part of the American story. But if no one records and preserves that story like Alan Lomax and the LOC then it may be lost forever.

The Roman Catholic Church went through an intensive self-examination in the 19th century, formalized in the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

Roman Catholicism was and remains the single largest Christian denomination in the United States.

The document on religious life (Decree on the Up-To-Date Renewal of Religious Life; Perfectae Caritatis, in Latin) came out in October, 1965.

The best time to create an organization for archiving American monasticism was October, 1965.