The present paper discusses the role that monasticism played in the genesis of modern rationalism. I try to identify significant genealogical ‘moments’ for the advent of rationalism in the trajectory of Christian forms of world rejection, which have to do rather with marginal and neglected events in the contorted trajectory of the Christian civilisation. In doing so, I rely on such authors as Max Weber, Eric Voegelin, Arpad Szakolczai, Agnes Horvath, Michel Foucault, and others.
Marius I. Benţa (Sun,) studied this question.