In a recent episode of the Good Faith podcast, host Curtis Chang sat down with pastor and modern-day monastic Jared Patrick Boyd to discuss the timely resurgence of monastic practices within the modern Church. Through the work of the Order of Common Life, Boyd is helping to bring ancient spiritual disciplines into contemporary settings, offering a fresh path forward for spiritual formation and church renewal.

This conversation delves into how intentional community building and contemplative rhythms are not only enriching personal faith but also strengthening clergy integrity at a time when many are questioning the structures of the Church. Boyd explains how modern monasticism is not about retreating from the world, but about creating a way of life that provides spiritual direction, rooting believers in prayer, presence, and purpose by connecting faith and service.

For those disillusioned by church scandals or burned out by performance-driven ministry, this episode offers a hopeful vision. The revival of contemplative spirituality through monastic traditions may hold the key to healing and understanding the love of God on a deeper level, fostering a vibrant faith based in ancient wisdom that can endure the challenges of modern life.

Jared Boyd: The human condition is that we will always find things in the world that will grab our attention and that we will latch onto for safety and security and a sense of control over the world. The reality is, that’s not how the world works. We don’t have those kinds of things: we’re not guaranteed safety, security, all that kind of stuff. We’re not guaranteed that we’ll have people around us that love us. So I think there’s a natural thing God has put inside us to run to him whenever we’re experiencing those kinds of things.

One of the questions that I’ve been asking is ‘when is the last time you experienced an encounter with the love of God?’ The reason I’ve been asking this question so much, not just in spiritual direction but also in pastoral ministry, is that I’ve become convinced that God is infinite love with infinite power to love. And it’s kind of a head-scratcher as to why we don’t get to experience that as much as we think we might want to. Most people when I ask that questions will reach for something that was months ago, and I just don’t think that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

So I think the reason that we’re experiencing this resurgence of contemplative spirituality is because people are longing for what they were created for, which is union with God. I don’t find it surprising at all anymore when people say to me, ‘man, my life with God started getting really clear when I started practicing more silence and solitude.’ It doesn’t surprise me at all, I just think that that’s part of what it means to be a human.