Inquiry into the Monastic Life

The Inquiry into the Monastic Life was a tract written by Eustathius of Thessalonica, a prominent 12th-century Byzantine scholar and archbishop. In this work, Eustathius advocated for the moral and cultural reawakening of monasticism. He was critical of the complacency he observed within the Eastern Church and sought to promote sound educational principles and moral examples within monastic communities. Eustathius was a learned figure who also wrote chronicles, orations, and commentaries on classical Greek texts, notably those of Homer. He is regarded by the Greek Orthodox Church as a saint.1