Welcome

Submitted by admin on Thu, 05/14/2009 - 19:48

Welcome to the website of an incipient Orthodox Commune. Through this medium, we intend to explore the possibilities, opportunities, and challenges involved in forming a physical village-type Orthodox community. The site is currently under construction, but go ahead and have a look around. If this idea is appealing to you, or if you're curious, feel free to drop me a line (see contact).

A mailing list has been established to hash out the specifics of what such an Orthodox village would look like and how it would work without necessarily making plans to form a particular instance of such a community. If you are interested in partaking in the conversation, please subscribe on the left.

Movin' Right Along

Submitted by Cyril on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 00:18

So the idea of an Orthodox commune has sparked some interest, and it's time to start networking and brainstorming in earnest. We're starting with a mailing list for the discussion of the idea and practicalities of forming a sustainable, agrarian, Orthodox community. The idea is to focus specifically on the details of a certain kind of community, while discussing the abstract possibility. Whether nothing, single community, or a network of communities results, discussion can only benefit all. If you are interested by the idea and would like to take part in the discussion, please use the contact form to let us know or subscribe directly on the left.

A Community of Friends


Central to the idea of a commune is the community itself. The process of selection by unanimous approval is meant to give the community the best possible chance of emerging as a group of true friends who are committed to the community as individuals and as an entity. If you are curious about the process of joining our (potential) commune, we welcome your inquiries or application!

Yes, this Has been done Before...


This idea really isn't that outlandish. It has been argued that Imperial Russia, right up to the revolution, was nothing other than a massive federation of tiny Orthodox Communes, or Obschina. Each village or sela was run as an independent entity, governed nominally by the town elders, whose actions were ratified by the every head-of-household in the village. There is much to learn about the operation of these villages; I believe that something that worked for 1500 years or so might be worth trying again!

The following sources are a few sites to get started learning about village life:

The Orthodox Medievalist

The Russian Village Commune

Obshchina

The Russian Peasant Commune

What the...! What's an Orthodox Commune?


Don't look at me like I'm out of my mind. The idea has been done before.

The idea is pretty simple, really; a community of friends decides to embrace voluntary simplicity, living off the earth in a sustainable, self-sufficient cluster of families around an Orthodox Church. Easy, no? Of course, the difficulty is in the details! Who are these friends? Where are they going to live? What do you mean by voluntary simplicity? How do you survive "living off the earth"? Is it possible to be self-sufficient these days? What about the Orthodox Church? There are a myriad of other questions that need to be sorted out along the way. Curious? Want to join in the fun? Just drop me a line!

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