The ImagoDei Residence

The ImagoDei Residence will comprise members who wish to deepen their experience of God in the midst of an intentional-community patterned after the ancient monastic tradition, but in new ways for new contexts.

The Residence members can be from all walks of life, whether students, average Jane's and Joe's, or professional types, clergy or lay, young or old, male or female (as space permits). While we realize that this type of living situation is more easily entered into by students and young people new to the City who desire community and simplicity, it is open to anyone.

We envision a person who recognizes that he or she would like for a time to give him/herself to a process of re-formation through living the Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Faith, ancient and enduring.  The individual (or couple, as space permits) can commit to living in community for a few months or a year or however long is desired. The person (or couple) will continue his or her regular life in the City - working or studying - as they live out the Rule of Life of the community. It is our desire that during the time with us, habits for living the Disciplines will be learned so that when the person leaves the Residence, those habits will remain for a lifetime in whatever circumstance a member encounters. We seek residence who are willing to struggle with the larger questions of this complex world of ours.

One aspect of and a primary goal of the resident community is to learn anew how to be with one another as members of the Body of Christ even as individual members have very different ideas or ways of living out the Christian Faith. Community members will inevitably have different positions on politics, theology, and piety.  We are encouraged to engage in vigorous conversation and debate in order for the community to gain balance in perspective and understanding in practice as we challenge one another to grow in our Life in Christ.  We give ourselves to the Christian Disciplines and let them have their way with us, rather than giving ourselves to ideologies or sectarian viewpoints on faith and life.

A hallmark of the Anglican spiritual tradition is a gracious allowance for a wide spectrum of theological, political, social, and pietistic belief, but we all remain in unity around the common altar of God in the Celebration of the Eucharist and the Daily Offices. The practice of having common existence in diversity of opinion has been severely challenged over the last several years as elements of both self-described conservatives and self-described liberals have been overwhelmed by American-style political polarization and hyper-individualism. What has resulted is schism within at least the North American Churches of the Anglican Communion, and threatens to completely divide the worldwide Communion. This phenomena is not isolated within only Anglicanism. Trust has been destroyed by the pursuit of narrow agendas and the Catholic nature of Anglicanism terribly disrupted. We wish to rediscover the Anglican "Via-Media" (Middle Way) that had its beginning in the forging of the Church of England as a middle way between Continental Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.  We hope to again forge common Christian life, in spite of our differences.

As such, to be a resident we do not have litmus tests of theological or pietistic believe or practice. What we require is a commitment to the Rule of Life of the Community and to an openness of heart and mind to be re-formed in any area of life by giving ourselves to the Spiritual Disciplines. This requires a great deal of humility and intentionality. It requires great patience and striving with one another in peace or conflict. It requires a giving up of our lives so that we might discover life in the context of community - and not just within the community of the Residence, but within the communities of work, school, neighborhoods, and family.

More information, including the defined Rule of Life, will be forthcoming.

Comments helping to refine the concepts or ideas presented are welcome, as are inquires about being an initial resident...