Madigan identifies Groote as the primary force behind the Sisters and Brothers of the Common Life, or the Modern Devotion movement. Briefly summarize the characteristics of this group: what ideals shaped the way they lived their lives, how were they organized (in relation to monastic groups), where did they focus their intellectual energies (in comparison to scholars)? Thereafter, consider Groote’s sermon:
Geert De Groote gave up his possessions and sought a more devout apostolic life. He worked to spread the word of Jesus Christ within his communities, and this spreading of the word gave rise to the Sisters and Brothers of the Common Life. This group, founded by Groote before his death was modeled after traditional monastic life; however there were slight deviances from the monastic order. The Sisters and Brothers did not take vows, and they held firm to apostolic life in the manner that they did not hold private property, instead they lived in the same households and combined their resources for the good of the movement. They did not claim to belong to any specific religious order. They focused on education and literature; the acquisition of useful knowledge and insight, as well as sharing devotion with their fellow men and women. The group established schools that made education more accessible and teachings combined both spiritual and intellectual as the basis of knowledge. In addition to setting a priority on secular and spiritual teachings, the Sisters and Brothers used their work in the scriptoriums to increase the transmission of religious scripture, and the printing press would provide more resources for spreading scripture to the commoners. The work of the Sisters and Brothers introduced the devotional text Imitation of Christ which was influential to their medieval movement.
a. Madigan notes that the Modern Devotion movement represents an alternative to traditional monastic organizations. How does the sermon illustrate this point? What sort of practices and dispositions does Groote advocate “to reign eternally with God,” and how can they be attained?
Groote suggests in his sermon that those who desire “to reign eternally with God” must either possess or work towards understanding and obtaining the attributes of righteousness, peace, and joy; these three pillars are essential to the Kingdom of Heaven.

The work towards acquiring these attributes involves understanding the motivations of one’s self. Groote claims that those who are working to be more Christ like, must be pursuing it for the right reasons, not for a seat in heaven, but rather because their hearts and minds are committed to good works. This involves distancing one’s self from matters of temporal affairs, and moving toward embracing the love and commandments of God. One must also leave themselves open to the judgement and justice that is handed down by God, “judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). Groote also advocates that individuals surrender their pursuit of worldly goods and worldly desires, but yet submit to the love of God. It is impossible for man to love the things of the world and God at once so it becomes necessary to surrender to God to feel the complete embrace. Additionally, man must want and accept what God wills, this is the only way to find peace. Without this acceptance, man will continue to suffer and be distracted from the true vision of God.
b. Consider the context of Groote’s sermon, written at the beginning of the Great Schism. Why do you think so many laypeople (people not employed by the church) gravitated to the ideals he outlines?
After reading the context of Groote’s Sermon I believe that it was easy for laypeople to gravitate to Groote’s ideals because a complete understanding of the scripture wasn’t perceived as necessary in becoming closer to God. He outlines the pillars essential to salvation, and explains in a simplistic manner how this eternal salvation can be attained. The Modern Devotion movement didn’t require individuals to commit or pledge allegiance to a particular religious sect, but rather provided the teachings necessary to become more like Christ. Groote’s sermon also favored internal transformation, as opposed to making a spectacle out of the pursuit of purity and doing good works. Groote didn’t seek to create a separate religion, as he believed in the authority of the papacy; however he and his followers did protest over the abuses and mistake of the Catholic Church. The ability to call out the faults of the Church and recognize that religion can be incorporated for social reform made it easier for laypeople to see what Groote was working towards… spiritual enlightenment for all, without the placement of blinders by the Church.