Correct me if I am wrong, but I cannot help but see a very noticeable comparison between the Monks and the Old Testament Jews prior to the period of kings. The Jews had a complicated set of rules and regulations that existed to help each Jew live a more healthy, god-centered life. The Mosaic Law served as the guidebook to the Jewish life. Jews did not typically pursue the hearts of other nations; instead, Jews only accepted new-comers in the event that they came by their own choice or were conquered by the sword, issued according to God's command.
[Fast forward to the time of the Monks]
Benedict's guidebook for the livelihood of Monks is interpreted as a national law for all within the monastery (like the Mosaic Law was for all Jews) and is intended for individual sanctification. While he based most of his rules on Christ's teachings, Jesus was not a Monk. He rarely secluded Himself, and when He did, it was only for a short time before multitudes of people crowded around Him again. Jesus did not live in solitude whilst praying to the Father; instead, He was actively doing work among the people of the world (hence, the Great Commission) This is not to say that Monks aren't honoring God, but it seems to me that they are doing it in a way that resembles ancient Jewish worship. Their focus is not spreading the gospel and intermingling with the world; instead, they seek to live holy and pleasing lives to God by removing all distractions.
I actually saw the similarities between the monks and the Jewish people as well. If I'm not mistaken, the Essenes, (a small Jewish sect that existed around around Jesus' time) actually lived in communities much like the Monks. While I can begin to understand a Jew's desire to live in a community where he or she is in a better position to obey the law, the idea of a Christian doing the same makes less sense to me.
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