{"id":5309,"date":"2025-07-28T16:52:54","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T16:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/?p=5309"},"modified":"2025-07-29T12:50:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T12:50:22","slug":"original-intentional-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/2025\/07\/28\/original-intentional-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Original intentional communities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>elaborate on the idea that monastic communities were the original intentional communities. Also that the us communistic communities of the 19 century were religious<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ChatGPT said:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>Certainly! The idea that <strong>monastic communities were the original intentional communities<\/strong> and that many <strong>19th-century U.S. communistic communities were religious<\/strong> is rooted in how people have historically organized themselves around shared values, often spiritual or ideological, to create alternative ways of living. Let&#8217;s break this down:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Monastic Communities as the Original Intentional Communities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intentional communities<\/strong> are defined as groups of people who choose to live together with a shared purpose, often prioritizing cooperation, shared resources, and collective governance. Monastic communities were arguably the first enduring examples of such arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Points:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Spiritual Intentionality<\/strong>: Monasticism, especially in early Christianity (e.g., Desert Fathers in Egypt, 3rd\u20134th centuries CE), was driven by a deep desire to live out spiritual values apart from mainstream society. This is foundational to the concept of an intentional community \u2014 forming a separate society built around shared purpose.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rule-Based Living<\/strong>: Communities like those founded by <strong>St. Benedict<\/strong> in the 6th century were structured around a rule (e.g., the <em>Rule of St. Benedict<\/em>), which dictated daily routines, labor, worship, and governance. These were intentional systems of communal life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Self-Sufficiency and Shared Labor<\/strong>: Monasteries were often self-sustaining \u2014 growing food, brewing beer, copying manuscripts \u2014 where labor and resources were shared communally. This aligns closely with modern definitions of intentional communities, particularly eco-villages and co-housing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Longevity and Resilience<\/strong>: Some monastic orders survived for centuries, showing that intentional communities rooted in strong shared values and structures can be highly durable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>19th-Century U.S. Communistic Communities Were Often Religious<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During the 19th century, the United States saw a wave of <strong>utopian experiments<\/strong>, many of which we would now call intentional or communitarian. A significant number of these were explicitly <strong>religious<\/strong> in nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Examples:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Shakers (United Society of Believers in Christ\u2019s Second Appearing)<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Celibate, communally living Christians who believed in equality of the sexes and communal ownership.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Known for their furniture, music, and simple living.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their communities were highly structured and centered around worship and work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Amana Colonies (Iowa)<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>German Pietists who fled persecution in Europe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Practiced a form of religious communism \u2014 shared property, cooperative labor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintained a strong religious identity alongside economic communality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Oneida Community (New York)<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Founded by John Humphrey Noyes on the principle of <strong>Perfectionism<\/strong> \u2014 the idea that people could live sinless lives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Practiced \u201ccomplex marriage\u201d (a form of group marriage) and communal property.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Religious ideology was central to its social structure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Harmony Society (founded by George Rapp)<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>German religious separatists who practiced celibacy, communal ownership, and millenarianism (belief in the imminent Second Coming of Christ).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Built several prosperous, well-organized communal settlements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Religion?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Motivational Framework<\/strong>: Religion provided a powerful moral and ideological framework to justify and motivate radical social experiments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Community Cohesion<\/strong>: Shared religious beliefs helped maintain unity and resolve conflict \u2014 crucial in communal settings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alternative to Mainstream Culture<\/strong>: Many of these communities were reacting against perceived moral decay, industrialization, or religious corruption. They sought to create <strong>\u201cheaven on earth.\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Monastic communities set the blueprint for intentional living \u2014 structured, value-driven, and communal \u2014 centuries before the term &#8220;intentional community&#8221; was coined. In 19th-century America, religious faith was often the primary engine driving communal and even communistic experiments. These groups weren\u2019t just economic or social alternatives; they were <strong>spiritual utopias<\/strong> \u2014 living embodiments of their founders\u2019 vision of a better, holier world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Would you like a comparison chart between monastic and 19th-century U.S. religious communes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You said:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>explain the economic basis of these communities. in other words where did they get their money, or how did the manage to survive<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ChatGPT said:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>Great question. The economic sustainability of both <strong>monastic communities<\/strong> and <strong>19th-century U.S. religious communes<\/strong> was essential to their survival. Though driven by spiritual or ideological goals, these communities were often highly <strong>pragmatic in their economic organization<\/strong> \u2014 blending self-sufficiency, craft specialization, and sometimes trade with the outside world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Monastic Communities \u2013 Economic Basis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Self-Sufficiency<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Most monasteries were designed to be <strong>economically autonomous<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monks grew their own food, raised livestock, and made their own clothing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monastic labor was seen as spiritually beneficial (&#8220;Ora et Labora&#8221; \u2013 <em>Pray and Work<\/em>, per the Rule of St. Benedict).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Agriculture and Land Ownership<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monasteries often held large <strong>tracts of land<\/strong>, either donated by nobles (as acts of piety) or accumulated over time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They managed <strong>farms, vineyards, orchards, and fisheries<\/strong>, producing both subsistence and surplus goods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Craft Production<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monasteries were centers of <strong>skilled labor<\/strong> \u2014 brewing, winemaking, book copying, manuscript illumination, metalwork, cheese-making.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These goods were often sold or bartered with surrounding communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tithes and Donations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wealthy patrons and monarchs frequently gave <strong>donations, tithes, or land<\/strong> to monasteries, either out of devotion or to gain favor with the Church.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This made some monastic orders incredibly wealthy \u2014 especially in medieval Europe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Hospices and Guesthouses<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some monasteries ran <strong>hostels for pilgrims<\/strong>, charging small fees or receiving donations for hospitality, thus contributing to local economies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. 19th-Century U.S. Religious Communes \u2013 Economic Basis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These communities also aimed for <strong>economic independence<\/strong>, often out of mistrust for the capitalist world or to align with their theological ideals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Communal Ownership<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Property was typically held <strong>in common<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Members shared labor, food, housing, and tools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No private profit \u2014 resources were reinvested into the community.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Agriculture<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Farming was the <strong>primary economic base<\/strong> for most communities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Land was either purchased, donated, or cultivated from wilderness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Produce fed the members and any surplus was sold in nearby markets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Artisanal and Industrial Production<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many communities became known for <strong>high-quality handmade or manufactured goods<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shakers<\/strong>: Famous for furniture, seeds, herbal medicines, brooms, and packaged food items.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Amana Colonies<\/strong>: Known for textiles, woolen mills, and excellent craftsmanship.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Harmony Society<\/strong>: Produced textiles, wine, and ran industries like mills and tanneries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Oneida Community<\/strong>: Manufactured <strong>silverware<\/strong> (Oneida Ltd. later became a major flatware company).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Trade with the Outside World<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Most communities sold goods <strong>at markets or by mail-order<\/strong>, especially Shaker products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These interactions generated <strong>cash flow<\/strong>, but were tightly controlled to preserve community values.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Collective Labor<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Everyone contributed \u2014 men, women, and children \u2014 with labor divided according to ability and gender (sometimes egalitarian, sometimes traditional).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No wage system: needs were met by the community.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Celibacy or Population Control<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some communities (like the Shakers) did not grow through birth but through <strong>conversion or adoption<\/strong>, which limited growth and often created <strong>labor shortages<\/strong>, making economic sustainability harder over time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Comparison in Brief:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Feature<\/th><th>Monastic Communities<\/th><th>19th-Century Religious Communes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Economic Goal<\/strong><\/td><td>Self-sufficiency + surplus<\/td><td>Self-sufficiency + values-based economy<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Main Income Sources<\/strong><\/td><td>Agriculture, crafts, donations, land rent<\/td><td>Agriculture, crafts, trade<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Labor Structure<\/strong><\/td><td>Monks\/nuns under religious rule<\/td><td>Members working collectively, often communally organized<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Trade<\/strong><\/td><td>Limited but existed<\/td><td>Often extensive (especially Shakers &amp; Oneida)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Ownership<\/strong><\/td><td>Collective under religious order<\/td><td>Collective under community rules or leaders<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>External Support<\/strong><\/td><td>Church hierarchy, nobles<\/td><td>Rare \u2014 usually fully independent<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite being rooted in religious ideals, both monastic and 19th-century religious communities had robust, well-organized economies. They <strong>thrived through labor discipline, self-sufficiency, and skilled production<\/strong>, proving that intentional communities could be both <strong>spiritually meaningful and economically viable<\/strong> \u2014 at least for a time. Many left lasting economic legacies (like Oneida silverware or Shaker designs) that outlived the communities themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Would you like to explore a specific community\u2019s economy in more detail?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You said:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>how did they survive in either feudalism or capitalism<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ChatGPT said:<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellent question \u2014 and a complex one. Understanding <strong>how monastic and 19th-century religious communities survived within feudalism and capitalism<\/strong> requires looking at how these systems adapted to \u2014 and at times resisted \u2014 the broader economic orders around them. Here&#8217;s a breakdown:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>I. Monastic Communities Under Feudalism (roughly 9th\u201315th century Europe)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Feudalism was a hierarchical, agrarian system based on <strong>landholding and vassalage<\/strong>, with wealth measured in land and labor rather than capital or cash. Monasteries not only survived in this system \u2014 many <strong>thrived<\/strong>, becoming some of the <strong>wealthiest and most powerful landowners<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Monasteries Survived (and Thrived) in Feudalism:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>Land Donations from Nobility<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Feudal lords, seeking spiritual merit (or a place in heaven), donated large estates to monasteries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These lands came with <strong>peasants or serfs<\/strong> already working them \u2014 making the monastery effectively a <strong>feudal lord<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In return, monks often prayed for the souls of donors \u2014 a spiritual &#8220;exchange.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>Spiritual Legitimacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Church, and by extension monasteries, held <strong>enormous cultural and ideological authority<\/strong> in feudal society.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They were seen as guardians of salvation, education, and literacy \u2014 granting them protected status and political influence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. <strong>Economic Autonomy within the Feudal System<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monasteries functioned <strong>like mini-economies<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Grew food, made clothing, managed estates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employed or oversaw serfs and lay brothers (non-monastic workers).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sometimes leased land to tenants in exchange for rent or labor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. <strong>Non-Market Values with Market Skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Although they didn\u2019t operate for profit, many monasteries were <strong>economically efficient<\/strong> and <strong>produced surpluses<\/strong> (grains, wine, livestock).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These surpluses were traded or sold, inserting monasteries into <strong>local and regional economies<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. <strong>Tax Exemptions and Legal Privileges<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many monastic houses were <strong>exempt from feudal dues<\/strong> or royal taxes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They were protected by the Church and often had their own legal jurisdictions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>II. 19th-Century Religious Communes in a Capitalist Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S. in the 1800s was rapidly transitioning from agrarian to industrial capitalism \u2014 marked by <strong>market expansion, wage labor, urbanization, and consumer culture<\/strong>. Many religious communities emerged as <strong>countercultural responses<\/strong> to this system, seeking moral purity and communal solidarity in contrast to individualism and materialism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How They Survived in Capitalism:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>Intentional Economic Separation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These communities rejected wage labor and private property \u2014 key features of capitalism.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They formed <strong>&#8220;islands&#8221; of collective ownership<\/strong>, pooling resources and labor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Internal economies were designed to meet needs, not create profit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>Market Engagement on Their Terms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>While ideologically anti-capitalist, many communes <strong>sold goods in capitalist markets<\/strong> to survive:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shakers<\/strong>: sold furniture, seeds, herbal remedies, textiles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Oneida<\/strong>: produced traps and later silverware.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Amana<\/strong>: woolen goods, meats, and tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their <strong>reputation for quality<\/strong> often gave them a competitive edge in niche markets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. <strong>Low Overhead, High Unity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shared property and housing kept costs low.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Religious conviction and communal living minimized labor disputes or wage demands.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their <strong>moral discipline<\/strong> translated into <strong>economic efficiency<\/strong> \u2014 a key survival strategy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. <strong>Recruitment and Labor Challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some (e.g., Shakers) practiced celibacy, relying on <strong>converts or adoptees<\/strong> for new members.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As capitalism offered more opportunities (wages, independence), these communities struggled to <strong>retain young people<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. <strong>Adaptation or Decline<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many communities dissolved as members aged, internal cohesion weakened, or capitalism offered better alternatives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Others adapted: <strong>Amana<\/strong> transitioned into a for-profit corporation and eventually became <strong>Amana Refrigeration, Inc.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Comparison: Feudalism vs. Capitalism<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Factor<\/th><th>Monasteries (Feudalism)<\/th><th>Religious Communes (Capitalism)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Economic System<\/strong><\/td><td>Land-based, hierarchical<\/td><td>Market-based, competitive<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Survival Strategy<\/strong><\/td><td>Land control, serf labor, religious legitimacy<\/td><td>Self-sufficiency, niche production, communal labor<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Relation to Dominant System<\/strong><\/td><td>Embedded within and supported by feudal system<\/td><td>Often in tension with or resisting capitalist norms<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Use of Market<\/strong><\/td><td>Limited trade\/surplus exchange<\/td><td>Actively sold goods in the market (selectively)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Main Asset<\/strong><\/td><td>Land<\/td><td>Labor, craft skill, moral capital<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Vulnerability<\/strong><\/td><td>Dependent on Church power, later dissolved during Reformation<\/td><td>Dependent on recruitment, vulnerable to economic &amp; cultural change<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Both monastic and 19th-century religious communities managed to <strong>carve out alternative economic systems<\/strong> within dominant structures \u2014 feudalism and capitalism \u2014 by combining <strong>values-based living<\/strong> with <strong>practical economic adaptation<\/strong>. They were not fully insulated from the outside world, but <strong>survived by engaging it selectively<\/strong>, on their own moral and economic terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Would you like to explore how any specific community adapted economically over time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get smarter responses, upload files and images, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Log in<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sign up for freeAttach<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Search<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Voice<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ChatGPT can make mistakes. Che<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>elaborate on the idea that monastic communities were the original intentional communities. Also that the us communistic communities of the 19 century were religious ChatGPT said: Certainly! The idea that monastic communities were the original intentional communities and that many 19th-century U.S. communistic communities were religious is rooted in how people have historically organized themselves &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/2025\/07\/28\/original-intentional-communities\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Original intentional communities&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anarchism","category-ai-assist"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5309"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5310,"href":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5309\/revisions\/5310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ditext.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}