Jane found this article, which looks at the problem of loneliness among celibate clergy and the advantages of community life, as exhibited by the Dominicans; and surprisingly, has some suggestions for Protestant pastors.

In passing, the author links the Dominican order to the Inquisition, which is unfortunate; it’s true that Dominicans were involved (among others), and that the Inquisition was largely a Bad Thing, but it’s also true that the Hollywood portrayal of the fiendish, sadistic inquisitor is largely a myth. The truth is considerably more complicated, and as the Inquisition really has nothing to do with the rest of the article, I rather wish he’d left it out. Barring that, though, I found it quite interesting.