Oratores

Friars

A friar was a special kind of monk, one that almost contradicts the very idea of monasticism: a monk who lives in the world rather than trying to withdraw from it. This somewhat odd notion worked primarily because of the personality of the founders: St. Dominic and St. Francis.

The term "friar" is not a very precise one. It normally applies to either a Dominican or a Franciscan monk, though some lesser orders also followed their ideals. In original spirit, Dominicans and Franciscans were similar. They both re-emphasized the apostolic ideal of poverty, and they both strongly urged the ideal of service. After the death of the founders, however, these two orders developed along different lines.

The Dominicans dedicated themselves to fighting heresy. Toward this end, they armed themselves with deep learning and became the great Christian scholars of the later Middle Ages. They were preachers and teachers.