c. 2006 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) The latest reality TV show has no snarky judges, no cash prizes and no home makeovers. Instead, it follows five men where no American reality show has gone before: into a monastery.

An ex-con, a recovering alcoholic, an Iraq war veteran who lost a leg in combat, a skeptical paramedic and an aspiring Episcopal priest live with 30 Benedictine monks at a New Mexico monastery for 40 days on the new show “The Monastery,” which airs Sundays at 10 p.m (EST) on TLC.

It’s not your everyday reality TV. The show is about what happens when these men, who are each at a crossroads, encounter the monks and their way of living. There’s tension among them, but much of the drama involves their internal struggles. It’s challenging to capture on tape, and difficult for participants, whose problems can’t be solved with a new home or a tummy tuck.

As one observer put it, call it “Extreme Makeover: Soul Edition.”

“I would describe it as an observational documentary about an experiment that occurred between a group of men and a group of monks,” said David Abraham, executive vice president and general manager of TLC. “It doesn’t really have the beat of a reality show.”

In fact, the rhythms of daily life at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert are guided by the Rule of St. Benedict, a sixth-century guideline for monastic life. The visitors _ only one of them is particularly religious _ follow the monks’ schedule, beginning with the first of eight daily prayer services at 4 a.m. Like the monks, they must do chores and maintain silence at certain places and times, like meals.

“If you bring men in from the outside, even men who know Catholic life, and who have heard about monasteries, our way of life is still a surprise for them,” said Abbot Philip, who oversees the monastery. “The amount of silence, the amount of regulation, the amount of prayers said in church _ even men who come to join our community find it difficult.”

Cameras capture some of the difficulties. Warren, the aspiring priest, complains about the structure of the church services to the camera that each visitor has in his cell, or room, at the monastery. Alex, the 23-year-old war veteran, chafes at the rules, while Will, the ex-con who works with at-risk youth, wrestles with the silence.

“The biggest struggle with the silence was that for the first time, I really had to listen to myself,” he said.

That’s something the Abbot hoped the participants might learn during their stay.

“For me, the basic thing in spiritual life is seeking God,” Abbot Philip said. “But in order to seek God, a person has to learn at a certain level to be comfortable with himself. Human growth is not the goal, but often when it’s not there, it’s almost impossible to get on with searching for God. I had hoped that if they couldn’t embrace it spiritually, they would be able to recognize that this could help them know more about themselves.”

Will, who served seven years in prison for drug trafficking, deals with grief and guilt over the death of his younger brother, who was killed in a shoot-out with police. Tom, the recovering alcoholic, wants to develop the faith he believes he must have to maintain his sobriety. Jon, the skeptic, struggles with trust.

“There’s `Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.’ This is like `Extreme Makeover: Soul Edition,”’ said Robert Thompson, professor of religion and popular culture at Syracuse University. “(On) the extreme makeover shows you get to see the before and after, that’s the big payoff. Here the drama is really a change of the heart. That’s a little harder to pull off on television.”

To illustrate those changes, Abraham said, the show relies in part on the beauty and symbolism of the monastery’s surroundings in New Mexico. “It kind of felt like a place where spirituality meets Earth,” Will said. “You definitely sense God may lay his head to rest in a canyon like this.”

During his time there, each man is assigned a monk as mentor. Still, two men consider leaving before the 40 days are over, and there is much of what the Abbot calls “mischief.” The participants also get to know the monks, like the Ping-Pong-playing Brother Rodrigo.

“It’s my hope that people recognize that monks are ordinary human beings who simply have given their lives to one purpose, which is to try to know God more in this life,” said Abbot Philip. “Some people would say, `Why would you do it?’ I say, `Because God is that interesting.”’

While Will, who has four children, doesn’t want to become a monk, he learns from the experience.

“Every day, before the monastery, I thought `What’s the next problem that I’m going to tackle?’ I never looked at the little blessings that reward me every day,” he said. “I have learned that silence is needed, because if you practice silent prayer, you’ll be able to capture the whispers that come from heaven.”

KRE/PH END ROAN

Editors: To obtain photos of the participants from “The Monastery,” go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug.