Thoughts on the Times article?

[DisplayNameBlock]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/16/style/tiktok-nuns-sisters.html

[servio legi Dei]

This article is behind a paywall, which is a pity - I'd like to read it 

[Pax17]

I have to admit that my first reaction was "ugh!"  But then again, Tik Tok is just another communications tool--one that can be used wisely or abused like FB.   Personally, I have no interest in watching sisters dancing around, taking the "ice bucket challenge" or similar stuff.  However, I can understand how some would see Tik Tok use as a way to share their lives and show that sisters are regular people.

[debc]

I have never looked at Tik Tok but this youtube has an interview you can watch that is short. The second is just one sister.

https://www.google.com/search?q=nuns+sister+tik+tok&client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALiCzsbogE8_zSEZqNwtED_KFN3xoaR35A%3A1652824525354&ei=zRmEYridFduZptQPnP-PmAQ&ved=0ahUKEwj4t9aVw-f3AhXbjIkEHZz_A0MQ4dUDCA0&uact=5&oq=nuns+sister+tik+tok&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBQgAEKIEOgcIIxCwAxAnOgsIABCwAxAHEAoQHjoJCAAQsAMQBxAeOgoIABCABBCwAxAKOgQIABANOgYIABAHEB46BggAEA0QHjoICAAQDRAFEB46CAgAEAgQDRAeOgUIABCGAzoICAAQBRAKEB46BggAEAgQHjoKCAAQCBANEAoQHjoICAAQBxAFEB46CggAEA0QBRAKEB5KBAhBGAFKBAhGGABQzwVY4i5g_jBoBnAAeACAAXWIAYUIkgEEMTEuMZgBAKABAcgBCsABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz#kpvalbx=_7BmEYoRz2Mim1A_xvbrYCQ16

 

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by debc

[nikita92]

The monks and nuns are Eastern orthodox. They train German Shepards and sell very expensive cheesecakes. 

The nuns (Which are few) wear a sort of habit w/o any sort of head covering. 

The one "group" photo of them all together, LOOKED slightly culty to me! 

Just my first impression. Not saying that they are. I am not a times subscriber..so I went to visit their website.

 

[allegra]

5 hours ago, nikita92 said:

The monks and nuns are Eastern orthodox. They train German Shepards and sell very expensive cheesecakes. 

The nuns (Which are few) wear a sort of habit w/o any sort of head covering. 

The one "group" photo of them all together, LOOKED slightly culty to me! 

Just my first impression. Not saying that they are. I am not a times subscriber..so I went to visit their website.

 

Eastern orthodox? Hm. The article labels them 'Episcopalian', and that Sister had a "CSJB" behind her name in the video, so I'd rather think she is Anglican - if one can trust wikipedia:

"The Community of St John Baptist (CSJB), also known as the Sisters of Mercy, or formerly Clewer Sisters, is an Anglican religious order of Augustinian nuns." 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_St_John_Baptist

She seems to be the second from left on the foto there.

[DisplayNameBlock]

Yes, she's Episcopalian.  I'm cutting and pasting the first two grafs:

Before she entered the Community of St. John Baptist in 2012, Claudette Monica Powell performed in an acoustic rock duo and an improv comedy troupe in Los Angeles. Now she goes by Sister Monica Clare, sings in a church choir in Mendham Township, N.J., and posts matter-of-fact videos about convent life on TikTok.

“Most people have no idea that there are Episcopal nuns,” she said. On @nunsenseforthepeople, she answers questions about religious rituals (“What’s up with the ashes?”), posts animal videos and teaches her sizable audience about Episcopalian values like gender equality and inclusion. (Offline, she has marched in Black Lives Matter protests and showed her support for women’s rights.)

***

Dumb question, though: in the dek (subheader), it says "Sisters are joining TikTok to offer a window into their cloistered experiences. “We’re not all grim old ladies reading the Bible,” one nun said."  But the three main nuns who are profiled are this woman Powell, a sister from the Media Nuns, and someone founding a new order in what appears to be remote Arizona, who has a TikTok about driving around the area.  So this is an incorrect use of "cloistered" on behalf of the Times, right?  Because none of these nuns are actually cloistered?  I'm a writer, people mess things all up the time, not trying to shame, just trying to make sure I use the word correctly myself!

[Nunsuch]

2 hours ago, DisplayNameBlock said:

Dumb question, though: in the dek (subheader), it says "Sisters are joining TikTok to offer a window into their cloistered experiences. “We’re not all grim old ladies reading the Bible,” one nun said."  But the three main nuns who are profiled are this woman Powell, a sister from the Media Nuns, and someone founding a new order in what appears to be remote Arizona, who has a TikTok about driving around the area.  So this is an incorrect use of "cloistered" on behalf of the Times, right?  Because none of these nuns are actually cloistered?  I'm a writer, people mess things all up the time, not trying to shame, just trying to make sure I use the word correctly myself!

You are absolutely right. Reporters who write about religion are often woefully uninformed. Imagine such ignorance of the subject in one writing about government--or sports! They'd be fired in a day. It is very frustrating indeed.

[DisplayNameBlock]

Thanks for clarifying!  Always glad to hear my instinct is correct .  I'm Jewish, and oftentimes you'll see articles about Orthodox communities and they'll write "Temple" instead of synagogue or shul (an Orthodox community would never use "Temple").  On the one hand I get that religion has a lot of hyper-specific terminology and it can be confusing.  But also, like, you have one job, and it's to use language correctly.  

[gloriana35]

I studied the growth of 19th century Anglican communities in some depth - it's quite fascinating - but, though I'd never heard of 'Tik Tok,' it made me smile that the sort of pictures that once were on calendars about 'Nuns Having Fun' (roller coasters, ice cream sundaes) years ago, have been brought into the Internet age with evangelisation as skincare and wild turkeys... German shepherds and expensive cheesecakes.. 

At least it isn't the sort of rubbish porn on some sites (they aren't real Religious, of course - but there are those who have a sick taste for sex sites somehow involving Religious images), but I see that there still are those with a taste for.. oh, Debbie Reynolds on her scooter... 

[nikita92]

On 5/25/2022 at 11:03 PM, nikita92 said:

The monks and nuns are Eastern orthodox. They train German Shepards and sell very expensive cheesecakes. 

The nuns (Which are few) wear a sort of habit w/o any sort of head covering. 

The one "group" photo of them all together, LOOKED slightly culty to me! 

Just my first impression. Not saying that they are. I am not a times subscriber..so I went to visit their website.

 

Correction- My mistake. This is a partial excerpt of the article I was refering to. (Obviously Not the one that DisplayNameBlock was refering to)

This In the last year and a half, the nuns and the nearby Monks of New Skete, known for their German shepherd breeding programs and puppy training books, started sharing a business manager, marketing director and a technology expert for their online businesses. In 2012, over 10,000 cheesecakes were sold through their online store, gift shop, fund-raisers and wholesale distribution. Their bakery facility has the capacity to produce 400 cakes per baking session. Currently, the nuns, with five part-time assistants, bake one to two days a week, about 37 weeks of the year.

My apologies!