What if Southern Baptists Had Monks and Nuns?

Our Anglo Catholic Blogger on the links , Bryan Sherwood, has an article and thoughts how Lay people are finding more and more the spiritual benefits of lay life related to a monastic tradition. Go see The World Is Their Cloister.

You know Anglican do have a tradition of Nuns and Monastics I think. It is not huge but I run across it.

One wonders what would have Protestantism looked liked if they had carried on this tradition and vocation. Would it have looked different? What would have been the effect of lets say orders of Southern Baptist Monks on the surrounding Culture, its prayer life, and theology!!!

Largely this not occur because the Reformers sadly attacked the Celibate life left and right!!! .

Perhaps a Evangelical should write a alternative history book in the tradition of Harry Turtledove to examine what if. Could you imagine the Presbyterian Daughters and Holy Sisters of the Blue Ridge Mountains brought into service by Stonewall Jackson to minister to the needs of his soldiers? Would Evangelical worship have become more liturgical? What would have intellectual, Commercial , and Spiritual life been like with a a huge Methodist Monastery in a protestant town?

IS this vocation really not compatible with the Evangelical and Protestant ethic and theology? Or is this a product of history because the leading Reformer/Revolutionaries wanted to have sex?