Did the Benedictine monks not care about the Great Commission?

A bit forumatically theological .... ??

1. You're making assumptions about the commission. If you take the synoptics seriously (the pairs), Acts (commissioned messengers), or early writings (Didache), the 'who' appears qualified. Especially, given the eleven (or'some') doubted ... after full-blown proof.

2. Monastic preceded the catholic (lc) church.  It'd be like you turning off the web, these days to concentrate on your citizenship (Heb writer).

and

3. Reading your church history, the early Catholic (uc) church had to battle many of the monesteries (lower-Egypt) to consolidate theological control.

This is a very good book in Logos if you are interested in reading about Benedictine like:

https://www.logos.com/product/179883/the-rule-of-the-master

Monastic life is one of intense prayer, work, and fasting. Baptized Christians are called to a life of continuous conversion. They also pray together and individually for specific people, the world, issues, etc. They offer their work in union with Christ on the cross for the conversion of others. Their work often times carries them in contact with others, depending on the group, as a way to discipleship.

They are not separating from the world so much as they are leaving worldly temptations and interests aside in a radical focus on the greater good, as Jesus taught. They actually give up all their personal delights that we all share to focus on God, and to bring the world's needs to God. As Scripture states that God listens to the prayers of the righteous, their own conversion is an important dimension to helping the world through their efforts.

The answer's a bit simpler than what's been given so far. It was the monastics who converted most of Europe. 

The people Gregory the Great sent to convert England? All monks. Within the uk, the great early preachers who reached the population? All monks. Patrick in Ireland, David in Wales? Monks. Boniface and his companions, key in reaching the Germanic peoples? Monks.

I could go on, but if you read further on the expansion of Christianity after the fall of the Western Empire through to the high middle ages, monks are the ones who do the hard work. Being poor, cheap, and single, they could go anywhere at great cost to themselves, and they often did. 

It may not have been core to the monastic ideal, but Protestants (like me!) can't criticise them for failing to act as missionaries in the early period. 

Later, of course, that work is taken over by Dominican and Franciscan friars, for whom preaching is much more central, but even their life is semi-monastic.

The Great Commission has many parts. Monastic traditions have their part in what some people in this forum mentioned but at the same I can see some of the concerns if it is overly in-ward focussed. Also, I think the "methods" of Great commission are different in church-cultures too.

I remember I preached at a Japanese church a few years ago. Afterwards I asked what kinda gospel outreach they do. They looked at me and thought it was the strangest thing they ever heard. So they said to me that they don't do it. At first, I was like what????! There is highschool across the street, there is a massive supermarket down the road! Can't they at least just do gospel tracts etc etc.

Turned out they offer children classes that focus specifically on dispensationalism and they just play soccer and have meals together and whole lot of other community hospitality stuff. That is their way of Great Commission. Perhaps it was a cultural/language misunderstanding.

I agree with Greg. When the pandemic is over, please come visit us and stay with us for a weekend. All are welcome, Protestant or even atheist, to stay in our guesthouses and there are monks assigned to take care of guests' needs who can begin to answer your questions. (Just please leave the accusations aside and extend the benefit of the doubt when possible.) There are Benedictine monasteries in most states in the United States and several Canadian provinces and almost every European nation, and I can name at least five African countries that have at least eight Benedictine monasteries, and several in Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil... (I am also broadly thinking of Cistercian, Camaldolese, and Carthusian monasteries in these places, so my definition of "Benedictine" is pretty broad right now) and these are just the ones that I can name off the top of my head. We shouldn't be too far from where you are located, wherever that may be, but many monasteries have closed their guesthouses due to the pandemic, so I can't speak to what your access would be like at the present.

As for books, since this is a Logos forum after all, I gave my Baptist grandmother a hard copy of Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants when I became a monk, so that my way of life could be translated into language she could understand. I read only the first four or so chapters, but I feel comfortable recommending it. I also highly recommend The Rule of St. Benedict: A Contemporary Paraphrase, which is a very nice paraphrase compiled by Protestants who have become interested in Benedictine monks today (I also recommend Logos to add it to PrePub when they can). And in lieu of an actual visit to a monastery (due to pandemic and all, or at least tide one over until the pandemic ends), this book looks interesting: Cloister Talks. I will have to see if it is in our library.