Chapter 6

Spirituality and asceticism: the desert fathers and mothers

Questions to be addressed in this chapter

1. Why did Christian men and women move to the desert in the fourth and fifth centuries?

2. What did these ascetics take to be the role of the body in spiritual formation?

3. What was the Eastern emphasis on theosis and how was this achieved?

4. How did ascetic practices influence Christian thought?5. What happened to the desert fathers and mothers?

Moving to the desert• In 313 CE Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which

decriminalized Christianity throughout the empire and returned confiscated property of Christians.

• The way was opened for the church to become an institution within the Roman Empire.

• But while this might have been a boon to the respectability of Christians in the eyes of the world around them, and was even thought by some to be a step toward the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, many saw the Romanization of Christianity as an inhibitor to the real purpose of Christ, namely, to make people holy.

• So, many of this latter group quit society and removed themselves to the desert to seek out those who had adopted solitary lifestyles there.

Asceticism and the body

• There is a popular misunderstanding that the ascetic disciplines were undertaken by ascetics as means of punishing or mortifying their bodies—as though that were the goal.

• There are examples of ridiculous extremes that were taken by some (these are the stories that tend to be repeated), and there is no doubt that something akin to athletic competition and the drive to outdo each other was present to some degree.

• But most of the ascetics pursued their lifestyles for the same reason that set Antony on his path: the goal of spiritual perfection.

Abba Moses on the goal of life“The ultimate goal of our way of life is, as I said, the kingdom of

God, or kingdom of heaven. The immediate aim is purity of heart. For without purity of heart none can enter into that kingdom. We should fix our gaze on this target, and walk towards it in as straight a line as possible. If our thoughts wander away from it even a little, we should bring back our gaze towards it, and use it as a kind of test, which at once brings all our efforts back onto the one path… It is for this end—to keep our hearts continually pure—that we do and endure everything, that we spurn parents and home and position and wealth and comfort and every earthly pleasure. If we do not keep this mark continually before the eyes, all our travail will be futile waste that wins nothing, and will stir up in us a chaos of ideas instead of singlemindedness.”

Theosis and the Cappadocians

• Theosis, or divinization, was a major theme of the desert.

• Athanasius’s famous quote about Christ, “He was made man that we might be made God,” is typical and reflective of this desert culture.

• The doctrine of theosis is more pronounced in the Christianity and desert ascetics of the East than the West.

• Some of the best exemplars of the theology of the East during the fourth and fifth centuries are found in the Cappadocian Fathers and their sister, Macrina.

Ascetic practice influencing theology

• There was not just a one-directional influence for the desert fathers and mothers from their beliefs to their practices; the reverse was also true.

• Especially in the East, the ascetic practices of the desert came to shape and influence the theology of that region.

• This is clearly seen in the thought of Ephrem (c. 308-373), who is regarded as one of the most important theologians of the Eastern church.

What became of the desert fathers and mothers?

• The ascetic life played a significant role in the thought of the most important of the Cappadocian thinkers, Basil of Caesarea.

• Basil’s significant contribution to Christian thought with respect to the ascetic movements was to bring many of these rogue ascetics into larger conformity with the Church.

• While Basil reigned in the ascetics and so effected change among them, this assimilation also brought the spirit of ascetic practices more into the mainstream life of the Church.

Summary of main points

1. Christian men and women moved to the desert in order to pursue perfection of their spirits apart from the increasingly institutionalized Church.

2. The flesh was not despised, but taken to be the means through which spiritual advancement could be achieved.

3. Theosis, or divinization, was the process of reclaiming original human nature which was created in God’s image.

4. Ascetic practices led to the development of apophatic theology and to the greater awareness of and appreciation for spiritual disciplines in the Church.

5. Through the efforts of Basil, ascetic communities became organized and even institutionalized into monasteries and convents.