Abstract: Abstract Asceticism appears to many as a strange and peculiar phenomenon, perhaps even an affliction. It evokes solitary men driven by their quest for God into the desertum, the barren wilderness of remote countrysides, far removed from the world, and in par ticular far removed from women. The great champions of the movement, revered as its originators — Paul of Thebes, Symeon the Stylite, and, most importantly, Antony the Great — all embody these essential characteristics, and their victories over physical afflication and demonic temptation have fuelled the imagination for centuries. Monasticism, the ‘higher evolution’ of asceticism, is likewise clearly defined by our commonplace notions. By moderating the physical extremes of the ascetic life, monasticism emphasizes order, work, prayer, obedience, stability — all within the monastic family.
Publication Year: 1994
Publication Date: 1994-09-15
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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