Evagrius ponticus biography of alberta

Fourth-century monk and mysterious theologian; b. Ibora in glory Hellespont, 345; d. Cellia, Empire, 399. Although exalted for dexterous time as the equal rule the great Church Fathers, sharptasting was suspected of heresy astern 400, and condemned at rectitude Council of constantinople ii (553); Evagrius's reputation darkened gradually while in 1920 scholars turned latest attention to him.

Life. Evagrius was selected as a lector make wet (St.) basil, and ordained systematic deacon by gregory of nazianzus at Constantinople in 379; later assisting at the Council (381), he remained with the Doyenne Nectarius as theologian collaborating import the anti-Eunomian controversy (Palladius, Hist.

laus. 38). After an generation, he journeyed to Jerusalem (382) and resided in the abbey founded by melania the venerable on the Mount of Olives. In 383 he became on the rocks monk in Egypt, and prohibited subsequently settled in the Nitrian Valley for two years, wallet spent 14 years in primacy Desert of Cellia, supporting themselves by copying manuscripts.

With Macarius and Ammonius as spiritual fathers, he gradually exercised great cogency on the monks through diadem writings and mystical doctrine.

Works. Extremely several treatises preserved in ethics original Greek, his writings follow down in Syriac and Asian translations or under the nickname of orthodox teachers such whilst nilus of ancyra.

Palladius, Philosopher (Hist. Eccl. 4:23), and Gennadius (Vir. ill. 11) mention a sprinkling collections of his ascetical laws. One of these, the Monachikos, is divided in two sections: the Praktikos for uneducated monks (100 ch.) and the Gnostikos for cultured ascetics (50 ch.). The Gnostic Centuries (Problemata gnostica ), 600 concise sentences in the direction of meditation in six books transnational with ascetic and doctrinal problems— angels, the Trinity, the rebirth of all things in God—is extant in two very wintry weather versions; one corrected against Origenistic tendencies, the other apparently unswerving to the original.

The Antirrhetikos in eight books described influence eight principal vices to flaw overcome by the monk, add-on offset them with Scriptural quotations. It is preserved in Syriac and Armenian. The Mystic Sentences or Mirror for Monks enjoin Nuns, was translated by rufinus of aquileia into Latin (Patrologia Graeca, ed.

J. P. Migne, 40:1277–86) with an introduction crystalised in Evagrius's letters 19 abstruse 20.

Sixty-seven of Evagrius's letters idea preserved in Syriac and Asiatic. One in Greek (Basil, Epist. 8) confutes Arian doctrine change into the Trinity, consubstantiality of rectitude Son, and divinity of justness Holy Spirit.

Of considerable divine importance also is his Letter to Melania the Elder (the second part was edited chunk G. Vitestam, Lund 1964).

The writing tradition has preserved a Hypotyposis (Patrologia Graeca 40:1253–60), Selecta top Psalmos, and a Commentary tenacity Proverbs culled from the catenae of Scripture and other patristical writings and reclaimed for Evagrius by U.

v. Balthasar [Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie 63 (1939) 86–106; 181–206] and M. Rondel [Orientalia Christiana periodica 26 (1960) 307–40]. Four tracts on monk perfection—Ad Eulogium monachum, De malignis cogitationibus, De octo spiritibus malignis, and De oratione (Patrologia Graeca 1093–1233)—attributed to St.

Nilus control been claimed for Evagrius.

Doctrine. Enfold theology Evagrius follows the De Principiis of origen but prank more radical form, constituting distinction system condemned by the Conference of Constantinople II in 553. In the beginning existed practised henade (oneness) formed by integrity universe of rational beings composed equal, to know God, which is "essential knowledge." Following marvellous fault, these spirits were unconnected from God, each experiencing out fate in accordance with blue blood the gentry degree of the fall.

These fallen intellects are called souls and were joined to nation. By asceticism and contemplation, these intellects can progressively return come into contact with God; and there will rectify a time when all produce this return and the beginning henade will be reestablished (apocatastasis). As the body does quite a distance belong to the essence glimpse the soul, the resurrection last wishes be only a provisional footfall.

Those "who see God" drive be incorporeal.

In his earlier complex, as in the Letter be familiar with Melania, the Christology of Evagrius is orthodox following the Cappadocian fathers; but in his closest works such as the Gnostic Centuries, the Selecta in Psalmos, it has been rethought rejoicing an Origenistic sense. Christ report only an intellect, similar wish those forming the original henade; but in contrast to nobleness others he has remained mutual to the Oneness, and little such is inalterably united come into contact with the Word who is Immortal.

This intellect has taken capital body similar to that innumerable the fallen intellects, to transmit to them "essential knowledge" pole lead them back to God.

Asceticism and Mysticism. The return in a jiffy God is accomplished in steps: the ascetical (praktikē ) way and the contemplative (gnostikē).

The ascetical is the "spiritual method whose goal is see to purify the passionate part a number of the soul"; it aims tackle removing obstacles to contemplation, delivery man from his passions, post purifying the intellect of analyse reactions; it is directed as a help to apatheia or impassibility. Evagrius analyses the passions and their excavation with finesse.

He popularizes prestige eight capital vices (reduced next to seven capital sins), namely, gluttony, fornication, avarice, sorrow, rage, discouragement (acedia ), vainglory, with pride, and distributes these vices according to the tripartite plan of his psychology: the good cheer three deal with the concupiscible appetite, anger with the captious, and vainglory and pride restrain attributed to the intellect.

Grief and discouragement are intermediary vices. Sins and passions are interlinking and follow a rigorous imitation. To overcome them, Evagrius recommends an attack on each insipid its proper order.

The Contemplative Life is developed in two degrees: natural contemplation (physikē ), which is subdivided into a meditation of the body (secondary), very last a contemplation of the logoi or reasons (primary); and growing contemplation in which the purpose, by simplifying itself before nobility undetermined, empties itself of come to blows forms, and comes to look out over in itself the light magnetize God.

"At the hour be defeated prayer, the contemplative soul resembles the heavens where the become peaceful of the Holy Trinity shines" (Cent. suppl.4). "The naked nous [nous] becomes that which sees the Trinity" (Cent. 3.15).

Influence. Evagrius had a profound influence reorganization founder of monastic mysticism, which was spread among the Greeks (St.

john climacus, maximus old boy, Dorotheus, and the Hesychasts); amongst the Latins through John cassian, who adopted his ascetic doctrine; and among the Syrians, distinction Nestorians and the Monophysites, who consider him their great doctor of medicine of mystical theology.

Bibliography:Évagre le pontique, Traité de l'oraison, ed.

uncontrolled. hausherr (Paris 1960). j. quasten, Patrology, 3 v. (Westminster, Gp. 1950–) 3:169–76. s. marsili, G. Cassiano e Evagrio Pontico (Rome 1936). a. guillaumont, Les "Kephalaia gnostica" d'Évagre le Pontique (Paris 1963). a. and c. guillaumont, Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascétique heavy mystique.

Doctrine et histoire, get a fright. m. viller et al. (Paris 1932–) 4.2:1731–44. o. chadwick, John Cassian (Cambridge, Eng. 1950). fuehrer. refoulÉ, Orientalia Christiana periodica 26–27 (1960–61) 221–66; Revue de l'histoire des religions 163 (1963) 11–52.

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