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Gnostikos
The ''Gnostikos'' ( el, Γνωστικός, meaning ''The Knower'' or ''The Gnostic'') is a 4th-century work by the early Christian monk Evagrius Ponticus. The ''Gnostikos'' is a brief treatise consisting of 50 chapters, which contain exhortations for experienced monks. There are manuscripts of the ''Gnostikos'' in Greek (original), Syriac, and Armenian. It also has collections of quotes from five theologians, who are Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil of Caesarea, Athanasius, Serapion of Thmuis, and Didymus the Blind. Much of the original Greek text has been lost, although the Syriac version is complete. There are a few English translations, as well as a French translation by Antoine Guillaumont (1989). Other modern translations include Slovenian, Polish, Italian,Evagrius Ponticus. ''Per conoscere lui: Esortazione a una vergine; Ai monaci; Ragioni delle osservanze monastiche; Lettera ad Anatolio; Pratico; Gnostico''. Translated by Paolo Bettiolo. Magnano Biella: Qiqajon Comunità di B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Evagrius Ponticus
Evagrius Ponticus ( grc-gre, Εὐάγριος ὁ Ποντικός, Georgian: ევაგრე ქართველი), also called Evagrius the Solitary (345–399 AD), was a Christian monk and ascetic from Heraclea, a city on the coast of Bithynia in Asia Minor. One of the most influential theologians in the late fourth-century church, he was well known as a thinker, polished speaker, and gifted writer. He left a promising ecclesiastical career in Constantinople and traveled to Jerusalem, where in 383 AD he became a monk at the monastery of Rufinus and Melania the Elder. He then went to Egypt and spent the remaining years of his life in Nitria and Kellia, marked by years of asceticism and writing. He was a disciple of several influential contemporary church leaders, including Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Macarius of Egypt. He was a teacher of others, including John Cassian and Palladius of Galatia. Life There are five main sources of information on Ev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Serapion Of Thmuis
Serapion of Nitria, (; ) Serapion of Thmuis, also spelled Sarapion, or Serapion the Scholastic was an early Christian monk and bishop of Thmuis in Lower Egypt (modern-day Tell el-Timai), born in the 4th century. He is notable for fighting alongside Athanasius of Alexandria against Arianism. Life Serapion is quoted in four sections of the ''Sayings of the Desert Fathers'', where he is called Abba Serapion. He was given the title "The Angel of the Church of Thmuis" by Evagrius Ponticus in ''Gnostikos''. Monasticism Before becoming a monk, Serapion was educated in Alexandria.Fanning, W. (1908). ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. New York: Robert Appleton Company. He then became the abbot of the Monastery of Arsina (), which at one point held as many as eleven-thousand monks. He was given the title "the Great" by the early Christian historians Sozomen and Palladius. As a monk, he was a companion and disciple of Anthony the Great, who at his deathbed bequeathed to him one of his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Praktikos
The ''Praktikos'' ( el, Πρακτικός) is a guide to ascetic life written by the early Christian monk Evagrius Ponticus. It was originally written in Greek, but also has Syriac and Armenian versions. This work is the best preserved of all the Evagrian writings due to the relatively large number of manuscripts and wide distribution (Bamberger 1972:lix-lx). The ''Praktikos'' consists of 100 chapters. Of the 100 chapters of the ''Praktikos'', demons are mentioned in 67 of them. Although originally written in Greek, there are manuscripts of the ''Praktikos'' in Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopic (Ge'ez), Georgian, and Arabic. Outline Below is a brief outline of the 100 chapters of the ''Praktikos''. *Introductory letter to Anatolius * -5Prologue * -14The eight kinds of evil thought (''logismoi'') ** Gluttony ** Impurity (lust; sexual immorality) ** Avarice ** 0Sadness ** 1Anger ** 2Acedia ("noonday demon"; sloth) ** 3Vainglory ** 4Pride * 5-39Against the eight passionate thoughts ('' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gregory Of Nazianzus
Gregory of Nazianzus ( el, Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζηνός, ''Grēgorios ho Nazianzēnos''; ''Liturgy of the Hours'' Volume I, Proper of Saints, 2 January. – 25 January 390,), also known as Gregory the Theologian or Gregory Nazianzen, was a 4th-century Archbishop of Constantinople and theologian. He is widely considered the most accomplished rhetorical stylist of the patristic age.McGuckin, John (2001) ''Saint Gregory of Nazianzus: An Intellectual Biography'', Crestwood, NY. As a classically trained orator and philosopher, he infused Hellenism into the early church, establishing the paradigm of Byzantine theologians and church officials. Gregory made a significant impact on the shape of Trinitarian theology among both Greek and Latin-speaking theologians, and he is remembered as the "Trinitarian Theologian". Much of his theological work continues to influence modern theologians, especially in regard to the relationship among the three Persons of the Tri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basil Of Caesarea
Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great ( grc, Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, ''Hágios Basíleios ho Mégas''; cop, Ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲟⲥ; 330 – January 1 or 2, 379), was a bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He was an influential theologian who supported the Nicene Creed and opposed the heresies of the early Christian church, fighting against both Arianism and the followers of Apollinaris of Laodicea. His ability to balance his theological convictions with his political connections made Basil a powerful advocate for the Nicene position. In addition to his work as a theologian, Basil was known for his care of the poor and underprivileged. Basil established guidelines for monastic life which focus on community life, liturgical prayer, and manual labor. Together with Pachomius, he is remembered as a father of communal monasticism in Eastern Christianity. He is considered a saint by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Athanasius
Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or, among Coptic Christians, Athanasius the Apostolic, was a Coptic church father and the 20th pope of Alexandria (as Athanasius I). His intermittent episcopacy spanned 45 years (c. 8 June 328 – 2 May 373), of which over 17 encompassed five exiles, when he was replaced on the order of four different Roman emperors. Athanasius was a Christian theologian, a Church Father, the chief defender of Trinitarianism against Arianism, and a noted Egyptian Christian leader of the fourth century. Conflict with Arius and Arianism, as well as with successive Roman emperors, shaped Athanasius' career. In 325, at age 27, Athanasius began his leading role against the Arians as a deacon and assistant to Bishop Alexander o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Didymus The Blind
Didymus the Blind (alternatively spelled Dedimus or Didymous) (c. 313398) was a Christian theologian in the Church of Alexandria, where he taught for about half a century. He was a student of Origen, and, after the Second Council of Constantinople condemned Origen, Didymus's works were not copied. Many of his writings are lost, but some of his commentaries and essays survive. He was seen as intelligent and a good teacher. Early life and education Didymus became blind at the age of four, before he had learned to read. He was a loyal follower of Origen, and opposed Arian and Macedonian teachings. Despite his blindness, Didymus excelled in scholarship because of his incredible memory. He found ways to help blind people to read, experimenting with carved wooden letters similar to Braille systems used by the blind today. He recalled and contemplated information while others slept. Teacher in Alexandria According to Rufinus, Didymus was "a teacher in the Church school", who was "ap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antoine Guillaumont
Antoine Guillaumont (13 January 1915, L'Arbresle – 25 August 2000) was a French archaeologist and Syriac scholar. He held positions notably at the École pratique des hautes études and the Collège de France, and was a member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. His archaeological writings are related to the site of Kellia in Lower Egypt. As a Syriacist he was most interested in early monasticism and in the reception of the writings of Evagrius Ponticus. From 1954 to 1971, Guillaumont was the editor-in-chief of the academic quarterly ''Revue de l'histoire des religions'', edited by the Collège de France since 1880. During the 1980s. he was also the President of the Ernest Renan Joseph Ernest Renan (; 27 February 18232 October 1892) was a French Orientalist and Semitic scholar, expert of Semitic languages and civilizations, historian of religion, philologist, philosopher, biblical scholar, and critic. He wrote in ... Society which was the francophone br ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kephalaia Gnostika
The ''Kephalaia Gnostika'' ( el, Γνωστικὰ Κεφάλαια, meaning ''Chapters on Knowledge'', or ''Propositions on Knowledge'') is a 4th-century work by Evagrius Ponticus. It is philosophical in nature, containing many themes on cosmology and metaphysics, and resembles the Neoplatonic ''Enneads'' in many ways. Structure The ''Kephalia Gnostika'' has 6 books, each with 90 propositions (or "chapters"). Manuscripts Although most, but not all, of the original Greek text has been lost, there is a Syriac manuscript in the British Museum that contains many clear Origenist theories which had been denounced at the Council of Constantinople in 553. This version is typically referred to as the Syriac S2 version and was thought to be the only Syriac version until Antoine Guillaumont discovered another more complete and original Syriac version in the mid-1900s. The other Syriac version, known as the Syriac S1 version, had been expurgated, with the more obvious Origenist content cen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hesychast Literature
Hesychasm (; Greek: Ησυχασμός) is a contemplative monastic tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church in which stillness (''hēsychia'') is sought through uninterrupted Jesus prayer. While rooted in early Christian monasticism, it took its definitive form in the 14th century at Mount Athos. Etymology Hesychasm ( el, , Modern ) derives from the word ''hesychia'' (, ), meaning "stillness, rest, quiet, silence" and ''hesychazo'' ( ) "to keep stillness". Origins and development Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, a scholar of Eastern Orthodox theology, distinguishes five distinct usages of the term "hesychasm": # "solitary life", a sense, equivalent to "eremitical life", in which the term is used since the 4th century; # "the practice of inner prayer, aiming at union with God on a level beyond images, concepts and language"; # "the quest for such union through the Jesus Prayer"; # "a particular psychosomatic technique in combination with the Jesus Prayer", use of which technique ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
