The Apophthegmata Patrum and the Greek Philosophical Tradition
This dissertation traces the influence of the ancient philosophical schools upon the practices of the early Christian monastic communities that produced the Apophthegmata Patrum. Both ancient philosophy and early Christianity, especially in its monastic form, were complex social movements defined by their doctrines, but also by their distinctive community structures, pedagogy, and practices. Where studies of the relationship between Christianity and philosophy have tended to focus primarily on doctrinal questions, this project aims to explore various areas in order to develop a more subtle understanding. Both philosophy and monasticism represent elite spiritual groups within larger religious traditions, requiring a conversion in order to set out on the path. These conversions represented the crossing of a bright line, leaving behind an old life in order to adopt a new and fundamentally different identity. This required a measure of withdrawal from society at large, including stepping aside from common political and religious concerns, and, particularly in the monastic case, living in a separate community. It also entailed entering a personal relationship with a teacher, who would guide the convert in the new way of life. This mentorship was characterized by a therapeutic orientation, a desire not merely to teach the disciple new beliefs, but to treat the maladies of the soul. Achieving this therapeutic goal required a radical degree of openness on the part of the disciple, which allowed the teacher to understand all the unique elements of the individual case, and thus to address the disciple's errors frankly. A key element of the content of this teaching was the spiritual exercises, practiced in all the philosophical schools, and later adopted by the monks as well. The practitioner of either spiritual path would regularly examine their conscience in order to evaluate how successfully they were living up to their ideals. They would also memorize and reflect upon striking sayings from the leading lights of their communities (and, in the monastic case, upon the Christian scriptures). Additionally, they would reflect upon their inevitable mortality. These three practices combined to help form an attitude of focused attention to the present moment known as "vigilance" or "watchfulness". In this state of vigilance, the philosopher and the monk would be able to instantiate the commitments of their chosen path at every moment of life. While these practices were inflected differently in the different communities that employed them, the similarities are systematic and consistent. It is clear that the monks of the Apophthegmata Patrum were building deliberately and creatively upon philosophical precedents.
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