The Monk And The Martyr: The Monk As The Successor Of The MartyrThe ideal of Christian perfection does not change from age to age but remains forever essentially the same. Nevertheless, the manner in which Christians attempt to realize that ideal in their own lives may vary considerably according to the age in which they live, and according to the circumstances in which they find themselves placed. During the apostolic age, and during the time of the great persecutions, when almost every Christian might expect to end his life as a martyr, the disposition to offer one's life for the faith was considered the highest expression of Christian perfection. When the age of the martyrs had passed, it became necessary for the Christian to express his desire to imitate Christ in some other way. Many Christians wishing to disengage their affection entirely from the world, sought to apply the evangelical counsels to their lives in a very literal fashion. This ascetical ideal was accepted by many of the rigorists of the second century as a substitute for martyrdom as the highest expression of the love of God. Thus the ascetical life came to be looked upon as a martyrium cotidianum, and the concept of spiritual martyrdom was born. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 7 | |
| 11 | |
The Spiritual Martyrdom of St Anthony 45 | |
The Imitation of the Martyrs by the Disciples of Pachomius 49 | |
OF CHRIST 57 | |
Images from the Arena Applied to the Spiritual Life 62 | |
St John Chrysostom 66 | |
John Cassian 70 | |
CHAPTER V | |
A SECOND BAPTISM 87 | |
Other editions - View all
The Monk and the Martyr: The Monk As the Successor of the Martyr Edward E. Malone No preview available - 2011 |
The Monk and the Martyr: The Monk as the Successor of the Martyr Edward Eugene Malone No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
ancient Church Anthony apostles arena ascetical asceticism Athanasius athlete of Christ baptism Basil Cassian catechumen Christian perfection Clement of Alexandria Commodian confession contest CSEL Cyprian death devil endure enemy enim etiam evil spirits faith Fathers Funk-Bihlmeyer garments GCS Cl Alex GCS Origen gnostic Hartel holy Ibid ideal of perfection Ignatius Ignatius of Antioch imitation Initiation of Monks John Cassian lives Lord Macarius martyrium martyrs miles Christi Militia Christi monastic profession Monasticism Monchtums monk mystères mystery religions Pachomius Paris Paul persecution Petschenig Quasten quod real martyrdom religion renunciation sacramentum Satan says second baptism soldier of Christ soul spiritual martyrdom Stahlin struggle suffering Sulpicius Severus Tertullian thou Tubingen Vita ἀλλ ἀλλα αὐτοῦ γαρ δε δια ἐαν εἰς ἐκ ἐν ἐπι ἵνα και κατα μεν μη οἱ ὅτι οὐ οὐκ περι προς τας τε τῇ τῆς τοῖς τοῦ τοῦτο τῷ τῶν ὡς