EVAGRIUS OF PONTUS:GREEK ASCETIC CORP OECS:NCS PAPER: The Greek Ascetic Corpus

by SINKEWICZ

This is the first complete English translation of Evagrius' Greek ascetic writings, based on modern critical editions, and collations of the principal manuscripts. Two appendices provide variant readings for the Greek texts and the complete text of the long recension of Eulogios. The translations are accompanied by a commentary to guide the reader through the intricacies of Evagrian thought by offering explanatory comments and references to other Evagrian texts and relevant scholarly literature.

Genres: Religion, Christian, Spirituality

409 pages, Paperback

First published October 9, 2003

Reviews

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sinkewicz does a good job editing and introducing Evagrios of Pontus's ascetical works (leaving out any commentaries). There is some repetition but his comments do make Evagrios's own work accessible.

Each work follows the standard Evagrian pattern of showing a monk’s progression. Standard 8-fold pattern of vices:

1. Gluttony
2. Fornication
3. Avarice
4. Sadness
5. Anger
6. Acedia: noonday demon, most powerful.
7. Vainglory
8. Pride

More specifically, there is the theme of demonic warfare. The demons fear humility (Eulogios I.25). Interestingly, Evagrios references his opponent Epiphanius’s story of the demon Python. The free will of angels means that demons aren’t evil by nature (Ad Monachos). Demons come for an evil soul at death (idem 23).

The Demon vagabond

This demon attacks around 6 AM. He makes the mind wander. He is intentional. When attacked, Evagrios suggests we stop what we are doing and observe. When you defeat this demon, you will feel sleepy, lethargic, and physically cold (The bodies of demons are very cold and like ice, 33). Dissipate these by intense prayer.

Another theme is prayer. It is the communion of the mind with God (On Prayer 3). Therefore, the mind must be free from representations of passions. Prayer is the laying aside of mental representations (70). We must acquire tears (5).

The vices thicken the mind and make it unable to pray (50).

We pursue virtues for the sake of created beings, and these we pursue for the sake of the Word who gave them being, and he usually manifests himself in the state of prayer (51).

Evaluation

Evagrios himself is quite interesting. There is a heavy Origenist strand, but many of his comments on prayer are quite insightful. His comments on spiritual warfare come from the trenches and are worth considering. He learned from Abbas Macarios of Egypt and Macarios of Alexandria (even if he wasn't quite as balanced).

While Sinkewicz did a great job, he was hamstrung by Oxford. The binding his horrible. It will not survive many readings.

[Steven-John Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent scholarly review of the pertinent works of Evagrius. Annotations and introductions both excellent to enhance the work.

[Patrick Oden · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most influential monastic writers of the early church. He is considered the first to devise the list of deadly sins and was a major influence in the thought of later monastic writers. Only recently, however, has his work been translated, and only more recently has this translation become affordable.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent set of translations which gives a vivid picture of the thoughtworld of the monks in the Egyptian desert in the 4th century. This should be required reading for anybody who wishes to understand the nature of sin in Christian thought.