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The Studies Regarding Monasticism and Voluntary Poverty in the Patristic Church

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The Studies Regarding Monasticism and Voluntary Poverty in the Patristic Church The studies regarding monasticism and voluntary poverty in the patristic Church Dariusz Kasprzak OFMCap. Kraków 2017 Proofreading Ewa Popielarz Technical editor Jadwiga Malik The publication was financed by the subsidy for the maintaining of research poten‑ tial of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, granted by the Minister of Science and Higher Education in the year 2016. Publikacja finansowana z dotacji na utrzymanie potencjału badawczego Uni wer­ sy tetu Papieskiego Jana Pawła II w Krakowie przyznanej przez Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego w roku 2016. Copyright © 2017 by The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow ISBN 978­83­7438­575­6 (print) ISBN 978­83­7438­576­3 (online) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15633/9788374385763 The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow Press Poland, 30­348 Kraków, ul. Bobrzyńskiego 10 tel. (12) 422 60 40, e­‑mail: [email protected] www.ksiegarnia.upjp2.edu.pl Introduction The essays herein presented as The studies regarding monasticism and voluntary poverty in the patristic Church constitute a collec‑ tion of the English translations of ten representative articles which since 2008 I have devoted to the theme of monasticism and volun‑ tary poverty in the First – Fourth century Church. The individual chapters of this book were previously published in a form of arti‑ cles to which I have the author’s right. All of them have been thor‑ oughly revised for the purpose of including them in this book. The research aim I had in each of my explorations was the attempt to answer the question: “What is voluntary monastic poverty in the patristic thought?” I looked for the answer in the source texts spe‑ cific for the discussed subject. For that reason this book has the character of a study of theological sources with the use of the his‑ toric and theological methods. The majority of the assumptions of the Christian theological doctrine were formed in the first centuries of the formation of the Church. The concepts then elaborated, with the lapse of subse‑ quent centuries, started to be referred to in the Church as the theo‑ logical Tradition. The theological thought of the first centuries of Christianity is equally essential for the issue of monasticism and voluntary poverty. These matters were sethen considered in the Church first and foremost in the soteriological key since it is al‑ ways deciding for each Christian concept. 6 The studies regarding monasticism and voluntary poverty… As far as the chronological range is concerned, the stage in the history of the Christian Church, which in the Church historiogra‑ phy is referred to as the epoch of the Church Fathers, will be de‑ picted. It is traditionally regarded that this period stared with the death of the last of the Apostles, that is St John the Apostle, and last‑ ed until the death of St Isidore of Seville (AD 636) in the Western Christianity, and until the death of St John Damascene (AD 749) in the Eastern Christianity. Firstly, I will briefly present the biblical theology which was at the foundation of the contemplations of the Fathers and the first law creators, to further proceed to the most important concepts of the patristic authors up to the 4th century concerning voluntary poverty in the patristic period monasticism. The principal patristic reflection from the very beginning took its origin in the biblical message. The Bible represents a varied ap‑ proach regarding the wealth – poverty issue. In the Old Testament wealth is unambiguously interpreted as a sign of God’s blessing and acknowledged as good. Material wealth is understood as a God’s gift but is only one of the elements of the full life that is promised to the believers by God (cf. Ps 23:1; Ps 34:10; Ps 37:19; Deut 16:14n). However, no sooner than in the New Testament does a clearly pré‑ cised idea appear that God only is the Lord of wealth as its one and only owner and it is God that offers wealth to man (cf. 1 Cor 1:5; Eph 2:7; J 6:35; 2 Cor 8:7; 2 Cor 9:8). Material wealth interpret‑ ed as good is a thought especially characteristic for the Pentateuch in which it becomes the entitlement to nobility and the sign of God’s blessing (cf. Gen 13:2; Gen 26:12n; Gen 30:43; Gen 49:12– 25; Deut 8:7–10; Deut 28:1–12). Material wealth does not constitute absolute or most import‑ ant good. According to the authors of the wisdom books, such goods as the peace of the soul, good name, justice, good health or wisdom are more important. In the wisdom books of the Old Testament one will notice the approach that for a Jahveh believer wealth constitutes relative and what follows from that – secondary Introduction 7 good. The peace of the soul (Prov 15:16), good name (Prov 22:1), health (Eccl 30:14n), justice (Prov 16:8), wisdom (3 Kings 3:11nn; Job 28:15–19; Wis 7:8–11) are consequently given priority over wealth. The due balance between wealth and poverty is shown in the Book of Proverbs which, as an example, describes the comport‑ ment of a Jewish wise man achieved through prayer meditation: “Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say: ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God” (Prov 30:7–9). What is more, in the prophetic writings the identification of wealth with idolatry is clearly noticeable. The damnable rich trust‑ ing foremost their material wealth reject the covenant with God (cf. Isa 2:7; Hos 2; Hos 13; Ezek 16). Yet, in the wisdom writings from the period of the Babylonian exile one finds the theme of a poor ser‑ vant who trusts his God and is rewarded by him on one hand, and on the other – a rich man trusting his wealth only (cf. Isa 42:1–7; 49:1–6; 50:4–9; 52:13–53; 12). For that reason the differentiation between wealth as a sign of blessing and poverty as a sign of curse, still so well visible in the Torah but not so clear and unambiguous in the later writings, is starting to change. Another, probably the most characteristic change in the reeval‑ uation of the Old Testament antagonism between wealth and pov‑ erty is the evolution of the Messianic idea. Along with the collapse of the David dynasty, beside the monarchic Messianism (Messiah in the royal power of the eastern absolutistic ruler) there appeared the royal‑ prophetic Messianism in which the role of Messiah is given to no other but Jahveh. And he is the poor, suffering and re‑ jected prophet sentenced to death. The New Testament, continuing the Old Testament threads, highlights the motif of the universal salvation which is accom‑ plished by the suffering Messiah the most. The historic Messiah 8 The studies regarding monasticism and voluntary poverty… as a servant of Jahveh is poor and he trusts God the Father. Jesus is the poor Messiah sent to the poor (cf. Mt 11:5; Lk 2:7; Mt 11:29; Mt 13:55; Mt 8:20; Mt 27:35). In the Gospels poverty is shown not only as a sign of trust to God but also as a sign of blessing. The Sermon on the Mount points at the poor as the blessed ones and the heirs of the Kingdom of God (cf. Mt 5:3; Lk 6:20; Ps 22:27). Moreover, spiritual poverty becomes the sign of the God’s Kingdom (Jas 2:5; Lk 18:15nn; Mt 19:13–24). Poverty of Messiah and of his followers becomes an eschatological sign (cf. Lk 12:33; Mt 10:8; Mt 19:21–27; Lk 14:26–33; 1 Cor 9:18; Phil 4:11n). Never in the Bible does wealth have this power of foreseeing the eternity. Wealth – understood as the mammon, idolatry – becomes in the Messiah’s teachings the prognostic of the rejection of God, of the religious impurity and injustice (cf. Lk 6:24; Mt 6:24; Mt 13:22; Lk 12:15–21; Lk 14:33; Lk 16:25; Mt 19:23; Jas 5:1–5; 1 Tim 6:17; 1 Jn 2:15nn). Wealth carries with itself the threat of moving away from God and each Christ’s follower needs to be aware of that. For that reason the original Christian community from Jerusalem, em‑ phasizing the central role of Christ, proposes the community of ma‑ terial goods (cf. Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32), which is meant to constitute the sign of mutual acceptance of the members of the congregation and the spiritual union with Christ, as an ideal of the Christian life. The early Christian authors in their considerations regarding the theme of wealth and poverty refer to biblical contemplations and continue various biblical threads themselves. In the first two centu‑ ries the strong eschatological expectation causes that wealth is for Christians a neutral and moderately relative value. In the 3rd cen‑ tury, alongside with the weakening eschatological perspective, the Christian ethics regarding wealth becomes very conservative. In the predicatory teachings firm pronouncements against wealth as such start appearing and greed is especially condemn. The authors of the 3rd century, respecting the right to private property and never speaking against it, discuss the relative moral neutrality of wealth Introduction 9 and at the same time encourage the rich Christians to give bigger alms to the needy ones.
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