John Cassian’s Royal Road: Discretion, Balance, and the Tradition of the Fathers
Throughout John Cassian’s Institutes, he regularly exhorts his readers to ascetic discretion and moderation. He refers to this path of discretion as the ‘royal road’. To the left is negligence and acquiescence to temptation. On the right is over-zealous ascetic endeavors that often leave one weak an...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage
2021
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| In: |
The Downside review
Year: 2021, Volume: 139, Issue: 2, Pages: 145-153 |
| IxTheo Classification: | KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity KCA Monasticism; religious orders NBF Christology |
| Further subjects: | B
Monasticism
B Early Church B royal road B tradition of the fathers B John Cassian B Discretion |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Throughout John Cassian’s Institutes, he regularly exhorts his readers to ascetic discretion and moderation. He refers to this path of discretion as the ‘royal road’. To the left is negligence and acquiescence to temptation. On the right is over-zealous ascetic endeavors that often leave one weak and vulnerable to unclean thoughts and temptation. The royal road, meanwhile, is paved with ascetic moderation and continual discernment of one’s thoughts. This image of the royal road can be seen at work in Cassian’s discussions of grace and free will in both Institutes and Conferences. This royal road is also at work in his Christological treatise, On the Incarnation. Cassian positions Nestorius’ christology among the various heretics on the left and right of the tradition of the fathers that commits itself to the mysterious union of divinity and humanity in Christ. |
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| ISSN: | 2397-3498 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The Downside review
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0012580621997049 |