The Spiritual Life, a Life of Renewal
6
The Spiritual Life,
a Life of Renewal
Spirituality in Athanasius’s writings is theologically founded on the life of renewal the incarnation granted humanity: the renewal of God’s image and theopoiēsis. These theological themes are biblically based and woven together with a sense of practicality and simplicity. Athanasian spirituality is based on the advancement of the spirituality of the person with the underlying premise that personal spiritual growth collectively changes the larger community and society. Though Athanasius’s spiritual direction starts with the person, his Festal Letters, addressed to the whole church, reveal his pastoral spiritual advice to a larger audience. This chapter will begin with the theological foundations of Athanasian spirituality followed by the impact and practical application of this spiritual theology on first the personal level then the pastoral and collective level as exhibited in Athanasius’s writings.
The Theological Foundation of Athanasius’s Spirituality
In one of his Festal Letters Athanasius observes that Paul gave different advice to different people as a model of adapting the message to the needs of every person. Paul always began, however, by preaching the word and the mystery of the Lord, that is, Paul always began with teaching the mysteries of the faith before asking his readers to change their way of life. For it is only when the people desire to live with Christ after knowing what Christ did for their salvation that people will easily follow what Christ commands. Athanasius asserts the Evangelists followed the same pattern of teaching the faith then exhorting to virtue. Athanasius advises that we first have to teach the Christian message to the people. When they know the message, they will naturally desire to live according to Christ’s model. Athanasius believes spirituality is based on a strong biblical and theological foundation; only on such a foundation can a person pursue a spiritual life.
The theological foundation of Athanasius’s spirituality can be gleaned from the double work Against the Pagans—On the Incarnation together with the Life of Antony. Against the Pagans starts with fallen humanity. God created humanity through his own Word and in the image of the Word who is the Image of the invisible God. The immortal soul is endowed with reason through which it contemplates and beholds God, has within itself the knowledge of the Word of God, and knows of its immortality. Humanity is created to live in blessedness and to contemplate God, guided by the soul that helps it reach the aim of its creation. It is through the purity of the soul that we can see God. When we contemplate the Word, the Word guides us to preserve this purity since he is the Image of the Father after whose image humanity was made. When the human mind transcends the things of the body and the senses, it is raised high and takes pleasure in contemplating the Word and the Father and gains renewal. The aim of the spiritual life is to reach this state of mind where the soul is in constant contemplation of God without hindrance from the senses or anything else.
Being created in the image of the Word/Logos means the human soul is endowed with human reason and a nous that is always oriented towards the contemplation of God. God dwells within us, for the kingdom of God is within us. Searching within ourselves we contemplate the Divine dwelling within us; we attend to the nous guiding our soul towards God himself. The nous that resides within the soul discerns the external temptations to the senses and decides what is best for the soul. When the body and its senses are quiet and still, the rational soul can behold what is beyond the immediate bodily senses and can behold and contemplate God. The awareness of the immortality of the soul inclines human beings to seek virtue even in the face of physical harm or even death. The movement of the soul does not cease with the death of the body and thoughts of immortality never desert the soul, for the soul transcends the nature of the body and always yearns to contemplate God.
Even endowed with all these gifts, people turned toward evil by conceiving evil in the imagination of their minds. God did not create evil. Athanasius rejects the idea of evil as an independent, created, substantive reality and does not attribute to matter the principle of evil. Matter, however, captivates the senses and there is a need for the constant discernment of the nous residing within the soul not to let matter overtake the soul. When humans chose to contemplate their bodies and all that belongs to the senses, they were deprived of the contemplation of divine things. They discovered they were naked, they learned to commit wrong, and they began to contemplate evil rather than God. When the soul is away from God and the mind is not occupied with the contemplation of God, the soul loses its ability to distinguish between what is good and what is evil.
The fall took place when humans chose not to contemplate God. Their minds were drawn to the senses, to the created world and not to God. Humanity strayed and needed salvation. It was thus necessary for the Word, who created the world, to renew and save creation. When humans transgressed the commandment and chose to eat from the tree, when they chose the material world over the contemplation of God, they suffered the consequence of the transgression and came under the sentence of death and corruption. Humans could no longer live in eternity with God. But in his lovingkindness toward his creation the Word would not accept that creation should suffer death and corruption and go to waste. Only death could undo the corruption of humanity. Only God the Word was able to recreate and renew humanity. He was the only one who could suffer and die on behalf of the humanity made in his image. God the Word is incorporeal, incorruptible, and immaterial and does not die. God the Word became incarnate to die on our behalf. We are the object of his incarnation. He took a body and made it his own. When he died on the cross, we died in him. When he overcame death by his resurrection we rose with him. He conquered death and overturned the sentence of corruption. Neither death nor corruption have a hold on humanity. “He became human that we might be made god (theopoiēthōmen).”
The Word overcame death by his resurrection, renewed humanity, and renewed God’s image within humanity. Humans became immortal, were made god, and came to know God the Father, worship him, and call him “Abba.” Knowing God makes us seek the contemplation of God, makes us seek virtue of the soul. The incarnation gave us power to transcend the body and seek what is beyond the senses. By the incarnation, humans can perceive the unseen Father and contemplate God. The incarnate Word gave humanity the life of renewal.
What has been presented here represents the high points of Athanasius’s understanding of salvation of the human person, from the source of evil and the fall to the incarnation and resurrection, the renewal of life, the renewal of God’s image within humanity, and theopoiēsis. All these theological themes form the core of the spiritual life, whether of the person or of the Christian community. Athanasius does not believe this spiritual life is merely theoretical or unattainable; rather, it is how to live as a Christian. The Life of Antony is a demonstration of the life of renewal, of a life according to the new creation that Christians became with the resurrection. The Life of Antony describes how the nous guides the soul to a life of prayer through the careful reading of Scripture and renouncing all things for the sake of constant contemplation of God. The spiritual life that Athanasius charted in Against the Pagans—On the Incarnation and the Life of Antony depicts how the soul lived in deep contemplation of God and then forsook God for its senses. The Word, however, could not forsake his creation and became incarnate, saving humanity, overcoming death, and granting humans a renewed life, and a life of immortality. The nous is no longer blinded by the senses beyond its will, but rather is uplifted with power of the resurrection. There is nothing that hinders humanity from becoming the dwelling place of the Divine and living in constant contemplation of God. It is a spiritual life that surpasses the paradisiac state. It is a spiritual life characterized by joy at the Word’s triumph over death, rejoicing in the Word, the giver of life. It is a spiritual life of humans living as children of God with the divine image renewed within them. It is a spiritual life rooted in the deep understanding of the incarnation and the true essence of salvation.
Personal and Individual Spirituality
The theological foundation of Alexandrian spirituality, as presented by Athanasius of Alexandria, is the interaction of the Divine with the nous and the soul of each human person. The incarnation and resurrection saved humanity but at the same time it is the story of salvation of each human person, each human soul, within the larger human body. Alexandrian spirituality addresses the salvation of each human person, each rational soul, that collectively constitute the larger Christian body and the church. A good example is Antony, who, though he lived in solitude, encouraged many to follow a more spiritual life through the many spiritual advances he gained in his solitary life. Many men chose to stay with him and emulate his spiritual life, and others, both men and women, visited him seeking his spiritual guidance. Antony’s spiritual life radiated beyond his solitary confinement. Alexandrian spirituality believes that the seed of one person gives fruit to many. The example of one is a statement of mission to the many who encounter the person living this spiritual life. Thus, Athanasius is attentive to personal spirituality because it is the foundation of the spirituality of the larger Christian body.
Athanasius describes the spiritual life of a Christian in one of his Festal Letters. The righteous become disciples of the kingdom of heaven and are in constant meditation on Scripture, whether they are sitting, walking, or in any other activity. The Christian becomes grounded in the faith, rejoicing in hope, and bold in the spirit. The thoughts of the mind move the Christian to act in virtue. For everything starts with the thoughts of the mind. Christ taught whoever looks at a woman with lust has committed adultery, and whoever is angry with his brother has committed murder. If the thought of the mind did not have wrath there would have been no murder and if the thought of the mind had no lust there would be no adultery. If one keeps meditating on the word of God the mind will be conversing with virtue and the person will act in righteousness. Athanasius continues,
Worthy of admiration is the virtue of that man, my brethren! for through Timothy he enjoins upon all, that they should have regard to nothing more than to godliness, but above everything to adjudge the chief place to faith in God. For what grace has the unrighteous man, though he may feign to keep the commandments? Nay rather, the unrighteous man is unable even to keep a portion of the law, for as is his mind, such of necessity must be his actions; as the Spirit says, reproving such; “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” After this the Word, shewing that actions correspond with thoughts, says, “They are corrupt; they are profane in their machinations.” The unrighteous man then, in every respect corrupts his body; stealing, committing adultery, cursing, being drunken, and doing such like things.
Athanasius confirms it is the thought/nous anchored in faith that guides the person to righteousness. We observe again the theme of the mind/nous guiding the soul and the person toward the life of virtue.
In his Letter to Marcellinus on the Interpretation of the Psalms Athanasius addresses the topic of prayer using the psalms. The Psalms, he says, are different from the rest of Scripture. In Scripture one learns the commandments that guide the behavior, what to do or not do. Scripture also records the actions of the prophets and prophecies about the Savior. The Psalms relay similar themes but the reader “also comprehends and is taught in [them] the emotions of the soul” and receives images “deriving from the words.” The Psalms teach not only repentance, but how to repent and what one must say while repenting. The Psalms teach not only to bear suffering but what to say during and after one is delivered from suffering. The Psalms teach to give thanks and what to say when giving thanks. The Psalms teach that one will be persecuted for living a godly life, and they provide the words to say while suffering persecution or fleeing from one’s enemies, and after being delivered from one’s suffering. The Psalms teach how to praise the Lord. The Psalms teach the “emotions and dispositions of the souls, finding in them also the therapy and correction suited for each emotion.” The Psalms express the emotions of the soul going through various life experiences, whether joyous or sorrowful, and give the words to speak to God about them. The Psalms give words for repentance, suffering, thanksgiving, or praise and blessing. The Psalms give one the words for prayer and help one make the words one’s own. The one who hears the Psalms “is deeply moved, as though he himself were speaking, and is affected by the words of the songs, as if they were his own songs.” It is clear from Athanasius’s description that the Psalms were chanted rather than read. Athanasius thinks it is fitting to praise God not “in compressed speech alone, but also in the voice that is richly broadened.” Psalms are not just for the ear’s delight, they are for the sake of praising the Lord. In addition, voices coming together into a single harmonious sound “appear in the soul” in their different movements, affecting the activity of parts of the body to create harmony within a person. Athanasius believes psalm chanting has a soothing and remedial effect on the soul and body through the power of the words and melodic rhythms. Athanasius maintains chanting the psalms should be with the mind and come from the soul that is in accord with the Spirit. Chanting should not be for the sake of good musical harmony but rather a “sign of the harmony of the soul’s reflection. Indeed, the melodic reading is a symbol of the mind’s well-ordered and undisturbed condition.” For Athanasius, chanting the psalms involves the whole person, soul, mind, and body. This reflects Athanasius’s understanding of the human person and its composition and the role of the soul and mind/nous in his theology of salvation and the whole spiritual endeavor.
Athanasius’s spiritual instruction is addressed primarily to the individual. It is based on his understanding of the human person and the role of mind/nous in guiding the soul toward divine contemplation. Whether it is the instruction on prayer and the reading of Scripture from the life of Antony or on praying and chanting the psalms, everything revolves around living the life of renewal granted to us by the incarnation and resurrection.
Pastoral and Corporate Spirituality
Athanasius, famous for his extensive theological refutation of the Arians, believes that “the faith of simplicity is better than an elaborate process of persuasion”; he was forced by circumstances to write elaborate treatises of persuasion to show the truth to the faithful. As a pastor he preferred the faith of simplicity but as a theologian he was obligated to defend the truth. As a pastor in frequent exiles in defense of the faith, he was responsible for a flock who equally endured persecution to defend that same faith. The faithful were attacked while attending church, their churches were confiscated by imperial decrees, they suffered loss of property, and they were persecuted for not accepting Arian teaching. It is within the context of the exile of Athanasius and the suffering of his flock that many of the Festal Letters were written and read in churches. It is within this context that Athanasius, the church leader, asks his flock to celebrate the feast in joy, to offer thanksgiving to God, to keep the faith and let it guide them to the life of virtue. It is from the Festal Letters that we can glean some of the pastoral and corporate aspects of Athanasius’s spirituality.
Two main themes will be discussed: celebrating Passover and thanksgiving. Athanasius pays attention to the spiritual way that each person celebrates Passover but at the same time recognizes that it is a communal celebration. Athanasius asks, “For what else is the feast, but the constant worship of God, and the recognition of godliness, and unceasing prayers from the whole heart with agreement?” He then emphasizes, “Not therefore separately, but unitedly and collectively, let us all keep the feast together.” He continues, “And the sacrifice is not offered in one place, but ‘in every nation, incense and a pure sacrifice is offered unto God.’” In another Festal Letter Athanasius writes from exile in Rome that he is keeping the feast with his flock because he and his people in Egypt are one in will and spirit, and they both send prayers in common to God. Personal celebrations in unity create collective celebration. Athanasius reminds his hearers that the Lord is the feast. Therefore, the feast should not be an occasion for indulgence but a time to practice temperance and an occasion for virtue. It is the time to observe the purity of the fast, pray and read Scriptures, practice humility, take care of the poor, and make peace with one’s enemy. There is a practical aspect to celebrating Passover on the personal level that impacts the society. While attending to prayer and the study of Scripture are essential, peace and love within the larger Christian community are at the core of how to celebrate Passover.
The Passover celebration is preceded by a fast. Athanasius advises his flock to humble their souls during fasting. He calls on his flock to sanctify the fast by not polluting the “thoughts of their hearts,” not doing evil against their neighbors, and not boasting about their fast. Athanasius is attentive to both the inner spiritual working of the thoughts of the heart and the outward, social interaction with one’s neighbor with kindness and without boasting. Athanasius emphasizes that humility of soul is to characterize the fast and quotes Leviticus 23:29 that the soul that does not humble itself shall be cut off from the people. In this public letter, addressed to all his people in Egypt and Libya, in his spiritual advice on fasting, which is the ecclesial practice of all Christians in preparation for Passover and the resurrection, Athanasius is attentive to the larger theme of fasting and showing kindness to the neighbor. At the same time he addresses the inner personal practice of the soul during fasting. If the inner personal aspect of fasting is not addressed, the larger, corporate fasting of the church will be that of boasting rather than virtue and holiness. For Athanasius, fasting of the soul is required along with the fasting of the body. Virtues and vices are the food of the soul. The soul is nurtured by virtue, righteousness, self-restraint, humbleness, and courage. But if the soul is not nourished by virtue it will feed on sin. The soul should nourish itself on the heavenly bread, not feed on sin. Moses received the law, Elijah received visions, and Daniel received mysteries while fasting. The contemplation of God nourished them instead of food. Food nourishes us externally, but the Word and the contemplation of God is the nourishment of the soul. The Passover lamb, which was a type of the Word, was the divine nourishment of the Jews.
In the Festal Letters Athanasius primarily writes about spiritual fasting with little or no emphasis on physical fasting. When he speaks about abstinence he speaks about abstinence from evil for the exercise of virtue. Athanasius advises the following:
“Let us keep the Feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” “Putting off the old man and his deeds, let us put on the new man, which is created in God,” in humbleness of mind, and a pure conscience; in meditation of the law by night and by day. And casting away all hypocrisy and fraud, putting far from us all pride and deceit, let us take upon us love towards God and towards our neighbor, that being new [creatures], and receiving the new wine, even the Holy Spirit, we may properly keep the feast, even the month of these new [fruits].
Attentiveness to the mind/nous, renewal of creation, one of Athanasius’s main theological and spiritual themes, together with the Holy Spirit, are what guide the person as well as the larger Christian body to contemplate God, the aim of the spiritual life. Athanasius dispenses his pastoral advice to his listeners that fasting is a spiritual endeavor: it nourishes the soul and prepares one to contemplate God. It is a personal as well as a communal activity within the church in preparation of Passover.
Athanasius urges his hearers to celebrate Passover with joy and gladness, even though it is about the Lord’s death and in spite of the persecutions he and his people are going through. Easter is not for mourning but for joy and gladness because the Lord abolished death with his death and gave humanity life by his death. Christ bade the women following him to his death on the cross not to weep for him because his death was not an event of sorrow but of joy; the one who died for them is alive and the giver of life. We rejoice in Christ’s victory over death and we rejoice in our incorruptibility for we were made divine through theopoiēsis. Christ’s resurrection assures us of our own resurrection, his incorruptibility assures us of our own incorruptibly. In the Festal Letter he sent from his exile in Rome, while he was suffering from Arian persecution, Athanasius exhorted his hearers to celebrate the feast with joy because salvation comes after suffering. For only by suffering for our sake and abolishing death did Christ redeem us. While we are suffering we should not separate ourselves from the love of God but celebrate it in joy, for he nourishes us every day. Athanasius asks his hearers not to be consumed with their present tribulations and the persecutions they are suffering for their faith. These are all temporal. It is more beneficial to think of what is eternal. Present suffering cannot be compared to what awaits in the heavenly kingdom. We just need to know that our suffering is for the truth.
Athanasius takes the opportunity of the yearly crafting of the Festal Letter to address the fear and anxiety of his people. Festal Letter Three was written in 331, before the first exile but during a time of tribulation, which Athanasius describes as follows: “We have been held under restraint by those who afflict us, . . . At all times let us stand firm, but especially now, although many afflictions overtake us, and many heretics are furious against us.” It was during a period during which the different Arian factions, especially the Meletians, accused him of many things, including breaking the chalice and murdering bishop Arsenius. He was then summoned to the imperial court to defend himself. His spiritual and pastoral advice to his people is that, though one goes through difficulties, tribulations, and false accusations, it is also a time to give thanks to the Lord. Athanasius begins with giving thanks to God who comforts the afflicted, for Athanasius obeyed the voice of truth that silenced his accusers. His message in the third Festal Letter is that the way to celebrate the feast is through the service of the soul, which is prayer and unceasing thanksgiving. Athanasius uses the parable of the unforgiving servant. The one who received the single talent did not use it and was cast out for being unthankful. He neglected grace and hid it from others and was cast out for his wickedness and ingratitude. Athanasius encourages his listeners not to be idle like those who did not use their talents, for this was a sign of unthankfulness. If one is idle and does not cultivate the spirit within, virtue departs and is replaced by unclean spirits, one becomes unfruitful, cares more of the world, and is delivered to its lusts. Unthankful people will quench the spirit within them and thoughts of understanding will depart from them. The purified soul brings forth fruits. The ungrateful and unthankful will end up away from God. Job and David were thankful during their time of tribulations. So now in our time of tribulations we give thanks to the Lord. Though hindered, we will proclaim the word of the Lord; though afflicted, we will sing psalms; and though despised, we will persist in the truth. Athanasius reminds his listeners that only one of the ten lepers was thankful for his healing while the rest were ungrateful. Only one of the lepers returned back and gave glory to God and he was the only one who received more because his faith had made him well. Athanasius tells his listeners that thanksgiving gives believers strength and this feast should be celebrated with thanksgiving. Celebrating Passover is not with meat, fine clothing, and leisure, but rather in glorifying God and offering thanksgiving and praise. The significance of this spiritual message of thanksgiving is that it was delivered at a time of great trials and pain to Athanasius and thus makes the message more powerful because he is setting an example for the whole church.
Athanasius’s spiritual practices and advice are based on the Bible and theology. While we discussed representative themes from only a few of his works in this chapter, they can be found throughout his writings. His main spiritual and theological principle is that the incarnation granted humanity a life of renewal, a renewal of God’s image within us, through which we are granted incorruptibility and theopoiēsis, we become children of God and the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Athanasius’s understanding of the composition of human person, of a soul endowed with reason/nous, plays a great role in his spiritual practice and advice on both the individual and collective levels. Individual spirituality is the building block that shapes collective spirituality. The nous/reason guides the individual soul to the contemplation of God and to be in the complete presence of the divine. Individual spirituality guides every person in his/her spiritual and social life. The inner thoughts guide the person in his/her actions, for how can a person be virtuous if the mind is filled with anger or injustice and from the heart proceed evil thoughts? The person with a cleansed heart and mind loves the neighbor, has compassion on the needy, fulfills every action in a spiritual manner, conducts him/herself in righteousness, acts in justice, is in constant prayer, and fulfills everything in a spiritual manner. Individual spirituality fashions individual actions that shape collective spirituality and actions.
Questions for Further Discussion
Suggestions for Further Reading
Contra gentes 19–35
On the Incarnation 1–19; 26–32
Letter to Marcellinus on the Interpretation of the Psalms 1–13;
Festal Letters with special attention to letters 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, and 19.
Life of Antony
. Ep. fest. 11.2,3.
. Ep. fest. 11.4.
. This continues some aspects of the discussion in chapter 2. A more detailed exposition of Athanasius’s spiritual theology is in Farag, Balance of the Heart, 47–94.
. Matt 5:8.
. C. Gent. 19–21.
. C. Gent. 30–31.
. C. Gent. 32.
. C. Gent. 33.
. C. Gent. 3.
. Inc. 1.
. Inc. 3.
. Inc. 5, 9.
. Inc. 4.
. Inc. 54.
. This segment continues the discussion in chapter 2, section “Antony, an Exemplar of the Life of Renewal.”
. Deut 6:7.
. Matt 5:22, 28.
. Ep. fest. 11.7.
. Ep. fest. 11.8.
. Ep. Marcell. 10. All citations are from Athanasius, Life of Antony and the Letter to Marcellinus.
. Ep. Marcell. 10.
. Ep. Marcell. 13.
. Ep. Marcell. 10, 11.
. Ep. Marcell. 11.
. Ep. Marcell. 27.
. Ep. Marcell. 29.
. C. Ar. 3.1.
. Ep. fest. 11.11, citing Mal 1:11.
. Ep. fest. 13.1.
. Cf. 1 Cor 5:7.
. Ep. fest. 14.5.
. Isa 58:5.
. Ep. fest. 1.4.
. Ep. fest. 1.4.
. Ep. fest. 1.5.
. Ep. fest. 1.6.
. Ep. fest. 1.7.
. Ep. fest. 5.4.
. Ep. fest. 1.9, citing 1 Cor 5:8 and Eph 4:22–24.
. Ep. fest. 11.13.
. Luke 23:28.
. Ep. fest. 11.14.
Ep. fest. 13.6.
. Ep. fest. 13.4.
. Ep. fest. 13.6.
. Ep. fest. 3.1, 5.
. 2 Cor 7:6.
. Ep. fest. 3.2–4.
. Ep. fest. 3.5.
. Luke 17:19; Ep. fest. 6.3.
. Ep. fest. 3.5.
. Ep. fest. 7.3.
. Ep. fest. 19.4–6.