Reflecting and Responding
Evagrius of Ponticus
From Deadly Thoughts to Godly Virtues
If you are a theologian, you truly pray. If you truly pray, you are a theologian.
CHAPTERS ON PRAYER
EVAGRIUS (345-399) WAS A LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME. He helped forward the idea of monasticism as the highest expression of our love and devotion to God. Mentored by the Cappadocian fathers (Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa) while living in and around Constantinople, he seemed destined for high churchly office. But temptation overran him. The details are vague, but we do know that while serving God he fell passionately in love with a married woman. Questions abound as to whether the relationship was ever consummated, but Evagrius fled to Jerusalem, eventually settling in the Egyptian desert and never returning to Constantinople.
In the measured judgment of many leading thinkers, it was in the desert that Evagrius developed the earliest and best understanding of the developmental nature of Christian spirituality. Having sabotaged a brilliant career by his own indiscretion, Evagrius began an excavation of the human soul that endures to this day. Heavily influenced by Origen, he displays some of the keenest insights into the psychology of spiritual devotion ever written. Beyond his capacity to systematize human thought and emotion, his even greater contribution is his sensitivity to human nature—especially his identification of the eight deadly thoughts that agitate our mind and ruin our life.
Challenges in Our Life with God
Evagrius’s most important work, Monichikos, outlines the structure of the spiritual life and identifies the various challenges we confront as we develop our life with God. Later, under Gregory the Great (540-604), his eight deadly thoughts would be compressed into the seven deadly sins. We are still drawn to these ancient texts today because Evagrius shows such a deep understanding of human motivation. Here is a conceptual framework of his highly complex thought.
Table 2.1. Evagrius’s Ordering of the Spiritual Life
Levels
Lowest
Middle
Highest
Three Books of
Monichikos
Kephalia Gnostica
Human Action
praktike
physike
Theologike
Faculty of Judgment
Soma (body)
Psyche (soul)
(imago Dei)
Type of Spiritual Action
Action
Action and contemplation
Pure contemplation of God
Goal
Know the virtues of human behavior
Know the nature of earthly things
Know God
Intermediate: from natural contemplation to knowledge of the logikoi, the eight deadly thoughts. If we are derailed by the eight deadly thoughts, we are unable to ascend to the highest level of pure contemplation of God. Evagrius believes this is where the demons assail our minds in order to prevent us from rising to pure contemplation of God.
Intermediate: development of apatheia for bodily appetites in order to ascend to natural contemplation. It is on this level that Evagrius introduces the eight deadly thoughts. It is also here that we see for the first time the necessity of mastering the eight deadly thoughts if we are to avoid constraining our body (soma), thereby keeping us from moving to the next level in our life with God.
The Soul’s Return to God
The three books of the Monichikos outline the structure of the soul’s return to God and provide a guide for ascending from the lowest levels of our earthly existence to the majestic heights of our life with God. Occasionally, Evagrius is criticized for being too Platonic, a charge that could be leveled against almost every early Greek Christian (see appendix A). But his understanding of the mind’s return to God is completely within the framework of Christian theology and Scripture because of his belief that the “nous” is the faculty we possess that is made in the image of God (the imago Dei).
The first book, the Praktikos, consists of one hundred chapters on ascetic life and discipline. It outlines the process by which we harness the body in order to properly orient the active life to God. Here, we develop virtue that redirects our emotions and passions to that which is good. We repent from a life oriented against God and learn how to see ourselves as creatures within the broader purposes of God’s love.
It is on this level that we discover Evagrius’s most original contribution to our understanding of the spiritual life as journey: the eight deadly thoughts and the eight godly virtues, which together determine our spiritual destiny. If we succumb to any or all of the deadly thoughts, we create a roadblock that makes pure contemplation of God impossible. If we overcome these deadly thoughts by cultivating the eight godly virtues, we can transition to the highest level described in book three, Kephalia Gnostica, where we enjoy pure knowledge of God through prayer.
The second book, Gnostikos, consists of fifty chapters. It teaches us how to look for God in the created order, to cultivate a love of earthly realities by seeking God among human things. It is here that we refine our love of neighbor in order to ascend to a pure love of God. It is also on this level that our mind gains insight into the deeper nature of the universe. As we learn to love our neighbor, we also learn to love God. Because of our human limitations we almost never learn to love God before we learn to love our neighbor.
At the third and highest level, we enjoy pure contemplation of God. We enter into the vigor and strength of the fully animated divine “nous,” the Divine mind. We come to understand that our capacity to know God directly reflects the imago Dei, the image of God innate in each one of us.
The Deadly Thoughts and Godly Virtues
The key concept in Evagrius’s spiritual theology is that our ability to know and love God is tied directly to our ability to cultivate godly virtue. This cultivation proceeds by stages. Unless we face an untimely demise, Evagrius believes that each of us will be assailed by all eight deadly thoughts. The question is how we will react to the gravitational pull of each deadly thought when it arrives. The eight deadly thoughts are:
Evagrius’s greatest concern is the disorienting effect of these deadly thoughts. They can throw us off course and impede our pursuit of life with God, preventing us from attaining this life as our ultimate destiny. We eventually learn that successful resolution of one deadly thought provides the momentum to negotiate those that follow. And although each deadly thought arrives at a particular moment in our spiritual journey, its lingering spiritual effects can last a lifetime. Ultimately, each deadly thought is interdependent with all of the rest. Although we face the deadly thoughts individually, their power is cumulative if left unresolved.
We overcome the disorientation of the eight deadly thoughts only through the orienting effects of the eight godly virtues, which correspond directly to the deadly thoughts:
These virtues develop as we conquer the deadly thoughts arising from our interactions with other people and social institutions. The virtues, like the deadly thoughts, are cumulative. Positive resolution at one level leads to positive resolution at subsequent levels. Just as the deadly thoughts create disorientation, the moral virtues create an orientation that helps us make progress in our spiritual journey.
Gluttony overcome by temperance. Gluttony is the insatiable desire to take things in, to consume and to attempt to satisfy desire through gorging. In the ancient world the monks often feared they would run out of food. “The thought of gluttony,” Evagrius begins, “tempts the monk to give up his ascetic efforts in short order. It brings to mind concern for his stomach, spleen and liver. He remembers other brothers who have come to disgraceful end.”
Although associated primarily with food, gluttony can lead to any number of activities that reflect a loss of confidence in God’s provision. Today, for example, we often fear loss of a job, and the deadly thought of gluttony can take root as compulsive overwork.
The virtue of temperance recognizes that there will always be more to come and that God will provide. It is based on a capacity for trust and a hope in a future that does not presently exist. Trusting and depending on God allows us to believe that our future needs will be met and that we do not need to hoard now, so long as we follow God.
Anger overcome by mildness. Christians have never known exactly what to do with anger. Anger arises from a sense of violation—a violation of self, of agreements, of principles. It also arises when we feel a threat to our social status or a desire to control other people’s lives. Evagrius writes, “The most fierce passion is anger. In fact it is defined as a boiling and stirring up of wrath against one who has given injury. It tends to lead to a preoccupation with the one with whom we are angry. It ruins our health—both physical and mental.”
Mildness, on the other hand, is the capacity for self-restraint. Whether a principle has been violated or we simply feel a great frustration with ourselves or our situation, we can respond with mildness because we have confidence in God. When we center our life on God, our need to gain the world’s acclaim evaporates. We no longer clamor to climb the corporate ladder or be noticed. We find that God totally satisfies our need to be valued and recognized.
Greed overcome by generosity. Greed essentially has no limit. It is boundless in its grasping for money or fame and its need to fill others’ minds with ourselves. It leads to a lack of respect for the needs of others because our own needs overrun all normal boundaries and limits. Evagrius sees it this way: “Avarice suggests to the mind a lengthy old age, an inability to perform manual labor at some future date, and famines that are sure to come. It sees sickness that will visit us, the pinch of poverty, and the great shame that comes from accepting the necessities of life from others.”
The godly virtue of generosity overcomes greed by recognizing that our greatest good is found in sharing with others in community. It celebrates the contributions of others because we are content in the value and place of our own contribution. We no longer possess an insatiable desire for fame and money because we see God’s provision as sufficient.
Envy or vainglory overcome by happiness. Envy awakens in us when we feel inadequate about our own gifts and abilities and begin to resent the gifts and abilities of others. It is motivated by a fear of losing our place. What if someone else has better gifts than I do? Will I still be able to accomplish my own dreams and ambitions? Envy ultimately prevents us from seeing our own gifts and celebrating the role we have to play in the social networks and organizations where we find our greater meaning.
As Evagrius shows, envy takes on an especially unique twist. Of all the deadly thoughts, he sees envy as “the most subtle as it readily grows up in the souls of those who are seeking virtue because even this desire for virtue can be motivated by the desire to earn the praise of man.”
Happiness, on the other hand, arises from a celebration of the mutual contribution that we make together, as well as the contributions made by others with gifts and abilities that differ from our own. Happiness is a result of recognizing our own competencies and celebrating the skills and abilities of others. True happiness is possible only when our egocentrism is controlled and our ability to be other-centered is fully developed.
Pride overcome by humility. Pride is a result of a disproportionate sense of our own contribution, manifesting in an inordinate belief in our own importance. Like envy, pride is unable to recognize the contributions of others because this very recognition threatens the view we want to hold of ourselves. Evagrius observes, “Pride is the cause of the most damaging fall for the soul. It induces the monk to deny that God is his helper and to consider that he himself is the cause of virtuous actions.”
Humility, on the other hand, is a result of seeing ourselves properly. It involves recognizing that our gifts and abilities need to be developed further. It understands that others have gifts and abilities as well. Humility allows us to see our role in the greater purposes of God’s design without feeling threatened by the achievements of others.
Lust or impurity overcome by chastity. Lust ruins lives. It impels us to lust after bodies and attacks those who strive to practice chastity. Lust results from egocentrism and the belief that the person after whom we lust exists only to satisfy our unbridled desires. Evagrius was acutely aware of the disordering effect of lust, perhaps because of his own transgression. Whatever the circumstances, he knew that lust can overrun a person and cause that person to lose all sense of self.
Chastity, on the other hand, works to properly balance love with the capacity to be loved. Chastity honors and cares for the person we choose to love. It indicates a fidelity to promises made that allow expressions of love to endure.
Indifference overcome by diligence. Indifference and impatient discouragement are a result of believing that the daily affairs of life don’t matter. They reflect a belief that what we are currently doing has no outcome worthy of respect. We succumb to them when we lose confidence that the way we spend our life matters.
In contrast, the godly virtue of diligence reflects the perseverance that helps us get through tough times. It is believing that the ultimate purpose of our life rests in the hands of God. It is continuing to engage in the affairs of life because we believe God will eventually reverse our fortune. It is maintaining confidence in the providence of God even when there is no immediate evidence to justify such confidence.
Melancholy overcome by wisdom. Melancholy and depression arise from the belief that our very existence does not matter. This deadly thought indicates a complete loss of confidence in the goodness of the world and our place within it. It concludes that the priorities by which we have structured our life will have no lingering effect after we are gone. “It tends to come up at times because of the deprivation of our desires,” Evagrius observes, “while on other occasions it accompanies anger. It arises from the deprivation of the things we desire most.”
Wisdom, on the other hand, is the ability to recognize the role our life plays in the greater affairs of the world. It is contentment with our individual contribution and recognizing that our priorities will affect the next generation and beyond. It is celebration of the past and anticipation of the future without being overly concerned about our particular involvement. It is to enjoy our legacy without feeling we must tidy it up before we are gone.
Evagrius believes that we must resolve the tension of each deadly thought by cultivating the corresponding godly virtue. This cultivation helps us on our spiritual journey as we progress through each stage of life and orients us to God. If we do not cultivate the godly virtues, we will never attain a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Evagrius does not teach that the goal of life is to know about God but to know God. This knowledge can occur only when the part of us that is made in the image of God, our “nous,” joins with the mind of God through prayer.
Ultimately, Evagrius’s work answers our enduring question: why go higher in our life with God? Since the whole purpose of the spiritual life is to help us find meaning, happiness and contentment, why must it be such hard work? As with each of these writers, Evagrius helps us see that our insatiable longings will find enduring satisfaction only on the highest level of knowing God.
The Ultimate Goal
Evagrius defines our ultimate goal as apatheia, the state in which every thought, desire and action is properly ordered. In this state, the passions of our soul (envy, pride, melancholy, greed, anger) are overcome by love of God and neighbor, and the passions of our flesh (gluttony, lust, indifference) are overcome by self-discipline. We are brought into apatheia by the mercy of Christ. Evagrius writes, “The proof of apatheia is had when the spirit begins to see its own light, when it remains in a state of tranquility in the presence of images it has during sleep and when it maintains its calm as it beholds the affairs of life.” Apatheia is, in essence, being able to discern and respond appropriately to any physical, mental or spiritual stimulation.
Elsewhere Evagrius notes, “To achieve apatheia is to achieve a full and harmonious integration of the emotional and spiritual life under the direct influence of God’s divine love. It creates a state of deep calm based on obedience to the commandments of God and the practice of virtue.” In other words, a state of apatheia is the only way to experience the pure contemplation of God.
REFLECTING AND RESPONDING
The debt we owe Evagrius of Ponticus is enormous. He gave us a full-blown developmental understanding of life with God. It is hard for us, many centuries later, to recognize what an astonishing step forward Evagrius provided us. We live on the other side of the divide where it is commonplace to ridicule all the excesses of the seven deadly sins—the ultimate summation of Evagrius’s eight deadly thoughts. Today we simply ignore this advance in virtue ethics as an antiquated relic of a darker period, failing to realize that the morally dark period is our own, not theirs.
Evagrius knew by bitter personal experience how utterly disastrous these thoughts could be. He understood that these thoughts, uncontrolled and uncorrected, could, very simply, destroy a life. It is why he called them “deadly thoughts.” We simply cannot get around the reality of this insight: gluttony and anger and greed and envy and pride and lust and indifference and melancholy truly are ruinous to the life.
Right here we see the genius of Evagrius. He was well trained in how the mind works. He knew that deadly thoughts could be overcome, but not in a vacuum—they could be replaced only by godly virtues. The emptying of the mind of evil must, of necessity, involve the filling of it with good. And so we learn to take in virtues of temperance and mildness and generosity and happiness and humility and chastity and diligence and wisdom.
It is interesting that while all of the deadly thoughts and godly virtues are highly specific in their reference, they have interconnected effects throughout the moral life. For example, the deadly thought of lust is most often specifically aimed at unbridled sexual passions, and yet it can be seen in all runaway desires. Conversely chastity, which is often specifically aimed at fidelity and honor in sexual relations, in a broad sense means the loving control of all the passions by the grace of God. So a moral victory in one area of life has secondary effects on other areas of life. Likewise, a defeat reverberates throughout the moral life. The moral life is interconnected and interrelated. Always.
There is another thing Evagrius understood well. And here we are getting at a central issue in the transformation of the human personality. Anything that is drawn before the mind, whether of good or evil, does not disappear immediately. No, it lingers in the mind, and the scent of it stains the atmosphere of consciousness, even the unconscious, as we now know. This is why vices begin in the mind. And why they are so deadly.
On the other hand, the godly virtues have much the same effect. Well, not exactly. The stain of deadly thoughts seems so strong, so blatant, so loud, if you will. The godly virtues seem so weak, so unobtrusive, so quiet. Anyone who has worked intimately with people sucked into the vortex of deadly thoughts and the way those thoughts result in deadly actions knows their destructive power. Our oldest son, Joel, is a psychologist in the U.S. Air Force. He often works with the most traumatized of individuals, individuals from modern warfare’s killing fields. Places where evil seems to have reached new definitions of horror. The destructiveness of evil in these places seems, at times, overwhelming.
Godly virtues appear tame by comparison. And yet I wonder if they don’t have a power that is unseen to us. Surely they partake of that life from God that will never perish. Perhaps the godly virtues are actually the stronger. I remember George Fox describing how he saw a great ocean of darkness and death, but that it was overcome by a greater ocean of life and light. Now I know that this remains mostly a statement of hope and of faith. Still, is it not true that the power of God’s light is strong, strong to the point of overcoming evil with good? This I hope, and this I believe. And the mind is the first and, in many ways, the most central arena of this battlefield in the moral life.
One final thought. When we look at Evagrius’s list we clearly see the progression. Gluttony is the most basic of the passions and temperance the most basic of the virtues—indeed, temperance is listed as one of the cardinal virtues. Then when we come to melancholy or depression and its corresponding virtue, wisdom, surely we have come onto higher ground. All of that to say, there is a progression in the moral life. We do not take occasional joggers and put them in a marathon race, and we do not do that in the spiritual life either. We learn to grow step by incremental step. This is a reality with which Evagrius was well acquainted.
Dear Lord, all these deadly thoughts seem so . . . well, so deadly. Anger especially. Lord, so many people today seem to have such seething anger. Oh, we keep it well hidden under a veneer of pleasantries, but it is there nonetheless.
Someday our anger will surface like a volcanic explosion, and what will happen then? What, Lord, is the remedy for today’s anger? Shall we vent it, or seek counseling, or what? Perhaps it is best simply to wait upon you for divine healing. And yet, that feels like avoidance more than anything else. So where do we turn? Wise Jesus, we’re asking to know the way forward. Please, show us the way forward. Amen.