And we can find this line of thinking in Maximus the Confessor as well. In his Third Century (Louth's Translation):
Maximus defines passion as "an impulse contrary to nature". (CC II.16)
"passion-free knowledge of divine things does not persuade the intellect to scorn material things completely; it is like the passion-free thought of a sensible thing. It is therefore possible to find many men who have much knowledge and yet wallow in the passions of the flesh like pigs in the mire. Through their diligence they temporarily cleanse themselves and attain knowledge, but then they grow negligent.
(/CC/III.66)
just as passion-free thought of human things does not compel the intellect to scorn divine things, so passion-free knowledge of divine things does not fully persuade it to scorn human things. For in this world truth exists in shadows and conjectures; that is why there is need for the blessed passion of holy love, which binds the intellect to spiritual contemplation and persuades it to prefer what is immaterial to what is material, and what is intelligible and divine to what is apprehended by the senses.
In Schaff's translation of Gregory's "On Virginity", Chapter 12 - Gregory has this interesting interpretation of Jesus's parable on the lost coin. He says that the lost coin is the very image of God in the human soul. But the neighbors in this parable are the appetites and desires within that can aid us in our quest to know God:
“Rejoice with me,” she says, “because I have found the Drachma which I had lost.” The neighbors, that is, the soul’s familiar powers, both the reasoning and the appetitive, the affections of grief and of anger, and all the rest that are discerned in her, at that joyful feast which celebrates the finding of the heavenly Drachma are well called her friends also; and it is meet that they should all rejoice in the Lord when they all look towards the Beautiful and the Good, and do everything for the glory of God, no longer instruments of sin.
I do sincerely appreciate your article here. It is helpful and clarifying, as I have been thinking about, and wrestling with, this concept in the context of church planting. Thank you for what you are doing!
Thanks Jason for this. This section, anchored by this thought is very much needed: “ The way to God is not the abnegation of our desires but to walk all the way into them to a God that those desires point to.”
Great article!
“The way to God is not the abnegation of our desires but to walk all the way into them to a God that those desires point to.”
I think your point about what Ignatius’s would say here is spot on. I also think Gregory of Nyssa and Maximus the Confessor would agree!
Thank you, Derek. Your comment had me track down, "The Body and Desire: Gregory of Nyssa's Ascetical Theology" by Raphael A. Cadenhead.
And we can find this line of thinking in Maximus the Confessor as well. In his Third Century (Louth's Translation):
Maximus defines passion as "an impulse contrary to nature". (CC II.16)
"passion-free knowledge of divine things does not persuade the intellect to scorn material things completely; it is like the passion-free thought of a sensible thing. It is therefore possible to find many men who have much knowledge and yet wallow in the passions of the flesh like pigs in the mire. Through their diligence they temporarily cleanse themselves and attain knowledge, but then they grow negligent.
(/CC/III.66)
just as passion-free thought of human things does not compel the intellect to scorn divine things, so passion-free knowledge of divine things does not fully persuade it to scorn human things. For in this world truth exists in shadows and conjectures; that is why there is need for the blessed passion of holy love, which binds the intellect to spiritual contemplation and persuades it to prefer what is immaterial to what is material, and what is intelligible and divine to what is apprehended by the senses.
(/CC/III.67)
In Schaff's translation of Gregory's "On Virginity", Chapter 12 - Gregory has this interesting interpretation of Jesus's parable on the lost coin. He says that the lost coin is the very image of God in the human soul. But the neighbors in this parable are the appetites and desires within that can aid us in our quest to know God:
“Rejoice with me,” she says, “because I have found the Drachma which I had lost.” The neighbors, that is, the soul’s familiar powers, both the reasoning and the appetitive, the affections of grief and of anger, and all the rest that are discerned in her, at that joyful feast which celebrates the finding of the heavenly Drachma are well called her friends also; and it is meet that they should all rejoice in the Lord when they all look towards the Beautiful and the Good, and do everything for the glory of God, no longer instruments of sin.
stunning, I found that online here: #358 https://ccel.org/.../npnf205/npnf205.ix.ii.ii.xiii.html
I do sincerely appreciate your article here. It is helpful and clarifying, as I have been thinking about, and wrestling with, this concept in the context of church planting. Thank you for what you are doing!
Thanks for reading and extending my learning. Also great to here how you are connecting this thinking with church planting!
Thanks Jason for this. This section, anchored by this thought is very much needed: “ The way to God is not the abnegation of our desires but to walk all the way into them to a God that those desires point to.”
Thanks Deve. And happy birthday!
‘There you are, I see you now, my beloved; do you now see yourself with me?'
Yes! In that bleak place of raw revelation, the Lord comes near in merciful love. Thank you for again reminding me of this gift today.
"in that bleak place of raw revelation, the Lord comes near in merciful love" #lovethis