The Development of Female Ascetics in the Early Church

The Development of Female Ascetics in the Early Church INTRODUCTION Christian ascetics in the fourth and fifth centuries were pioneers in working out what must be done by people who find the ordinary human concerns of household and city an intolerable distraction from their commitment to God. They experimented with styles and structures; tried out and competed with each other’s techniques for strengthening the soul against harmful desires and demonic attack; and shared and analyzed their experience. Writers of the period – Athanasius, Jerome, Augustine, Basil – present the ascetic as hero or heroine, as the standard of true Christian commitment in an age when commitment was not longer tested by martyrdom (Book #1, 33). They suggest, and their writings also helped to create, an intense and widespread interest in ascetic practice (book #1, 33,2). There is a wide range of fourth and fifth-century texts concerned with ascetic life and practices: exhortation; sermons; correspondence; rules for communities; lives of ascetics and collections of their sayings and detailed spiritual guidance. Nevertheless, it is often unclear why exactly ascetics chose to do what they did, either in terms of individual motives for leading an ascetic life or in terms of invented or imitated ascetic practice. Some texts (for instance, the Life and Teachings of Syncletica) explain the purpose of fasting, discarding fine clothes, renouncing wealth; others merely admire or give an instruction. This isShow MoreRelatedThe Development of Female Ascetics in the Early Church854 Words   |  3 PagesThe Development of Female Ascetics in the Early Church This paper will explore the development of female ascetics during the early Church and show how these practices affect the 21st century Churches outlook on woman. 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