Ascetical theology is the organized study or presentation of spiritual teachings found in Scripture and the Church Fathers that help the faithful to more perfectly follow Christ and attain to Christian perfection. The word ascetic is from the Greek word askesis, meaning practice. The English term ascesis means "the practice of self-discipline" (OED). Christian asceticism is commonly thought to imply self-denial for a spiritual purpose. The term ascetical theology is used primarily in Catholic theology; the Eastern Orthodox use distinct terms (see below) and other religious traditions conceive of following Christ or God differently from either Catholics or Eastern Orthodox (see below). The Biblical canon is an exclusive list of books written during the formative period of the Jewish or Christian faiths; the leaders of these communities believed these books to be inspired by God or to express the authoritative history of the relationship between God and his people (although there may... The Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Catholic Church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ... Christ is the English representation of the Greek word Χριστός (transliterated as Khristós), which means anointed. ... Christian Perfection is a controversial Christian doctrine which maintains that after conversion but before death a Christians soul may be cleansed from the stain of original sin. ... The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a comprehensive dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP). ... The term God is capitalized in the English language as a proper noun when used to refer to a specific monotheistic concept of a Supreme Being in accordance with Christian, Jewish (as G-d - cf. ...

Who is Christ, and what reason is given for following

Christians believe, in the manner of affirming rather than supposing, that Jesus Christ, the historical individual, is the eternally- and only-begotten Son of God, and that He (usually capitalized) emerged from the Hebrew faith tradition, which, Christians hold, was given by God so as to prepare mankind for Jesus. The reason given for this preparation for and arrival of Jesus is to be found within the Old Testament, particularly in the Book of Genesis, in which it is said that man fell from God's graces by being proud and making his own choices, particularly in seeking to have the same knowledge and freedom as God has. Christians believe that in his mercy, God sent a savior to redeem mankind from this fallen state, that is, redeem those who would be willing to believe and have faith, theoretically possible to all. Jesus was sent to provide mankind with a way to be re-linked (re-ligion) to God. Christian theology teaches that those who truly follow go to Heaven, where there will be no religion (or re-linking) because love for God will be the ubiquitous and permanent state of the people so fortunate as to be in Heaven. We need religion in our fallen state, continues the theological stance, because our nature is disordered and we cannot see clearly what to do: so we must have faith, and live the way shown to us by Jesus. This is the self-stated purpose or essence of Christianity: to provide the means by which to follow Christ so we may enter the eternal bliss that God intended us to live with Him. Whereas God, according to the same Scriptures, is indicated to be love, Christian perfection is a perfection of charity, i.e. a perfection of love. Attaining this love involves rejecting (or denying) that which is disordered within ourselves, learning to love and trust God, and growing in prayer life toward union with God. This may or may not be accompanied by mystical experiences such as visions, rapture, or miraculous events such as levitation or bi-location (held to have occurred in some cases). This progression and the various means by which to traverse it are described in the field of ascetical theology. // Jesus, or Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus Christ, is Christianitys central figure, both as Messiah and, for most Christians, as God incarnate. ... Hebrews (syns. ... The Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures (also called the Hebrew Bible) constitutes the first major part of the Bible according to Christianity. ... Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ... The heavens are the sky, the celestial sphere, or outer space. ... This article discusses faith in a religious context. ...

Essential concepts in ascetical theology

Dogmatic theology

Dogmatic theology treats of what the religion affirms as truth. It relates to ascetical theology by answering the question, what are we following? What do we know about God, our nature, and our redemption? Ascetical theology depends upon dogmatic theology for a foundation. For example, if the religion didn't teach that we have a fallen nature, ascetical theology would be premised on an erroneous assumption and may then be unproductive compared to other approaches to God.

Moral theology

Moral theology treats of how we must behave. It is the behavioral dimension, expounded. Here are developed the implications of the Decalogue, the Sermon on the Mount, and other precepts of the faith. These are especially important for guiding the faithful through the first phases of prayer life, and for being certain one is on the right path: if one believes oneself to be growing in holiness yet still violates the basic precepts of the faith, one is not understanding the process. Moral theology, then, guides the ascetic who strives to live these moral truths that are informed by the dogmas of the religion, and who also seeks also to go beyond moral requirements.

Mystical theology

In the various theologies pertaining to following Christ, it is common to refer to the soul, which Christian theology affirms to be eternal. It is the soul that makes progress toward God, it is the soul that is called by God. Mystical theology addresses the aspects of the soul's union with God that are specifically not produced by human agency or effort. In the earlier stages of prayer life, aridities are experienced, which are moments during which the zeal for prayer seems lessened. In later stages, passive trials such as the dark night of the soul (St. John of the Cross) are experienced. In these phenomena, God is said to be purifying the soul, making her (the soul is feminine in Catholic theology) continue on the basis of sheer faith rather than any palpable feeling derived from prayer. These and other experiences are studied in mystical theology. Christian dogma does not teach that mystical phenomena are necessary to be granted a place in Heaven.

Perfection is a Christian duty

To be granted a place in heaven, it is necessary to be "in a state of grace" at the moment of death. A state of grace means that a person is genuinely sorry for sins committed — preferably sorry because they offend God and not simply on account of a fear of Hell — and to have not committed grave sin since the last apology or confession. Given that one does not know the hour of one's death, and assuming one to have a loving disposition toward God, one is encouraged to actively live in such a manner as to reduce sin and increase sorrow for sin and love for God. It is plausible that without such an effort, one will encounter the moment of death without appropriate sorrow and love, simply by being out of the habit. It is in this sense that perfection is said to be a duty of Christians. The Scriptures encourage perfection (e.g. Mt 5:48), and the value of charity or love would militate against a minimalist understanding of the Christian life, as does the testimony of the Church Fathers.

Key spiritual enemies

world, flesh, devil

The world is not evil in itself, according to the religion, as nothing created by God is evil. The problem is that in our fallen nature, we do not perceive things correctly, and our desires are out of alignment with the truth. For example, the world can be a source of sanctification, but to desire to please the world, and to take one's cues from the world instead of from God, is to distract ourselves from God's love. One of the graces sought during the Rosary prayer is contempt of the world, which doesn't reflect a desire to harm the world but rather affirms the belief that this is a fallen world, and that to love God is to be prepared for a much better world to come. Our flesh likewise is not evil, but without being fully united with God — which, after the fall, we are not — we do not understand the gifts of the flesh and are distracted by them; the religion teaches that we tend to make idols out of our sensations and desires. The devil is evil, but was not created so; he is a creature as we are and cannot control our will but is very intelligent and crafty. He is said to hate physical creation and to desire its destruction. Christianity does not give a complete accounting of the devil, known as Satan, but recognizes that he attempts to lure us from our goal of union with God. When confirmed into the Church, catechumens are asked, 'Do you reject the pomps and works of Satan?' Throughout the spiritual journey, even after achieving the highest union possible to man, the world, the flesh, and the devil remain as sources of temptation and distraction, and a fall into sin is always possible.

Role of good works

Catholic theology has received criticism for its emphasis on good works, or the performing of deeds that genuinely help others in accordance with the revealed good, but in truth good works are simply an outgrowth of faith and love rather than being a means to "buy one's way to Heaven". Faith may be analogized to the roots of a plant, love to the stem, and the fruit is the good work that naturally flows therefrom. An act is good in this sense if it is (a) carried out while in the state of grace, i.e., not having gravely sinned without repentance, and (b) done with the love of God as primary end in view. The ordinary actions of daily life are sanctifying if done in this context.

Role of sacraments

The Catholic sacraments, according to dogmatic theology, both symbolize and confer grace. The two sacraments that are routinely encountered by the faithful are Eucharist and confession. Grace is a rather complicated subject; see References below. The Eucharist affords a real and transforming union with God; see for example Jn 6:58. It is spiritual as well as real, and transformative. For a discussion of the spiritual implications of Eucharist, see historical roots of Catholic Eucharistic theology. Confession is purifying if the penitent is well-disposed, i.e. sorry for having offended God. It is considered essential to undertake this purifying act before receiving the Eucharist. As one progresses toward union with God, more and more problems within the soul become apparent. Habits that didn't seem sinful at first blush suddenly stand out as harmful to charity. Once confessed, new problems emerge. In this way the penitent embarks on a program of purgation, developing greater sensitivity as to what is most conducive to Christian love.

More details, e.g. about forms of prayer, to come. The foregoing is only introductory and focused mostly on purgation. This article is about the list of religious and moral imperatives. ... The Sermon on the Mount was, according to the Gospel of Matthew, a particular sermon given by Jesus of Nazareth around 30 CE on a mountainside to his disciples and a large crowd (Matt. ... Medieval illustration of the Mouth of Hell Hell is, according to many religious beliefs, a place or a state of painful suffering. ... Sin has been a term most usually used in a religious context, and today describes any lack of conformity to the will of God; especially, any willful disregard for the norms revealed by God is a sin. ... In criminal proceedings, a confession is a document in which a suspect admits having committed a crime. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally: according to Matthew, Greek: kata Maththaion) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ... Our Lady of Lourdes - Mary appearing at Lourdes with Rosary Beads The Rosary (its name comes from the Latin rosarium, meaning crown of roses), is an important and traditional devotion of the Catholic Church. ... Idolatry is a term used by many religions to describe the worship of a false deity, which is an affront to their understanding of divinity. ... The Devil is the name given to a supernatural entity who, in most Western religions, is the central embodiment of evil. ... Gustave Dores depiction of Satan from John Miltons Paradise Lost Satan (שָׂטָן Standard Hebrew Satan, Latin Sátanas, Tiberian Hebrew Śāṭān; Aramaic שִׂטְנָא Åšiá¹­nâ: both words mean Adversary; accuser) is an angel, demon, or minor god in many religions. ... Confirmation can refer to: Confirmation (sacrament) Confirmation (epistemology) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The practice of the Roman Catholic Church includes seven sacraments. ... The Eucharist is either the celebration of the Christian sacrament commemorating Christ’s Last Supper, or the consecrated bread and wine of this sacrament. ... In criminal proceedings, a confession is a document in which a suspect admits having committed a crime. ... The Gospel of John is the fourth gospel in the sequence of the canon as printed in the New Testament, and scholars agree it was the fourth to be written. ... The historical roots of Catholic Eucharistic theology are the basis upon which a number of ecclesial communities, or churches, express their faith in the bread of life as given by Jesus, and are to be found in the Church Fathers, Scripture, the writings of Thomas Aquinas, and other early church...

Other religious traditions

Eastern Orthodox

The Eastern Orthodox share the apostolic faith and sacramental life held in the Catholic faith, and have a virtually identical understanding of the nature and purpose of the Christian life, using different terminology. They refer to the practice of faith as praxis, which encompasses prayer, worship, and fasting. A form of prayer corresponding perhaps to the illuminative and unitive ways is called Hesychasm. The overall progression toward union with God is called theosis. The understanding of the Christian life, consistent with patristic and apostolic teachings and implying a start toward purgation, is termed phronema. Orthodox sources also refer to ascetical theology, with a meaning consistent with that given above. Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... Praxis is the customary use of knowledge or skills, distinct from theoretical knowledge. ... Hesychasm (from Greek Hσυχασμoς, meaning quietness ) is a mystical tradition of experiential prayer in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. ... In Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic theology, theosis, meaning divinization (or woodenly, deification or, to become god), is the call to man to become holy and seek union with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in the resurrection. ... Phronema is a Greek term that is used in Eastern Orthodox theology to refer to mindset or outlook; it is the Orthodox mind. ...

Protestant

Protestants do not share the sacramental understanding that characterizes Catholic and Orthodox faith, but use the term ascetical theology in some contexts. Without the sacrament of Confession, the purgative way is more personal, and without belief that God is literally present in the Eucharist, the unitive way is also more personal and ethereal. Protestant theology of union with God tends to be personalist, and bears much in common with self-help literature. As with the Eucharist, a wide variety of Protestant viewpoints exist regarding the way to follow Christ. This is partly because there is no one center of Protestant thought. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Though the term self-help can refer to any case whereby an individual or a group betters themselves economically, intellectually or emotionally, the connotations of the phrase have come to apply particularly to psychological or psychotherapeutic nostrums, often purveyed through the popular genre of the self-help book. ...

Islam

Islam does not regard Jesus as the Son of God but rather as a prophet, and has a different set of Scriptures. There is not an extensive evidence trail of Islam embracing an ascetical theology so called, but Islam does encourage its adherents to engage in jihad in order to perfect obedience to the will of Allah.   Islam? (Arabic: الإسلام al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ... In numerous religions, including Abrahamic religions, Jah religions, Sikhism, and many forms of Paganism, a prophet is an intermediary with a deity, particularly someone who claims to speak for the deity or interprets the deitys will or mind. ... Many religions and spiritual movements hold certain written texts (or series of spoken legends not traditionally written down) to be sacred. ... Jihad (ǧihād جهاد) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root ǧhd (to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle to further the Islamic cause. ... The word Allah is the Arabic term for God. It is ultimately derived (according to most etymologists) from Proto-Semitic ʾil-, as is Hebrew El. ...

External links and references

• Ascetical theology in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Mystical theology in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Christian and religious perfection in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Beatific vision in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Christian asceticism in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Sanctifying grace in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Ascetic theology from 1902 Catholic dictionary