"The flesh delights in luxuries and pleasure, but the spirit does not give in even to natural desires. The former wants to be sated with sleep and to be filled with food, but the latter is so replete with vigils and fasts that it does not want to take even the sleep and food that are necessary to life. The former desires to abound in all kind of plenty, but the later is content not to have the paltriest bit of bread each day. The former longs to be sleek with bathing and daily to be crowded around with troops of flatterers, but the latter rejoices in the squalid filth and the vastness of the inaccessible desert, and it is horrified at the presence of ay mortal. The former cherishes the honors and praise of human beings, but the latter glories in the affronts and persecutions that come upon it." - John Cassian
Saint John Cassian (ca. 360 – 435) (Latin: Jo(h)annes Eremita Cassianus, Joannus Cassianus, or Joannes Massiliensis), John the Ascetic, or John Cassian the Roman, was a Christian theologian celebrated in both the Western and Eastern Churches for his mystical writings. He is known both as one of the "Scythian monks" and as one of the "Desert Fathers."
John Cassian: Desert Wisdom by: Steve Schrader
It seems to me that many Christians living in the post-modern world are in search of a “contemplative exegesis”(1), an understanding of biblical and other holy texts that leads to the “experience” of God, rather than merely intellectual knowledge “about” God. This contemplative experience is believed to be brought about by reading, pondering and meditating upon the sacred texts, and thereby penetrating the many levels of meaning that are thought to be otherwise hidden, or secret. This method of biblical “interpretation” has come down to us in the form of the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina.
Christians and non-Christians alike seem to be much less interested in the historical facts, literal interpretation and even doctrinal information about God contained in ancient texts, than in the quest for an experience of the living God. I would submit that post-modern Christian theologians, in their search for knowledge about God, and their insistence on getting doctrine “right”, have lost much of their credibility and relevance among the faithful. In many ways this was to be expected, as advances in the physical and biological sciences, technology and the social sciences have rapidly outpaced theological inquiry, and given thoughtful Christians reason to question and doubt many of the doctrines of antiquity still held onto firmly by the Church hierarchy.
My own experience is no different. I come from a devout, Roman Catholic, middle class family and my entire early academic and religious education was from that tradition. Today, I find myself part of a growing number of people who have been labeled “Progressive” Catholics. I think this is a less derogatory form of “cafeteria” Catholic, which means that we pick and choose those doctrines and traditions of the Church which we find palatable, and discard the rest. Oddly, I find this characterization fairly accurate, but not helpful if we are to engage in any positive future dialogue.
So, I have found it necessary over the years to attempt to extricate myself from doctrinal discussion and theological debate as much as possible, and search for a seminal work, or body of works which might lead me to a deeper understanding of my Christian faith, so that I too might experience the living God. It is not that I lack respect for the study of theology and the need for certain Church doctrine. I am actually quite interested in the evolution of Christian theology and Christology. It is just that like all religious knowledge and practices, I believe that they should be a means to an end, and not an end in themselves.
One such individual who, in my opinion, provided such seminal work, and who participated in the foundational moments of Christianity is John Cassian. He is believed to have been born in Europe, around 360 A.D. He came from a wealthy family and received a good education. As a youth he traveled with his friend, Germanus, to the holy places of Palestine. While in Bethlehem they joined a monastic community, but they both had a strong hunger and passion for spiritual knowledge, as did many of their contemporaries. They requested and were granted a leave of absence from their monastic duties, and travelled to Egypt. There they visited many religious communities which had been established in the second and third centuries after Christ and whose abbas and ammas were known for their great holiness and wisdom.(2) It was there where they hoped to be instructed in the ways of spiritual knowledge.
It is uncertain as to the reason for the departure into the desert by these groups of men and women, but it is believed many early Christians travelled to these remote outposts as early as the late first century. Some possible influences for their establishment may have been: 1) The Roman idea of “otium”, or “philosophical” retirement; 2) The withdrawal from society advocated by some Greek and Roman philosophers; 3) The Jewish hermit-colonies in Egypt and Palestine; 4) Hindu and Buddhist ascetics residing in areas around Alexandria.(3) The Syrian Church of the third century had established “celibate liturgical and social service-oriented communities of men and women called Sons and Daughters of the Covenant”.(4) Some of these early communities pre-dated those founded by the Egyptian monastics, such as St. Anthony and Macarius the Great.
It was not for his own benefit that Cassian endured the hardships of these travels with Germanus. Over a period of perhaps fourteen years he met and conferred with these Egyptian spiritual masters. Ultimately he codified and transmitted these instructions, or “Conferences”, to monastic communities in both the East and Europe. For this he is credited with having had a major influence on the rules and practices of many monastic orders even to this day. Portions of the “Conferences” are part of the daily readings of the Benedictine Order. The “Conferences” were concerned with the interior life, while another of his works, the “Institutes” had to do with the rules governing monastic life.
“Conference 14”, of Abba Nesteros, gives us some insight into the methodology employed in the transmission of spiritual knowledge by the early Desert Fathers and Mothers. Apparently, the Abba had to be convinced that Cassian and Germanus were serious in their desire to understand the deepest meaning of Holy Scripture. In the first chapter, Cassian writes: “The order of our promise and course demands that there should follow the instruction of Abbot Nesteros, a man of excellence in all points and of the greatest knowledge: who when he had seen that we had committed some parts of Holy Scripture to memory and desired to understand them, addressed us in these words”.(5)
For these holy people, it was considered essential to have a thorough knowledge of biblical texts, including memorization, prior to any attempt to discover their many layers of meaning. Only after committing them to memory could we partake of the higher forms of spiritual knowledge. In Conference 14, Abbot Nesteros divides religious knowledge into two kinds, practical and contemplative, an indication that he was also familiar with the “ Metaphysics” of Aristotle.(6) Practical knowledge must precede contemplative knowledge. Practical knowledge is to be found in many different contexts, and among many different professions. One should endeavor to perfect this kind of knowledge within their chosen professions.
But it was about spiritual knowledge that John Cassian and Germanus were eager to hear. Again, spiritual knowledge was twofold, having to do with historical interpretation and the spiritual understanding of Holy Scripture, and the possible deeper meanings contained therein. In order to acquire spiritual understanding however, one must first have acquired virtue. Once virtue had been acquired, and worldly cares had been calmed, one could undertake a “contemplative” reading of the Bible. Nesteros closes Conference 14 by warning his listeners not to attempt to teach those unable to learn and that spiritual teaching will fail if the teacher is inexperienced, or the student refuses the teaching. Yet, God does sometimes grant grace to those who have previously resisted it.(7)
In Conference 14, as well as the other “Conferences”, we can easily see that many of these suggested spiritual practices were adopted by later monastic orders and individual Christian contemplatives and mystics. Some of these individuals, such as St. John of the Cross and St. Theresa of Avila, speak of the “stages” of spiritual growth, and the necessity to devote oneself to the practice of virtue, not unlike the wisdom teachings from the Egyptian desert. Their devotion is decidedly less doctrinal and more experiential.
In my own search for a “contemplative exegesis”, I find it refreshing to rest for a while with the ancient ones, like John Cassian and Abbot Nesteros. I try to imagine a time when, if only for a brief period of history, Christianity was new and pristine, and the Holy Spirit still hovered over those whose only passion was to know the living God.
God’s Peace.
Steve
Footnotes
(1) From a conference at St. Andrew’s Abbey, Valyermo, CA. 1998.
(2) John Cassian: In the Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
(3) Peter Brown: “The Body and Society, Men, Women and Sexual Renunciation in Early Christianity”. Pages 101- 102. Columbia University Press, 1988.
(4) Ibid.
(5) John Cassian: “Conference 14: The First Conference of Abba Nesteros On Spiritual Knowledge”. Chap. 1.1.
(6) “John Cassian, the Conferences”. Page 502. Walter Burghardt – contributor. Paulist Press, New York: 1997.
(7) John Cassian: “Conference 14” Chap. 19.