Introduction
I still cannot work out why ... why would anyone choose to do it ... total renunciation of all contact, of all comfort, why, why would anyone do that? And why is that a road to God? Why can't the road to God be eating tomato and basil soup and getting up and having a lovely day? Why can't that be a road to God? Why does it have to involve all of this deprivation, pain, starvation, and torture. Why? (Fr. Peter Owen-Jones)
The above quote from the BBC documentary
Extreme Pilgrim--Ascetic Christianity came to my mind frequently during my own recent pilgrimage. Unlike Fr. Peter who lived as a hermit for twenty-one days, I merely visited at six different monasteries over the course of twenty days:
- http://www.saintantonymonasteryus.org/
- http://www.roea.org/holyresurrection.html
- http://www.holycrossmonastery.org/
- http://www.wadiocese.com/saint_silouan_monastery_sonora_ca.html
- http://www.monasteryofstjohn.org/
- http://sainthermanmonastery.org/
Like him I struggled to understand the relationship between authentic Christianity, asceticism, and monasticism--and their relationship to me. My own similar but different struggle was captured in a desperate voice message I left my presbyter after ten days of cold rain and unheated rooms:
What can't the ascetic struggle involve a hot shower every day with deodorant and just two hours of corporate prayer? I'm so tired of being cold, being surrounded by body odor, and seven hours of standing for prayer every day.
What follows are some of the thoughts I had as I pondered and wrestled with these questions.
Is Maximizing Comfort My Unconscious Goal?
I was so cold so much of the time, and I kept asking myself, "Why would anyone volunteer to be cold?" In other words, if I have the means to create a comfortable environment, what are some of the reasons I might choose not to avail myself of those means? I thought of all sorts of reasons in general: wanting to conserve energy to protect the environment, wanting to save money to use it on something I value more, wanting to identify better with those who cannot afford the comfort, etc. In each case, the motivation was sacrificing a perceived lower good for a perceived higher good. Thus, this behavior makes sense if it is consistent with your value system. But as an outsider, I kept wondering what was this strange value system that inspired monks to embrace the cold without complaint.
As I thought about it, I realized that the pursuit of comfort, convenience, pleasure, etc has no limit. If I can afford $1,000 of comfort (heating, delicious food, pain pills, beautiful clothes), I tend to maintain a $1,000 level of comfort. If I get a raise and can afford a $1,500 level of comfort, my standard of comfort tends to go up to, and I start to spend more money on my comfort. This leads to bigger houses, cars, meals, etc.
On the other hand, if my incomes decreases, then my standard of comfort tends to drop--unless I have access to credit cards, in which case I fiercely fight the drop. In other words, I tend to mindlessly increase my level of comfort rather than to own it with a conscious choice. I am reminded of this verse:
Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business. (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 ESV)
But an unchecked and passive pursuit of comfort and pleasure is dangerous for at least these reasons:
- The line between harmless and harmful pleasures begins to blur.
- The line between needs and wants begins to blur.
- I develop a sense of entitlement toward comfort, that I have the right to or deserve a certain stable (or increasing) level of comfort because, for example, I have worked hard.
- I become indifferent to the plight of those around me because, for example, they did not work as hard as I.
- An expectation of an increasing standard of comfort leads to increased temptation to use unethical (taking advantage of others) or unwise (going into debt) or myopic (destroying the environment) means to achieve that goal.
So if this is the case, how do you get out of the comfort cycle? You embrace simplicity. You consciously choose a standard of comfort below your means, consistently resist the urge to increase it, give away the difference to those less fortunate, and always keep in mind the fact that you are doing this not because of any nobility on your part but because keeping in check the deceitfulness of your own heart calls for desperate measures.
When I realized that this is what the monks were doing, it did not make my coldness any more bearable, but at least it made it understandable. They had consciously chosen a standard of comfort lower than the one I had pretty much unconsciously chosen for myself. And they have the right to do this. They likely know their own hearts better than I know their hearts, and they have determined what they need to do in order to break out of and keep out of that comfort-driven cycle. And there is no necessary reason to label them legalists or teachers of works salvation or hypocrites or practicers of "voluntary humility" (Colossians 2:18 KJV) or those who "give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1 KJV) or any of the other epithets by which monks are commonly judged. In fact, the importance Romans 14:4 is all the more clear: "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand" (ESV). They are the ones who have to give an account of themselves on the day of judgment, and they are vigilantly preparing for that according to their conscience.
And the same thing applies to the body odor. The first commercial deodorant did not come on the market until 1888 in the US (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deodorant). That means that for most of human history in most places of the word, deodorant was not available. In other words being in a body odor free environment is a modern, luxurious comfort. That means that for me to look down on or judge someone as irresponsible, inconvenient, inferior, uncomfortable, or foolish because they have body odor says more about the superficial, self-centered, uncharitable bondage of my own heart to pride, pleasure, and comfort than anything about the other person. In fact, when I encounter a person with body odor, I should thank the Holy Trinity for that challenge to my self-centeredness since it is an opportunity for spiritual growth. Monks have the right to choose not to use deodorant if they feel that this is the best way to guard their hearts from the deception of pleasure and comfort.
And the same thing applies to frequent, warm showering. Most of the world throughout most of human history did not have indoor, heated plumbing. So showering in the winter is a modern, luxurious comfort. Yes, I think it feels gross not to shower every day, but when I start to think that I am entitled to it, that should be a warning that I am falling prey again to the siren calls of pleasure and comfort. Monks have the right to choose not to shower frequently if they feel that this is the best way to guard their hearts from the deception of pleasure and comfort.
In summary, we are all accountable for our own actions. If someone chooses to live up to the standard of comfort that they can afford, I should not judge them. If someone consciously chooses NOT to live up to the standard of comfort that they can afford or cannot live up to my standard of comfort, I should not judge them. But it is in my best interest to prepare for the day of judgment by judiciously taking practical steps to guard my heart against the deception of comfort.
The Essence of Christian Asceticism
In the tradition of my upbringing, there was a definite anti-ascetical bias. I was raised to regard with deep suspicion and frankly prejudice anyone who invited me to refrain from any pleasure or comfort that was not sinful. As an example, it was fine for me to modify my diet for health reasons but if it was for "spiritual reasons", I would be met with warnings of legalism. Interacting with monks helped to clarify what asceticism is and is not.
First, what asceticism is NOT. Refraining from sin is NOT asceticism. Refraining from sin is merely obedience. If all I am doing is depriving myself of SINFUL pleasures, that is good, but that is not asceticism. That is base-line Christianity. That is the starting block. That means I am still functioning at the level of the "Gospel of Sin Management" as Dallas Willard once said at a conference. This is the first step, but it is still far from the goal of union with Christ and the resulting total transformation into Christlikeness, or
theosis.
So, positively, what is asceticism? It is the giving up of a legitimate comfort or pleasure for a higher good. That is the basis for spiritual disciplines. Oftentimes, self-control, or the lack thereof, will bleed over from one area of your life into another. If I lack sexual self-control, a frontal assault on lust might not be as effectual as an indirect assault on it by redoubling self-control in another facet of life. For example, fighting sexual lust by dietary fasting. As self-control is gained over the lust of the tongue, it might empowers a side-effect victory over sexual lust. Or fighting greed through almsgiving.
But for many of us, even if we have repented of indulging in a specific sinful pleasure, we still desire that pleasure. How do we go from not sinning to not desiring to sin? It is the same principle, we fight the desire for sinful pleasures by voluntarily giving up our right to legitimate pleasures. Again, it is very important that I emphasize the words
voluntarily and
legitimate. We cooperate with the Holy Trinity in the mortification of our flesh by
voluntarily saying no to a
legitimate pleasure in order to weaken the power that sinful pleasure in general has over us.
I think that the ignorance of this basic Christian principle causes us to misunderstand the force of some really direct Scriptures. For example:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control [footnote: Greek I pummel my body and make it a slave], lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV)
Notice that
pummel and
slave are very forceful words but because of the anti-ascetical bias of their readership, the translators had to hide the real meaning in a footnote or be at risk of people rejecting their translation. The fact is that successful athletes say no to legitimate pleasures (e.g., desserts and lazing around instead of exercising) in order to equip themselves for success. In the same way, successful Christians exercise the spiritual muscle of saying no sinful pleasures by strategically saying no to legitimate pleasures.
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV)
Most of the time, I heard people use this verse to put down the importance of physical exercise. But that is not the force of passage. Rather, it is saying that given the importance of physical exercise, how much more important is spiritual exercise. That verb translated
train in Greek is
gymnazō, from which we get gymnasium, and it literally means "to exercise naked". Few people question that wearing clothing is a good thing, so it is all the more appropriate to use clothing as a metaphor for any legitimate pleasure that gets in the way of our spiritual fitness. That is part of what is going on in the following Scripture:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)
In order to endure the Christian race to the end, we need to not only lay aside sin, but also every weight, that is, distractions (often time legitimate pleasures) that slow us down and sap our spiritual energy. I think this is where Paul was going when he wrote this:
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12 ESV)
A pleasure might be lawful but if it tends toward addiction or spiritual distraction, it is better to give it up for the higher good. At the monastery, I was pruning a tree and uprooting things a monk called "suckers", and all of a sudden two passages from the Gospel came alive:
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:2 ESV)
And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:7-9 ESV)
In the first passage, the leaves that are pruned are not weeds or parasites, they are part of the plant. However, they redirect energy from fruitfulness, just like legitimate pleasures can. In the second passage, the fruitless tree was using up resources that other trees could use to be even more fruitful. Again, it was a fig tree--not a weed--but if it fruitlessly distracted other trees from being as fruitful, it was to be cut down. The same is true about legitimate pleasures and comforts that are at risk of distracting us. I think that is one thing Jesus is pointing at when he said this:
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. (Matthew 11:12 ESV)
This is not talking about militaristic Crusades or Christian
jihad. This is talking about decisively saying no to any legitimate pleasure that distracts from the kingdom of heaven. Eating locust and wild honey and wearing camel hair, John the Baptist is an icon of Christian asceticism. He said no to legitimate comforts and pleasures for the greater good. And when we desire to be a prophetic witness for Christ, but do not want to circumvent the ascetic means to that end, Jesus says to us that insistence on legitimate pleasures (as exemplified by soft clothes) will not get us there:
What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. (Matthew 11:7-9 ESV)
So, in summary, asceticism is giving up legitimate pleasures for the sake of a higher good. Examples of these higher goods include the weakening of the power of sinful pleasure over us and the removing of things that sap our limited spiritual resources and prevent fruitfulness. And all Christians are called to the ascetic struggle.
Monasticism vs Asceticism
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God .... (Hebrews 6:1 ESV)
Repentance from dead works is foundational. It is the first step. There are those (including myself much of the time) who are still in the stage of their spiritual development where the Gospel is still just about sin management. I would characterize this as minimal Christianity--how to minimize vice. But God wants us all to move on toward maturity, that is maximal Christianity--how to maximize virtue. Maximal fruitfulness, maximal Christlikeness, winning the maximal prize, taking the kingdom in our lives by maximal force.
So, we are ALL called to the ascetic struggle toward maximal Christianity, and there are two broad approaches to it: monastic and non-monastic. Again, neither is better, they both can lead to theosis or Christlikeness, but each of us has different needs and backgrounds and chooses our own path accordingly. In other words,
monasticism is just one way to implement our universal ascetic vocation as Christians.
Why Is It Valid to Have Multiple Approaches
The fact is that God calls each of us down different paths to achieve that same goal of maximal Christianity. Joseph and Daniel served at high levels in government, and Abraham was rewarded for his obedience with great wealth. On the other hand, Elijah was so poor that a raven fed him while a queen hunted for his life, and John the Baptist lived in the wilderness and lost his head for his witness. It should not surprise us when God's providence in our lives looks different:
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone ... Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 29-30 ESV)
The problem arises when the eye says to the hand or the head to feet, "I have no need of you." Or applied to the question under discussion, when the non-monastic says to the monastic, "The path you chose for pursuing maximal Christianity is not valid." We have to stop judging when our paths look different from others who also are pursuing maximal Christianity according to their own conscience.
The Distinctives of the Monastic Approach
Monastics, deeply aware of their own personal brokenness and weakness, have determined that they can stay true to the ascetic struggle in the pursuit of maximal Christianity ONLY IF they live in a highly disciplined environment. Accordingly, they choose to live in a highly disciplined, close-knit intentional community for mutual support. Every monastery has its own flavor, but there are certainly monasteries where the agreed upon discipline is more demanding than military service. I read an article about a guy who was the last officer to receive the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Last year he became a monk. He said an interesting thing in an interview:
Let me tell you something. There are three kinds of endeavor: in war, in the world, which is everyday life, and monastic endeavor. I have experience in all three. I went to war, I lived in the world and was married, now I am in a monastery.
Let me tell you something, monastic endeavor is much harder than the others. I would rank it as the hardest! Yet I’d rank it as the most joyful as well…They say if people only knew how hard it can be in monasticism, nobody would become a monk. But if they knew what joy belongs to monks, everyone would become monastics. (http://www.pravmir.com/monk-kyprian-being-in-battle-is-easier-than-being-a-monk/)
Furthermore, all monastics have determined that God is calling them to apply four Biblical principles in a radical way and take vows to support that determination. I explore these in detail in a different article
Thoughts on Monastic Vows, but I reproduce them here briefly:
- Chastity through celibacy
- Generosity through poverty
- Obedience through submission
- Commitment through stability
Other distinctives of the monastic approach to asceticism is what I would call a radical intentionality in applying certain verses. Most notably:
- "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV). Monastics often prefer manual work over mental work because it allows them more easily to practice the presence of God constantly while their mind is not occupied analyzing.
- "Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules" (Psalm 119:164 ESV). Monastics tend to have numerous corporate prayer meetings each day knowing that prayer is the engine behind spiritual transformation.
- "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching" (1 Timothy 4:13 ESV). Monastics tend to set aside large blocks of time each day for corporate listening to the reading aloud of the Bible--especially the Psalms.
- "Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart ..." (Ephesians 5:19 ESV). In addition to the public reading of Psalms, there is also the public reading of hymn texts. This might seem odd at first, but it is not a given that anyone in the community is skilled enough that their singing of the hymn would not introduce distraction.
Summary
On my pilgrimage, I was confronted by the fact that we Christians all are called to ascetic struggle, but that struggle is going to look different for different people. For most people, it will involve living in the world (but not being worldly). However, there are a small but historically significant group of people who knowing the state of their own heart realized that they could not maintain the ascetic struggle while being in close proximity to worldliness and took radical steps. These monastics form intentional communities of people covenanting together to create an safe environment for their ascetic struggle.
Now, the next big question is whether I see myself as having a monastic calling. Hopefully, I will come up with an answer to that for my next blog post.
