The Fast of the Apostles in the Early Church and in Later Syrian and Coptic Practice (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Holy and Great Council and an Orthodox Theology of Fasting
8th International Conference of Orthodox Theology On the Holy and Great Council, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2018
The statement promulgated by the Holy and Great Council (Kolibari, Crete, 2016) regarding fasting was a prudent first step,. This paper offers some suggestions how a discussion of Orthodox fasting practices, which have deep theological roots, could be furthered in the future.
1997
Nowadays fasting has degenerated into a ritual with hardly any theological significance and has come to designate at best a temporary slight change of daily meal. And if after the Reformation the practice of fasting was publicly criticized, it was exactly because fasting had developed into a system equal to the formalistic and hypocritical laws of the Pharisees and had been reduced to a mere abstinence from food and drink as part of an ascetic way of life, a form of self discipline and self-castigation with the ideal of complete independence from all physical needs. The extremities that have been recorded during the middle ages illustrate exactly this overestimation of the somatic element of fasting at the expense of its spiritual and sociopolitical dimension. It is against this merely materialistic and somatic account and understanding of fasting that I am reconsidering the Christian incarnational tradition of the first four centuries which emphasizes the sociopolitical implications of any corporeal act. By revisiting the works of Christian writers of that period, an attempt will be made to demonstrate (1) that during the constitutive years of Christianity fasting was understood in psychosomatic terms; (2) that, according to the early Christian tradition, true fasting is expressed by a responsible attitude towards the rest of the community, and is directly related to a sociopolitical justice and (3) that fasting, when genuinely practiced, can have transformative effects on a particular society. It is thus by pointing out the sociopolitical dimension of fasting that I shall argue for a reconsideration of its meaning and for its relevance to and significance for current issues such as fair trade, debt relief, 'jubilee 2000' and fair distribution of wealth.
Early Christian practices: the Didache on fasting
‘The Didache as a Source for Picturing the Earliest Christian Communities: The Case of the Practice of Fasting’ in K. O’Mahony ed., Christian Origins: Worship, Belief and Society [Journal for the Study of the New Testament: Supplement Series 241] (Sheffield Academic Press, Sheffield 2003), pp. 83-112.
Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Theologia Orthodoxa, 2018
In this paper, being the first part of my analysis, I tried to examine the first four paragraphs of the document “The Importance of Fasting and Its Observance Today” of the Holy and Great Council of Crete from canonical and theological point of view by taking into consideration its development, the pre-conciliar debates, and its final form. Having in mind this vast period of time needed for the final form of the text of the Holy and Great Council, we can assert the total victory of the theologians and circles with conservative theological visions, because the idea of changing and adapting fasting periods was totally removed from the inter-Orthodox debate. The official document of the Holy and Great Council is an attempt of theological argumentation of the practice of fasting, highlighting, with several biblical and patristic quotations, the general importance of the institution of fasting, but without any practical clarification. The text contains more than 26 biblical, patristic and liturgical quotations. Almost 40% of the text of the document is represented by quotes and different references, showing a lack of originality and actuality. Despite that, the documents emphasises that fasting in the Orthodox Church has many dimensions: historical-theological(fasting as divine commandment given in Paradise); ascetic-spiritual(fasting as great spiritual endeavour and the foremost expression of the Orthodox ascetic ideal); canonical(the foundation of fasting are the apostolic precepts, the synodal canons, and the patristic tradition as a whole); soteriological(the great significance of fasting for our spiritual life and salvation); and liturgical(fasting is according to the liturgical Tradition of the Orthodox Church, culminating with the Holy Eucharist).
FASTING A Biblical Patristic Liturgical Scholarly Anthology
The fast has been beneficially instituted for the healing of soul and body."-St. Leo 7. FASTING STRENGTHENS US TO FAST FROM SIN: "Let us fast an acceptable and very pleasing fast to the Lord. True fasting is the estrangement from evil, temperance of tongue, abstinence from anger, separation from desires, slander, falsehood and perjury. Privation of these is true fasting."-St. Basil the Great 8. FASTING IS SPIRITUAL EXERCISE: "No Christian became holy without ascetic exercises [i.e., fasting, prostrations, vigils etc.]. No one can ascend to spirituality without exercising himself. These things must be done… Let our food be more simple, and let's not occupy ourselves so much with it."-St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia 9. FASTING PROTECTS US FROM SIN & GIVES PEACE TO THE SOUL: "Fasting and self-control are a double wall of defense and whoever lives within them enjoys great peace."-St. Gregory Palamas
Nutrition, 2019
This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Highlights Orthodox fasting (OF) is a periodical vegetarian subset of the Mediterranean diet We evaluated OF effects in general population fasters (GF) and Athonian monks (AM) AM demonstrated lower BMI, Body Fat Mass and HOMA-IR values compared to GF The results highlight the unique characteristics of Athonian OF as a healthpromoting diet Limitation of specific vitamins and minerals during OF warrants further investigation
Fasting That Is Pleasing to the Lord: A Nt Theology of Fasting
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 2015
In this article I will argue that, as an expression of Christian piety, fasting is only appropriate in exceptional circumstances. It should not be a habitual expression of devotion to the Lord. Fasting belongs in the OT, but after the coming of Christ the appropriate sentiment for believers is joy, not grief. That is not to say that it is wrong for Christians to fast, but that it reflects a state that should not be a habitual one. Instead of fasting, Christians should express their piety through joy and through sharing their resources with those in need. After a brief overview of fasting in the OT, I will discuss the implications of Jesus’ words about fasting in Mark 2:19–20 par. Next, I will examine the references to fasting in the rest of the NT and see if they reflect an exceptional or a habitual practice. In the final section, I will sketch the outlines of a new kind of fasting. Without ignoring individual differences in expression, emphasis, and focus, my argument will assume t...
Sanctifying Texts, Transforming Rituals. Encounters in Liturgical Studies. (= FS Gerard Rouwhorst; Hg. P. van Geest/ M. Poorthuis / E. Rose; Brill's Studies in Catholic Theology 5), Leiden: Brill, 2017
Breaking the fast is the central moment and core symbol of the Christian paschal celebration both in the quartodeciman and in the dominical traditions. While it appears constitutive for the quartodeciman celebration to break the fast after the conclusion of the Jewish Passover meal, which terminates in the late evening, the mimetic link of the dominical Easter to the resurrection and to the discovery of the empty tomb on Sunday morning motivates a full-night vigil. Providing the putative historical priority of the quartodeciman celebration, it may therefore be possible that the paschal vigil originated as an extension of an evening celebration and not the latter as a reduction of the former, which in consequence would contribute to explaining puzzles posed not only by some early witnesses but also of fourth century sources that testify to dominical paschal vigils celebrated on Saturday evening.