Clothed in the Body: Asceticism, the Body and the Spiritual in the Late Antique Era

250 Pages·2012·1.26 MB·English

by  Hannah Hunt

Clothed in the Body
Asceticism, the Body and the Spiritual in the
Late Antique Era
Hannah Hunt
Clothed in the Body
hunt examines the apparent paradox that Jesus’ earthly existence and post
resurrection appearances are experienced through consummately physical actions
and attributes yet some ascetics within the Christian tradition appear to seek to deny
the value of the human body, to find it deadening of spiritual life. Hunt considers
why the Christian tradition as a whole has rarely managed more than an uneasy
truce between the physical and the spiritual aspects of the human person. Why
is it that the ‘Church’ has energetically argued, through centuries of ecumenical
councils, for the dual nature of Christ but seems still unwilling to accept the
full integration of physical and spiritual within humanity, despite Gregory of
nazianzus’ comment that ‘what has not been assumed has not been redeemed’?
AShGAte StUdieS in PhiloSoPhy & theoloGy
in lAte AntiQUity
Series editors
dr Mark edwards, oxford University, UK
dr lewis Ayers, emory University, USA
The Ashgate Studies in Philosophy & Theology in Late Antiquity series focuses
on major theologians, not as representatives of a ‘tradition’, whether Christian
or classical, but as individuals immersed in the intellectual culture of their day.
each book concentrates on the arguments, not merely the opinions, of a single
Christian writer or group of writers from the period Ad 100–600 and compares
and contrasts these arguments with those of pagan contemporaries who addressed
similar questions. By study of the political, cultural and social milieu, contributors
to the series show what external factors led to the convergence or divergence
of Christianity and pagan thought in particular localities or periods. Pagan and
Christian teachings are set out in a clear and systematic form making it possible to
bring to light the true originality of the author’s thought and to estimate the value
of his work for modern times. This high profile research series offers an important
contribution to areas of contemporary research in the patristic period, as well as
providing new links into later periods, particularly the medieval and reformation.
other titles published in this series:
The Spirit of Augustine’s Early Theology
Contextualizing Augustine’s Pneumatology
Chad tyler Gerber
Evagrius and Gregory
Mind, Soul and Body in the 4th Century
Kevin Corrigan
Dionysius the Areopagite and the Neoplatonist Tradition
Despoiling the Hellenes
Sarah Klitenic Wear and John Dillon
Origen Against Plato
Mark Julian edwards
Clothed in the Body
Asceticism, the Body and the Spiritual in the
late Antique era
hAnnAh hUnt
Leeds Trinity University College, UK
© hannah hunt 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
hannah hunt has asserted her right under the Copyright, designs and Patents Act, 1988, to
be identified as the author of this work.
Published by
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Hunt, Hannah.
Clothed in the body : asceticism, the body and the spiritual in the late antique era. – (Ashgate
studies in philosophy & theology in late antiquity)
1. Christian literature, Early–History and criticism. 2. Christian literature, Early–Syriac
authors. 3. Asceticism–History–Early church, ca. 30–600–Sources. 4. Human body–
Religious aspects–Christianity–History of doctrines–Early church, ca. 30–600.
I. Title II. Series
233.5–dc23
Library of Congress Cataloging–in–Publication Data
Hunt, Hannah.
Clothed in the body : asceticism, the body, and the spiritual in the late
antique era / Hannah Hunt.
p. cm. – (Ashgate studies in philosophy & theology in late antiquity)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 978–1–4094–0914–4 (hardcover : alk. paper) – ISBN 978–1–4094–0915–1 (ebook)
1. Human body–Religious aspects–Christianity–History of doctrines–Early church, ca.
30–600. 2. Theological anthropology–Christianity–History of doctrines–Early church,
ca. 30–600. 3. Asceticism–History–Early church, ca. 30–600. I. Title.
BT741.3.H86 2012
233’.509–dc23
2011050815
ISBN 9781409409144 (hbk)
ISBN 9781409409151 (ebk) IV
Printed and bound in Great Britain by the
MPG Books Group, UK.
For Adam and Symeon
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Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Abbreviations xi
1 Introduction 1
2 Greek Insights into the Human Person 9
3 Biblical Understandings of Flesh, Body and Soul 31
4 Desert Teachings on the Body and Asceticism 47
5 ‘Virgins of God’: Manly Women and Transvestite Saints 63
6 ‘Enemy’ or ‘Friend’: Climacus’ Integration of the Body 79
7 The Syrian Perspective on Asceticism 93
8 Key Syrian Sources: Apocrypha and Anonymity 113
9 Pseudo-Macarius, Messalianism and Synaesthesia 125
10 ‘Clothed in the Body’ as a Metaphor for Incarnation 137
11 Heterodox Christologies and the Heresiarchs 159
12 Orthodox Patristic Formulations 183
13 Conclusion 203
Bibliography 207
Index of Biblical Terms 231
General Index 233
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Acknowledgements
Grateful thanks are extended to all those who supported me in various ways during
the two years I was working on this book. This project was conceived during a
one-week Bishop Moorman Scholarship in St Deiniol’s Library (now Gladstone’s
Library) in January 2009; invaluable assistance was provided by staff there and
at the other fine libraries where I spent many happy hours – the Brotherton in
Leeds, Cambridge University Library, The Bodleian, the British Library and the
Warburg Institute. Support staff at Selwyn College assisted with accommodation
and facilitated the dovetailing of other professional responsibilities while I was
visiting CUL. Leeds Trinity University College granted 80 hours of study leave
in 2009/10, which formed the basis of my research time. Colleagues Hannah
Lavery and Jude White at the Open University in Yorkshire bore the brunt of me
taking annual leave from my other jobs for research trips. Simon Coton provided
blissfully distraction-free accommodation and post-working-day gin in July 2011.
The following (among others) engaged in conversation, suggested or supplied
further reading, and offered helpful criticism and feedback: Stuart Burns, Majella
Franzmann, Vladimir Ivanovici, Hugh Kennedy, Julia Konstantinovsky, Andrew
Louth and Monica Tobin, also colleagues in the Humanities Department at Leeds
Trinity University College including Nathan Uglow. Graeme Gooday was a
constant source of experience, encouragement and specifically assistance with the
image for the front cover. John McGuckin graciously responded very quickly to
enquiries about reproducing the beautiful Icon by Eileen McGuckin, to whom also
many thanks. Robin Orton meticulously read most of the book at a rough draft
stage, and was generous with his time. Much gratitude is offered to Gary Pitts
for all sorts of practical support. John Smedley, Sophie Lumley, Sarah Lloyd and
Lianne Sherlock at Ashgate were patient and helpful at every stage, as was my
proofreader, Mary Murphy. The book is dedicated with love and admiration to my
two sons, whose constant distractions and curiosity about my strange addiction to
research and writing ensured I remained firmly ‘in the body’.
Hannah Hunt
April 2012