Hear the Ancient Wisdom: A Meditational Reader for the Whole Year from the Early Church Fathers up to the Pre-Reformation

440 Pages·2013·10.58 MB·English

by  Charles Ringma

Hear the Ancient Wisdom
A Meditational Reader for the Whole Year from the Early Church
Fathers to the Pre-Reformation
Charles R. Ringma
HEAR THE ANCIENT WISDOM
A Meditational Reader for the Whole Year from the Early Church Fathers to the Pre-Reformation
Copyright © 2013 Charles R. Ringma. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical
publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written
permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3,
Eugene, OR 97401.

Cascade Books
A Division of Wipf and Stock Publishers 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3
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isbn 13: 978-1-62032-772-2
eisbn 13: 978-1-62189-578-7

Cataloging-in-Publication data:
Ringma, Charles Richard.

Hear the ancient wisdom : a meditational reader for the whole year from the early church fathers to the
Pre-Reformation / Charles R. Ringma.

xiv + 428 p. ; 23 cm. Includes bibliographical references and index.

isbn 13: 978-1-62032-772-2

1. Spiritual Life—Christianity. 2. Christians—Prayers and devotions. 3. Christian life. I. Title.

BV4832.3 R56 2013

Manufactured in the USA
For
Adam Duncan Gresley East
and
Hendrika Roelofina Grada East-Aangeenbrug
and
Jordan Hendrik Gresley East
Ruben Derrick Gresley East
and in memoriam for
Daniel Benjamin Gresley East
Toby Adam Gresley East
who died tragically on 12 December 2006
“For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the
dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so
all will be made alive in Christ.”
—1 Corinthians 15:21–22
“If tears are still shed in heaven, then carry my tears to the feet of
God.”
—Giuseppe Verdi in Don Carlos
Preface
This book is but a small offering in that the reader will only gain a
limited taste of the wisdom of the early church fathers, the desert fathers, the
monastic tradition, the leaders of the church throughout the Middle Ages, leaders
of renewal movements, the medieval mystics, and the pre-Reformation
reformers.
The reader will meet Justin Martyr, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine,
Gregory of Nyssa, St. Basil, St. Jerome, Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis,
Bonaventure, Meister Eckhart, Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, and
John Hus, amongst many other leading figures over these fourteen centuries.
A wonderful outcome in engaging this book would be that the
reader, having tasted, might gain a hunger for more. The extensive reference
material listed in the endnotes would be a place to start.
The question, however, needs to be posed: why engage Christians who lived
such a long time ago? As they sought to live in fidelity to the gospel, were they
not simply relevant for their time and not for ours?
The most basic answer to these questions is that these witnesses are part of
our tradition. They have left us a legacy and we would do well to afford them a
respectful hearing. Moreover, some of them—martyrs, monks, mystics, prophets,
healers, theologians, revivalists—are the most exemplary Christians who have
ever lived. We do ourselves a disservice not to be challenged by their lives, their
writings, and their service. But finally, it could well be that our present-day
Christianity, so shaped by the values of modernity, could learn from this ancient
wisdom. It is possible that our Christianity could become revitalized and more
robust by hearing the ancient wisdom.
Some major qualifiers are in order at this point. Just because I quote Maximus
the Confessor or Gertrude the Great or Origen or St. Catherine of Genoa or St.
Ephraem of Syrus, I am not, therefore, advocating everything they have written.
This book is not a systematic treatment of any of the over seventy authors
quoted. Moreover, I am also not entering the scholarly debate about contested
dates and authorship of certain documents. The brief historical material I have
provided in the index is from standard sources. Finally, this book is not pining
for the “good old days.” It does not suggest we should go back to the past. It
simply suggests we can learn from the wisdom of the past.
This book reflects almost a lifetime of reading. It has been written over a very
long period of time and in various countries including Australia, the Philippines,
Canada, Myanmar, and The Netherlands.
There are some special places where parts of this book were penned that I
particularly wish to acknowledge: the Benedictine Monastery near Mission,
British Columbia; the Myoora Retreat Centre of Chris and
Marilyn Brown, Currimundi Lake, Queensland; the holiday home of Dr. and
Mrs. Paul and Gail Stevens, Ruxton Island, British Columbia; the holiday home
of Drs. Terry and Rosie Gatfield, Mt. Tamborine, Queensland; The Winner Inn,
Yangon; The Community of Rivendell, Bowen Island, British Columbia; Mt.
Archer Christian Community, Woodford, Queensland; the retreat centre of the
Sisters of the Cenacle, Metro Manila; the home of Russell and Kay Brothers,
Noosa Heads, Queensland; the Bamboo House, Mindoro, Philippines; the home
of John Robertson and Dr. Marguerite Robertson, Sunshine Beach, Queensland;
the Servants Retreat Centre, Metro Manila; the Thamada Hotel, Yangon; Kathi
Bentall’s Hermitage, Bowen Island, British Columbia; the home of Rita
Petersen, Peregian, Queensland; the S.I.L. Guesthouse, Manila; The Tulip Inn,
Franeker, The Netherlands; and the home of Dr. Neil and Sue Paulsen,
Indooroopilly, Brisbane.
There are a number of people who have contributed to this book: Bill Reimer
from Regent Bookstore gave me valuable information about relevant books;
Pieter Kwant, my ever positive literary agent; the staff of Wipf and Stock, who
believed in this book, even when the publishing market is deeply in trouble; Ms.
Annette Ganter who once again magically turned my handwritten pages into
typescript; and Ms. Teresa Jordan who added life to this book with her
illustrations. To each I am deeply grateful.
The reader will note that this book does not freeze the voices of the past in the
past. Rather, this book seeks to bring them into the present. The voices of the
past are meant to enrich and challenge us. May that indeed be the case!
Charles R. Ringma
Brisbane, Australia
2012
Introduction
To write a meaningful historical and theological introduction to a meditational
reader that spans some fourteen hundred years of the history, thinking, and
praxis of the church, would take much more than the whole of this book. If this
is what the reader is wanting, then other sources will need to be consulted.
The introduction, therefore, will need to be much more limited. The focus
then will be on what one could possibly gain from a book like this.
This book is meant to be a companion for a year. It is meant to assist you in
building into your normal day some time for reflection, meditation, and prayer.
This is a reminder that as humans we are to be more than only workers and
achievers. We are also meant to be contemplatives.
Life is not only about the busy round of activities and relationships; it is also
about withdrawal and the practices of solitude. And it is in these practices we
can find insight, renewal, and inspiration. In these spiritual routines we can also
gain a better equilibrium as well as health and wellbeing.
But there is more. In spiritual practices we want to grow not only in self-
insight, but also in our love for others and in our concern for the world.
Meditation is not to feed one’s narcissism but one’s growth and wholeness that is
both self-nurturing and other-regarding.
And while reflective practices may remain at the horizontal level, this reader
includes the importance of the transcendental dimensions of
human existence. And it does it particularly within the wider Christian
tradition. As such, this book acknowledges the importance and value of a faith
relationship with God the Creator and Redeemer who, in the face of Christ, has
written us the clearest letter of his love and purposes.
In drawing on the wider Christian tradition, this book has
specifically focused on what is often the most neglected phase of the tradition—
the period from the early church fathers up to the pre-Reformation reformers.
But interestingly, some key figures in this period are enjoying a present-day
comeback. One is St. Benedict. The other is St. Francis. But so are medieval
mystics such as Hildegard of Bingen and Julian of Norwich. And of course,
Celtic spirituality is enjoying contemporary interest.
So, what may we gain from reflecting on key sayings of these and many other
writers from this period?
The first thing is the sense that all of life is sacred. There is no such thing as a
secular sphere and a spiritual sphere. All of life is to reflect the goodness and
glory of God. All of life is a prayer. St. Benedict’s voice is important on this
point.
The second thing is the importance of a sacramental view of life. This means
normal things may carry and mediate to us a deeper spiritual reality. The world
reflects something of the glory of God. Friendship is a symbol of the Trinity.
Brotherhood and sisterhood demonstrate the friendship of Christ. Hospitality is a
glimpse of the welcome of God. Bread and wine, the presence of Christ.
Anointing oil, God’s healing presence. Thus, all of life is charged with grandeur
of God and is impregnated with the holy. St. Augustine is but one important
voice regarding these matters.
Thirdly, while the writers of the ancient wisdom stress the mystery of God,
they celebrate God’s knowability. They speak of the traces of God in pagan
philosophies, the beauty of God in nature, the revelation of God in Scripture, the
voice of God in human affairs, the unveiling of God in our dreams, and the
presence of God in the sacraments. While for us the knowability of God is such a
problem, for them it was a matter of becoming attentive to the many signs
already given. Thus, they stressed contemplative practices in order to hear God’s
voice more clearly. John Cassian has much to teach us here.
Fourthly, the culture of these many centuries was fundamentally hierarchical
and patriarchal, and while this was reflected in the church’s art and theology, the
martyrs, theologians, monks, and mystics in this book speak of an amazing
intimacy with God. God for them was like a father and mother. And for some,
their intimacy with Christ was of such dimensions that they received the
stigmata. St. Anselm speaks much of the motherly compassion of God and St.
Francis is a witness to a form of intimacy that resulted in his bearing the marks
of Christ.
Fifthly, while the writers of the ancient wisdom celebrated both the
knowability and intimacy with God, they nevertheless practiced a committed
discipleship. Their passion was to be like Jesus, to obey him, to reflect him in the
world, and to do the works of the kingdom of God. Unlike our half-hearted
discipleship in the modern world, our ancient forebears knew a lot about the cost
of discipleship and clearly challenge us in this regard. One key voice amongst
many others on this theme is that of Thomas à Kempis.
Sixthly, the final outworking of a committed discipleship for some of our
witnesses in this reflective reader is the embrace of a martyr’s death. Baptized
into Christ and into the faith community, and baptized in the Spirit, they
embraced a baptism of blood. In this they became true witnesses in fidelity to the
gospel of the Christ they acknowledged, even in the face of death. There are
many of their voices in these pages, including that of Justin Martyr.
Seventhly, while there are voices in these pages that reflect a more intellectual
and rational understanding of faith, there are other voices in the Christian
mystical tradition that highlight more the mystery of God, the grace of
unknowability, and the desert and darkness in the Christian’s journey. That such
voices are part of the ancient wisdom is an encouragement for us today as we
seek to live a spirituality beyond the modernity paradigm. Here the voice of
Meister Eckhart is a challenging guide.
Eighthly, living in a present-day setting where many Christians have a most
tenuous relationship with the institutional church and where the church itself has
lost much of its social standing, the voices of the past point us in a new direction.
In their time the church also had its problems. But instead of abandoning the
church our forebears took on the shame and weakness of the church and were
willing to suffer it into recovery and renewal. St. Catherine of Siena and
Hildegard of Bingen are but two of many witnesses.
Finally, the list could go on and on, as there is much we can gain from these
voices from the past. There is much in these pages about prayer, meditation, and
contemplation. These pages speak about Christian witness and service to the
world. There are voices who speak about both the motherhood and fatherhood of
God. There are reflections that speak about justice and nation building. And
there are voices who speak of the hope of God’s final future in new heavens and
a new earth.
Fourteen hundred years is no sprint in the park. But many contemporary
Christians are sprinters. They almost think Christianity came into being with
their faith awakening and so have little sense of the rich tradition that is theirs.
This book, in a small way, is an invitation to discover this rich heritage—to hear
the ancient wisdom.