the passions of the soul…

Theology. This is something that folks who live and work in seminary setting - focus on more than the general population. Indeed, it is the study of God, and things concerning God.

Abba Evagrius Ponticus said: ‘If you are a theologian, you will pray truly, and if you pray truly, you are a theologian.’

This statement has largely been ignored. Many people in my home church are employed by the university nearby, which includes a seminary.

I have been involved in several conversations recently about what we believe as a body of believers, or church, which seems to devolve into a focus on dogma, or doctrine. The focus on the minds and in the words of many of my church brethren seem to revolve around what we believe ‘about’ Christianity, membership in the church, baptism standards, church polity, by-laws, and how we do things. These discussions  tend to become positioning about principles, or Baptist/Christian distinctives.

This “head knowledge”/ theological focus of many with which I fellowship causes me to reflect on a recent story I read about the ancient desert father, Abba Poemen. [The desert fathers are those who migrated to the Scetis desert of Egypt back in the 4th century, or around the year 300 AD. These monks were devoted to prayer and the desire to allow the Holy Spirit to transform their characters into the character of Christ himself. In their vocabulary, sin was ‘a passion of the soul’. Evagrius Ponticus, quoted above, was one of the desert fathers. he was a founder, in fact.]

*One of the brethren had gone on a journey and had met a hermit who had impressed him greatly with his knowledge of the scriptures and of heavenly matters. They had spoken about Abba Poemen, who was acknowledged as the elder of the desert community, and a man who was great in age and in wisdom. The hermit expressed a desire to this brother that he would appreciate it if he could have an audience with Abba Poemen, if he made a trip to the desert outpost of Scetis. The brother encouraged him to come to Scetis.

So the hermit journeyed back to the Scetis outpost, and asked to meet with the old man. When he was granted approval to come into the old man’s cell, he was introduced as being “ a great man, full of charity, and is held in high esteem in his region”, he spoke readily to the Abba about his theological knowledge—of the scriptures and things of the Spirit. The Abba received hi with joy. They greeted one another and sat down in the cell. As the hermit spoke, the Abba turned his back on the hermit and would not engage him in eye contact at all. Abba Poemen answered the hermit with silence.

The hermit left the Abba’s presence deeply grieved, and disconsolate. The other brother met the hermit and seeing that he was sad, asked him what had happened. The hermit told him about the Abba’s posture in the conversation,saying,” I have made this long journey in vain. For I have come to visit the old man, and he does not even wish to speak to me”.

The brother approached Abba Poemen, and asked, “This man with such a great reputation in his own land, has come to meet with you. Why do you not speak with him?” The old man said, “indeed he is great, and speaks readily of spiritual and heavenly things, and I am lowly and know nothing about any of those things. If he had spoken to me about the passions of his heart and soul, I would have replied. However, he speaks about spiritual things and I know nothing about these.”

The brother came out of the Abba’s cell and told the visitor: “The old man does not readily speak about the scriptures, but if anyone consults him about the passions of his soul, he responds.” Filled with compunction, the visiting hermit returned to the old man’s cell, and said to him, “What should I do, Abba, for the passions of the soul control me?”

The Abba turned towards him and replied joyfully, “This time, you come as you should. Now open your mouth concerning these matters and I shall fill it with good things.” Greatly edified, the hermit said to him: “Truly, this is the right way.” He returned to his own land, giving thanks to God that he had been counted worthy to have met with so great a saint.*

This story resonates within me, as I consider the words of various “theologians” all about me these days.

In my life and experience, what has been most edifying and most useful as I have begun to seek the Spirit of Christ as the guiding force of my life—is not theology per se, but the application of truth--the direction and assistance of others who can help to discern how to overcome these ‘passions of the soul’. This is something that applies to all of us, educational background notwithstanding. “How can I learn to become a transformed follower of Jesus?”

That is learning and knowledge of something that has great value. These matters –dealing with the passions of the soul-are the things which enable me to become more and more transformed into the likeness of Jesus the Christ.