Apatheia in the Teachings of Evagrius Ponticus: The Health of the Soul

2017 | Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences

Evagrius of Pontus (c.345-399 CE) has been renowned for the depth and subtlety of his psychological and spiritual insight ever since his lifetime. The disposition that he calls apatheia harmonises and stabilises the soul, bringing freedom from destructive patterns of thought, emotion and behaviour and enabling contemplation, through which comes ever deeper understanding of the cosmos and knowledge of God. This book, the first full-length study of Evagrian apatheia, encompasses its anthropological, psychological and spiritual dimensions. It demonstrates the inaccuracy of understanding it to mean freedom from emotion, and corrects the traditional understanding of Evagrius as an intellectualist who prioritises knowledge over love.

Monica Tobon (Author)