The Problem of Ascetical Fasting in the Greek Patristic Writers

Abstract

Studies in comparative religion have shown the important role played by the practice of ascetical fasting in the history of man's religious development. But many gaps in that history still exist. We may surmise, for example, that primitive man stumbled on the practice of fasting accidentally, as a way to conserve food in time of shortage, or, again, out of revulsion for food in times of sickness, as well as under stress of sorrow or fear. On the other hand, he would find that overeating might interfere with sleep and cause a feeling of heaviness, or that certain foods could cause sickness and nausea. The lacuna between these primitive experiences and the religious-ascetical practice of fasting still remains a subject for investigation, although, from the point of view of Greece and Rome, it has been adequately treated by Arbesmann. The object of the present work is not to cover the practice of ecclesiastical fasting, either from the canonical point of view (as this has been sufficiently treated by Parra Herrera) or in its connection with prophecy and revelation (as this has again been fully discussed by Arbesmann) — but merely to treat the problem of ascetical fasting as we find it in the Greek patristic writers down to the time of John Damascene.

Bitter Is Better: Wild Greens Used in the Blue Zone of Ikaria, Greece

“…In fact, early Christian communities strictly observed fasting as a common religious practice [ 97 ], which is believed to have originated from Jewish religious culture [ 98 ]. The practice of abstaining from certain foods or drinks, however, was already present in late antiquity [ 99 ], although it did not spread consistently [ 100 ]. In the modern age, the Catholic Church maintained fasting or tough dietary prescriptions until the 20th Century, such as on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, and during Lent [ 101 ].…”

Fasten: Zur Popularität einer (religiösen) Praktik

“…Ein freiwilliger und temporärer Verzicht auf (bestimmte) Nahrungsmittel, Genussmittel und/oder Konsumgüter, der während der gesamten Fastenzeit oder nur zu bestimmten Tageszeiten erfolgen kann, scheint heutzutage also durchaus beachtliche Popularitätswerte aufzuweisen. Historisch belegt ist er bereits durch antike Quellen (Arbesmann 1929;Musurillo 1956); Fasten lässt sich, so die Feststellung Tamneys (1980, S. 129), gar in der gesamten bisherigen Menschheitsgeschichte nachweisen. Dies mag auch darin begründet liegen, dass frühe Formen des Fastens auf eine jahreszeitlich bedingte Einschränkung des Nahrungsangebots zurückzuführen waren, die gleichsam für "natürliche Fastenperioden" sorgten (Fritzsche 2008, S. 16).…”

Syméon stylite le jeune (521-592) : un cas de sainte anorexie ?

“…Les études majeures sur l'anorexie 8. Musurillo 1956 ;Rousselle 1974 ;Brown 1988, 218 ;Hirschfeld 1992, 82-91. Pour se faire une idée de l'échelle des régimes alimentaires à cette époque : Patlagean 1977, 36-53.…”