What I Learned from the Early Christians about Spiritual Growth, Part 6: We need the Truth
What I Learned from the Early Christians about Spiritual Growth, Part 3: Human Effort Matters
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It was necessary in the development of orthodox doctrine for Pelagianism, which held that human beings can do good without the aid of divine grace, to be defeated. It’s impossible to see how people could need a Savior if we can do good on our own. (See Part 2 of this series at http://www.catholic365.com/article/1860/what-i-learned-from-the-early-christians-about-spiritual-growth-part-2-everything-is-gift.html for a short explanation of the Pelagian controversy.) However, saying that we need grace to do good works is not the same as saying that human beings should do nothing, but rely solely on grace.
The great monastic Father of the Church, John Cassian, partly responding to Saint Augustine on the question of Grace and free will, wrote that “We should not hold that God made man such that he can never will or be capable of what is good: or else He has not granted him a free will…”[i] Cassian accepted Augustine’s teaching on Grace, and rejected the heresy of Pelagius, but emphasized the role of free will in man’s cooperation with grace.
Cassian’s background can perhaps explain his emphasis on the role of human striving in spiritual growth. He spent years traveling in Egypt, studying under the spiritual masters of the Egyptian monastic movement. Their tradition emphasized a threefold path to spiritual growth that included the purgative, the illuminative and the contemplative ways or stages.
The purgative stage, which is necessary for further spiritual growth, involves cleansing the soul of all unnecessary attachments to the things of this world that keep us from a whole-hearted devotion to God. As Saint Paul explained, “put to death all the deeds of the flesh and you will live.” (Romans 8:13) The desert Fathers understood the deeds of the flesh to be those habits, attitudes and compulsions (some would say addictions) that take up so much of our lives. Some of these aspects of our daily lives do not at first glance seem harmful, but ultimately they prevent us from drawing closer to the Lord because of the inordinate grip they have on our thoughts and actions. Think how many times we check our cell phones for emails, text messages etc., when a few short years ago we all lived happily without such devices. Is the cell phone bad? Of course not, but if we become obsessed with it, to the detriment of our relationship with God and those God has put in our lives, the obsessive attachment must be broken before real spiritual growth can occur.
The Desert Fathers did not have cell phones, but they knew about unhealthy attachments, and they knew how hard it is to break those attachments. Many of them spent years of their lives struggling against greed, pride, anger, resentment, and obsessive sexual thoughts before finally triumphing, before they could truly begin the illuminative and contemplative stages of their spiritual life.
The battle against temptations and obsessive thoughts never really ends in the life of a Christian. Satan will always send temptations our way. But when we have put real effort into resisting those temptations that are most troublesome in our own lives (and only you, with the aid of a wise spiritual director, know what those areas in your life are), we find temptation easier to resist. When we are able to spend less time struggling, and more time communicating with the Lord, we can begin to make real progress
It’s important also to remember that the essential insight of Saint Augustine is also still true. Even in the midst of our struggle, especially in the midst of our struggle, we must continue to rely on Grace, making frequent use of the sources of that Grace. The Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Confession are extremely important when we are struggling to remove unhealthy attachments from our lives.
There is, properly understood, no contradiction between the teachings of Saint Augustine and Saint John Cassian. They are two aspects of the same reality, two sides of the same coin. God, in His wisdom and love, has made it possible for us to do what we could never do on our own. Through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can draw near to Him
[i] John Cassian, The Works of John Cassian , Translated by the Rev. Edgar C.S. Gibson (Veritatis Splendor Publications, 2012) p. 461.
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About the Author
Carl Sommer holds an M.A. in historical theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. He has one published book, "We Look for a Kingdom: The Everyday Lives of the Early Christians." He has fifteen years’ experience as a religious educator in St. Louis, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. He is currently Adjunct Professor of Church History at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in Saint Louis.
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