Pachomius:

The Origins of Cenobitic Monasticism

 

OBJECTIVES:

1. Be able to discuss the life of Pachomius and the ideals it expresses.

2.Be able to contrast Pachomian communal life with the ideals and lifestyle of the Desert Hermits.

3. Be able to discuss the reasons for Pachomius=s development of a rule for monastic life.

4. Be able to discuss the important centers of Pachomian monasticism.

5. Be able to discuss the role of Pachomius himself in the spread of cenobitic monasticism in Egypt.

 

QUOTATIONS:

"Listen to me, my brothers, and understand well the things I am telling you. For the man whom we are exalting is truly the father of us all after God...I am fearful that we may forget his labors and actually be unmindful of who it was who made this multitude one spirit...Now then, let us not forget his laws and his commandments which he gave us while he was still with us in the body."

Theodore upon the death of Pachomius

"We have been orphaned today..."

The brothers upon the Death of Pachomius

"After three years in that place, he realized that he was surrounded with people to the point of being much inconvenienced, for they would never let him have a moment's peace. Then he sought to become a monk and to give himself up to the anchoritic life."

Bohairic Life of Pachomius

"Now go settle down in your cell, hold on firmly to what you already have, and you will be honorable before God. Or else, try yourself in every point to find out whether you can be steadfast; then you will come back to us again. When you come back, we will be ready, insofar as our weakness allows, to labor with you until you get to know yourself." Palamon to Pachomius, in the Bohairic Life of Pachomius

"They lived together as one man, practicing a hard and exhausting ascesis."

Bohairic Life of Pachomius, said of Pachomius and Palamon

OUTLINE

I. Brief overview of Pachomian Monasticism

A. Pachomius=s contributions to the monastic traditions

B. The Life of Pachomius

i. Various versions

a) The Coptic Lives

i) The Sahidic Lives

ii) The Bohairic Life

iii) The scholars Amelineau and Lefort

b) The Greek Lives

i) the scholar LaDeuz

ii) The Bollandists and the Acta Sanctorum

iii) Coptic elements in the text

c) The Arabic Lives

i) Amelineau

d. Other textual scholarship

i) A.J. Festugiere

C. The Cult of the founder

i) as compared to Basil

ii) as compared to Augustine of Hippo

D. The events of Pachomius=s Life

i) childhood

ii) military service

a) Constantine?

b) Maximius and Licinius?

c) release, Seneset, and vision of dew descending from heaven

iii) conversion: 313 C.E.

iv) early experiences with service and charity

v) Palamon and the eremitical tradition

vi) community!

a) foundations:the koinonia

i) Tabennesi

a) John

b) Mary

c) Theodore and Paphnouti: the visit of their mother

ii) Phbow

iii) Seneset

iv) Thmousons

v) Pmampesterposen

vi) Tse

vii)Smin

viii) Thbew

ix) Tsmine

a) Petronius was superior

E. Pachomius as a person

i) Asceticism

ii) charity

iii) prayers for humanity

F. Pachomius=s successors

i) His death: the brothers as orphans

ii) Paphnouti=s death

iii) Petronius and the question of succession

iv) Horeisios and the revolt

A) Pachomius=s vision

v) Theodore and his remarks on Pachomius=s death

II. The Impetus for a cenobitic Rule

A. Class discussion project

B. Structure of a Pachomian koinonia

C. Practical concerns shown in the Praecepta of Pachomius