THE PATH FROM THE NATURAL TO THE SPIRITUAL

DIAKRISIS THROUGH ASKESIS IN THE VIEWS OF

ST. APOSTLE PAUL AND
ELDER JOSEPH THE HESYCHAST

Fr. Daniel CORIU (Ph.D Cand.)

Orthodox Theology, Biblical Studies
Bucharest University, Romania
 INTRODUCTION

Biblical understanding 1.historical-critical exegesis

2. patristic hermeneutics and exegesis

• The reading and understanding of biblical text is confessional

• Special word of God special means
• Orthodox hermeneutic more recent Fathers
 CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES (1)

• Διάκρισις δια (through, after, by, from)

κρήσις (legal decision, a judgment, a right judgment or even punishment or
condemnation)
• Translations: 1. English (discernment, decision, interpretation, or separation )
2. French (en séparant, séparatice, disolution, interpretation)
3. Romanian (right-judgment, right-consideration, right-distinction)
• Patristic tradition: - the power of distinction – consequences of an action (Heb 5:14)
- the power of penetrating others’ thoughts
- distinction of spirits (Luke 9:55; 1 Co 12:10)
- foresight.
• St. Paul’s epistles: “μὴ εἰς διακρίσεις διαλογισμῶν” (Rom. 14:1)
“ἄλλῳ διακρίσεις πνευμάτων” (1 Co 12:10)
“πρὸς διάκρισιν καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ” (Heb 5:14)
 CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES (2)
• ἀσκέσις ἀσκέω - working with raw materials (Homer, Hesiod)
- practice that becomes customary (Hippolytus, Sophocles)
- exercise, experience, method (Plato, Herodotus, Aristotle)
• “virtue in perfection” ; labor and determination toward Christian perfection.
• ἀσκέσις concept έγκράτεια (self-control)
εὐτέλεια (frugality)
ἀναχώρησις (isolation)
ἡσυχία (silence, stillness)
• True and natural ἀσκέσις vs. unnatural and demonic ἀσκέσις διάκρισις
• διάκρισις in order to moderate ἀσκέσις ἀσκέσις in order to achieve διάκρισις
• Διάκρισις natural distinction
real (spiritual) distinction
 PHILOCALIA AND PATERIKON

Purity
Remembrace of death
Crying
Self-controll Dispassion
Charity Natural contemplation of
Prayer creation Right-distinction Love
Humility Humility Mysterious knowledge of Insight
God Foresight
Fear Faith
Vigil Knowledge
Silance
Obediance
Ascetic deeds

ἈΣΚΈΣΙΣ ΔΙΆΚΡΙΣΙΣ
 ELDER JOSEPH THE HESYCHAST

• Elder Joseph the Hesychast was a monk and elder on Mount Athos. He reposed in 1959,
and he has wide acclaim for being the spiritual father or grandfather of Elders Ephrem of
Philotheou, Joseph of Vatopedi, Charalampus of Dionysiou and others, who are directly
credited for revitalising six of the twenty monasteries on Mount Athos.
• Writings: 1. Monastic Wisdom:The Letters of Elder Joseph the Hesychast, by Elder
Joseph the Hesychast, 1998. Published by St.Anthony's Greek Orthodox
Monastery,Arizona. ISBN 0-9667000-0-7 (HB), ISBN 0-9667000-1-5 (PB)
2. Elder Joseph the Hesychast: Struggles, Experiences,Teachings, by Elder
Joseph, 1999. Published by the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi, mount
Athos, ISBN 960-7735-12-9 (SB).
3.My Elder Joseph the Hesychast, by Elder Ephraim, 2013. Published by
St.Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery,Arizona.
TEACHING – PAULINE AND NIPTIC SIMILARITIES
• natural distinction ascetic practice real (spiritual) distinction
(discernment)
• Heb. 5:12 -6:2 = learnings and deeds correspondence “a special
experience gained in long ascetic practice against passions and demons.”
• the practice = ἐξασκέω (to practice thoroughly) ἕξιν
• “natural foresight” – intuitive knowledge - νοερά ἄισθησις
• The gifts from I Corinthians 12 spiritual distinction. ( 1 Co 12:10)
• the right-distinction - the exact knowledge of spiritual charismata (Eld. Joseph)
• Saint John Cassian from Rome : “It is the greatest gift of God's grace.”
• Saint John Chrysostom: “who is real spiritual and who is not, who is a real
prophet and who is a deceiver”
• Farming language (ἀσκέσις, natural discernment) and God’s Grace – Eld.
Joseph, Saint Paul and Nilos the Ascetic
• Spiritual discernment and propechy
 CONCLUSIONS

• The interrupted connection between the Pauline insights regarding διάκρισις,

through the niptic development until its usage in Elder Joseph the Hesychast’
teachings.
• The niptic and ascetic exegesis is one of the most neglected exegesis of the
modern theology
• By ἀσκέσις the concept of διάκρισις not only becomes part of spiritual life,
but enlarges its dimensions towards the communion with God in love
• The patristic exegesis represents and nowadays, the vertebral column of the
Scripture’s understanding in the orthodox ecclesiastical environment. Its
specificity is the actualisation. It means spiritual reliving, access to the described
reality from text and by that, transposition into one's own life. In order to
accomplish that, every biblical scholar must become ascetic.