New Testament Motivation for the Commencing of the
Monastic Life in Athanasius’ Vita Antonii Cover Image

Новозаветна мотивација за започињање монашког живота у Житију светог Антонија од светог Атанасија
New Testament Motivation for the Commencing of the Monastic Life in Athanasius’ Vita Antonii

Author(s): Darko J. Krstić
Subject(s): Theology and Religion
Published by: Православни богословски факултет Универзитета у Београду
Keywords: Нови завет; свети Антоније; свети Атанасије; житије; монаштво; рецепција; апостоли;

Summary/Abstract: The monastic life of Saint Anthony, presented by the famous Vita written down by Saint Athanasius, functions as the exemplar of the early Monasticism, both in the East and the West. In describing the monastic life and features of SaintAnthony, Athanasius emphasizes the beginning of it, i. e. the gradual decision taken by young Anthony to abandon everything and to dedicate himself to the monastic ideal. The reaching of this groundbreaking decision is conditioned by hearing the cluster of the New Testament texts, mainly from the Gospel according to Matthew, which produced in Anthony the strong desire to emulate the apostolic abandonment of everything in order to follow Jesus Christ. The commencement of the monastic life is evaluated not as an aberration or a novelty in the Christian history but as the revival of the apostolic call. ▶ Key words: New Testament, Saint Anthony,Saint Athanasius, biography, Monasticism, reception, apostles.

  • Issue Year: 78/2019
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 53-63
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: Serbian