Holy feigning in the Apophthegmata Patrum
HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Holy feigning in the Apophthegmata Patrum | |
| Creator | Wheeler, Rachel | |
| Description | The purpose of this article is to uncover the meaning of holy feigning in the late-antique Christian text the Apophthegmata Patrum, or Sayings of the Desert Fathers [and Mothers]. Whereas stories in this text depict demonic feigning as a regular occurrence (demons often appearing in the guise of a fellow desert dweller), what I call ‘holy feigning’ depicts one desert Christian expressing empathy for the situation of another – and helping the other to change. By looking at two stories that are paradigmatic of holy feigning, I show that exemplary deceptive behaviour, though explicitly defying the otherwise consistent rhetoric of ‘radical self-honesty’ in the Apophthegmata Patrum, paradoxically marks out the person who feigns as holy, discerning and imitative of Christ. In this article, I offer several suggestions for accounting for this seeming contradiction in the desert literature and propose how a spirituality of holy feigning might remain meaningful to readers of this literature today. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2016-11-21 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/hts.v72i4.3457 | |
| Source | HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 72, No 4 (2016); 6 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/3457/8859
https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/3457/8858
https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/3457/8860
https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/3457/8758
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