ABSTRACT

Early Christian writers had an understanding of what we would refer to as the emotions, which drew heavily on classical Greek philosophy as well as a perceptive understanding of human nature interpreted and understood in theological terms. The Church Fathers were theologians and interpreters whose teachings and examples have been valued by successive generations of Christians. Interest in the writings of monastic Church Fathers has been particularly emphasised recently, perhaps because the monastic vocation that informs their works lends itself readily to a critique of contemporary society. Among these Fathers, this chapter focuses on two church father Evagrius of Pontus and Mark the Monk. Evagrius and Mark, along with the other Fathers, have important things to say about human emotions that can be of value in helping us to reconsider contemporary psychological and other scientific ways of thinking about our emotional life. The study of the chapter promotes ethical improvement and psychological integration, leading to theological comprehension.