Passions and the Faculty of Will in Maximus the Confessor

Oleksandr Kashchuk

doi:10.21697/ct.96.3.03

Published: 2026-09-28

Vol. 96 No. 3 (2026)

Passions and the Faculty of Will in Maximus the Confessor

Oleksandr Kashchuk

Collectanea Theologica

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.21697/ct.96.3.03

Abstract

This article examines how St. Maximus the Confessor (580–662) understands the passions (πάθη) and how he relates them to human volition. It first outlines Maximus’s basic account of what a passion is and how passions arise and operate within the human person. It then considers the main patterns by which passions develop and how they affect the powers of the soul. Finally, the article discusses the relation between intellect, will, and passions, with particular attention to Maximus’s account of deliberation and moral responsibility (especially in connection with the gnomic will). Throughout, the focus remains on the ascetical horizon of Maximus’s writings, where the disordered movements of the soul can be redirected through spiritual practice and grace.

Keywords:

Maximus the Confessor, passions, will, gnomic will, Christian anthropology, Byzantine asceticism

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Kashchuk, O. (2026). Passions and the Faculty of Will in Maximus the Confessor. Collectanea Theologica, 96(3), 521–547. https://doi.org/10.21697/ct.96.3.03

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