• Register
  • Login
    •   English   Język Polski
    Published: 2019-06-24
    Vol. 89 No. 1 (2019)

    Mark the Ascetic’s ascetic concept of the Church

    Józef Grzywaczewski
    Collectanea Theologica
    Section: Articles
    https://doi.org/10.21697/ct.2019.89.1.04

    Abstract

    Mark the Ascetic (called also in English Mark the Heremit) represents
    the monastic milieu of the fifth century. He wrote about the Church while
    discussing other questions. He clearly distinguished heterodox groups and
    the Catholic Church. He refuted the theories of the Melchizedekians, Adoptionists, Messalians, Arians and Apollinarians, but especially Nestorians.
    Mark considered heretics as people in error and as those who have broken
    fidelity to their baptism. He underlined that his own teaching was conformed
    to the Christian tradition. In his works, similar points with the teaching
    of earlier Christian writers, such as Basil of Caesarea, John Chrysostom,
    Evagrius Ponticus, Cyril of Alexandria and Gregory of Nazianzus, should
    be noticed. Mark presented the Church as a place of sanctification for lay
    people and monks. He proclaimed Christ as God’s Son and as the true Man,
    not only a creature having a human body. He highlighted the importance
    of the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist. In Mark’s works, we see
    Saint Peter and Saint Paul as good teachers of the divine truth, who gave an
    example of the Christian virtues, but there are no references to the position
    of the Church of Rome in Christianity. The works of Mark the Ascetic were
    popular in late antiquity, especially in the East; they were translated into
    several languages. In the West, they were used especially in the time of
    controversies between the Catholics and the Protestants.

    Keywords:

    Mark the Ascetic, the Church, paradise, baptism, heretics

    Download files

    Citation rules

    Grzywaczewski, J. (2019). Mark the Ascetic’s ascetic concept of the Church. Collectanea Theologica, 89(1), 51–74. https://doi.org/10.21697/ct.2019.89.1.04

    Cited by / Share


    This website uses cookies for proper operation, in order to use the portal fully you must accept cookies.