The importance of staying in a cell for the spiritual life of a monk according to the teachings of Evagrius of Pont and saint John Cassian

Abstract

This article contains an analysis of some aspects of the idea, that prevailed in early Egyptian monasticism, about spiritual significance one of the ascetic practices — the monk’s sitting in the cell. It’s known that the cell occupied an exclusive position in the life of Egyptian hermits: their prayer life, exploits, and mystical contemplations were associated with it. Cell was perceived not only as earthly housing, but also as a sacred place, a place of meeting and communication with God. This exclusive attitude to the cell was reflected in the monuments of monastic literature, in particular, in the works of Evagrius Ponticus and John Cassian, considered in the article. Analyzing their views, the author of the article seeks, firstly, to identify and reveal the key elements of the tradition of comprehension of sitting in the cell, and, secondly, to find common and individual features in the views of the authors, as well as to clarify the issue of the relationship of their views.