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Demon bluźnierstwa w ujęciu Jana Klimaka

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Pancerz R. M.

Vox Patrum

2014

vol. 62

435-441

Among temptations and impediments, which the monk must face on the path to perfection, John Climacus enumerates blasphemous thoughts. He also names them as assaults of the demon of blasphemy. Frequently man exposes himself to his action through the vice of pride, but it also happens, that this demon attacks ingenuous people that get worried too much. The purpose of the spirit of blasphemy is to insidiously cause feelings of guilt in the human heart; to take a man away from a prayer and the Eucharist; to drive him to despair and hope lessness. According to author’s witness, some people struggled with this problem for their whole life, and in extreme cases its effect was even a state of madness. John Climacus, a good “psychologist” and expert in the spiritual life, clearly emphasizes the fact that the assaults of blasphemous thoughts are beyond a man’s control. In that case he is like a passive listener, whom reach some external voices. Besides, stopping the attacks of such thoughts is almost impossible because they are violent and rapid. Therefore, in the author’s opinion, the traditional methods of struggle against the demon of blasphemy, like severe mortifications and spelling repeatedly various scriptural words, do not get expected results. The only way to beat the enemy is to remain calm and indifferent towards such thoughts. Spiritual direction plays an important role in this matter. The monk still has to overcome shame and confess sincerely his own thoughts to an elder (abba). The duty of the spiritual father, in turn, is to calm down conscience of the disciple, so that he will not worry about the problem anymore. We have to admit that no previous writer speaks in such soothing tone about the blasphemous thoughts.

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80%

Nocoń A.

Vox Patrum

2013

vol. 59

197-208

Much of the literary activity of John Cassian, that supreme master of the spiritual life, concentrates on the struggle with the devil, the discernment of his strategies, and the search for effective defense mechanisms against his attacks. The question of the power of evil spirits over man also arises. Generally, Cassian’s teaching on this subject of the power of spirits over man strikes a positive note: when faced with diabolic attacks and temptations, man enjoys not only the possibility of success but even the possibility of advantage: God Himself, the merciful judge (Collationes Patrum VII 20) watches over man’s struggles to overcome diabolic attacks and in that struggle He favours man. Obviously, since we are talking of a continuous struggle, evil spirits can attempt to, and sometimes even do demonize man – but not because of their desire so to do but because of God will (evil spirits may not do with man as they please but only what God permits them to do). The power of evil spirits over man is therefore limited: a) by the concession of God; and b) by man’s will which possesses „both the freedom of acquiescing to temptation and of repulsing it” (Collationes Patrum VII 8). The general tenor of Cassian’s teaching, therefore, is permeated by a positivism and is free of any form of fatalism or obsession on matters of demonology, while at the same time conscious of the evil that demonic spirits can exert on man’s body and spirit (soul). He continues to hold that spiritual evil, or vice, is something much more dangerous and to be avoided at all costs. Quoting St. Paul, Cassian assures us that definitive victory belongs to Christ and to his followers: when Christ „hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power” (1Cor 15, 24), at that moment, all those who have been held captive by these „dominions”, „authorities” and „powers” will be freed from all subjugation (Collationes Patrum VIII 14).

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Demon bluźnierstwa w ujęciu Jana Klimaka

Władza złych duchów nad człowiekiem według Jana Kasjana