From Garments of Flesh to Garments of Light. Asceticism, Holiness and Theophanic Experience in Early Monasticism

This contribution explores the close relationship between asceticism and holiness in desert monasticism. Holiness is impossible to understand without reference to theme of God’s image. Human beings are created according to the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26–27). According to early monks, ascetic life fulfils the deepest dimension of human life formed in the image and likeness of God.

Thus, in this article, I will make two general arguments. First, the monastic body was understood as a means for spiritual progress. From this perspective, holiness is viewed as a transformation of the monk’s flesh, and the clearest sign of this transformation was the shining face of the monk. In other words, the brilliant body of the monk, especially his luminous face, was an external manifestation of his holiness, a visible proof of his saintly life. In short, the true sign of the monastic holiness was written on the shining face of the monk. Second, this brilliant face can be viewed as a fullness of God’ image in the ascetic life of the monk. This specific feature of desert spirituality appears as a theophanic sign of paradigmatic monastic life. Therefore, I will correlate this luminous face of the monk with Moses’ shining face after his encounter with God on Mount Sinai. In this sense, a holy monk becomes “another Moses” of the desert.

In view of these insights, a clear conclusion may be drawn: the luminous body of the monk is an “icon” of his deification. Moreover, this brilliant body is a visible image of the appearance of a human being restored in the image and likeness of God.