Asceticism: The Enemy of Culture

One unique aspect of the Orthodox spiritual life is asceticism. If you don’t know what the word “asceticism” means, it simply refers to the act of denying oneself of something earthly for the sake of spiritual development.

All Orthodox Christians are ascetics to one degree or another. A very common example would be our practice of fasting. We fast on Wednesdays and Fridays to remember the betrayal of the Lord and His crucifixion respectively. There are also four major fasting seasons throughout the year.

We do not fast because meat or dairy or wine are bad. Rather, we fast partly because they’re good, and too much of a good thing leads to gluttony and impulsivity. Fasting requires us to learn discipline and self-control.

Ancient peoples understood that certain types of food brought about certain behavioral dispositions and abstaining from them provided clarity of mind. This is why even pagans and philosophers practiced fasting.