The Ascetic Measure: A New Category for the Philosophical Analysis of Self-Inflicted Pain as an Expression of Love for God

Roni Naor Hofri

doi:10.3390/rel12020120

Abstract

The paper identifies the measure of pain monastic Christian ascetics in medieval central Europe inflicted on themselves to express the right measure of love for God. I ask whether the measure of pain had significance; whether a ratio existed between the measure of pain ascetics experienced and the measure of love they expressed; how self-inflicted painful acts enabled the epistemic achievement of expressing the right measure of love for God; what made the right measure such; and what was the difference between ascetics and martyrs regarding the measures of pain and love respectively. Providing answers to these questions, unaddressed in existing studies, is the main contribution of this paper. While addressing them, I present a new category, the category of measure, for philosophical analysis of the old religious phenomenon under discussion. This category allows me to demonstrate that the measure of pain had significance and that there was an adequacy ratio between the measure of pain monastic ascetics experienced and the measure of love they expressed. It also lets me argue that the right measure of pain for expressing their love for God, following His example, was the exposure of blood, regardless of its quantity.

Highlights

Since the beginning of mankind, humans have done everything in their power to avoid pain
The paper identifies the measure of pain monastic Christian ascetics in medieval central Europe inflicted on themselves to express the right measure of love for God
I ask whether the measure of pain had significance; whether a ratio existed between the measure of pain ascetics experienced and the measure of love they expressed; how self-inflicted painful acts enabled the epistemic achievement of expressing the right measure of love for God; what made the right measure such; and what was the difference between ascetics and martyrs regarding the measures of pain and love respectively

Summary

Introduction

Since the beginning of mankind, humans have done everything in their power to avoid pain. Universal phenomenon, manifested in different contexts, including religious contexts, where adherents of different religions practice self-inflicted pain for various purposes One such purpose is expressing love for God. The phenomenon of selfinflicted pain as an expression of love for God in Christianity, the subject of this paper, was at its peak among monastic ascetics in medieval central Europe (Largier 2007).. I show that blood is the measure of pain one should inflict on oneself as an expression for the right measure of love for God. I do not address the quantity of bloodshed, the number of blood drops or their shape and color, noted in many studies discussing the preoccupation of medieval Christians with quantification. Constable noted that the religious purposes of self-inflicted pain varied and often overlapped in individual cases. These purposes included competition with official representatives of religious orders, drawing close to God, making penance, imitatio Christi, expressing love for God, as well as non-religious purposes such as sexual arousal.

Pain: Measure for Measure

Blood: The Right Measure

Conclusions