IN PRAISE OF VIRGINITY BY SAINT GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN AND INSTRUCTION ON THE BASIC PROPERTIES OF A MONK BY SAINT BASIL
/POCHVALA PANENSTVÍ SVATÉHO ŘEHOŘE TEOLOGA A NAPOMENUTÍ SVATÉHO BASILA O ZÁKLADNÍCH VLASTNOSTECH MNICHA/

Michal DVORACEK

doctorand, Orthodox Theological Faculty, University of Presov in Presov, Masarykova 15, 080 01 Presov, Slovakia, seagul.m@email.cz, 00420776371611

Abstract

Saint Gregory the Theologian speaks about virginity as about "beautiful gift given to our life", about the gift glittering more than gold. Virginity is, according to St. Gregory, "provider of a great welfare, mother of childless life, Christ's fate“. On the other hand, St. Gregory admits that marriage has also a high merit, especially if it is virtuous, and then it is worthy of all praise. „Because they (a married couple) become one body, they also have one soul, and with the help of a mutual love they can together encourage with zeal one another to piety.“ Besides, St. Basil´s instructions to the monks are very much inspiring for laymen too. Saint Basil and saint Gregory were as „connected vessels“, one was preaching for "praxis", the later one for „theoria“, but both of them were teaching people how to reach the love and obedience on the pattern of the Saviour.

Keywords

Virginity, praxis, theoria, piety, monasticism, family, asceticism, philanthropy, Philokalia

(Language: czech)

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