"Something Good for the Soul". Crime and Repentance in Apophthegmata Patrum

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Published: Mar 27, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/byzsym.10004
Keywords:
Ἀποφθέγματα πατέρων Μοναχισμός μετάνοια έγκλημα πρώιμο Βυζάντιο
Fotis VASILEIOU
Ιόνιο Πανεπιστήμιο
Abstract

Τὸ ἄρθρο ἀναφέρεται στὴν πεποίθηση χριστιανῶν καὶ ἐθνικῶν τοῦ
5ου αἰώνα, ὅτι ἡ Ἐκκλησία ὑποδεχόταν στοὺς κόλπους της ὅλους
ἀνεξαιρέτως τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς, ἀκόμα καὶ ἐκείνους ποὺ βαρύνονταν μὲ
εἰδεχθῆ ἐγκλήματα, καὶ τοὺς παρεῖχε τὴν εὐκαιρία νὰ βροῦν συγχώρηση.
Ἑστιάζοντας στὴν διήγηση τοῦ ἀββᾶ Ἀπολλὼ τοῦ Σκητιώτη ἐξετάζεται
ὁ τρόπος ποὺ ἐπέδρασε ἡ ἰδέα τῆς μετάνοιας κυρίως στὴ ζωὴ τῶν ἁπλῶν
ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ στάση τῶν ἀσκητῶν ἀπέναντι στὸ δικαϊκὸ
σύστημα τῆς Αὐτοκρατορίας. Ὁ «ἀγροῖκος» Ἀπολλὼ μετὰ ἀπὸ ἕνα
ἀποτρόπαιο ἔγκλημα ἐγκατέλειψε τὰ ἐγκόσμια καὶ βρῆκε καταφύγιο
στὴ Σκήτη. Ἐκεῖ μέσω τοῦ σκληροῦ ἀσκητικοῦ κανόνα ποὺ ἐπέβαλε
στὸν ἑαυτό του, κατάφερε ὄχι μόνο νὰ νιώσει ὅτι συγχωρήθηκε, ἀλλὰ νὰ
ἐνταχθεῖ πλήρως στὴν ἀναχωρητικὴ κοινότητα καὶ να διαμορφώσει μιὰ
νέα ταυτότητα, ἐκείνη τοῦ «ἀββᾶ» Ἀπολλώ.

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Author Biography
Fotis VASILEIOU, Ιόνιο Πανεπιστήμιο
Είμαι Συμβασιούχος Π.Δ. 407/80 του τμήματος Ιστορίας του Ιόνιου Πανεπιστημίου με αντικείμενο την Βυζαντινή Ιστορία.
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