The attention in Evagrius of Pontus

RUBÉN PERETÓ RIVAS

Studia Patristica

Peteers

Lugar: Leuven; Año: 2021; p. 333 - 340

Basil of Caesarea gave an important place to attention both as a way to stay faithful to the Lord?s commandment and as a barrier to prevent the assault of the demons through the evil thoughts. Evagrius of Pontus, a disciple of Basil, is well known for his psychological approach to Christian asceticism in which the logismoi or wicked thoughts that are instilled by the demons in the mind play an important role. In this article, I want to discuss the place of attention in Evagrius? teachings, how it is essential for keeping the soul free from the demon?s temptations and particularly the psychological meaning that the author assigns to this concept. In the conclusion, I argue that attention as well as other Evagrian concepts could be useful for today?s psychological therapies.