The Spiritual Message and Significance of the Vita Antonii

The Spiritual Message and Significance of the Vita Antonii

Nathan K. N.G.

Vita Antonii is a classic on ancient monasticism. This article first evaluates the purpose of the hagiography and shows that it was intended to be a monastic guide in narrative form, so that monks might learn how to walk in the ascetic way by imitating the hermit Antony. Second , its spiritual messages are explored. Following the Alexandrian concept of spiritual journey, the whole hagiography was constructed in an earth-to-heaven framework. Through daily ascetic discipline, Antony gradually ascended from earth to heaven and became a perfect monk. In this vertical ascending model, the author Athanasius presented the devil and his demons as being in control of the air and trying to prevent people from ascending. In spite of such hindering, because of the salvation of Christ, men could still ascend into heaven through ascetic disciplines. Here, what Christians should do was to contemplate on God with a pure soul through virtuous life. Vita Antonii was successful because it has suitable messages to different groups of contemporary readers: pagans, laymen and monks.