ASCETICAL and EXEGETICAL
SENTENCES and S
CHOLIA
 

 


The Didache (c.90) recommends thrice-daily recitation of the Lord's Prayer and, like the Letter of Barnabas (c.100) offers catechumens lists of virtues and vices: the Way of Light and Way of Darkness.

The Stoic Epictetus (c.50-130) composes a popular Enchiridion

Marcus Aurelius composes quasi-autobiographical meditations

The originally-Pythagorean Sentences of Sextus (c. 190) are adapted for memorization and meditation by anonymous Christian authors

Evagrius Ponticus (340-399) creates extensive collections of ascetical / contemplative sentences and exegetical scholia intended for memorization and meditation, especially including the collection, Antirrhetikos.

On the rule of scholia: Sch 42 on Eccl 5:17 (kanon) of scholia).  Also Sch. 5 on Ps 88.9 (great and deep contemplation - cannot be gone into because of kanon of scholia).  Note here it is not kanon, but eidos. On both the genre (eidos) of the scholia and prolixity: Sch 317 on Prov 25:26

On discouraging prolixity: Sch. 35 on Eccl. 5:1-2 (l. 26), where Prov. 10:18 is quoted concerning theologiaSee also  ad Virg. 15.2 “Open your mouth with the word of God (Prov. 31:8), and restrain your tongue from prolixity/πολυλογίας )

The use of antiphons may date from the late fourth century or earlier, perhaps attested in the Pilgrimage of Egeria (c. 385 - 420)

John Cassian (c.400) recommends frequent monologistic prayer (conf. 9-10), as do other desert fathers.

The Rule of Benedict (c.480-540) contains easily-memorizable chapters (e.g. On Obedience and The Good Zeal 72) and virtue-lists such as the Ladder of humility and conclusion of the Prologue.  The use of antiphons with Psalms is taken for granted.

Maximos Confessor (c. 580-662) adapts Evagrian centuries and renders obscure sayings more comprehensible.

Monologistic prayer becomes widely popular (c.1200-1400): in the West first the Paternoster then the Rosary spread from religious to laity; in the East the Jesus Prayer spreads among monks from Sinai to Athos.


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ANTIPHONS

McKinnon in The Advent Project (p. 69) believes that references to antiphons may be found in the fourth to the sixth century[p. 69] The final item of Gallican evidence is the famous [latre sixth century?] Expositio brevis antiquae liturgiae gallicanae, the first portion of which is a full description of a Gallican Mass, interlaced with allegorical interpretation of each item.17 (McKinnon places this in the late sixth century).  McKinnon also believes that (p. 73) believes that antiphona ad praelegendum in the Expositio is "I would imagine it was an antiphonal psalm, that is, a psalm with antiphon;32 the term antiphona is used consistently in monastic rules from the fourth to the sixth centuries to indicate such antiphonal psalms."

See RB 80 in liturgical sextion on meaning of "antiphon"

BEDE'S PSALTER

 

 

 

From the Wikipedia Article on Ludolph of Saxony's Vita Christi
The Vita Christi had significant influence on the development of techniques for Christian meditation. Although Aelred of Rievaulx (d. 1167) had introduced the concept of immersing and projecting oneself into a Biblical scene in his De institutione inclusarum,
and St. Bonaventure (d. 1274) had borrowed heavily from that work in his Lignum Vitae,[5]
Ludolph's massive work (which quoted Aelred extensively but credited his work to Anselm) helped to spread this devotional practice into the Devotio Moderna community and to Ignatius of Loyola (as discussed below).[6] The Vita Christi was translated into Spanish in 1502 by Ambrosio Montesino and was printed in Alcala.[7] The methods of meditation in the Vita Christi thus entered Spain and were known in the early part of the 16th century.[8] St Teresa and St Francis de Sales frequently quote from it.
5 Marsha L.. Dutton, "The Cistercian Source: Aelred, Bonaventure, and Ignatius," in Goad and Nail: Studies in Medieval Cistercian History, X, ed. E. Rozanne Elder, Cistercian Studies series 84 (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1985), 157–78.
6 Christian spirituality: an introduction by Alister E. McGrath 1999 ISBN 978-0-631-21281-2 pages 84–87
7 The third spiritual alphabet by Francisco de Osuna 1981 ISBN 978-0-8091-2145-8 pages 3–4
8 Teresa of Avila's autobiography by Elena Carrera 2004 ISBN 1-900755-96-3 page 28