The Contribution of the Principles of the Solitary (Monastic) Way of Life to Orthodox Christian Secular Life According to Sevastos Kyminitis

Abstract

KARAMANIDOU, Anna. The Contribution of the Principles of the Solitary (Monastic) Way of Life to Orthodox Christian Secular Life According to Sevastos Kyminitis. Sevastos Kyminitis of Trebizond (1632 -1702) was a distinguished scholar with a comprehensive philological and theological training. In September 1682, Kyminitis succeeded in founding what would later be the renowned Greek Phrontisterion of Trapezous. At the same time, he strengthened the greatest Orthodox Christian mindset.In this context his response to the issue of the monks of the Holy Monastery of the Holy Monastery of Θεοσκεπάστου Παναγίας of Trebizond is placed to compose a very important theological work entitled "Exhortation and admonition concerning the monastic way of life" the content of which is also addressed to the "secular state of the Orthodox God". The particular study by the Trebizonian remains unpublished. The manuscript tradition of the "Monastic way of life" is presented in the following codices: Vatopaidi 642, Vatopaidi 686, the Metochion (Dependency) of the Most-Holy Tomb 118 and Kos 2. Sevastos Kyminitis followed a tripartite division of the content of his work. In the first part, he analyses the meaning of the term "life of seclusion". In the main part he refers exhaustively to three enemies of the monastic way of life: the flesh, the world, and the Devil, and distinguishes the essential meaning of the senses of sight, hearing, smell, and touch, and the section finishes with the thoughts concerning the Demon and his machinations, in particular, five demonic machinations (schemes).