Faith without Works
How does mortification of the flesh lead to holiness? This is a really interesting question to me, as I can see the implications going in a couple of directions. I think it’s important to avoid the Gnostic tendency — ever-present in Christianity — to mortify the flesh out of a response to the idea that flesh is inherently sinful. I think it is important to understand that Paul is using an unfortunate metaphor when he breaks us down to flesh vs. spirit. That sort of asceticism is just as much an error as the hedonism which comes out of taking your Gnosticism in the other direction.
I think that mortification of the flesh can be good when it serves to remind us that we are in the world but not of the world — that is, when, like fasting, it reminds us that there are things more important and more lasting than creature comforts. It is a discipline to make us stronger, more focused on the eternal than the ephemeral.
The easy distinction would be spirit overcoming flesh, will overcoming desire, but mortification becomes fetishistic when it is about sin and punishment. I see two models for this: 1) the damned, who suffer for their sins in hell — when mortification is punishment, it is a tiny picture of hell on earth. 2) the martyrs, who endured terrible pain for communion with Christ.
It should go without saying that communion with Christ has some specific external markers without which it is pointless. The discipline of self-inflicted suffering does nothing unless it frees us from the cares of this world to an extent sufficient to do the corporal works of mercy. These require resources which we might otherwise spend on ourselves.
The understanding is not: “we do these works, the discipline and the good works, that we may be saved.” It is, “we do the discipline that we may be made holy; having been made holy, we are expected and empowered to do good works.”
In closing, a piece of doggerel from some ten years back:
Mixing your aestheticism
in with your asceticism
can only lead
to fetishism.
gauche
28 Jan 10
