Rola ciała w walce duchowej w „Drabinie Raju” św. Jana Klimaka

Abstract

Through His incarnation, Christ sanctified all of material creation, including the human body, which thereby became a channel of God’s grace. This theme of the glorified body is central to patristic and ascetic spirituality. Thus, Climacus adopts a similar attitude and represents the body as a “friend,” an “ally,” an “assistant” and a “defender.” Climacus’ theology in no way negates the meaning of the body though he speaks of three different, yet fundamentally similar, ways of carrying out this ascetic struggle: isolation (apotage, kseniteia), the “royal” way and mortification. Although the body was destroyed by original sin, it is not by its nature sinful or sacred; but it may be sanctified. John Climacus simply informs his readers that transfiguration is possible here and now.