What are the Passions?

Summary

This script delves into the Orthodox Christian understanding of 'passions', contrasting the common usage of the term with its spiritual connotation. It explains that passions are vices enslaving us, contrary to our natural state and God's design. The natural state of the soul is 'impassible', unaffected by passions, which are seen as distortions of identity. The script references Church fathers like St. Isaac the Syrian and St. Dorotheos of Gaza to illustrate that virtues are inherent, while passions are shadows of absence, arising from the misuse of free will and the pursuit of base pleasures.

Takeaways

• 🔍 The term 'passion' in the Orthodox Church traditionally refers to vices or negative desires that enslave individuals, contrary to the common modern understanding of passion as a positive drive or zeal.
• 🙏 Passions are considered to be against one's nature and not part of God's creation, unlike virtues which are seen as natural and inherent to the soul.
• 🌐 The Orthodox perspective holds that passions are foreign to human nature and do not contribute to the soul's well-being, unlike virtues which are seen as beneficial and in line with God's image.
• 🎭 The world often misinterprets passions as natural inclinations, such as sexual desires, whereas the Orthodox view sees these as distortions of true human nature.
• 📚 St. Isaac the Syrian and other Church Fathers describe the soul as naturally impassible, meaning it is not affected by passions, which are seen as unnatural additions.
• 🧭 Spiritual leaders affirm that passions are not inherent to the soul but can lead it astray, causing confusion and a misidentification with these negative states.
• 🌟 The natural state of the soul is purity and virtue, which is in line with God's creation, while passions are seen as a contranatural state, disrupting the soul's proper order.
• 📖 The concept of 'below nature' or 'contrary to nature' is used to describe the state of the soul when it is under the influence of passions, as opposed to being in its natural, virtuous state.
• 💡 The absence of virtues and the pursuit of pleasure are identified as the root causes for the birth of passions, which are then established in the soul.
• 🌑 Passions are likened to shadows or darkness, having no substance of their own but existing through the deprivation of virtues, which are akin to light.
• 🛑 The Orthodox Christian path involves being restored to the image of God through baptism and living according to virtues, as opposed to succumbing to the passions.

Q & A

What is the common misunderstanding about the term 'passion' in everyday language?

The term 'passion' is often used to describe a strong interest or zeal for something, but in the context of the Orthodox Church, it usually refers to the suffering of Christ, or more generally, to vices that enslave individuals.

How does the Orthodox Church view passions in contrast to virtues?

In the Orthodox Church, passions are seen as vices that enslave us and are contrary to our nature, while virtues are natural to the soul and in line with God's creation.

What does the script suggest about the origin of passions?

Passions are not part of man's nature and were not created by God. They are considered foreign and contrary to the image of God in which man was created.

According to the script, what is the natural state of the soul?

The natural state of the soul is to be impassible, meaning unaffected by passions, which aligns with God's creation of man in His image.

What does St. Isaac the Syrian say about the passions in relation to the soul?

St. Isaac the Syrian suggests that when the soul allows itself to be affected by passions, it is acting outside its nature.

Why do some people identify with their passions, and what does the script say about this?

Some people identify with their passions due to confusion or a lack of understanding. The script warns that this is a distortion of their true nature and identity as beings created in God's image.

What does the script imply about the relationship between the soul and passions when the soul is under their control?

When the soul is under the control of passions, it is in a contranatural state, acting contrary to its true nature and being directed by what is exterior to it.

What analogy does the script use to explain the concept of passions in relation to the natural state of the soul?

The script uses the analogy of health and illness to explain passions. Just as illness is a departure from the natural health of the body, passions are a departure from the natural purity of the soul.

How does the script define evil in the context of God's creation?

Evil is defined as the absence of good and is not a creation of God. It exists as a result of turning away from God and His creation, similar to how darkness is the absence of light.

What does St. Doros of Gaza say about the relationship between virtues, passions, and the soul?

St. Doros of Gaza states that virtues are naturally within the soul as part of God's creation, while passions are not natural and resemble shadows that exist only through the deprivation of light (virtues).

What is the ultimate goal for an Orthodox Christian in terms of living according to God's image and likeness?

The ultimate goal for an Orthodox Christian is to be restored to the image of God through baptism and to live according to the virtues, which are natural to the soul and part of God's likeness.

Outlines

00:00

😇 Orthodox View on Passions and Virtues

This paragraph delves into the Orthodox Christian understanding of 'passions', distinguishing them from the common usage of the term. It emphasizes that passions, in this context, refer to vices that enslave individuals, contrasting with virtues which are natural and God-given. The speaker clarifies that passions are not part of human nature, nor were they created by God, and are essentially the opposite of virtues. The paragraph also discusses the concept of the soul being 'impassible', meaning unaffected by passions, aligning with God's creation of man in His image. Quotes from St. Isaac the Syrian and other Church fathers are used to illustrate the unnatural state of passions and the soul's true nature when free from them.

05:00

🌗 The Illusion of Passions and the Reality of Virtues

The second paragraph continues the discussion on passions, likening them to shadows that lack substance and only exist through the absence of virtues, much like darkness is the absence of light. It explores the idea that evil and passions do not have an independent existence, but come into being through misuse of the will or turning away from God's light. The speaker references St. Dorotheos of Gaza, who explains that passions are a result of banishing virtues and seeking pleasure for its own sake. The paragraph reinforces the Orthodox Christian belief in the restoration of the divine image within humans through baptism and living according to virtues, which are natural to the soul. It concludes by emphasizing the unnatural and harmful nature of passions and the necessity of aligning one's life with the virtues to achieve spiritual health.

Keywords

💡Passion

In the script, 'passion' is initially contrasted with the common secular understanding of being fervently interested or driven by something. It is then explained in the context of Orthodox Christianity to refer to negative emotions or desires that enslave individuals, contrasting with virtues. The term is used to illustrate the concept of vices that are not part of human nature but are instead a result of falling away from it, as seen when the speaker discusses how passions are 'enslaved' or 'charged' in a worldly sense versus their negative connotation in Orthodox thought.

💡Zealous

'Zealous' is used in the script to describe a state of being fervently committed or enthusiastic, often in a positive light. However, it is also used to highlight the contrast between this positive secular interpretation and the Orthodox Christian view of 'passions' as negative and enslaving forces. The term helps to set up the discussion on the true nature of passions according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church.

💡Virtues

Virtues are presented in the script as positive qualities that are in line with God's creation of man in His image. They are the opposite of passions and are described as natural to the soul. The concept of virtues is central to the video's theme of understanding the spiritual struggle between the natural state of purity and the contranatural state of being led by passions. For example, St. Doros of Gaza is quoted to emphasize that virtues are what we are naturally endowed with, in contrast to passions, which are an unnatural state.

💡Enslavement

'Enslavement' is used to describe the state of being controlled by passions, which are viewed as vices in the script. It illustrates the negative impact of passions on the human soul, suggesting that they lead to a state of spiritual bondage, contrary to the natural state of purity and virtue. The term is used to emphasize the Orthodox Christian perspective that passions are not part of our true nature but are forces that enslave us, leading us away from our divinely intended state.

💡Nature

In the script, 'nature' refers to the inherent state or essence of something, particularly in relation to human beings and their spiritual condition. It is used to contrast the natural state of being 'impassible' (free from passions) with the unnatural state of being enslaved by passions. The term is integral to the discussion of how humans were created in God's image to be virtuous and impassible, and how passions are contrary to this nature.

💡Impassible

'Impassible' is a term used to describe the natural state of the human soul as being unaffected by passions. It is derived from the Greek and means not susceptible to suffering or change. In the script, it is used to illustrate the ideal state of the soul as per Orthodox Christian belief, where the soul is not influenced by negative emotions or vices, which are seen as unnatural additions to the soul.

💡Orthodox Church

The 'Orthodox Church' is the religious context within which the script's discussion on passions and virtues is framed. It provides the theological backdrop against which the concepts of passions as vices and virtues as natural qualities are explained. The term is used to anchor the interpretation of passions and virtues in the teachings and beliefs of Orthodox Christianity.

💡St Isaac the Syrian

St Isaac the Syrian is a Church father whose teachings are referenced in the script to provide authority and depth to the discussion on passions. His quotes are used to emphasize the unnatural and enslaving nature of passions and the natural state of the soul being free from them. His teachings help to orient the viewer's understanding of passions within the Orthodox Christian tradition.

💡Contranatural

'Contranatural' is used in the script to describe something that is contrary to or against nature, specifically referring to the state of the soul when it is under the influence of passions. It is a key term in understanding the video's message that passions are not a natural part of the human condition but are instead a distortion of it, leading to a state of spiritual and moral disarray.

💡Purity

Purity is presented in the script as the natural state of the soul, which is free from passions and in line with God's creation of man. It is used to contrast with the impurity brought about by passions and to illustrate the ideal state of the soul as per Orthodox Christian belief. The term is integral to the discussion of the soul's journey towards restoration to its natural, pure state.

💡Evil

In the script, 'evil' is discussed in the context of its non-existence in the sense that it is not a creation of God but rather an absence or distortion of good. It is used to explain the concept of passions as being akin to evil, in that they are not inherently real but are the result of turning away from virtues and God's intended state for humanity. The term helps to frame the discussion on the spiritual battle between good (virtues) and the absence of good (passions/evil).

Highlights

The term 'passion' in the Orthodox Church is often associated with suffering, especially 'The Passion of the Lord', which refers to the suffering of Christ on the cross.

Passions are described as vices that enslave individuals and are contrary to virtues, which are in line with human nature.

Passions are not part of human nature as created by God and do not contribute to the fulfillment of the likeness of God.

The world often misinterprets passions as natural urges, such as sexual addictions, whereas from an Orthodox perspective, they are not natural.

St. Isaac the Syrian and other Church fathers are quoted to explain that passions are unnatural and do not belong to the soul.

The soul is naturally impassible, meaning it is not affected by passions when in its created state.

When the soul allows itself to be led by passions, it is acting contrary to its nature.

People often confuse their identity with their passions, which is a distortion of their true nature as created beings.

The soul is directed by what is exterior to it when under the control of passions, indicating a contranatural state.

Virtue is naturally present in the soul, and purity is its natural state, whereas passions are contrary to this purity.

Evil and passions do not exist in and of themselves; they are the absence of what is natural to the soul.

St. Dorotheos of Gaza's quote emphasizes that evil comes into existence through misuse of the will or disposition.

Being an Orthodox Christian involves being restored to the image of God in baptism and living according to virtues.

Passions resemble shadows, having no substance of their own but existing through the deprivation of virtues.

The birth of passions is brought about by distancing oneself from virtues through the love of pleasure.

The lecture provides a deep understanding of passions, emphasizing their unnatural and enslaving nature in contrast to virtues.

The Orthodox perspective on passions is a call to recognize and overcome them to align with the natural state of the soul.

Transcripts

but first and foremost you know we have

to realize the term passion like passion

some people say in the world is well I'm

very passionate about something what do

they mean that's not what we mean when

we say passions obviously something they

want to say that they're very uh maybe

zealous or desires some or attracted to

something or just they're they're very

uh very drawn to something or they're

charged to do something they're trying

to use that term in a positive light

almost always in the Orthodox church

with the exception of The Passion of the

Lord which is not a very different in

terms of suffering it means talk the

suffering of of Christ on the cross

passions are meant to describe um The

Vices there another way we can the

the is some something very close to the

passions uh but it's it's not it's the

opposite of the virtues so it's those

things which which enslave us

essentially right we're enslaved or

we're we're we suffer uh enslavement to

these things and uh they were they're

not created by God they're not according

to our nature that's very very important

so the world thinks that these things

are natural like my urge to fornicate or

to follow you know to have to fulfill

my uh sexual addiction that's that's

just in me right I'm just following I'm

just I'm just following these things I'm

just doing what's what's kind of natural

to me but that's absolutely not the case

uh in from an orthodox perspective um so

they do not form part of man's nature

okay and they they were not included in

the image of

God uh and they were um they are not of

course the Fulfillment of the likeness

of God just the

opposite so um they're absolutely

foreign and and in no way they they

Prosper U the souls to the Soul's nature

they not something profitable now let me

read you what St Isaac the Syrian says

and some other Church fathers to kind of

Orient ourselves about what the passions

are the passions come to be added on for

the soul is naturally

impassible so our nature when we're

according to what God has created to be

we're

impassible means we have no passions

we're not affected by these things we

believe that God has made Man In His

Image impassible so when the soul allows

itself to enter into passionate

movements it is as all agree outside its

nature this is what the spiritual

forbearers of the church have affirmed

the passions entered the soul as a

result and it is not right to say that

they belong to the

soul even though the soul might be led

by the Passions this is what happens

when people confused they think that

they identify with the passions this is

what we have the extreme cases today

where people are identifying with a

passion saying I am this right I am fill

in the

blank it's absolutely the it's just not

it's it's such a distortion of who they

are who they've been created to be

they're identifying with that which is

outside themselves which is not

according to their

nature um so they do not it is they do

not belong to the soul even though the

soul might be led by the passions it is

clear then that the soul is directed by

what is exterior to it and not what

belongs to it when it's under the

control of the

passions so it's a contranatural state

so we have according to Nature we have

above nature we have below or against

contrary to Nature contrary to Nature uh

Kine in Greek parine is the the par

means it's under or contrary to Ander is

above

nature uh so

um another quote from a church father

saying basil very important on on this

topic he

says when the soul is in its natural

state it directs its life

upwards when it's outside his nature it

is below and on the earth what is on

high is found to be impassible when the

nature is out of its proper order then

the passions are in it he says elsewhere

it is clear that the exists in nature

before the illnesses trans uh illness is

eruption right so he's using this now

from the health of the body he's giving

us an image to understand the spiritual

sickness and health if it is really so

and this is this is the very truth

virtue is naturally in the soul and what

follows the result of it is outside of

its nature since everyone recognizes the

Purity that Purity is what is natural to

the soul so Purity is the natural state

of the Soul one must affirm that the

passions do not n by Nature

exist uh for since the illness is second

it comes after health and we've talked

about we talked about this when we talk

about evil evil does not exist people

say what are you talking about evil

doesn't exist yeah it doesn't have an

existence why because God everything

that exists was created by God God

brought everything into existence so God

did not bring about evil obviously which

is contrary to his will and and against

his love so in this in a similar way you

can think about

in fact let me just read the quote

because it's really good um from Doros

of

Gaza and it helps us really to

understand I think well how close it is

to just passions and the evil that exist

in the world is brought about by the bad

usage of the of the will or of the of

the disposition that's how evil comes

into existence just like with the evil

one it was his his um tur away from the

light gazing on his own light the

Lucifer the the first one to fall and

and worshiping that and not the origin

uh and turning in on himself away from

the source of all things that created

essentially this brought him to fall

away and then we have his existence in

opposition to to God his Rebellion

against God St Doros of Goda says we

have banished the virtues and introduced

the passions in their place we possess

naturally the virtues that God has given

us in creating man God placed them in

him according to his word he said let us

make man in our image after our likeness

the after our likeness is according to

Virtue so I don't know if you've heard

this expression uh Daniel but the the

idea of the orth in the Orthodox Church

what is it what does it mean to be an

Orthodox Christian what does it mean to

be in the church well it's to be

restored to the the image in baptism the

image of God is restored within us it's

been cleansed it's been restored and

then we're on the path to

likeness so to live according to the

likeness is to live according to our the

virtues which are natural to the soul so

to be restored to the image and likeness

is to do is to live according to the uh

we would say in Greek prodest in other

words like the instruction book so to

speak like what God has has always

desired for us and what everything that

we live contrary to that is a is is in

the realm of evil or in the passions St

de goes on God then has given us the

virtues with

nature but the passions are not natural

they have neither being nor substance

they resemble Shadows that do not exist

in themselves so this reminds us of what

is what is evil what is it's like

Darkness what is Darkness the absence of

light right so this's the same thing

with the passion

let me read that again pastures are not

natural they have neither being nor

substance they resemble Shadows that do

not exist in themselves but exist only

through the deprivation of light so

passions are the absence of

Virtues they are the they're not in and

of themselves there they nothing

positive about them at all it's just a

lack of of what's natural to our soul by

dist himself from the virtues through

love of pleasure the has brought about

the birth of the passions and then

established them in the

soul so distance from distance itself

from the virtues through love of

pleasure love of pleasure in other words

pleasure for its own sake in other words

the the lower the the base Pleasures the

base uh desires of the Fallen man the

soul has brought about the birth of the

passions and then established itself

them in itself so uh we can go on

there's you know pages and pages of

these quotes from the fathers we could

do a whole you know lecture series on it

but hopefully that helps a little bit

because if we're going to talk about the

passions we need to know exactly what

we're talking about that's that's I

think that's should be

[Music]

helpful God

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