이 논문의 목적은 사막 교부 안토니오스와 관련된 세 문헌, 『안토니오스의 생애』(Vita Antonii), 『안토니오스의 서신들』(Epistolae Antonii), 『사막 교부들의 담화집』(Apophtegmata patrum)에 나타난 수도원적 청빈 이해를 밝히는 것이다. 안토니오스 연구자들은 그동안 안토니오스의 문헌들에 대해서 주로 저자의 진정성, 저작 의도와 배경, 안토니오스의 다양한 이미지와 역사적 안토니오스이 차이 등의 주제에 관심을 가졌다. 안토니오스의 자발적 가난으로 시작된 수도 생활 방식과 사상은 당대부터 큰 영향을 주었지만, 이러한 주제들은 상대적으로 덜 연구된 것이 사실이다. 따라서 이 논문은 안토니오스의 문헌들에 등장하는 청빈 이해에 관심을 기울이면서 초대 교회 영성 형성과 그리스도인들의 삶의 한 단면을 밝히고자 한다.
안토니오스의 청빈 사상은 크게 두 측면으로 이해할 수 있다. 첫 번째는 자발적 부의 포기를 의미하는 ‘외적 가난’에서 악마가 주는 유혹을 극복해 가는 ‘내적 가난’으로 이어지는 청빈의 두 단계, 즉 청빈의 발전 단계를 제공한다. 둘째는 수도 생활을 하면서 청빈을 유지하는 구체적인 삶의 방식을 제시한다. 그것은 노동을 통한 자급자족의 생활 방식과 최소한의 생필품만을 소유하고 잉여 식량을 가난한 이들과 나누며 지속적인 가난을 유지하는 삶을 말한다. 이러한 청빈 이해는 하나의 ‘신앙 생활 규범’으로서 초대 교회 수도원 운동과 그리스도인들의 영성 생활에 폭넓은 영향을 주었다.
The aim of this article is to deal with Antony’s understanding of monastic poverty reflected in his three monastic writings, Vita Antonii, Epistolae Antonii, Apophtegmata patrum. Antony scholars have mainly examined the authenticity of Antony’s writings. They have also been concerned with how Vita Antonii was coloured by Athanasius’ own intentions, how the image of Antony is remodeled in the writings, and who the historical Antony was. However, they have not paid much attention to some significant topics related to Antony’s voluntary poverty, monastic life, and theological thoughts, which had a profound influence on early Christians of his time. Thus, this article attempts to show an aspect of the spiritual formation of early Christianity and early Christian piety. Antony’s understanding of monastic poverty is as follows. First, his monastic renunciation is a continuous process toward inner poverty imagined as a fight against Satan’s temptation. Physical poverty is an act of the perfect renunciation of possessions. Second, Antony established his perfect anchoritic model for keeping poverty throughout monastic life. That is, he kept the principle of working for food and the other necessities of life, not keeping surplus articles or food, but distributing them to the poor, and keeping only minimum necessities. The monastic poverty of Antony was regarded as a significant rule of Early Christian spirituality.
The aim of this article is to deal with Antony’s understanding of monastic poverty reflected in his three monastic writings, Vita Antonii, Epistolae Antonii, Apophtegmata patrum. Antony scholars have mainly examined the authenticity of Antony’s writings. They have also been concerned with how Vita Antonii was coloured by Athanasius’ own intentions, how the image of Antony is remodeled in the writings, and who the historical Antony was. However, they have not paid much attention to some significant topics related to Antony’s voluntary poverty, monastic life, and theological thoughts, which had a profound influence on early Christians of his time. Thus, this article attempts to show an aspect of the spiritual formation of early Christianity and early Christian piety. Antony’s understanding of monastic poverty is as follows. First, his monastic renunciation is a continuous process toward inner poverty imagined as a fight against Satan’s temptation. Physical poverty is an act of the perfect renunciation of possessions. Second, Antony established his perfect anchoritic model for keeping poverty throughout monastic life. That is, he kept the principle of working for food and the other necessities of life, not keeping surplus articles or food, but distributing them to the poor, and keeping only minimum necessities. The monastic poverty of Antony was regarded as a significant rule of Early Christian spirituality.
