John Cassian is an Eastern-educated monk writing in the early fifth century for the monks of Gaul and is crucial to the development of Western monasticism through the transmission of Greek ascetic ideas to the Latin West. He is heavily influenced by the teachings of Evagrius Ponticus, a prolific late fourth-century Egyptian monk crucial to the development of Christian mysticism; however, there has been no clear line drawn between the influence of Evagrius and Cassian's own originality. While Cassian uses Evagrian asceticism to the fullest, he nevertheless places it onto a divergent theological foundation which fundamentally alters that inherited asceticism. Evagrius' asceticism is shaped by his anthropology, cosmology, soteriology, and eschatology - all of which are based on his understanding of Creation and Christology. The monk working through Evagrius' asceticism sees the world and all the divisions in it - e.g. body/soul, human/angel/demon, vice/virtue - as a temporary construct which facilitates the eventual obliteration of all divisions through salvation - including divisions between good and evil. Cassian, however, writes twenty years after Evagrius' death and in a changed theological atmosphere, in which Evagrius' basic premises have become more controversial. Cassian is able to work an ascetic program previously defined by Evagrian theology into a legitimate and coherent asceticism based on a different understanding of Creation. This resembles Evagrius' asceticism to such an extent, that he has been called "merely a Latin translator". However, through fleshing out and comparing Cassian's understanding of the practical, the eight principal vices, the spiritual battle, and the contemplative life, it becomes clear that Cassian has a fundamentally different understanding of Creation and Christology, and this changes the relationship between body and soul, created and Creator, and corruption and salvation - all fundamental areas in an effective and coherent asceticism. Therefore, although the frame of his asceticism is Evagrian, the theological underpinnings of that asceticism create a vastly different experience for the monk through a different definition of humanity and the relationship between created and Creator.

Text in German / Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht primär das Potential christlicher Mystik für die Ekklesia, Koinonia und die Mission der Kirche. Dabei wird berücksichtigt, dass der Mystikbegriff definitorisch nur schwer zu greifen ist, da keine eindeutige Definition dieses Begriffes existiert.. Auf Grund dieser Tatsache entstehen Irritationen und Missverständnisse, gerade auch in der evangelischen und evangelikalen Christenheit, die keine traditionelle Verankerung der Mystik in ihrem Glaubensleben kennen, wie es etwa bei der katholischen Kirche der Fall ist. An dieser Stelle definiert diese Arbeit in einem hinführenden ersten Teil, was christliche Mystik ist, in ihrer Unterscheidung zu esoterischen Phänomenen oder auch nichtchristlichen Mystiken. In der Folge wird nach den praktischen Ausformungen christlicher Mystik anhand von vier exemplarisch ausgewählten spirituellen Übungswegen gefragt. Auch psychologische Fragen, sowie die Frage nach der Mystagogie finden hier ihren Platz. Im Weiteren wird dann das Verhältnis zwischen der christlichen Mystik und der Koinonia, Ekklesia und Mission der Kirche bedacht. Hier ist es immer wieder das zentrale Begegnungsgeschehen, welches im Mittelpunkt des Interesses steht und als verbindendes Element dieser Aspekte ins Blickfeld rückt. Abschließend skizziert diese Arbeit eine mystische Ekklesiologie, wie sie auf Grund der vorangegangenen Erwägungen denkbar ist. Das Potential christlicher Mystik in Gemeindeaufbau und Mission wird verdeutlicht, sowie die Notwendigkeit einer empirischen Überprüfung der aufgestellten Theorie anhand einiger praktischer Anregungen aufgezeigt. / This work mainly asks for the potential of christian mysticism for the Ekklesia, Koinonia and the mission of the Church. In order to this, it is considered that the term mysticism is difficult to grasp by definition, for there is no clear definition of the term mysticism. Due to this fact irritations and misunderstandings are caused, especially in the protestant and evangelical Christianity, that have no traditional anchoring of mysticism in their life of faith, as it is the case in the catholic Church for example. At this point, the work at hand defines in an afferent first part, what christian mysticism is, in distinction to esoteric phenomena or non-christian mysticism. The following part asks for the practical forms of christian mysticism with reference to four selected samples of spiritual exercises. At this place, psychological issues are considered too, as well as the question for the mystagogy. In the next part of this work, the relationship between the christian mysticism and Koinonia, Ekklesia and the mission of the Church will be considered. At this point, the occurance of community as a connecting element for these issues is in the focus of interest. Finally, this work outlines a mystical ecclesiology, as it is now possible and conceivable on the basis of the foregoing considerations. The potential of christian mysticism for church development and the mission of the church will be clarified, as well as the need for empirical research and testing of the shown theory by some practical suggestions. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D. Th. (Missiology)