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Prayer was a basic goal of the lives of Christian monks. Historia religiosa by Theodoretus of Cyrus conveys a lot of valuable information on the subject of prayer of Syrian ascetics. The bishop of Cyrus used the notion of prayed to refer to any kind of requests and begging or thanksgiving and admiration. Theodoretus recorded particularly numerous examples of recoveries, which occurred by dint of intercessive prayer of ascetics. Monks prayed at different times of a day and in various postures (standing, lying or kneeling), they were also familiar with many kinds of prayer and addressed God with varied intentions. Historia religiosa in­forms us as well about gestures that accompanied prayers, such as bows, raising arms and eyes to the sky and places where it could be said. An important issue discussed by Theodoretus was the time of praying. In Historia religiosa we can find references to the ideal of incessant prayer and to morning and evening prayers typical for Christians. The aim of prayer was to help ascetics control their bodily needs, it drew the mind of an ascetic towards God, tearing them, at the same time, from worldly issues. Prayer was also a reflection of monk’s faith, since through it, they worshipped God, referred to him their requests and thanksgiving.

The purpose of the paper is to examine the role of the senses in contempla­tion in Book Seven and Nine of Augustine’s Confessions. The bishop of Hippo’s conception of contemplation is deeply influenced by Plotinus, especially in the early period, and this influence is present e.g. in the distiniguishing of two forms of contemplation: the one in which all sensible objects are eliminated from aware­ness and the one in which they are present or used as a medium of contempla­tion. A method which leads to contemplation in which the senses are completely absent is the Plotinian method of „agnoetic meditation”. The method appears in Augustine as well, both in Book Seven and Book Nine. The forms of the contem­plation of God, which are described there, do not involve the senses, and their sole object is God. It generates a paradoxical situation especially in the vision of Ostia, where the „beyond body” contemplation is impossible to reconcile with the resurrection of the body and seeing God in the body. Augustine does not solve the paradox which is of a great importance, since it shows the tension between Platonic philosophy and Christian revelation.

Cet article veut presenter de facon synthetique les conseils de Jean Cassien au sujet de la priere d'apres ses Conferences. L'expose se divise en trois points. La premiere partie aborde ies questions suivantes: i'ecoie de ia priere, ses conditions et ses differentes expressions.

Die Schrift De vita contemplativa kann man ais ein Traktat uber die Spiritualitat der Kleriker mit Pastoralanweisungen bezeichnen. Ihrem Verfasser geht es darum, den Klerikern in Amten und Pflichten ein Kompendiums von spirituellen Lebens- regeln und pastorale Arbeit anzubieten.

St. Basile le Grand fait parcie de ces Peres de l'Eglise dont l'oeuvre a profondement marque ges contemporains ainsi que la posterite.

L'Autore dell'articolo si riferisce prima alla Lettera Apostolica "Augustinum Hipponensem" di Giovanni Paolo II, esponendo il suo insegnamento sulla contemplazione di Sant’Agostino e secondo Sant'Agostino.

L'objet de la conference etait de demontrer, tout en s'appuyant sur les propos de Seneque qui concernent les problemes de l’"actio" et de la "contemplatio".