Both in homilies and on social media, one often hears about spiritual warfare. Frequently, however, this reveals itself as a superficial concept, a dangerous spiritualization of human conflicts (ideological, political, ecclesial, etc.). Therefore, an adequate understanding of this notion, which is undoubtedly important for Christian spirituality, is needed.

The first part of the course offers a biblical journey. We will study the progressive shift of warfare from the battlefield to the realm of the spirit, both in biblical texts and in their interpretation.

In the second part of the course, we will listen to the Fathers of the Church, aiming to compare the Syriac (Ephrem the Syrian, Aphrahat), the Egyptian (Origen, Athanasius of Alexandria, Evagrius Ponticus, Pachomius, Shenoute of Atripe), and the Latin traditions (Augustine, Cassian).