The Passions

Summary

The Passions (from the Greek pathe, meaning "sufferings" or "undergoings") refer to the movements of the soul that react to external or internal stimuli. While we often use the word "passion" today to mean intense excitement, in the classical Christian sense, it describes a state where the soul is "passive" or "acted upon" by its desires or fears.

History of The Passions

St. Thomas Aquinas categorized the passions into two main "appetites": the concupiscible (desires for simple goods like love, joy, and desire) and the irascible (responses to difficulties, such as anger, fear, and hope). In their original created state, these impulses were considered "morally neutral" tools meant to help humans seek the Good. However, because of the Fall, the passions became disordered, often rebelling against the rational will. As St. Paul describes in Romans 7:15, "For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."

Orthodox Perspective

The Eastern Orthodox tradition emphasizes Apatheia (holy dispassion) and the healing of the soul. Drawing from the Desert Fathers and the Philokalia, the Orthodox view the passions as "distortions" of natural human energies caused by the Fall.

For example, the natural energy of desire is distorted into lust, and the natural energy of zeal is distorted into anger. Salvation is seen as a process of Theosis (deification), where these distorted passions are not suppressed but "transfigured" back to their original purpose. St. Paul’s exhortation to "be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Romans 12.2) is central here, focusing on the heart's transition from "passionate" turmoil to spiritual stillness (hesychia).