Resistance Podcast #239: Liturgical Asceticism: Desert Wisdom for Everyday Christians-Prof Fagerberg

About this sermon

In this in-depth talk, David W. Fagerberg, retired professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, introduces the vision behind his book On Liturgical Asceticism. Drawing on the influence of Alexander Schmemann and Aidan Kavanagh, Fagerberg shows how asceticism isn’t only for monks—it’s the normal Christian life flowing from baptism, aimed at orthodoxia (right worship / right glory). Using the Desert Fathers (especially Evagrius Ponticus) as guides, he maps the soul’s faculties (intellective, irascible, concupiscible), explains how passions bend what God made good, and why the cure is a liturgical way of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that restores us to communion with the Trinity. Along the way, he shares classroom stories, book recommendations, and practical insights on apátheia (holy dispassion), virtue, and the “controlled environment” of the desert. 🔔 Subscribe to Sensus Fidelium for more Catholic theology, patristics, and spiritual classics brought to life. People & works mentioned: Alexander Schmemann • Aidan Kavanagh • Evagrius Ponticus • St. Basil • St. Gregory Nazianzen • St. Anthony the Great • St. John Cassian • St. Maximus the Confessor • St. John of Damascus • Philokalia • On Liturgical Asceticism • The Desert Fathers (Sayings & Lives) Topics: liturgical theology, monastic & secular asceticism, orthodoxia (right worship), passions & virtues, apátheia, baptismal spirituality, prayer/fasting/almsgiving. Chapters (YouTube timestamps) 0:00 Intro — Who is David Fagerberg? 0:53 Life update & writing routine 2:00 Why an “explainer” instead of an interview 3:12 Influences: Schmemann & Kavanagh 6:30 Asceticism for all the baptized 8:59 “The theologian is the one who prays” 10:19 What “liturgical asceticism” means 14:11 Is there such a thing as liturgical fasting? 15:53 Born at the font, perfected in the desert 17:24 Evagrius Ponticus & prayer as contemplation 21:00 Sources: Lives & Sayings of the Desert Fathers 22:59 The desert as a controlled environment of the heart 25:22 Solitude and the “fourth battlefield” (the heart) 27:56 Monastic vs. secular asceticism (same water, different vessel) 28:36 One Christian life: laity & monastics 30:07 Talk roadmap: anthropology → passions → cure 31:22 The Evagrius icon & famous dictum 33:00 Evagrius in context (Basil, Gregory, Anthony, Cassian) 34:24 The soul’s three faculties (intellect, desire, spiritedness) 37:02 The eight logismoi (passionate thoughts) 38:12 When order breaks: reason, desire, anger 39:01 Aquinas on disordered powers & wounds 40:31 No problem with money, sex, or beer—the problem is the passions 41:18 Health of the soul (Maximus the Confessor) 45:05 How thoughts become passions (teaser for part 2) 46:07 Cures & virtues (John & Peter of Damascus) 48:30 Closing — next video: the malady and the cure https://www.cuapress.org/9780813221175/on-liturgical-asceticism/ https://www.audible.com/author/David-W-Fagerberg/B001HOGDNG https://smile.amazon.com/Liturgical-Asceticism-David-W-Fagerberg/dp/081322117X?sa-no-redirect=1 #LiturgicalAsceticism #DavidFagerberg #DesertFathers #Evagrius #CatholicTheology #Asceticism #Orthodoxia #Philokalia #SpiritualWarfare #RightWorship 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶️ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶️ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.us for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶️ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 SpiritusTV - https://spiritustv.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶️ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ ▶️ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-po

Topics

• Suffering & Trials
• Wisdom