| Souls & Hearts

“The Kingdom Within” with Dr. Gerry Crete

Reflections on our inner worlds.

Apr 21, 2025

Evagrius of Pontus, the Parts of the Soul, and the Seven Deadly Sins

“Prayer is an ascent of the spirit to God” — Evagrius of Pontus, Chapters on Prayer

Evagrius of Pontus (345-399 AD), also known as Evagrius the Solitary, was a highly influential Christian theologian, ascetic, and monk. He significantly shaped Eastern Christian spirituality as well as Eastern and Western monasticism.

Born in Ibora, Pontus (modern Turkey), his intellectual prowess and personal struggles with desire led him to a life dedicated to prayer, contemplation, and the rigorous pursuit of inner purity. His writings continue to be studied and revered for their insightful analysis of the human condition and their profound impact on monasticism.

Evagrius received a classical education in Caesarea and Constantinople and was ordained a reader by Saint Basil the Great and a deacon by Saint Gregory of Nazianzus.

However, tormented by forbidden desires, he fled Constantinople and sought refuge in Jerusalem, later finding his spiritual home in the Egyptian desert. He spent the remaining years of his life as a hermit in Nitria and Kellia, dedicating himself to prayer, scripture study, and the guidance of other monks.

Evagrius’ eight “thoughts”

Evagrius identified eight “thoughts” (logismoi) which, when inspired by demons, obstruct the path to spiritual perfection:

Gluttony (gastrimargia)
Lust or fornication (porneia)
Avarice or greed (philargyria)
Sadness (lypē)
Anger or wrath (orgē)
Acedia (akēdia) which can be understood as sloth, listlessness, or spiritual boredom, or even apathy, neglect, or indifference
Vainglory or boasting (kenodoxia)
Pride (hyperēphania) which can be understood as self-overestimation, arrogance, or grandiosity

These were not seen as external entities, but rather as internal temptations and distorted thought patterns that needed to be recognized and overcome through self-awareness, ascetic practices, and prayer. These eight thoughts were taught in the West by Saint John Cassian and then adapted into the Seven Deadly Sins (gluttony, lust, greed, sorrow, wrath, sloth, pride and envy) by Pope Saint Gregory the Great.

Three parts of the human soul

Following Plato, Evagrius envisioned the human soul as possessing three parts:

Nous: This refers to the intellect, the rational part, or the highest, most noble part of the soul. In my understanding, this is more than just reason or intellectual abilities. It is, in fact, the inmost self, reflecting the image of God and able to receive and offer love to God. Evagrius emphasized the nous’ ability, at the highest levels of contemplation, to have knowledge of God.
Thymos: This refers to the irascible powers of the soul and encompasses spiritedness and courage. It is here that sadness and anger are sometimes expressed.
Epithumia: This refers to the concupiscible powers of the soul and encompasses desire and lust. It is here that gluttony, lust, and avarice are sometimes expressed.

The Thymos and the Epithumia together are considered the passionate part of the soul, or the “lower self,” and they are understood by Evagrius to be directly connected to the body. When the body and the passionate part (both thymos and epithumia) are purified, then the nous or rational part can access gnosis or pure knowledge of God.

The goal of the spiritual life, according to Evagrius, is to purify the nous, the “higher self,” allowing it to contemplate God without the distractions of passions and worldly attachments. This is done by establishing virtue in all the parts of the soul.

Asceticism as a means of purification

Evagrius emphasized the importance of praktike, the practical life of asceticism, as a necessary foundation for gnosis, the contemplative knowledge of God. The life of asceticism purifies the passionate part which then permits the nous or rational part to connect with God.

Ascetical practices promoted by Evagrius include fasting, limited sleep, regular prayer, solitude, labor, study, and the elimination of vice and the practice of virtue.

His most influential works include Praktikos, a practical guide to asceticism, and Gnostikos, which explores the contemplative life. He also wrote Chapters on Prayer, a collection of aphorisms on the nature and practice of prayer.

These writings, steeped in psychological insight, offer a systematic approach to inner purification and the attainment of spiritual wisdom. He saw prayer not merely as petition, but as a progressive ascent of the mind to God, ultimately leading to a state of pure contemplation, free from images and concepts.

The impact of Evagrius’ work on Christianity and IFS

Evagrius’s emphasis on inner work and the purification of the nous has had a lasting impact on Christian spirituality. His analysis of the passions and his methodical approach to overcoming them provided a framework for spiritual direction and self-transformation. He emphasized the importance of self-knowledge, vigilance, and perseverance in the struggle against temptation.

Evagrius’ understanding of the nous corresponds well with the IFS concept of Self and our Catholic understanding of the inmost self. He perhaps emphasizes the rationality of the nous over its affectivity, but it is still the highest power of the soul able to connect with God and give and receive love.

The IFS understanding of parts can be found in the passionate part of the soul. Our parts adopt thoughts and feelings that may involve the eight evil thoughts outlined by Evagrius. As we grow in holiness, we want to “battle” the evil thoughts and replace them with truth and cultivate virtue.

In IFS terms we engage with our parts and help them unburden false beliefs and negative cognitions. Our parts adopt new roles that reflect virtuous living. When all our parts exercise virtue rather than vice then the self-system is purified and unites with the inmost self (nous) to contemplate God in an integrated and unified manner.

Priests note the connection

Dr. Christian Amalu brought to my attention the following interview by “Living in Communion” with Eastern Orthodox (OCA) priest, and former Dean of Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Father Thomas Hopko (1939-2015).

IC: Much is being written about the need to forgive oneself. Does that make sense in Christian terms?

Fr. Thomas Hopko: Of course. Forgiving oneself means accepting forgiveness from God—and from other people. Evagrius of Pontus, a fourth-century writer, said that there are in us many selves, really, but at base there are two: the real self, which is the Christ-self, and a legion of other selves, which are the Adamic selves.

What happens when we hear the word of grace is that we are split down the middle. We don’t want grace because of the pain we have to face, the fears and so on. But one of the things that happens—one of the lies of the Devil, so to speak—is the conviction that we are not worth it. It isn’t for us. We are too bad, worthless.

Then there comes a point, as Evagrius said, when the Christ-self needs to be convinced that “yes, I exist, and I am acceptable,” and so to have pity and mercy on those other selves.

The same sentiment is expressed and elaborated on by Eastern Orthodox priest Father Antony Hughes in a sermon at St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts:

I like to speak about the transformation of the internal world for two reasons. First, so few do. And, second, because the only way to bring the light of Christ to the world is to become the light of Christ.

When I was researching what I would say today, I found something interesting about Evagrius of Pontus, thanks again to Fr. Tom Hopko. Evagrius was an amazing psychologist. He wrote in the fourth century about things modern depth psychology has only now begun to discover.

Evagrius, the great mystic and writer, taught that human beings have two selves. The first, he called the “Christ-Self,” the original and defining self, the image of God. And the second he called, “the legion of other selves.” These “other selves” are represented in us by the myriad thoughts, feelings, passions, and emotions that we experience moment by moment. We are fragmented; it seems, into many parts.

At some point, Evagrius continues, by the grace of God working in us through Holy Baptism, the Christ-Self awakens to its own beauty and worth and turns its compassionate gaze upon the legion of other selves within us. Reconciliation begins to flow, fragmentation is overcome, and the inner world is united in love. The whole of life, external and internal is swallowed up in love.

St. Maximos the Confessor speaks of this reunification as “attaining perfect love” by the re-ordering of one’s whole life with love; in other words, by losing ourselves in love.

So, it is not the Christ-Self that must “be denied,” but the legion of other selves. And here “denial” does not mean rejection, but transformation.

The Christ-Self brimming with the energy of God becomes the primary leader, the director of the symphony of the internal landscape. The whole inner world awakens to the presence and power of the grace of God and begins to adopt the Way of the Cross, the Way of love, self-sacrifice, and humility as its natural way of thinking and living.

It would be hard to imagine a better description of the IFS approach by a 4th century Christian writer!

Neither Dr. Amalu nor I have been able to find the specific passages in the writings of Evagrius of Pontus that refer directly to the “Christ-self” and the “legion of selves” cited by Fr. Thomas Hopko.

We do know that Evagrius refers to two parts of the soul: the nous and the passionate part (described above). The nous can certainly be described as a “Christ-self” because it best describes the image of God in the human person.

We also know that the passionate part includes the concupiscible and irascible powers which involve the eight evil thoughts. The legion of selves would certainly inhabit this part of the soul.

Fathers Hopko and Hughes highlight the role of the inmost self or Christ-self in compassionately guiding and healing and restoring the legion of other selves, or the parts of the self-system.

Time for personal reflection

I invite you to a moment of recollection. This is a prayerful calling to mind of all your parts, becoming aware of the inmost self, our deep spiritual center, and opening of your heart to God’s presence.

As your parts rest in a kind of gentle internal quiet, notice your body relax, your shoulders drop, and your face soften. As your breathing both deepens and slows, you become more aware of that deep spiritual center, your inmost self. Notice how calm and restful that feels.

Notice the presence of Jesus, the Word, who is Himself the perfect icon of the Father. Notice the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, whose love flows from the Father, through the Son, and into your heart.

Allow yourself to rest in that beautiful and perfect love that comes from our God.

Let us take a moment to humbly reflect on our sins and offer a prayer of penance as we do a parts-oriented examination of conscience.

I am sorry Lord for the times when I have been lustful, gluttonous, greedy, lazy, angry, envious, and prideful.

I take a moment to recognize, and if possible, connect with my parts that have exercised these failings. We invite our inmost self, our Christ-self, to bring love and compassion, healing and restoration to each part of our self-system, to every one of our “legion of selves.”

The part of me that has been focused on lustful or inordinate desires.