Lust [1] - gross sensual sexual desire [1] [2] , voluptuousness [1] .
In Christianity there is any unlawful passion and desire that turns a person away from God, a corruption of the heart that leads to evil and sin [3] . One of the main sins .
Thomas Aquinas considered lust ( luxuria ) a sin ( peccatum ) and vice ( vitium ), noting in it an excessive and mind-opposing desire to commit sexual acts. Meanwhile, sexual acts in the framework of the marital union ( matrimonio ) for the sake of conceiving children had no relation to lust. To the types of realization of lust, Thomas attributed:
- simple fornication ( fornicatio : intercourse of an unmarried couple),
- adultery ( adulterium : intercourse with a married woman),
- incest ( incestus : intercourse with a blood relative)
- seduction ( stuprum : copulation with the maiden under paternal care)
- rape ( raptus : intercourse with violence)
Content
Fighting Lust in Christianity
In the Old Testament
The very first sin was associated with lust :
| And she saw that the tree is good for food, and that it is pleasant to the eyes and desirable because it gives knowledge; and took her fruit and ate; and she also gave to her husband, and he ate. And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they recognized that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. ( Gen. 3: 6-7 ) |
According to the Bible, lust is one of the most frequent and dangerous sins, while it is so contagious that cases of lust are mentioned in the sacred text very delicately, as if in passing so as not to savor debauchery, for example: Gen. 6: 2-7 , Gen. 12: 14-18 , Gen. 19: 4-14 , Gen. 20: 2-8 , Gen. 34: 2 , Gen. 38: 9-10 , Gen. 39: 7-12 , Num. 25: 1 Judgment 14: 1-3 , Judgment. 19: 22-26 , 1 Kings. 14: 2-22 and others.
In the Gospel
The gospel offers the highest ideal of cutting off the man of his lust :
| You have heard that it was said to the ancients: Do not commit adultery. And I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. But if your right eye tempts you, pluck it out and throw it from you, for it is better for you that one of your members perish, and not your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand tempts you, cut it off and throw it away for you, for it is better for you that one of your members perish, and not your whole body be thrown into hell. It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, let him give her a divorce. And I tell you: whoever divorces his wife, except for the guilt of adultery, gives her a reason to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. ( Matthew 5: 27–32 ) |
In the apostolic epistles
The close connection between lust and sin is already reported in the apostolic epistles, which are part of the New Testament:
| ... everyone is tempted, entranced and enticed by his own lust; lust, having conceived, begets sin ... ( James 1: 14-15 ) |
A broader understanding of lust in Christianity is reflected in the fact that this word in the apostolic epistles is also mentioned in the plural:
| ... it’s enough that you in the past tense of life acted according to the will of the pagan, indulging in uncleanness, lust (sodomy, bestiality, thoughts), drunkenness, excess food and drink, and ridiculous idolatry ... ( 1 Pet. 4: 3 ) |
Further, the Apostle Peter in his 1st Epistle speaks of the need to avoid lusts:
| ... do not be conformed to the former lusts that were in your ignorance ... ( 1 Peter 1:14 ) |
| Beloved! I ask you, as strangers and wanderers, to move away from the carnal lusts that revolt the soul ... ( 1 Peter 2:11 ) |
A similar thought can be found in the apostle Paul ( 1 Cor. 10: 6 ).
Finally, a bright and strong statement about lust is found in the 1st Epistle of the Apostle John the Divine :
| Do not love the world, nor what is in the world: if anyone loves the world, there is no love of the Father in that. For all that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of this world. And the world passes, and his lust, but he who fulfills the will of God abides forever. ( 1 John 2: 15-17 ) |
Art
The depiction of the seven deadly sins as allegorical figures was common in medieval art, and Lust and Greed (Avarice) were especially popular. Stinginess was usually personified by a male figure, and debauchery - by a female.
In Western European art, Lust (debauchery, Fornication, Lust, Voluptuousness ; lat. Libido, Luxuria ) can appear as an allegorical, personified female figure, almost always nude (and with luxurious hair) [4] . Her attributes are: a pig [5] , a sparrow in hands, a pair of pigeons - birds of Venus, a monkey; a goat, a bear (or his mouth), less often a bull and a rooster. The free sexual behavior of animals made them the natural companions of Lust [6] .
In the Romanesque and Gothic sculpture (later preserved in the composition of the Last Judgment), there was a well-established type of image of this sin: the repulsive naked woman, whose breasts and genitals are devoured by toads and snakes [7] these [4] ). The church interpreted it this way: in hell for sins, it is punished through the organs that generated these sins. Art critics point out that Christian artists used the ancient image of the Earth-Mother (Tellus Mater), which was depicted nursing snakes - ancient symbols of the earth [7] .
Of the items: nudity, satyr pipe, tambourine, masks, playing cards - a symbol of idleness, whip and shackles - a symbol of punishment. She can hold a mirror and comb [4] or be surrounded by flames, a mirror can also hold a monkey [6] .
In the era of the Middle Ages, Luxuria was regarded as the worst of the seven deadly sins, and during the Renaissance it was more perceived as a “pleasure,” chasing sensual pleasures. Lust turns into Love and is depicted with the help of the figure of Venus (in the company of a goat or riding on it). Among its other attributes are rabbits and pigeons [8] . Music was also associated with Lust, as it distracted the soul from noble activity. Therefore, musical instruments are often depicted in the allegories of Lust, especially in Dutch painting of the 17th century [9] . Cautions against lust can be part of the allegories of taste [10] .
Literature
- Isaeva E. L. Seven deadly sins. Punishment and repentance. - Ripol Classic, 2009. - 318 p.
- Hall, James. Dictionary of plots and characters in art = James Hall; introduction by Kenneth Clark . Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art / Per. from English and introductory article by A. Maykapar . - M .: “Kron-press”, 1996. - 656 p. - 15 000 copies - ISBN 5-323-01078-6 .
- James Jerman, Anthony Weir. Images of Lust: Sexual Carvings on Medieval Churches. 2013
- Shawn R. Tucker. The Virtues and Vices in the Arts: A Sourcebook. Wipf and Stock Publishers. 2015
- Thomas Aquinas . The sum of theology . P3 Question 153. ABOUT WANTING ( de vitio luxuriae )
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 Lust // Efremova T. F. A New Dictionary of the Russian Language. Interpretive word-formation: St. 136,000 entries, about 250000 semantic units: In 2 tons . - M .: Rus. lang , 2000. - (Library of Russian dictionary). - ISBN 5-200-02800-0 .
- ↑ lust // Small Academic Dictionary . / Ed. A.P. Evgenieva - Moscow: Institute of the Russian Language of the USSR Academy of Sciences , 1957—1984.
- ↑ Lust // Archimandrite Nikifor . Biblical Encyclopedia . - 3rd ed. - M .: LOKID-PRESS, 2005. - 768 pp., Ill. - (Library encyclopedic dictionaries).
- ↑ 1 2 3 Roberta Milliken. Ambiguous Locks: Medium Art and Literature . - McFarland, 2014-01-10. - 301 s. - ISBN 9780786487929 .
- ↑ Hall. P. 499
- ↑ 1 2 James Hall. Illustrated Dictionary Of Symbols In Eastern And Western Art . - Routledge, 2018-05-04. - 258 s. - ISBN 9780429979569 .
- ↑ 1 2 Hall. P. 465
- ↑ Irene Earls. Renaissance Art: A Topical Dictionary . - ABC-CLIO, 1987. - 366 p. - ISBN 9780313246586 .
- ↑ Alberto Ausoni. Music in Art . - Getty Publications, 2009. - 386 p. - ISBN 9780892369652 .
- ↑ The J. Paul Getty Museum. The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal: Volume 19, 1991 . - Getty Publications, 1993-01-28. - 190 s. - ISBN 9780892362080 .