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fasts
fasts and fasting. Fasting, as a penitential discipline, is designed to strengthen the spiritual life by weakening the attractions of sensible pleasures. It was practised in Judaism and apparently recommended by Christ both by example and teaching. In the early Church regular weekly fast days soon developed, notably Friday and Wednesday, and for some time in the W. Saturday. The fast of Lent came to extend to 40 days before Easter. The E. Church added three further periods of fasting.
In early times fasting meant complete abstinence from food during the whole or part of the fast day and, in the latter case, a restricted diet. In the E. it is still observed with considerable strictness. In modern RC practice fasting generally means one chief meal with a light ‘collation’ in the morning and evening. The only universally binding Fast Days in the RC Church now are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In the C of E the BCP contains a ‘Table of the Vigils, Fasts and Days of Abstinence’, but no specific instructions are given for the mode of their observance. See also ABSTINENCE. |
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Cite this article
E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "fasts." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "fasts." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-fasts.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "fasts." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-fasts.html |
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Fasts
Fasts, fasting: see FESTIVALS AND FASTS; ASCETICISM; SAWM.
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Cite this article
JOHN BOWKER. "Fasts." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Fasts." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Fasts.html JOHN BOWKER. "Fasts." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Fasts.html |
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