Program / Course 3: The Rule of Life / Lesson 4.1
What you will learn
- Describe the main biblical examples and teachings on fasting.
- State how Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions practice or regard fasting.
- Explain what Isaiah 58 and Matthew 6 say about the purpose and manner of fasting.
- Identify safe limits and the people for whom food fasting is unwise.
The big idea
Fasting is going without food, or without some other good thing, for a time, for spiritual purposes. Scripture shows it as a sign of repentance, a preparation for prayer and a way of seeking God. Jesus assumes his followers will fast, and warns against fasting for show. The Catholic and Orthodox churches keep set fasts. Protestants teach freedom but often encourage it. All traditions say fasting must serve love of God and neighbor, and must not harm health. Some people should not fast from food at all.
Key terms
- Fast
- A period of going without food or certain foods, or without another good thing, for spiritual reasons.
- Abstinence
- In Catholic usage, avoiding certain foods, such as meat on Fridays in Lent, as distinct from reducing the amount eaten.
- Great Lent
- The long fast before Easter, forty days in the Western reckoning and longer in the Eastern, observed with varying strictness.
- Penance
- An act of sorrow for sin, which may include fasting, prayer and giving.
- Sackcloth and ashes
- Biblical signs of mourning and repentance that often accompanied fasting.
- Voluntary fast
- A fast chosen by a person, as opposed to one required by a church’s calendar.
Background
Fasting appears throughout the Bible. Moses was on the mountain forty days without bread and water (Exodus 34:28). The law prescribed that the people afflict their souls on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29), which Jewish tradition understands as a fast. The people of Nineveh fasted at Jonah’s preaching (Jonah 3). Queen Esther asked her people to fast for three days (Esther 4:16). Daniel fasted and prayed in repentance (Daniel 9:3). The prophet Joel called the people to return with fasting, weeping and mourning (Joel 2:12). Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness before his ministry (Matthew 4:2).
In the New Testament, Jesus said that when his disciples have lost the bridegroom, then they will fast (Matthew 9:15). The church at Antioch fasted and prayed before sending Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:2-3), and Paul and Barnabas fasted and prayed when appointing elders (Acts 14:23). The Didache, an early manual, instructs Christians to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, in contrast to the Mondays and Thursdays kept by some Jews. These are the roots of the church’s later calendars.
Step-by-step explanation
Step 1: What Scripture says about the purpose
The prophets warned against empty fasting. In Isaiah 58, the people complain that God does not see their fasts, and God replies that the fast he chooses is to loose the bands of wickedness, to let the oppressed go free and to share bread with the hungry. The passage does not abolish fasting but demands that it lead to justice and mercy. Fasting without changed behavior is hollow.
Jesus makes a related point in the Sermon on the Mount. He says that when his followers fast, they should not look sad as hypocrites do, who want others to see their fasting. They should anoint their head and wash their face, so that their fasting is seen only by the Father (Matthew 6:16-18). The passage assumes that disciples will fast. It forbids display.
Step 2: Fasting in the traditions
The Orthodox Church keeps four fasting seasons: Great Lent, the Apostles’ Fast, the Dormition Fast in August and the Nativity Fast before Christmas. It also keeps Wednesdays and Fridays as fast days throughout most of the year. Fasting traditionally means abstaining from meat, dairy and eggs, and on stricter days from fish, wine and oil. Practice varies by jurisdiction and by the person’s health, and the spiritual father may adjust it.
The Catholic Church requires fasting and abstinence from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstinence from meat on the Fridays of Lent, with other forms of penance on other Fridays. Under current law, the fast applies to adults from age 18 to 59, and abstinence from age 14. Catholics also keep a one-hour fast before receiving communion. The Church exempts the sick and others in need.
Step 3: Protestant views
The Reformers rejected the idea that fasting earns merit or that specific foods are forbidden. Luther and Calvin nonetheless approved of voluntary fasting as a help to prayer and self-discipline. Calvin treats fasting in his Institutes, in the book about the church’s order, and defends it for times of public repentance and personal devotion. Anglicans retained fast days in the Book of Common Prayer. The Puritans kept days of fasting and prayer.
Today Protestant practice varies widely. Many evangelicals fast occasionally for specific prayer. Some, particularly Lutherans, Anglicans and Methodists, observe Lent. John Wesley himself fasted regularly and urged it on the Methodists. Others place little emphasis on fasting. The common Protestant principle is freedom of conscience combined with encouragement.
Step 4: Safe limits
Every tradition that fasts also limits it. Catholic and Orthodox rules exempt the sick, the pregnant or nursing, the elderly and children. Cassian and Benedict both teach moderation. Cassian warns that excessive fasting can be as dangerous as gluttony, because it leads to weakness and pride.
A practical rule is that a person with a medical condition should ask a physician before fasting from food. This includes diabetes, pregnancy or nursing, a history of an eating disorder, the use of certain medications, and other conditions. People who struggle with eating disorders are generally advised not to fast from food at all, and to fast from something else, such as a screen, social media or an evening’s entertainment. The tradition holds that other kinds of fast are fully legitimate.
- What do I hope a fast would do for my prayer?
- Have I fasted for the wrong reason, such as to impress or to control?
- Is there something other than food that I should give up for a time?
- How does Isaiah 58 judge my present habits of giving and justice?
- What medical or personal reasons might make food fasting unwise for me?
- Whom would I tell about a fast, if anyone?
Examples
A modest fast
A man skips lunch one day a week and spends the time reading a psalm. He gives the saved money to a food pantry. (A constructed example.)
A fast from something else
A woman with a history of an eating disorder gives up her phone from Friday evening to Saturday evening. She prays and reads during the hours she would have scrolled. (A constructed example.)
A fast that went wrong
A student fasts for five days without consulting anyone, becomes dizzy and ill, and suffers headaches. He then decides that fasting is dangerous. A shorter, moderate fast with some advice could have served him better. (A constructed example.)
Different perspectives
The Orthodox view
Orthodox Christians regard fasting as a normal and essential part of the Christian life, linked to the feasts and to prayer. The rule is moderated by a spiritual father, and the sick are exempt. Fasting from food is joined with almsgiving and with fasting from anger and gossip.
The Catholic view
Catholics understand fasting as penance, a way of joining one’s sufferings to Christ’s and of disciplining the body for prayer. Current church law sets a few days of required fasting and abstinence and encourages others. The Church teaches that fasting must be joined with prayer and almsgiving.
The Protestant view
Protestants emphasize freedom and the inward heart. Fasting is not required and earns no merit, but is commended as a help to prayer and humility. Practice ranges from regular fasts among some Methodists and Pentecostals to little among others.
The medical view
Physicians note that short, moderate fasts are generally safe for healthy adults but can be dangerous for people with diabetes, those who are pregnant, those with eating disorders, children, the elderly and people taking certain medications. They advise consulting a doctor first.
Why it matters
Fasting is among the practices people most often misuse, either by neglecting it or by pushing it into harm. The biblical teaching in Isaiah and Matthew sets its purpose, and the traditions set its limits. A beginner with this knowledge can choose a safe, modest form or choose another kind of fast, and keep it in a rule.
Common misunderstandings
Misunderstanding: Fasting earns forgiveness or favor from God.
Correction: No major tradition teaches this. Catholic and Orthodox teaching treats fasting as penance and discipline in cooperation with grace. Protestants teach that it is a response, not a payment.
Misunderstanding: A longer or stricter fast is always better.
Correction: Cassian, Benedict and the modern churches teach moderation. Extreme fasting can harm the body and feed pride.
Misunderstanding: Fasting has to mean going without food.
Correction: Many teachers allow other forms: fasting from screens, from speech, from entertainment or from spending. These are especially appropriate for those with health reasons not to fast from food.
Knowledge check
What does Isaiah 58 teach about fasting?
God says the fast he chooses is not just a show of humility but includes loosing the bands of wickedness, freeing the oppressed and sharing bread with the hungry. The passage does not abolish fasting but demands that it lead to justice and mercy. A fast without changed behavior is hollow.
What does Matthew 6:16-18 teach?
Jesus assumes his followers will fast and tells them not to look sad or to display it as hypocrites do. They should anoint their heads and wash their faces, so that the fast is seen only by the Father. The passage forbids fasting for show, not fasting itself.
How do the traditions differ in practice?
The Orthodox keep several seasons and weekly fasts with abstinence from certain foods. The Catholic Church requires fasting and abstinence on a few days, and abstinence on Fridays of Lent. Protestants teach freedom of conscience and encourage voluntary fasts. Each tradition exempts the sick.
Who should be careful about fasting from food?
People with diabetes, pregnant or nursing women, children, the elderly, people with a history of eating disorders and people on certain medications should consult a physician and often should not fast from food. They can fast from something else, such as screens or entertainment.
Think it through
- What is the difference between self-discipline and self-punishment?
- Why might Isaiah link fasting with justice?
- What would be a wise first fast for you, given your health and duties?
Independent assignment
A fast and a gift
In your notebook, write 300 to 450 words. Decide on a modest fast for one day. If you may not fast from food for health reasons, choose another kind of fast. Say what you will give up, what you will do with the time, and what you will give to someone in need as a result. After the day, write what you learned. Consult a physician first if you have any doubt about your health. Do not post it.
Further study
- John Cassian, The Institutes Read Book 5 on gluttony and Cassian’s advice on moderation in fasting.
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion Read Book 4 on the church’s order for his treatment of fasting.
- Timothy (Kallistos) Ware, The Orthodox Church Read the passages on fasting in Orthodox life.
- Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church Read the sections on penance and fasting.
- Isaiah 58:6 The fast God chooses.
- Matthew 6:16 Fasting without display.
- Joel 2:12 Turn to me with fasting.