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Fasting & Abstinence Rules

Which days, which foods? The calendar of self-denial that still divides the churches

These are the regulated rules for abstaining from food, or from particular foods like meat, dairy, oil, or wine, on appointed days and seasons. The Didache already set Wednesday and Friday fasts, on Wednesday and Friday, distinct from the Jewish fast days of Monday and Thursday. The traditions differ widely today: Orthodox and Oriental churches keep extensive year-round fasting, Catholic rules were relaxed after the Second Vatican Council, and many Protestants made fasting a voluntary personal practice rather than a binding rule.

How it traveled

  1. Mark
    Rome · 68
    applies
  2. Matthew
    Antioch · 80
    applies
  3. Acts
    Rome · 84
    applies
  4. Luke
    Rome · 84
    applies
  5. On Fasting.
    — · 220
    explains
  6. The Canonical Epistle, with the Commentaries of Theodore Balsamon and John Zonaras.
    — · 220
    applies
  7. On Prayer.
    — · 220
    applies
  8. The Canons of the Councils of Ancyra, Gangra, Neocæsarea, Antioch and Laodicea, which Canons were Accepted and Received by the Ecumenical Synods
    — · 360
    applies
  9. Letters of Athanasius with Two Ancient Chronicles of His Life
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  10. A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  11. Letters of St. Augustin
    Hippo Regius · 430
    applies
  12. Reply to Faustus the Manichæan
    Hippo Regius · 430
    applies
  13. The Twelve Books on the Institutes of the Cœnobia, and the Remedies for the Eight Principal Faults
    Marseille · 435
    applies
  14. The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 439
    explains
  15. The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great
    Rome · 461
    explains
  16. The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 692
    applies
  17. Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church
    Geneva · 1564
    explains

Key passages(20)

On Fasting., The Principle of Fasting Traced Back to Its Earliest Source.↗explains

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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Book Third.—Similitudes, Similitude Fifth. Of True Fasting and Its Reward: Also of Purity of Body.↗applies

Book Third.—Similitudes · The Pastor of Hermas

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Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter XV↗explains

Dialogue with Trypho · Justin Martyr

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Matthew 6:16↗applies

Matthew · Matthew the Apostle

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On Fasting., Arguments of the Psychics, Drawn from the Law, the Gospel, the Acts, the Epistles, and Heathenish Practices.↗explains

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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On Fasting., Conclusion.↗applies

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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On Fasting., Examples of a Similar Kind from the New.↗explains

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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On Fasting., From Fasts Absolute Tertullian Comes to Partial Ones and Xerophagies.↗explains

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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On Fasting., Further Examples from the Old Testament in Favour of Fasting.↗explains

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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On Fasting., Instances from Scripture of Divine Judgments Upon the Self-Indulgent; And Appeals to the Practices of Heathens.↗applies

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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On Fasting., Of Stations, and of the Hours of Prayer.↗applies

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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On Fasting., Of the Apostle's Language Concerning Food.↗applies

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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On Fasting., Of the Inconsistencies of the Psychics.↗applies

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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On Fasting., Of the Need for Some Protest Against the Psychics and Their Self-Indulgence.↗applies

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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On Fasting., The Physical Tendencies of Fasting and Feeding Considered.  The Cases of Moses and Elijah.↗explains

On Fasting. · Tertullian: Part Fourth

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Reply to Faustus the Manichæan — Faustus repels the insinuation that the prophecy of Paul with reference to those that should forbid to marry, abstain from meats, etc., applies to the Manichæans more than to the Catholic ascetics, who are held in the highest esteem in the Church. Augustin justifies this application of the prophecy, and shows the difference between Manichæan and Christian asceticism.↗applies

Reply to Faustus the Manichæan · Augustine of Hippo

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The Canonical Epistle, with the Commentaries of Theodore Balsamon and John Zonaras., Canon XV.↗applies

The Canonical Epistle, with the Commentaries of Theodore Balsamon and John Zonaras. · Peter of Alexandria

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The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council — The Canons of the Council in Trullo. — Canon LV.↗applies

The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council · The Ecumenical Councils

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The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council — The Canons of the Council in Trullo. — Canon LVI.↗applies

The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council · The Ecumenical Councils

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The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council — The Canons of the Council in Trullo. — Canon XXIX.↗applies

The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council · The Ecumenical Councils

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