Gynecia’s fear of death in Book 5 of the Arcadia may stem from a lack of faith that she has in God and her own religion.
In Chapter 3 of book 5 of Arcadia, the narrator states “Then would her own knowing of good inflame anew the rage of despair, which becoming an unresisted lord in her breast, she had no other comfort but in death, which yet she had in horror when she thought of. But the wearisome detesting of herself made her long for the day’s approach, …. And thus rested the restless Gynecia” The lines: “she had no other comfort but in death, which yet she had horror when she thought of” specifically related to the readings of Saint Simeon and what it means to be a good Catholic.
The Saint Simeon readings reveal his extremely strict and orthodox views of spirituality. Late in the Simeon reading Simeon explains the qualities that a good priest should have, stating “he must be pure not only in his body but also his soul, and devoid of all sin. Secondly, he must be humble not merely in his external behavior and his habitual actions, but also in his inner disposition” etc etc. Simeon essentially believes that to be a good Catholic, you must be entirely devoid of sin and live a life of cleanliness. While his standards for Priests are considerably high, they do not seem much different than his expectations of normal catholics.
Saint Simeon’s very first principle states “Faith is (readiness) to die for Christ’s sake, for His commandments, in the conviction that such death brings life; it is to regard poverty as riches, insignificance and nothingness as true fame and glory, and having nothing, to be sure that you possess all things.” Gynecia’s fear of death seems to stem from a lack of this complete relinquishment that Saint Simeon deems necessary to be truly faithful to God.
Book 5 of the Arcadia relates heavily to past readings as well, including the teachings of Jon Chrysostom In Chapter 3 of Book 5 of the Arcadia, Gynecia states “O Gods’ why did you make me to destruction? If you love goodness, why did you not give me a good mind? Or if I cannot have it without your gift, why do you plague me? Is it in me to resist the mightiness of your power?” This line specifically reminded me of when John explores similar questions like “Why did God make flawed beings if he can create things that are perfect?” Chryosostom eventually came to the realization that God’s choice in making flawed beings is that God does not exist to see “a mere exhibition of works” but rather to see a “nobleness of choice and an obedient temper.” Or, God doesn’t want to simply make a perfect reality, but rather, one in which individuals have wills and are able to find their own path.
Chrysostom’s ideas regarding freedom of choice and Saint Simeon’s orthodox teachings seem to have some overlapping themes in this week’s reading that I am still trying to decipher.