INTRODUCTION 1 THE JEWISH BACKGROUND 2 THE GRAECO-ROMAN BACKGROUND 3 FOOD AND FASTING IN THE PAULINE EPISTLES 4 FOOD AND FASTING IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 5 CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA 6 FOOD AND FASTING IN THE WORKS OF TERTULLIAN 7 FOOD AND FASTING IN ORIGEN AND EUSEBIUS 8 JEROME AND ASCETIC PROPAGANDA 9 AUGUSTINE AND ASCETIC PRACTICE; CONCLUSION