text:
Metanoia (theology)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Metanoia, a transliteration of the Greek μετάνοια, can be defined as "a transformative change of heart; especially: a spiritual conversion."[1] The term suggests repudiation, change of mind, repentance, and atonement; but "conversion" and "reformation" may best approximate its connotation.[2] In The King James Version of the Bible, its verbal cognate metanoeo/μετανοέω is translated as repent.[3]
Contents
[hide]
1 Pagan Use
2 Uses in the New Testament
3 Use in early Christianity
4 Meaning
5 Other interpretations
6 See also
7 References
Pagan Use[edit]
Metanoia means afterthought, from meta meaning "after" or "beyond" and nous meaning "mind". In Classical Greek metanoia meant changing one's mind about someone or something.[4] When personified, Metanoia was depicted as a shadowy goddess, cloaked and sorrowful, who accompanied Kairos, the god of Opportunity, sowing regret and inspiring repentance for the "missed moment". This conventional portrayal continued through the Renaissance. "The elements of repentance, regret, reflection, and transformation are always present in the concept of metanoia to some degree, ..."[5]
Philo Judaeus of Alexandria (c. 25 BCE – c. 50 CE) depicted metanoia as “in heaven, a beautiful and especially good daughter of the Most High.” There, “she entreats God Most High hourly” on behalf of people.[6]
Uses in the New Testament[edit]
Modern English translations of the Greek New Testament use the word "repentance" for both the word metanoia and metamelomai. The former term is so translated almost ten times as often as the latter.[4] Metanoia can be traced to Mark Chapter 1, where Jesus announces that the kingdom of God is at hand and asks for repentance.
Matthew 27:3 uses the Greek verb metamelomai in stating that Judas "repented himself" after he saw Jesus being led away. Metamelomai denotes "painful sorrow" or "remorseful regret." Metamelomai is the equivalent of the words Repent or Repentance."[7] Biblical scholar A. T. Robertson observes that Judas had only sorrow and regret and "mere sorrow avails nothing unless it leads to change of mind and life [metanoia]."[8]
The noun metanoia/μετάνοια, is translated "repentance," and its cognate verb metanoeō/μετανοέω is translated "repent" in twenty two instances in the King James Version of the New Testament.
Abid Rogers Bhatti in his book A Textbook of Soteriology writes about the meaning of metanoia/μετάνοια. In the Urdu Bible, the word for “repentance” is “toba.” Toba means regret, grief, and sorrow over sinful deeds that lead to a change of mind and life. Abid agrees with Tertullian[9] in preferring “conversion” rather than “repentance” to translate metanoia/μετάνοια in Mark 1:4. In summary, Abid believes that “conversion” (rather than “repentance”) is the best English word to express the meaning of the Greek metanoia/μετάνοια.[citation needed]
Use in early Christianity[edit]
The term "...was used consistently in the literature of that time to express a fundamental change in thinking that leads to a fundamental change in behavior and/or way of living".[10] In 2006, an ecumenical group of scholars published a study of repentance in the Bible and the Church. After "a thorough examination of Hellenistic Jewish writings," the study found that for Jews living at the time of Jesus, "repentance" meant "a fundamental change in thinking and living." For the New Testament, this change is a necessary ingredient in accomplishing God’s plan for salvation and community for everyone.[11]
The Acts of Peter ties metanoia to the cross on which Peter was crucified. While Peter was being crucified, he explained parts of the cross from which he was hanging, including “the nail which holds the cross beam to the upright in the middle.” This nail is “the conversion [epistrophē] and repentance [metanoia] of man.”[12]
According to David N. Wilkin, "The Latin Fathers translated metanoia as paenitentia, which came to mean "penance" or "acts of penance.""[4] Tertullian protested the unsuitable translation of the Greek metanoeo into the Latin paenitentiam agite by arguing that "in Greek, metanoia is not a confession of sins but a change of mind."[9] "Conversion" (from the Latin conversiōn-em turning round) with its "change in character" meaning is more nearly the equivalent of metanoia than repentance.[13]
Meaning[edit]
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary transliterates the Greek μετάνοια into metanoia and borrowing it as an English word with a definition that matches the Greek: "a transformative change of heart; especially: a spiritual conversion," augmented by an explanation of metanoia’s Greek source: "from metanoiein to change one's mind, repent, from meta- + noein to think, from nous mind."[1] Synonyms for "conversion" include "change of heart" and "metanoia."[14]
In opposition to the Church's interpretation of metanoia as comprising contrition, confession, and penances, Martin Luther objected that it retained its classical sense of "a change of mind."[15] For John Staupitz, "...metanoia can be derived, though not without violence, not only from post and mentem, but also from trans and mentem, so that metanoia signifies a changing of the mind and heart, because it seemed to indicate not only a change of the heart, but also a manner of changing it, i.e., the grace of God.".[16] Metanoia is a concept of fundamental character for Luther, as it marks the ground of the first of his 95 thesis.
John Calvin pointed to the double derivation of "repentance": from the Hebrew meaning conversion, or turning again and the Greek [metanoia] meaning a change of mind and purpose. The meaning of the word, for Calvin, is appropriate to both derivations because repentance (a) involves "withdrawing from ourselves," (b) turning to God, (c) "laying aside the old," and (d) putting on "a new mind."[17]
Other interpretations[edit]
This section may contain improper references to self-published sources. Please help improve it by removing references to unreliable sources, where they are used inappropriately. (September 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The Greek Orthodox Church in America teaches that "The Greek term for repentance, metanoia, denotes a change of mind, a reorientation, a fundamental transformation of outlook, of man's vision of the world and of himself, and a new way of loving others and God. In the words of a second-century text, The Shepherd of Hermas, it implies "great understanding," or discernment."[18]
In his 1881 The Great Meaning of the Word Metanoia, Treadwell Walden, former minister of St. Paul's Church, Boston, asserts that metanoia conveys the essence of the Christian gospel. Walden holds that the meaning of the Greek metanoia is very different from the meaning of the English "repentance". He describes the translation of metanoia as repentance as "an extraordinary mistranslation." Walden believed the meaning of metanoia as a "transmutation" of consciousness contrasted with classical Greek which he viewed as expressing a superficial change of mind.[19] Walden sought to promote the proper meaning of metanoia as "change of Mind, a change in the trend and action of the whole inner nature, intellectual, affectional and moral" over against its translation as repentance.[20]
In Repentance: A Cosmic Shift of Mind and Heart, Edward J.Anton observes that in most dictionaries and in the minds of most Christians the primary meaning of "repent" is to look back on past behavior with sorrow, self-reproach, or contrition, sometimes with an amendment of life. But neither Jesus nor John the Baptist says to look back in sorrow. For St Paul, "metanoia is a transfiguration for your brain" that opens a new future.[21]
It was in its use in the New Testament and in writings grounded in the New Testament that the depth of metanoia increased until, in the words of Archbishop Richard C. Trench, it came "to express that mighty change in mind, heart, and life wrought by the Spirit of God."[22]
Scholar J. Glentworth Butler says that, in the Greek, there is none of the sorrow or regret contained in the words repentance and repent. Repentance denotes "sorrow for what one has done or omitted to do; especially, contrition for sin."[23] Repent primarily means "to review one's actions and feel contrition or regret for something one has done or omitted to do"[24] Therefore, Butler asserts that translating metanoeō/μετανοέω and metanoia/μετάνοια as repent and repentance constitute "an utter mistranslation" that translators excuse by the fact that no English word can adequately convey the meaning of the Greek words.[7]
A. T. Robertson concurs with Butler. Regarding the translation of metanoia as repentance, Robertson calls it "a linguistic and theological tragedy."[25] Regarding John the Baptist's call to "repent" as a translation of the Greek metanoeite, Robertson quotes Broadus as saying that this is "the worst translation in the New Testament." Repent means "to be sorry," but John's call was not to be sorry, but to change mental attitudes [metanoeite] and conduct.[26] Robertson lamented the fact that in his time there was no English word that signified the meaning of the Greek μετάνοια (metanoia).[27]
Aloys H. Dirksen in his The New Testament Concept of Metanoia argues against metanoia as merely “repentance” and for metanoia as “conversion.”[28] Other[who?] have characterized the translation of metanoia/μετάνοια as "repentance" with similar negativity. Repentance is an "unsuitable" translation.[29] It is "totally inadequate" to carry the meaning of metanoia.[30]
Of the top-ten versions of the Bible in the United States based on unit sales, seven read "baptism of repentance" in Mark 1:4 in which "repentance" translates metanoia.[31] Three of the ten top-selling versions and another in the top-ten based on dollar sales attempt to capture the meaning of metanoia. None of them transliterate the Greek μετἀνοια as metanoia.[32]
New Living Translation: "baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God"
Common English Bible: "baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives"
New International Readers Version: "baptized and turn away from their sins"
The Message: "a baptism of life-change"
In spite of these efforts, David Wilkin forecasts that "repentance" as a translation for metanoia will likely continue in most English translations. He, therefore, advises readers to substitute "change of mind" for the words repentance and repent.[33]
In its Confirmation exegesis, the Minnehaha United Methodist Church of Minneapolis, Minnesota notes,
Metanoia is used to refer to the change of mind which is brought about in repentance. Repentance is necessary and valuable because it brings about change of mind or metanoia. This change of mind will make the changed person hate sin and love God. The two terms (repentance and metanoia) are often used interchangeably. "Meta-" is additionally used to imply "beyond" and "outside of." E.g., ...metaphysics as outside the limits of physics. The word metanoia has taken on an in-vogue usage among interfaith dialogues as simply meaning "a change of heart." Though this is close to its Christian theological meaning, perhaps one may conclude that metanoia is "taking one's mind/thoughts beyond and outside of one's habituations." Yes, English translators of the Christian Scriptures fail to find a proper corresponding word for metanoia, so they fall back upon the comfort and ease of the word repent. Yet repent carries with it a negative tone, almost an inhibition caused by guilt; metanoia forces a positive, proactive life-affirming response. When Jesus calls people to "repent," to "metanoia," could it be that he means: "Change your thought processes and go beyond your mind's present state of limitations"? Does this not mandate self-assessment and interpersonal acceptance?[34]
Charles Taylor defines metanoia as "to change one's mind of attitude" and builds his pastoral counseling method on the "metanoia model." In doing so, Taylor recalls that the center of Jesus' ministry was a call to metanoia.[35] For Milton Crum, metanoia means "a change of perception with its behavioral fruit." Thus, metanoia constitutes the central thing that needs to happen in preaching.[36] Peter Senge observes that what happens in a "learning organization" that experiences the "deeper meaning of 'learning'" is "metanoia" which means "a shift of mind." Therefore, concludes Senge, "to grasp the meaning of 'metanoia' is to grasp the deeper meaning of 'learning.'"[37]
Ulrich Wilckens finds in Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:38-40 as narrated by Luke the Evangelist, six steps that are required for a person’s salvation. Metanoia is step number one and is essential because the other steps are contingent on a person’s experiencing metanoia. Wilckens believes that this is the normative way to salvation in Luke’s theology.[38]
See also[edit]
Metanoia (psychology)
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b "Metanoia", Merriam-Webster
Jump up ^ Pope Benedict XVI. "Faith as Conversion -Metanoia", Principles of Catholic Theology, Ignatius Press, 1987 ISBN 9780898701333
Jump up ^ Strong, James The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Eaton & Mains, 1890)
^ Jump up to: a b c Wilkin, Robert N. "New Testament Repentance: Lexical Considerations", Bible.org
Jump up ^ Myers, Kelly A., "Metanoia and the Transformation of Opportunity", Rhetoric Society Quarterly, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 1–18
Jump up ^ Patrick Gray, Gail R. O'Day, eds., Scripture and Traditions: Essays on Early Judaism and Christianity in Honor of Carl R. Holladay (Brill, 2008) 80-81.
^ Jump up to: a b Butler, J. Glentworth. Topical Analysis of the Bible (Butler Bible Work Co, 1897), 443. Available in Google Books.
Jump up ^ A.T. Robertson. "Word Pictures in the New Testament - Matthew" (PDF). Grand Rapids, Missouri: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b Edward J Anton, Repentance: A Cosmic Shift of Mind and Heart (Discipleship Publications, 2005) 32-33.
Jump up ^ Nave, Guy. The Role and function of Repentance in Luke-Acts, Society of Biblical Literature, 2002
Jump up ^ Mark J. Boda and Gordon T. Smith, eds., Repentance in Christian Theology (Michael Glazier, 2006), 90, 95.
Jump up ^ J. K. Elliott, editor, The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation (Oxford University Press, 2005), 425. Greek words inserted.
Jump up ^ "Millennium Web Catalog". Oed.com.librarycatalog.vts.edu. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
Jump up ^ "Conversion Synonyms, Conversion Antonyms". Thesaurus.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
Jump up ^ Luther's Works, Vol. 48, Letters (May 30, 1518 Letter to John von Staupitz), 65-70.
Jump up ^ "Letter of John Staupitz Accompanying the "Resolutions" to the XCV Theses by Dr. Martin Luther, 1518", Works of Martin Luther, (Adolph Spaeth, L.D. Reed, Henry Eyster Jacobs, et Al., Trans. & Eds.), (Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1915), Volume 1, pp. 39-43
Jump up ^ John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion 3. 3. 1-16.
Jump up ^ "Repentance and Confession", The Greek Orthodox Church in America
Jump up ^ Treadwell Walden, The Great Meaning of the Word Metanoia: Lost in the Old Version, Unrecovered in the New, p.24, (Thomas Whittaker, 1896)
Jump up ^ Treadwell Walden, The Great Meaning of the Word Metanoia: Lost in the Old Version, Unrecovered in the New. (Thomas Whittaker, 1896), 1, 3-4, 8-9. Available online in Google Books.
Jump up ^ Anton, Edward J. Repentance: A Cosmic Shift of Mind and Heart (Discipleship Publications, 2005) 31-32.
Jump up ^ Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880, 9th edition) 255-261. Available online in Google Books.
Jump up ^ "Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) - The ARTFL Project". Machaut.uchicago.edu. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
Jump up ^ "Millennium Web Catalog". Oed.com.librarycatalog.vts.edu. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
Jump up ^ A.T. Robertson. "Word Pictures in the New Testament - 2 Corinthians" (PDF). Grand Rapids, Missouri: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
Jump up ^ A.T. Robertson. "Word Pictures in the New Testament - Matthew" (PDF). Grand Rapids, Missouri: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
Jump up ^ A.T. Robertson. "Word Pictures in the New Testament - Matthew" (PDF). Grand Rapids, Missouri: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
Jump up ^ D. Tarrant, review of The New Testament Concept of Metanoia (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America, 1932.) in Classical Review 47:4 (1933).
Jump up ^ Herbert George Marsh, The Origin and Significance of the New Testament Baptism (Manchester University Press, 1941), 43.
Jump up ^ James Hastings and others, Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics: Vol 10 (Scribner's, 1919), s.v. "Repentance," 733.
Jump up ^ "CBA Best Sellers" (PDF). CBAonline.org. Feb 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-14. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
Jump up ^ "Mark 1:4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region - Online Bible Study Tools". BibleStudyTools.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
Jump up ^ Robert N. Wilkin. "Repentance and Salvation Part 3: New Testament Repentance: Lexical Considerations". Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
Jump up ^ "Confirmation 101", Minnehaha United Methodist Church of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jump up ^ Charles Taylor The Skilled Pastor (Augsburg Fortress, 1991), 8, 64.
Jump up ^ Milton Crum, Manual on Preaching (Judson, 1977 and Morehouse, 1988) 101
Jump up ^ Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization (Doubleday, 2006), 13. Also Peter M. Senge, "Metanoia—A Shift of Mind" in The Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational Leadership (Jossey-Bass, 2nd ed, 2006)
Jump up ^ François Bovon, Luke the Theologian: fifty-five years of research, 1950-2005 (Baylor University, 2006), 314.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metanoia_(theology)&oldid=833527449"
Categories:
New Testament Greek words and phrases
Hidden categories:
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015
Articles with self-published sources from September 2016
All articles with self-published sources
All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases
Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2016
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Afrikaans
Español
Français
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
Polski
Português
Русский
Slovenčina
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
3 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 1 April 2018, at 03:29.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

tag: div

attr: id class

value: mw-page-base noprint

key: html

type: local

value: mw-head-base noprint

tag: a

attr: id class lang

value: firstHeading firstHeading en

value: siteSub noprint

value: jump-to-nav mw-jump

tag: b

attr: href title

attr: href class title

value:
/wiki/Spiritual_conversion
mw-redirect
Spiritual conversion

tag: sup

tag: i

tag: p

value: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (September 2015)

value:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

attr: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

value: plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-self-published

value:
/wiki/Shepherd_of_Hermas
mw-redirect
Shepherd of Hermas

value: The material near this tag possibly uses too-vague attribution or weasel words. (September 2016)

value: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch

value:
nofollow
external text
http://thesaurus.com/browse/conversion

value:
nofollow
external text
http://machaut.uchicago.edu/websters

value: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

value: Category:New Testament Greek words and phrases

value: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

value: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015

value: Category:Articles with self-published sources from September 2016

value: Category:All articles with self-published sources

value: Category:All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases

value: Category:Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2016

value: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

value: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

value: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

value: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

value:
/wiki/Metanoia_(theology)
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

value: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

value: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

value:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

value: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

value: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

value:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

value:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

value:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

value: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

value: Find background information on current events

value:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

value: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

value: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

value: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

value: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

value: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

value: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

value: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

value:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

value: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

value: Permanent link to this revision of the page

value: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

value: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

value:
interlanguage-link interwiki-af
display: none;

value:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metanoia
Metanoia – Spanish
es
es
interlanguage-link-target

value:
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metanoia
Metanoia – Portuguese
pt
pt
interlanguage-link-target

value: Метанойя – Russian

value:
https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metanoia
Metanoia – Slovak
sk
sk
interlanguage-link-target

value:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sk
display: none;

value:
https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metanoia
Metanoia – Serbo-Croatian
sh
sh
interlanguage-link-target

value:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sh
display: none;

value: All languages (initial selection from common choices by you and others)

value: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

value: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

value:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

value: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Metanoia_theology rootpage-Metanoia_theology skin-vector action-view


text:
Cremaster muscle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Cremaster muscle
The cremaster muscle appears as a thin layer just superficial to the tunica vaginalis.
Details
Origin
Inguinal ligament
Insertion
Tunica vaginalis
Artery
Cremasteric artery
Nerve
Genital branch of genitofemoral nerve
Actions
raise and lower the scrotum
Identifiers
Latin
musculus cremaster
Dorlands
/Elsevier
m_22/12548678
TA
A04.5.01.018
FMA
21531
Anatomical terms of muscle
[edit on Wikidata]
The cremaster muscle is a muscle that covers the testis and the spermatic cord.
Contents
[hide]
1 Structure
1.1 Blood supply
1.2 Innervation
1.3 Development
2 Function
2.1 Retraction
3 Clinical relevance
4 History
5 Additional images
6 References
7 External links
Structure[edit]
In human males, the cremaster muscle is a thin layer of skeletal muscle found in the inguinal canal and scrotum between the external and internal layers of spermatic fascia, surrounding the testis and spermatic cord. The cremaster muscle is a paired structure, there being one on each side of the body.
Anatomically, the lateral cremaster muscle originates from the internal oblique muscle, just superior to the inguinal canal, and the middle of the inguinal ligament. The medial cremaster muscle, which sometimes is absent, originates from the pubic tubercle and sometimes the lateral pubic crest. Both insert into the tunica vaginalis underneath the testis.
Blood supply[edit]
The cremaster muscle is supplied by the cremasteric artery which is a branch of inferior epigastric artery.
Innervation[edit]
The cremaster muscle is innervated from the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve. It receives distinctly different innervation and vascular supply in comparison to the internal oblique.
Development[edit]
The cremaster develops to its full extent only in males; in females it is represented by only a few muscle loops.
In female humans, the cremaster muscle is smaller and is found on the round ligament.
In rats, it has been shown that cremaster muscles developed from the gubernacular bulb.[1]
Function[edit]
Retraction[edit]
The cremaster muscle's function is to raise and lower the testes in order to regulate scrotal temperature for optimal spermatogenesis and survival of the resultant spermatozoa. It does this by increasing or decreasing the exposed surface area of the surrounding tissue, allowing faster or slower dissipation of body heat.
The cremaster muscle is an involuntary muscle and contraction can occur during arousal which can prevent injury to the testicles during sex.[citation needed]
Retraction can also occur during moments of extreme fear, possibly to help avoid injuring the testes while dealing with a fight or flight situation.[citation needed]
Clinically, a reflex arc termed the cremasteric reflex can be demonstrated by lightly stroking the skin of the inner thigh downwards from the hip towards the knee. This stimulates the sensory fibers of the ilioinguinal nerve, which enters the spinal cord at L1. The sensory fibers stimulate the motor fibers of the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve (also at spinal level L1), which provides innervation to the cremaster muscles causing the contraction of the muscle and elevation of the testes. This causes the cremaster muscle on the same side to rapidly contract, raising the testicle.[citation needed]
The cremaster can also be contracted voluntarily, by performing Kegels (which somehow contracts the cremaster), or by flexing and tightening the abdominal muscles.
Clinical relevance[edit]
The cremaster muscle occasionally experiences painful spasms or cramps in adult males which can be chronic and debilitating. Treatment for these spasms ranges from minor surgery to injection with botulinum-a toxin to the regular application of heat to relax the muscle. Surgery, including the excision of the cremaster muscle, has apparently been able to provide complete relief from this condition without significant side effects.[2][3]
History[edit]
The word is derived from the transitive Greek verb "I hang" (Greek: κρεμάννυμι).
Additional images[edit]
The scrotum.
The right testis, exposed by laying open the tunica vaginalis.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Hrabovszky, Z.; Pilla, N. D.; Yap, T.; Farmer, P. J.; Hutson, J. M.; Carlin, J. B. (2002). "Role of the gubernacular bulb in cremaster muscle development of the rat". The Anatomical Record. 267 (2): 159–165. doi:10.1002/ar.10092. PMID 11997885.
Jump up ^ Baty, John A. (5 May 1956). "Cremasteric cramp with testicular retraction" (PDF). British Medical Journal. 1 (4974): 1014–1015. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.4974.1014. ISSN 0959-8138. PMC 1979762  . PMID 13304412. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
Jump up ^ Mori, Ryan; Sandip Vasavada; Diana Baker; Edmund Sabanegh Jr (July 2011). "Treatment of debilitating cremasteric synkinesia With intracremasteric botulinum-a toxin injections". Urology. Cleveland, OH: Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute. 78 (1): 214–216. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2011.03.011. ISSN 0090-4295. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
External links[edit]
Anatomy photo:36:07-0102 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Inguinal Region, Scrotum and Testes: Layers of the Spermatic Cord"
[hide]
v
t
e
Muscles and ligaments of abdomen and pelvis
Abdominal wall
Anterior/
lateral
Muscle
Abdominal external oblique
Transverse abdominal
Conjoint tendon
Rectus sheath
rectus abdominis
pyramidalis
Arcuate line
Tendinous intersection
Cremaster
Abdominal internal oblique
Fascia
Abdominal fascia
panniculus adiposus
Fascia of Camper
Membranous layer
Fascia of Scarpa
Transverse fascia
Interfoveolar ligament
Linea alba
Linea semilunaris
Inguinal
Inguinal triangle
Inguinal canal
Deep inguinal ring
Superficial inguinal ring
Intercrural fibers
Crura of superficial inguinal ring
Inguinal ligament
Pectineal ligament
Lacunar ligament
Reflected ligament
Posterior
Muscle
quadratus lumborum
Iliopsoas
psoas major
psoas minor
iliacus
Fascia
Iliac fascia
Iliopectineal arch
Pelvis
Muscle
levator ani
iliococcygeus
pubococcygeus
puborectalis
coccygeus
rectococcygeus
Fascia
pelvic fascia
Visceral
Rectovaginal fascia
Rectoprostatic fascia
Parietal
Obturator fascia
Tendinous arch
Piriformis fascia
floor
superior fascia
Pubovesical ligament
Puboprostatic ligament
inferior fascia
Anococcygeal body
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cremaster_muscle&oldid=815367425"
Categories:
Muscles of the torso
Scrotum
Hidden categories:
Medicine infobox template using GraySubject or GrayPage
Medicine infobox template using Dorlands parameter
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from August 2011
Articles with unsourced statements from July 2011
Articles containing Greek-language text
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Català
Dansk
Deutsch
Español
Esperanto
Euskara
فارسی
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Suomi
Українська
Edit links
This page was last edited on 14 December 2017, at 11:54.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

value: mw-page-base noprint

value: mw-head-base noprint

value: firstHeading firstHeading en

value: siteSub noprint

value: jump-to-nav mw-jump

tag: th

attr: colspan style

tag: tr

tag: img

attr: href class

tag: td

attr: scope style

value:
/wiki/Spermatic_fascia_(disambiguation)
mw-redirect mw-disambig
Spermatic fascia (disambiguation)

value:
/wiki/Internal_oblique
mw-redirect
Internal oblique

value: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2011)

value:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

value: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (July 2011)

value:
nofollow
external text
//doi.org/10.1002%2Far.10092

value:
/wiki/PubMed_Identifier
mw-redirect
PubMed Identifier

value:
nofollow
external text
//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11997885

value:
/wiki/British_Medical_Journal
mw-redirect
British Medical Journal

value:
nofollow
external text
//doi.org/10.1136%2Fbmj.1.4974.1014

value:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/issn/0959-8138

attr: alt src title width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

value:
nofollow
external text
//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13304412

value:
nofollow
external text
//www.worldcat.org/issn/0090-4295

value:
reflist mw-references-wrap
list-style-type: decimal;

value: Intercrural fibres of superficial inguinal ring

value:
/wiki/Human_pelvis
mw-redirect
Human pelvis

value:
/wiki/Iliococcygeus_muscle
mw-redirect
Iliococcygeus muscle

value:
/wiki/Pubococcygeus_muscle
mw-redirect
Pubococcygeus muscle

value:
/wiki/Puborectalis_muscle
mw-redirect
Puborectalis muscle

value:
/wiki/Puboprostatic_ligament
mw-redirect
Puboprostatic ligament

value: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

value: Category:Medicine infobox template using GraySubject or GrayPage

value: Category:Medicine infobox template using Dorlands parameter

value: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

value: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from August 2011

value: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from July 2011

value: Category:Articles containing Greek-language text

value: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

value: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

value: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

value: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

value:
/wiki/Cremaster_muscle
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

value: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

value: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

value:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

value: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

value: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

value:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

value:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

value:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

value: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

value: Find background information on current events

value:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

value: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

value: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

value: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

value: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

value: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

value: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

value: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

value:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

value:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

value:
https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremaster
Cremaster – Danish
da
da
interlanguage-link-target

value:
https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kremastro
Kremastro – Esperanto
eo
eo
interlanguage-link-target

value: ماهیچه کرماستر – Persian

value: М'яз-підіймач яєчка – Ukrainian

value: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Cremaster_muscle rootpage-Cremaster_muscle skin-vector action-view