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Author: Publisher: Liturgical Press ISBN: 0879079592 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 308
Book Description
`Give me a word, Father', visitors to early desert monks asked. The responses of these pioneer ascetics were remembered and in the fourth century written down in Coptic, Syriac, Greek, and later Latin. Their Sayings were collected, in this case in the alphabetical order of the monks and nuns who uttered them, and read by generations of Christians as life-giving words that would help readers along the path to salvation.
Author: Publisher: Liturgical Press ISBN: 0879079592 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 308
Book Description
`Give me a word, Father', visitors to early desert monks asked. The responses of these pioneer ascetics were remembered and in the fourth century written down in Coptic, Syriac, Greek, and later Latin. Their Sayings were collected, in this case in the alphabetical order of the monks and nuns who uttered them, and read by generations of Christians as life-giving words that would help readers along the path to salvation.
Author: Publisher: Penguin UK ISBN: 0141907002 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 240
Book Description
The Desert Fathers were the first Christian monks, living in solitude in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. In contrast to the formalised and official theology of the "founding fathers" of the church, the Desert Fathers were ordinary Christians who chose to renounce the world and live lives of celibacy, fasting, vigil, prayer and poverty in direct and simple response to the gospel. Their sayings were first recorded in the 4th century and consist of spiritual advice, anecdotes and parables. The Desert Fathers' teachings and lives have inspired poetry, opera and art, as well as providing spiritual nourishment and a template for monastic life.
Author: Christine Valters Paintner Publisher: SkyLight Paths Publishing ISBN: 1594733732 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 183
Book Description
Timeless and contemplative sayings from the earliest Christian sages of desert spirituality can be a companion on your own spiritual journey. The desert fathers and mothers were ordinary Christians living in solitude in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Arabia who chose to renounce the world in order to deliberately and individually follow God's call. They embraced lives of celibacy, labor, fasting, prayer and poverty, believing that denouncing material goods and practicing stoic self-discipline would lead to unity with the Divine. Their spiritual practice formed the basis of Western monasticism and greatly influenced both Western and Eastern Christianity. Their writings, first recorded in the fourth century, consist of spiritual advice, parables and anecdotes emphasizing the primacy of love and the purity of heart. Focusing on key themes of charity, fortitude, lust, patience, prayer and self-control, the Sayings influenced the rule of St. Benedict and have inspired centuries of opera, poetry and art. This probing and personal SkyLight Illuminations edition opens up their wisdom for readers with no previous knowledge of Western monasticism and early Christianity. It provides insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that describes historical background, explains the practice of asceticism and illustrates how you can use their wisdom to energize your spiritual quest.
Author: Israel Galindo Publisher: CreateSpace ISBN: 9781514842522 Category : Languages : en Pages : 110
Book Description
It may seem unlikely that ascetics and monks have much to say that can be of relevance to us, living in our digitized, relativistic, consumer culture. We are far removed from their odd lives of extreme devotion. Most striking in our age on constant entertainment is what comes across as the deprived and aspects of their lives. They did not sleep much, rarely bathed, had poor diets, owned little by way of material possessions, enjoyed little company, abstained from sexual relationships, and in many cases, did not even attend church! Truth be told, the average modern suburban church-goer would hardly recognize them as Christians! These stories of the Desert Fathers, however, speak to universal human relationships and spiritual struggles. These ascetics struggled with the same challenges and foibles as do modern disciples who seek to sincerely practice the Christian faith and live lives worthy of their calling. The stories speak to struggles with pride, impulses, anger, temptations. They speak of our often confusing relationship with our Self, and our occasional prickly relationships with others in community. On loftier matters they speak about the will of God in our lives, the attainment of salvation, and obedience. Despite their oddness, or perhaps because of them, these ancient stories have a universal appeal. Their simplicity in addressing basic human issues touches a chord, and their narrative structure provides an entertaining vessel for deep insights for today's bewildering world. In a world demanding productivity, the stories speak to simplicity in living. In an age that worships the vanity of youthful celebrities, the stories speak to wisdom and respect for sages. In a culture that celebrate violence and war, the stories urge transformation through silence and compassion. For a fractured world seeking meaning amidst the cacophony of media and trivial entertainment, the Desert Fathers point to a different path, that of obedience to the God who creates and calls us to a life of meaning and joy.
Author: Peter H. Gorg Publisher: Ignatius Press ISBN: 1681494825 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 136
Book Description
In the late third century, more and more people withdrew to the radical seclusion of the desert so as to live entirely for God under the direction of a spiritual father. Among these "Desert Fathers" one figure is especially preeminent: Saint Anthony the Hermit. This book takes the reader back to the hour when monasticism was born and describes the life of those revolutionary Christians who sought God in the Egyptian desert. The focus of the book is the life and work of Saint Anthony, whose experiences of the spiritual life have a timeless beauty and validity, even for those not called to live as a monk. The second half of the book presents other Desert Fathers, such as Paul of Thebes, Pachomius, and Simeon Stylites, as well as the great founders of the monastic communities in Western Europe who were inspired by them: John Cassian, Columban, and Benedict, for example. "The monk's self-denial begins radically in precisely those departments of life which have perennially seemed to be the most important: ownership, self-determination and sexuality. At the same time those who admonish so uncomfortably become the salt that lends Christianity its original flavor. . . . Just as the saints are God's specific answer to the needs of a given time, so too are the religious orders that have been founded over the course of the centuries." - Peter Görg
Author: Thomas Merton Publisher: New Directions Publishing ISBN: 9780811201025 Category : Philosophy Languages : en Pages : 100
Book Description
"The ascetics of Scete and the Thebaid in the Egyptian Desert have been more often admired than known or understood. Translations by such scholars as Helen Waddell have done much to restore the true perspective. This new selection from the Latin 'Sayings of the Fathers' (Verba Seniorum) has been made by Thomas Merton with a special purpose. It is not only a translation and selection, but a new monastic redaction in the spirit of our own time. Merton has felt free, as a monk, to do what generations of monks before him have done. He has made a wholly independent and original use of material which is the traditional basis of Christian monastic spirituality." -- Dust jacket.
Author: Thomas Merton Publisher: New Directions Publishing ISBN: 0811220133 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 100
Book Description
The Wisdom of the Desert was one of Thomas Merton's favorites among his own books—surely because he had hoped to spend his last years as a hermit. The personal tones of the translations, the blend of reverence and humor so characteristic of him, show how deeply Merton identified with the legendary authors of these sayings and parables, the fourth-century Christian Fathers who sought solitude and contemplation in the deserts of the Near East. The hermits of Screte who turned their backs on a corrupt society remarkably like our own had much in common with the Zen masters of China and Japan, and Father Merton made his selection from them with an eye to the kind of impact produced by the Zen mondo.
Author: David G. R. Keller Publisher: Liturgical Press ISBN: 0814633870 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 304
Book Description
The wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers lies in their experiences of solitude, prayer, community life, work, and care for their neighbors. Their goal was transformation of their lives through openness to the presence and energy of God in Christ. They taught by example and by sharing narratives and sayings that reflect the deep human psychological and spiritual aspects of their journey toward authentic human life. The venue for their transformation was the whole person 'body, mind, and spirit. They emphasized self-knowledge, humility, purity of heart, and love of God and neighbor. Far from being naïve, their sayings and narratives reflect honest struggles, temptations, and failures. They also demonstrate the disciplines of prayer and meditation that kept them centered in God as their only source of strength. The daily reflections in Desert Banquet introduce readers to a variety of these early Christian mentors and offer reflections on the significance of their wisdom for life in the twenty-first century. David G. R.Keller, an Episcopal priest, is adjunct professor of ascetical theology at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. He is co-steward, with his wife, Emily Wilmer, of Oasis of Wisdom: An Institute for Contemplative Study, Practice, and Living based in Asheville, North Carolina (www.oasisofwisdom.net). He is the author of Oasis of Wisdom: The Worlds of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (Liturgical Press) and Come and See: The Transformation of Personal Prayer (Morehouse Publishing).
Author: Swan, Laura Publisher: Paulist Press ISBN: 1587689936 Category : Religion Languages : en Pages : 232
Book Description
In The Forgotten Desert Mothers, Laura Swan introduces readers to the sayings, lives, stories, and spirituality of women in the early Christian desert and monastic movement, from the third century on. In doing so, she finally sets the record straight that women played an important and influential role in early Christianity, indeed a role that has been long overshadowed by men. She begins with an exploration of the historical context and spirituality of the desert ascetics. Then she weaves together the sayings of the major desert ammas, or mothers, along with commentary that invites readers to reflect on their own spiritual journey as they share their wisdom. The book then journeys between desert, monastery and city to reveal the stories of ascetics and solitaries whose stories are rarely heard, organized in the author's own alphabetical collection. The Forgotten Desert Mothers demonstrates, like no other work, that women have long had a history of leadership in Christianity. This engaging, eye-opening, and insightful work targets all faith seekers looking to reclaim the history and spirituality of the women who came before them, as well as to understand their own inner journey. It will be a welcome addition to courses on early church history, women's studies, and religious studies.
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Author: Christine Valters Paintner
Author: Israel Galindo
Author: Peter H. Gorg
Author: Helen Waddell
Author: Thomas Merton
Author: Thomas Merton
Author: David G. R. Keller
Author: Swan, Laura