Desert Fathers and Mothers

by Paintner, Christine Valters, Ph.d.

• ISBN13: 9781594733734
• ISBN10: 1594733732
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-09-07
• Publisher: Skylight Paths Pub

Summary

Wisdom from the very beginnings of Christian monasticism can become a companion on your own spiritual journey. The desert fathers and mothers were ordinary Christians living in solitude in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine and Syria 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 as essential to spiritual life and authentic communion with God. Focusing on key themes of charity, fortitude, lust, patience, prayer, self-control and visions, the Sayings influenced the rule of St. Benedict and have inspired centuries of opera, poetry and art. Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, opens up wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers for readers with no previous knowledge of Western monasticism and early Christianity. She provides insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that describes historical background, explains the practice of asceticism and clarifies the ancient desert wisdom that will speak to your life today and energize your spiritual quest.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. ix
Give Me a Word	p. 3
Your Cell Will Teach You Everything	p. 7
Heart-Centered Spirituality	p. 27
Thoughts, Desires, and Passions	p. 37
Humility, Simplicity, and the Beginner's Heart	p. 57
Spiritual Elders and Soul Friends	p. 85
Tears of Compunction	p. 93
The Necessity of Practice	p. 101
Virtues, Charity, and the Service of Love	p. 111
Solitude, Silence, and Hesychia	p. 119
Three Essential Things	p. 125
Prayer and Differing Gifts	p. 129
Conclusion: How to Become a Monk	p. 137
Notes	p. 144
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 146
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