In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (Treasures of the World's Religions)

Father John's inspiring introduction to the spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers brings their words to life for the modern reader. These key figures of the early church chose lives of hardship and solitude, where they could point their hearts away from the outward world and toward an introspective path of God's calling in a deliberate and individual way. Contains a Foreword by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, the second highest ranking Orthodox Bishop in England. Graham Christian - Library Journal The latest in a decadeslong rehabilitation of the hermits who went to the deserts of Egypt in the third and fourth centuries C.E. not for self-discovery but to make a strenuous private journey toward blessedness. Neither a new complete translation of the ancient texts nor a simple anthology of sayings, Chryssavgis's ( Understanding Orthodox Christianity Today ) book instead offers a capsule history while addressing key issues, such as the desert environment itself. With consistent use of sayings and anecdotes to draw parallels useful to the modern reader; for most collections. This book brings to readers the lives and thoughts of some key representatives of the early Desert Fathers and Mothers, who were so important in the history of the early Christian Church.Glimpses of their austere and holy lives and many of their important sayings are contained in this book by Fr. John Chryssavgis, former Professor of Theology and Dean at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. The book also presents, for the first time in the English language, a translation of a fifth-century text, the Reflections (Dialogismoiv) of Abba Zosimas, one of the most significant later figures of the Desert Fathers and Mothers.The words of spiritual counsel, which form the heart of this book, are as clear and timeless as the desert stars on a winter night. Not only do the sayings of the Desert Fathers possess the imprint of eternity, but the fresh and vital commentary by Father John Chryssavgis brings these ancient words into sharp focus; it brings them fully to life and provides a key which unlocks their relevance for the reader of today. This book is a well of wisdom from which anyone who finds himself in the desert of his own soul may drink freely from the water of life. The actual Egyptian desert to which these monks fled in the fourth and fifth centuries was, of course, an actual place. But, the desert may also be understood as an inner geography of desolation and abandonment; it is the place, perhaps even in the midst of others, where we are most alone. It is the valley of our deepest solitude. Father John tells us that anyone who has experienced some aspect of deserted-ness, loneliness, brokenness, breakdown or break-up—whether emotionally, physically or socially—will connect with the profound humanity of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Various traditions from world religions teach that God enters into the empty soul. If in our prayers we long for His Presence and wait for Him with patience, confidence, humility and trust, then He will come into the center of our lives and establish there His kingdom. The universal and perennial message of these first Christian monks concerns the necessity of emptiness; the Desert Fathers show us, by their examples, how to confront the chaotic impulses of the soul which drive us away from that still point where God is waiting. These are not only the demons confronted by Saint Anthony; they are the demons which must be confronted in the arena of the soul by every man who seeks to rise above himself for the sake of God. In the Heart of the Desert also includes a foreword by Benedicta Ward, SLG, editor of the acclaimed collection Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection, (Cistercian Publications: Kalamazoo, MI, 1975), and a noted expert in this fascinating area of Christian history and ageless wisdom. Foreword to the revised edition by / Metropolitan Kallistos Ware Foreword to the original edition by / Benedicta Ward Introduction The text through the centuries The age of the Desert Fathers and Mothers Key personalities The desert as space The struggle against demons The patience of the cell Silence and tears The treasury of the heart Spiritual guidance along the way The power of detachment Education and formation Solitude and charity The desert and the body The desert and the environment The desert and gender Miracles and signs Praying to God Encountering God.