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.
