"Scholars and students have long needed an accessible version of the
Life of Hypatius, and Storin’s skillful translation brings the life of this late ancient saint into elegant, striking English. The scenes in Hypatius’s life illustrate major themes in the study of early Christianity, from the importance of bodily holiness to the prevalence of religious violence, from the basic tenets of spiritual direction to the organization of a successful monastery. Accompanying the text is a comprehensive introduction to Hypatius’s life and to the late ancient genre of saint’s lives in general—teachers and students will benefit from Storin’s sensible, erudite treatment of hagiography and its uses."
Ellen Muehlberger, Professor of History, University of Michigan
"In his translation of this understudied text, Storin shares the foundational narratives of a monastery in a suburb of fifth-century Constantinople. While very much hagiography with all its tropes, the text also reveals the workings of a significant monastery involved in the ecclesiastical disputes of its days, as well as its role in a late antique neighborhood with all its peculiar characters, squabbles, and worries. It is a delightful text that offers valuable glimpses into how the relationship between a local monastery and its community were imagined."
Rebecca Stephens Falcasantos, Assistant Professor of Religion, Amherst College
"This is a useful book for those who are interested in monastic hagiography, but it also gives an insight into the Church and some of the theological controversies of the time. It is, in many ways, extraordinary that the Rufinianae has disappeared into such obscurity and Dr. Storin is to be commended for bringing it back to our attention."
The Downside Review
"This publication can be recommended, not only to the scholar, but to the Christian monk of today as a source of rich spiritual nourishment."
American Benedictine Review
