An Introduction to the Desert Fathers
eBook - PDF

An Introduction to the Desert Fathers

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

An Introduction to the Desert Fathers

About this book

Christian monasticism emerged in the Egyptian deserts in the fourth century AD. This introduction explores its origins and subsequent development and what it aimed to achieve, including the obstacles that it encountered; for the most part making use of the monks' own words as they are preserved (in Greek) primarily in the so-called Sayings of the Desert Fathers. Mainly focussing on monastic settlements in the Nitrian Desert (especially at Scêtê), it asks how the monks prayed, ate, drank and slept, as well as how they discharged their obligations both to earn their own living by handiwork and to exercise hospitality. It also discusses the monks' degree of literacy, as well as women in the desert and Pachomius and his monasteries in Upper Egypt. Written in straightforward language, the book is accessible to all students and scholars, and anyone with a general interest in this important and fascinating phenomenon.

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Yes, you can access An Introduction to the Desert Fathers by John Wortley in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Théologie et religion & Histoire des religions. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-title
  3. Title page
  4. Copyright information
  5. Dedication
  6. Table of Contents
  7. Preface
  8. Acknowledgements
  9. Glossary
  10. Notes on the Text
  11. List of Abbreviations
  12. Maps
  13. Chapter 1 Desert Fathers
  14. Chapter 2 Beginnings
  15. Chapter 3 Becoming a Monk
  16. Chapter 4 Impediments to Progress
  17. Chapter 5 The Object of the Exercise
  18. Chapter 6 Prayer
  19. Chapter 7 Discretion
  20. Chapter 8 Work
  21. Chapter 9 Eating and Drinking
  22. Chapter 10 Hospitality and Neighbourliness
  23. Chapter 11 Women in the Desert
  24. Chapter 12 Literacy
  25. Chapter 13 Heresy
  26. Chapter 14 The Pachomian Experiment
  27. Notes on the Sources
  28. Bibliography
  29. Index