The Word in the Desert: Scripture and the Quest for Holiness in Early Christian MonasticismOxford University Press, 1993 M02 4 - 352 pages The growing scholarly attention in recent years to the religious world of late antiquity has focused new attention on the quest for holiness by the strange, compelling, often obscure early Christian monks known as the desert fathers. Yet until now, little attention has been given to one of the most vital dimensions of their spirituality: their astute, penetrating interpretation of Scripture. Rooted in solitude, cultivated in an atmosphere of silence, oriented toward the practical appropriation of the sacred texts, the desert fathers' hermeneutic profoundly shaped every aspect of their lives and became a significant part of their legacy. This book explores the setting within which the early monastic movement emerged, the interpretive process at the center of the desert fathers' quest for holiness, and the intricate patterns of meaning woven into their words and their lives. |
Contents
Scripture and the Quest for Holiness in Late Antiquity | |
The Sayings of the Desert Fathers | |
The Use of Scripture in the Desert | |
Words and Praxis | |
Eschatology Penthos and the Struggle against Evil | |
The Humble Way of Christ | |
The Commandment of Love | |
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Abba John Abba Poemen Agathon Ammonas anchorites anger Antony Apophthegmata Patrum Arsenius ascetical asceticism asked attitude Bégrolles-en-Mauges Bible biblical texts brother Cambridge Cassian cell cenobitic century Christ Church Cistercian commandment Cronius culture demons desert fathers desert hermeneutic desert monks disciples early Christian early Egyptian early monastic Egypt Egyptian Christianity elders Epiphanius eremetical Evagrius exemplars expression Fortress Press freedom gnosticism Gospel Greek heart hermeneutic Historia Lausiaca History humility important influence interpretation Jesus John Cassian John Colobos language Late Antiquity living Macarius meaning meditation monasticism Moses movement one’s oneself oral Pachomian pagan Pambo particular penthos pères du désert person philosophical Plotinus practice prayer psalms quest for holiness questions realized recitation Regnault renunciation response reveals sacred texts salvation Sayings Scetis Scripture sense silence Sisoes someone soul speak spiritual story suggests synaxis temptation Testament Theodore of Pherme thoughts tradition translation University Press Vita