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The Desert Fathers

Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

Author Various

Introduction by Benedicta Ward

Translated by Benedicta Ward

Paperback

$17.00 US

Penguin Adult HC/TR | Penguin Classics

5.1"W x 7.8"H x 0.5"D (13.0 x 19.8 x 1.3 cm) | 7 oz (187 g) | 80 per carton

On sale Jul 29, 2003 | 240 Pages | 978-0-14-044731-6

Sales rights: US, Canada, Open Mkt

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Classics > Classic Nonfiction
Nonfiction > Reference
Nonfiction > Religion & Philosophy > Religion

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The Desert Fathers were the first Christian monks, living in solitude in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. In contrast to the formalized and official theology of the "founding fathers" of the Church, they were ordinary Christians who chose to renounce the world and live lives of celibacy, fasting, vigil, prayer, and poverty in direct and simple response to the gospel. First recorded in the fourth century, their Sayings—consisting of spiritual advice, anecdotes, parables, and reflections on life—influenced the rule of St. Benedict, set the pattern for Western monasticism, and have inspired centuries of poetry, opera, and art.

Organized around key themes—Charity, Fortitude, Lust, Patience, Prayer, Self-control, and Visions—this edition of the Sayings is fresh, accessible, and authoritative.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The improbable life story of Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) included a peculiarly gothic childhood in Ireland during which he was successively abandoned by his mother, his father and his guardian; two decades in the United States, where he worked as a journalist and was sacked for marrying a former slave; and a long period in Japan, where he married a Japanese woman and wrote about Japanese society and aesthetics for a Western readership. His ghost stories, which were drawn from Japanese folklore and influenced by Buddhist beliefs, appeared in collections throughout the 1890s and 1900s. He is a much celebrated figure in Japan. View titles by Various

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The Desert FathersIntroduction
Further Reading
A Note on the Text
1. Progress in Perfection
2. Quiet
3. Compunction
4. Self-Control
5. Lust
6. Possessing Nothing
7. Fortitude
8. Nothing Done for Show
9. Non-Judgement
10. Discretion
11. Sober Living
12. Unceasing Prayer
13. Hospitality
14. Obedience
15. Humility
16. Patience
17. Charity
18. Visions

Some Names from the Text

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