The Desert Fathers
Apart from the sacred scriptures, there is no collection of writings that has influenced me as much as the "Vitae Patrum," more commonly known as "The Desert Fathers." The copy that I have was translated by Helen Waddell, and published by Ann Arbor Press. It is just a little paperback that is nearly worn out by now, since I have read it more than any other book I have ever owned, apart from the scriptures as I mentioned earlier.
For those of you who are not familiar at all with the writings of the fathers, I should at least say that these men were Christians of a more radical nature than the bulk of the religious, either of their day, or ours. Early in the 4th century these individuals begin to make a move out of the structured churches of civilization, and into the deserts of Egypt and later Syria, and beyond. Saint Anthony the Great is considered by many to have been the leader of this movement, but a certain Saint Paul (not to be confused with Paul the Apostle) is considered to have been the first hermit by others, including Saint Jerome who provided us with a translation of his life. The thing that separates these individuals from the rest of the church of that day was indeed the renunciation of everything that the world, or their present culture held dear. Personally I don't think I can explain their heartbeat as well as they, so I will let them speak.
"Let no one who hath renounced the world think that he hath given up some great thing...the whole earth set over against heaven's infinite is scan and poor..."
unknown
For those of you who are not familiar at all with the writings of the fathers, I should at least say that these men were Christians of a more radical nature than the bulk of the religious, either of their day, or ours. Early in the 4th century these individuals begin to make a move out of the structured churches of civilization, and into the deserts of Egypt and later Syria, and beyond. Saint Anthony the Great is considered by many to have been the leader of this movement, but a certain Saint Paul (not to be confused with Paul the Apostle) is considered to have been the first hermit by others, including Saint Jerome who provided us with a translation of his life. The thing that separates these individuals from the rest of the church of that day was indeed the renunciation of everything that the world, or their present culture held dear. Personally I don't think I can explain their heartbeat as well as they, so I will let them speak.
"Let no one who hath renounced the world think that he hath given up some great thing...the whole earth set over against heaven's infinite is scan and poor..."
unknown