A Course in Desert Spirituality

Contents
 
Foreword
  Paul Quenon, OCSO
Editor’s Prologue
Preface
Lecture 1: Early Christian Spirituality (First and Second Centuries)
   Spirituality in the Age of the Martyrs • The Ideal of Virgins and Ascetes
Lecture 2: Aberrations in the Early Centuries
   Hatred of the Flesh • Montanism • Neoplatonism • Gnosticism
Lecture 3: The Christian Teachers of Alexandria
   Clement of Alexandria • Origen
Lecture 4: St. Anthony of the Desert
   Enter St. Anthony • The Doctrine of Anthony • The Later Life of Anthony
Lecture 5: St. Pachomius and the Cenobites
   Cenobites vs. Hermits • St. Pachomius’s Life Briefly • The Rule of Pachomius
Lecture 6: St. Basil of Caesarea
   His Life Briefly • The Writings of St. Basil • Basilian Cenobitism
Lecture 7: Other Cappadocian Fathers: The Two Gregories
   St. Gregory Nazianzen • St. Gregory of Nyssa • Gregory of Nyssa’s Writings
Lecture 8: Palestinian Monasticism and St. Jerome
   St. Jerome • Other Controversies in the Life of Jerome • Jerome’s Monastic Doctrine
Lecture 9: The Community of St. Melania
   St. Melania • St. Melania the Younger • Roman Monasticism in Palestine • Her Monastic Life in the East
Lecture 10: Monasticism in Mesopotamia and Syria
   The Stylites • Hermits of Nitria and Scete • Characteristics of Desert Spirituality
Lecture 11: St. Macarius and Pseudo-Macarius
   St. Macarius • Messalianism • Pseudo-Macarius
Lecture 12: Evagrius Ponticus on Prayer
   Importance of Evagrius • What Does Evagrius Mean by Prayer? • Degrees of Prayer Summary
Lecture 13: Master of the Spiritual Life: Cassian
   Cassian’s Error • Cassian’s Life and Background • Abbot Pinufius • The Desert of Scete—and Nitria • The Origenist Conflict • Constantinople and Gaul
Lecture 14: The Conferences of Cassian
   Conference 1: “On the Purpose and Goal of the Monk” • Conference 2: “On Discretion” • Conference 4: “On the Desire of the Flesh and of the Spirit” by Abbot Daniel • Conferences 9 and 10: “Abbot Isaac on Prayer”
Lecture 15: Philoxenos of Mabbug
   Foundations of the Spiritual Life • What Is Simplicity? • Letter to a Converted Jew • Letter to a Novice • Vocation to the Desert • On Fornication

Group Discussion Topics, Questions, and Additional Readings
Editor’s Notes
Index