Gifts of the Desert: The Forgotten Path of Christian Spirituality

Markides opens by telling the compelling story of how Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox monastery in the desert of Arizona came to be in 1995 despite impossible circumstances. Markides also gives us glimpses into the challenges the monks must face, and we even hear from an ex-monk who discovered he wasn't "made" for the rigors of the monastic life. In chapter three Markides picks up where he left off in Mountain of Silence, his previous book, and returns to Cyprus to visit Father Maximos, who is now a bishop. The journey then continues not in the desert, but on water. Father Maximos leads a pilgrimage cruise in the Aegean Sea where he is almost constantly surrounded by followers, and Markides often has to talk to him in group situations. Even though he has to share Markides with other people, they cover an incredible breadth of topics, which fortunately does not dilute the power of the messages. The pace is as quick as a John Grisham novel. The Different Kind of Hospital chapter is my favorite. Maximos says the holy fathers would have placed the study of theology in the medical school, not in the humanities department: "The ecclesia must be properly seen as being a part of medicine; in reality a spiritual hospital." In the Anger Without Sin chapter Maximos writes that anger is a part of our nature and therefore a gift (!) from God. We should strive to use anger only to resist temptation, as Christ did. Only humility can defeat Satan. He writes, "The presence of anger in your heart is a sign that you lack humility."In the spiritual stages chapter we learn that the three stages are slave of God (motivate by fear), employee of God (motivated by rewards), and lover/child of God (motivated by love of God). Other chapters are devoted to near death experiences, prayer power, cunningness and faith of saints. Markides takes a detour in chapter eight, the Converts chapter, and flies off to London to interview Bishop Kallistos Ware; this chapter alone might well be worth the price of the book. If Mountain of Silence left you wondering what Markides' personal religious beliefs are he leaves little doubt in Gifts from the Desert. Early on in the book he relates his thoughts about mystical Christianity, describes Theosis in detail, and talks about the exclusivity of Christianity. And the last chapter contains his forthright opinions in favor of feminism and women's ordination. The greatest gift that I received from this book was the realization that I feel like an overworked employee of God too much of the time yet I am in the right place. And that place is the church - a spiritual hospital, not an exclusive country club where image is everything. It is in this hospital where there is medicine for spiritual healing here on earth, not just in the world to come.

This book is a great follow-up to The Mountain of Silence. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in learning about the Orthodox Christian Church or wanting to deepen their relationship with God.

Kyriakos Markides, the Cypriot-American sociologist from Maine is back with another fine volume, dealing with the mystical aspects of Orthodox Christianity. He relates these to many eastern and new age religions and practices. However, his main focus is on the spirituality of the Holy Orthodox Church and he presents this with reverence and love. There are some 'side trips' in this volume--notably visits to a Greek Orthodox monastery in Arizona and a chat with Bishop Kallistos (Tim Ware) the venerable Orthodox convert/author/scholar of the United Kingdom. Some reviewers have found the side trips, both to Sedona and to eastern mysticism distracting from the main thrust of the book, which is what Markides and his travel companions and friends are taught by the Venerable Father Maximos. Those who read THE MOUNTAIN OF SILENCE remember the assertive, youngish Maximos as abbot at Panagia. He is now the over-busy Bishop of Limassol but still finds time to share the gerontos wisdom with Markides, as they take a pilgrimage through the Agean and travel Cyprus. Some of the joy of these books is that they are travelogue as well as discourse, deftly wrapping theology, comparitive religion and sociology into a slice of life and look at the sights. Father Maximos is on target as ever. Some part of his wisdom will hit home with any reader. Maybe the discourse on anger and sin, perhaps the concept of the Ecclesia as a spiritual hospital, or maybe the idea that the Bible is not chronology or archeology but a medical text for the soul? GIFTS OF THE DESERT will have wide appeal. Perhaps those who will gain the most are those in the west who either gave up on Christianity or never tried it because they felt that spiritual depth, mysticism, and communion with the Divine were not to be found in the rationalist, scholastic, legalist tradition which has unfolded over the years in both Rome and the Protestant denominations. But, as Markides notes in his opening chapter, Christianity is no stranger to meditation, mysticism, and miracles. This book gives much wisdom about why.

I came to this this book wondering about the Eastern spiritual tradition, and I found valuable insights presented in a pleasing manner. The book's chatty style is an excellent means to approach sometimes complicated theological issues. Another reviewer critized the digressions in the book. One of the digressions has to do with women. For me, this is important. Although Markides doesn't offer any astounding insights into the position of women in the Eastern church, at least he mentions the problem. And as I was reading the book, I kept wondering what about women in the Eastern church. Do they find mentors? Are they really on the radar at all? How do Western women relate to Eastern spirituality? Thank you Professor Markides for a wonderful book.

First a confession: I'm a tremendous fan of this author, have read all of his books and benefit from his insights every time. This book is no exception - in fact, I could hardly put it down. Though his spiritual journey concentrates on the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the questions and dilemmas he tackles are those found in every religious tradition. His "guru," the brilliant Father Maximos, provides the insights into the Christian tradition that most of us have never received in our catechism, Protestant or Catholic, verifying that the ancient split in the Christian church certainly robbed the West of deeply mystical traditions that were original roots of Christianity. But Kyriacos doesn't focus on dogma as much as the inherent paradoxes of trying to live a Christian spiritual tradition in daily life and 21st century society, and his exploration with Father Maximos covers topics that span a wider scope of spirituality, from New Age traditions and Near Death Experiences to nationalism, world politics, and the history of religious traditions at large - no small task that he executes with succinct, readable prose that is also brought to life by his intellectual curiousity and the cultural environments of his quest, from Cyprus to New Age Sedona Arizona. For spiritual seekers of all walks, this is a book not to be missed!