The Desert Fathers

The Desert Fathers is an interesting insight into how the Desert Fathers lived their lives and practiced their faith. The preface written by M. Basil Pennington makes an interesting observation that John the Baptist might have been influenced by the Essene/Qumranite community that was in that region of Palestine. John's behavior may seem bizarre to the modern-day reader, but the Essenes were already practicing similar behavior in their desert asceticism, and John was revered as a holy man (Waddell, xxv). Waddell's translation can be difficult to understand at times, but overall the book is interesting and insightful, and at points bizarre and unsettling. For example, St. Jerome's account of the hermit Antony's encounter with a hippocentaur and a faun/satyrs is extremely peculiar. Jerome even claims that a faun/satyrs was captured alive and brought to Alexandria during the reign of Constantius. The creature was either killed, or just died, and its remains were then preserved in salt (Waddell, 37-38). Furthermore, Jerome states that lions came and dug the grave for the hermit St. Paul (Waddell, 42). These reports are extremely difficult for the modern-day reader to accept as being historically accurate, and the reader is left wondering if this account is meant to be allegory, and not an actual historical account. However, it is interesting to read how the monks had some competitiveness among themselves, and of Jerome's love of classical works (Waddell, 45-46). There are several accounts of monks being well educated and possessing codices of Scripture. The monk Gelasius had a "codex in parchment worth eighteen solidi" (Waddell, 125-127). The monk Arsenius is described as a "great scholar" of Latin and Greek (Waddell, 122). Even though there was infighting among some of the monks, it appears that the majority of the Desert Fathers, in their solitary lives, showed great compassion and concern for one another: If by chance any one is missing in that gathering, straightway they understand that he has been detained by some unevenness of his body and they all go to visit him, not indeed all of them together but at different times, and each carrying with him whatever he may have by him at home that might seem grateful to the sick. (Waddell, 58) There kindness to each other and those in need is commendable. Racism seems to have always been with us. Pelagius wrote of the monk Moses "the `long black man' who was converted from among the robbers, and was liable to gibes about his colour" (Waddell 65). This same desert abbott Moses was humble, but so revered that a provincial judge sought to meet with him (Waddell, 99). The desert monks' lives were lives of fasting, and it appears from the writings that since fasting was such a huge part of their lives they developed a fixation on food. Many of the stories relate to how they often only ate very small portions of food, and frequently that was mere bread and salt. One story relates how

These earliest of monks take Christ's admonition "to sell everything and follow Him" to heart. With deep austerity, and prayer they follow a path utterly dedicated to a spiritual life. Despite their austerity, there are at times a surprising expressions of personality, and even community among the solitaire cells and companionship of the monks. There are stories of hermits with lions as companions, of sustainment of a few herbs or palm leaves, of them helping thieves stealing from them, or selling Gospels to help the poor. However these monks are humble in their faith, and a lesson often repeated in these stories is humility and compassion for temptations that they themselves feel. The temptations of women, and even a monks' expression of Pelagia "the harlots" beauty was surprisingly sensuous. It may seem impossible for us to be isolated like this, but we can quest for solitude as abbot Antony said "Who sits in solitude escapes from three wars: hearing, speaking, seeing"

Sayings of the early Christian monastics and stories of their lives of austerity and prayer in the Egyptian deserts have appeared as "flavoring" in books like Norris' Cloister Walk. This sturdy volume gathers up many of these tales and wisdom teachings in a clean, readable translation that also sports an encellent introduction which frames and contextualizes this ancient part of our Christian heritage. Waddell calls her book "a case book of spiritual direction, ironic and wise" (p 24), and indeed it can encourage and inspire the reader today. The abbess Matrona could be speaking to our modern urges and contradictions when she says, "It is better to have many about thee, and to live the solitary life in thy will, than to be alone, and the desire of thy mind be with the crowd" (page 72). If other stories strike the modern ear more harshly ("The abbot Arsenius said, "It sufficeth a monk if he sleep for one hour: that is, if he be a fighter" [p. 74]), they still provide the modern reader with the traditions and cultures that developed shortly after the Christian gospels were written. These stories also formed the backdrop for the moderation and carefulness of St. Benedict's Rule--still being followed by monastic orders like the Benedictines and Trappists today.

This was my first foray into this world, a wonderful world of humble, faithful and consistent people of God. This is an appealing start for people such as me as each chapter has an illuminating bit of background about the original translators of the individual works. The wisdom and godliness of the individual men and women is an excellent example and challenge for us.However, the general introduction, as well as some of the chapters' introductory remarks, assume a knowledge of antiquarian works that won't be common, and is often pedantic.Overall, this book inspired me to learn more about the men and women shown, and I heartily commend this book to those interested in the true beginnings of Christian spirituality, and has much to give.