The Desert Fathers

Compare book prices at www.BookkooB.co.uk
BookkooB : Cheap books, whichever way you look at it.
Cover of The Desert Fathers by  0140447318title:

The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks (Penguin Classics)

author:
format:Paperback Buy The Desert Fathers Now
publisher:Penguin Classics
released:March 27, 2003
isbn:0140447318
isbn-13:9780140447316
storeavailabilityitem pricedelivered 
Amazon UK    
The Hut    
Sprint Books    
Blackwells    
WH Smith (collect in store)    
Base    
The Book Place    
WH Smith    
Pick a Book    
Global Investor    
Waterstones    
The Book People    
zavvi    
Play.com    
Another Bookshop    
History Bookshop    
Tesco Books    
BookFellas    
Foyles    
Samedaybooks    

Above you will see price and availability details for Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks by from the leading UK book stores.

To allow you to quickly compare prices, the stores are arranged in order of delivered price, cheapest first. Click on a store name to buy this book or to view further details.

Books Related to The Desert Fathers - ISBN: 0140447318

View other editions of The Desert Fathers.

Customer Reviews

The Latin SystematicText - Rated 4/5
This is a classic of Western Spirituality, summing up the past and defining the future.
Let me unpack that slightly: It is a classic because of the movement it expresses. The desert fathers and mothers had a theological and political impact far in excess of their direct interventions. They were the ideals of central theologians of their time, and inspired the likes of Athanasius, Jerome, and Augustine. I say Western (not Eastern) spirituality, because this is a translation of the LATIN text ("Verba Seniorum"), not the Greek, which is also translated by Ward elsewhere in its alphabetical form. The Latin text is probably a little earlier than the Greek texts we have, although the sayings were probably translated into some Greek form before they arrived in the Latin speaking world.
It sums up a good deal of the past, presenting Christian versions of earlier philosophical wisdom and exercises, and defines the future: Cassian wrote his Institutions and Conferences based on the same sources, and this collection became standard reading for all Western monks, not least by recommendation from Benedict of Nursia.
They are extremely accessible, and you don't have to take a good deal of time to read them: the sayings are generally short, independent paragraphs. Good for chewing over!


What fabulous people! - Rated 5/5
This is a book to be kept. There is a small intro by the editor and then the sayings of the Fathers and Mothers are reproduced under various chapter headings, such as humility.

I found myself often smiling to myself or indeed laughing aloud because there is a kindly of a childlike simplicity evident in the sayings, coming close to madness (at least in the eyes of the modern world). Whilst the sayings can appear outlandish, one knows that there is truth there. One of my favourite stories concerns a very holy monk, who is asked would he stand in faith if a dragon came bearing down on him. He says that he would run because if he did not run from the dragon he would have to run from something far worse, namely his own pride. There are many nuggets of wisdom in this book - its the kind of booked that one keeps in order to dip into repeatedly.

Click here to return to the price comparison table

search for books

similar books

Reading with God Silence and Honey Cakes Early Christian Lives Rule of St.Benedict Early Christian Writings Dark Night of the Soul Desert Wisdom Seeking God The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

bestselling books


compare other prices

Cheap DVDs at dvdspot
Cheap Games at playspot

quick links

subject directory : Biographies, Business, Children's, Fiction, Food & Drink, Health, History, Home & Garden, Horror, Humor, Religion, Science Fiction, Society, Sports, Travel, other subjects.

information pages : About BookkooB, Release Dates, Bookmarklet, Disclaimer, Privacy Policy. Compare Book Prices.