The Anonymous Sayings of the Desert Fathers: A Select Edition and Complete English Translation

by John Wortley (Translator), Apophthegmata Patrum English & Greek Selections (Translation)

The Tales and Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Apophthegmata Patrum) are a key source of evidence for the practice and theory respectively of eremitic monasticism, a significant phenomenon within the early history of Christianity. The publication of this book finally ensures the availability of all three major collections which constitute the work, edited and translated into English. Richer in Tales than the 'Alphabetic' collection to which this is an appendix (both to be dated c.AD 500), the 'Anonymous' collection presented in this volume furnishes almost as much material for the study of the late antique world from which the monk sought to escape as it does for the monastic endeavour itself. More material continued to be added well into the seventh century and so the spread and gradual evolution of monasticism are illustrated here over a period of about two and a half centuries.

Genres: Spirituality, History

658 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Eggtown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense spirituality steeped in serious, severe ascetic practices of the first Christian monks, known as the Desert Fathers from late antiquity. Tales, stories, and sayings that virtually leaps off the page and hits your face, mind, and heart.

This is the 2nd early collection that directly connects with the Alphabetical collection of the Sayings of the Desert Fathers being a continuation or more precisely a supplement/appendix of that work with Anonymous Sayings. Compiled at the same time, probably towards AD 500 in Palestine.

This is the only full English translation I know of this important work. Also, with translation and original Greek side-by-side for comparison for those in the field.

Translated by John Wortley, an authority on the Desert Fathers, with a quite brief but clear introduction. And that is the only weakness, I’d love to have a more fuller and deeper introduction together with numerous footnotes throughout the text. However, it’s understandable as the text in front of us mostly consists of short beneficial tales that have been culled from numerous sources making it notorious difficult in regard to historicity of the stories.

Setting the historical context aside the purpose of these tales, stories, and sayings are not to write history in any sense: they are beneficial tales, inspiring sayings of great spiritual abbas/fathers/elders combating inner demons in the desert to reach union with God.

[didi · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I went away, on the road I saw a tall person, completely naked, with a black face, horrible to behold, with the head of a fish, small feet, disconnected, without knees, badly put together, with iron nails, fiery eyes, like a wild boar, androgynous, black as soot, with thick lips and a woman’s breasts and huge testicles and having the body like an ass. He was swinging his private parts at me and showing me his buttocks like [those of] a woman’s body. I was very frightened when I saw him and I made the sign of the cross but he approached me, embraced me and kissed me many times, saying: ‘Why do you make the sign [of the cross] and flee from me? For you are indeed my friend and exist doing the things I want; for that reason I came to travel along with you until I have fulfilled and performed the things you want. For that reason I am androgynous; I lend my forward parts to liars, cursors and backbiters, my hinder parts to the arrogant and supercilious.’ Unable to tolerate his stench, I lifted my eyes to heaven and cried out, saying: ‘O God, by the prayers of Abba Sisoes, deliver me from this peril.’ All at once he became as though he were a very beautiful and good-looking woman and, making herself nude, she said to me: ‘Satisfy your lusts for you have greatly pleasured me. I am a rope-braider and to the extent that you provide rushes, to that extent I braid them; but since the prayers of the hoary old glutton are driving me away, see: I am running away from you’ and, saying
this, she became invisible. I returned and fell before the elder. I told him and the brothers what had happened and, having offered a prayer, I remained with him thenceforth.

[Misha Coffey-Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t actually finished this book. NO ONE could possibly do that. 6 stars.

[Chockletter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea what to expect about this book going into it, and it turned out to be a wonderful experience. I absolutely loved some of the wisdom found in these sayings.