The Lives of the Great Desert Fathers

by B. Baker (Translator), A. Robertson (Translator)

The Desert Fathers lived in silence, fasting, and prayer, and found hesychia—the deep inner stillness that leads the soul to spiritual peace and perfect union with God. Concentrating their entire being within, they made their heart heaven and lived paradise on earth, the Lord dwelling in them.

They left us their lives as guides so that we could follow their footprints to the priceless peace found only in God.

410 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[FrDrStel Muksuris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume, the ninth in the set known as the Lives of the Empirical Theologians series (LETS) and published by St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ, is an excellent translation of the lives of selected early ascetics of the Orthodox Church. The stories bring the reader into a very different world than our own, one marked by a constant and almost superhuman struggle to attain oneness with God. The protagonists of each chapter are at once remarkably real yet distinguished for the patience and persistence that characterized the majority of their tenure as monastics. As expected, the tales are woven by either followers or admirers of the saints, so an element of hyperbole is present but never to the detriment of presenting an unbelievable or inaccurate story. The stories are informative, inspirational, and easy to read and comprehend. The attentive reader will no doubt draw parallels between their lives and ours. A good read. Well done!