2021-2022

In the third and fourth centuries a number of Christians withdrew from the maddening world of their day to embrace prayerful lives of contemplation and simplicity. Often witty, sometimes acerbic, the teachings of these spiritual saints, rebels, and oddballs speak to universal human relationships and spiritual struggles. They often prayed through the night, fasted frequently, owned little by way of material possessions, avoided company, abstained from sexual relationships, and in many cases, did not even participate in public worship. Today's typical suburban church goer might hardly recognize them as Christians!

Despite how foreign their lifestyle might appear to us, the Desert Mothers and Fathers struggled with the same challenges and foibles as we do, as we seek to sincerely practice the Christian faith and live in a manner worthy of our calling. Their stories speak to our often confusing and conflicted sense of self, as well as our sometimes-prickly relationships with others in community. On loftier matters, the wisdom of the Desert sages speaks directly to our hearts, on topics such as discerning the will of God, accepting the call to a holy life, and obeying the uncompromising demands of the Gospel.

In this four-week online course we will join together to read, and reflect on, the entertaining and insightful ancient stories of these spiritual sages and religious eccentrics, exploring how their wisdom and wit speaks directly to our contemporary spirituality.