Ascetic Discourses - by Abba Isaiah of Scetis (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Written in the fifth century, during one of the most formative periods of christian monasticism in Egypt and Palestine, The Ascetic Discourses show a strong influence of the Scripture, both Old and New, and of Early monastic writers. They are marked by a faithfulness to tradition, yet equally by a note of originality distinctive to the Gaza region. Abba Isaiah has set forth a practical guide for monks, ever aware of the challenges that interpersonal relationships present within monastic communities.

Review Quotes

. . . a hugely important contribution to the canon of desert wisdom. It deserves a wide readership amongst scholars and laypeople. I enjoyed it very much indeed.Mystics Quarterly

The illuminating introduction to the translation of these twenty-nine monastic discourses written in the mid-fifth century explores scholarly issues . . . this volume is a model for showing how to make a book user-friendly . . . Until this translation appeared, we had only a bit of Abba Isaiah in English (in the translation of the Philokalia), so this work is a welcome addition, made all the more welcome because of the readable translation and useful apparatus.Cistercian Studies Quarterly

This first complete English translation of the writings of Abba Isaiah is a major contribution to the extant library of desert wisdom from the fifth century of the Christian Era . . .The book itself is a delight to handle and work with, having a pleasingly thorough, through unobtrusive, number of indices (patristic references, scriptural citation, names and subjects). The plethora of references here, and in the body of the text, testify to the importance of Isaiah in the Egyptian and Palestinian Christian world . . . a hugely important contribution to the canon of desert wisdom. It deserves a wide readership amongst scholars and laypeople.Magistra