Customer Reviews

In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (Treasures of the World's Religions)

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This book is hard to put down, and I intend to re-read it.

The stories of the 'Abbas' and 'Ammas' and their interactions with the brethren and sisters in the context of spiritual direction are insightful and have great spiritual depth and meaning. So many lessons! I especially loved the stories of Abba Zosimas and Abba Poemen.
The section on Zosimas is newly translated material. This book is a treasure. All of the stories are generally great storehouses of Wisdom--and give insight into how to live in the Kingdom of Heaven...whether or not you presently dwell in the desert.
After all, the desert is a spiritual metaphor...isn't it?

The revised edition of In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers provides an excellent introduction to the world of the Desert Mothers and Fathers, surveying basic matters of God, death, and loneliness and considering translations and basic introductions to the sources themselves. Libraries strong in Christian analysis will find it a winning analysis.

In 2007, my spiritual director, a Jesuit, invited me to read this book. I kept his copy for several months. I enjoyed very much the book during my "desert" time - 21 days of praying and fasting. I used some of the stories for my personal meditation and they helped me to surrender to God. My nakedness in the desert allowed me to rely more on the divine providence and to let the spirit guide me, instruct me and be with me (Psalm 32, 8).
Re-reading my journal notes from November 2007, I decided to buy my own copy of "in the heart of the desert". I shared this book with a dear friend of mine.
It is very well written and reminded me of all of my years of monastic life. I keep reading it and re-reading it.