Four Desert Fathers (Popular Patristics Series)
Overview
Pambo, Evagrius, Macarius of Egypt, and Macarius of Alexandria—the four fathers presented in this volume—were well known in Alexandria and lower Egypt some 1,600 years ago. Their lives, brought to fame by Palladius’ Lausiac History, provide valuable insight into the Egyptian monastic communities of the fourth century and into the saintly tradition of the Coptic Church. This volume offers the stories of their lives in fresh English translations by Tim Vivian.
Top Highlights
“By the grace of God, from now on your son will eat only three pounds of bread each day so he can do a little manual labor.166 But listen, and I will also tell you how this demon got power over your son.167 His father died and left you a few necessities, more than you needed to live, and there were old women, widows—poor, powerless, and infirm—who were your neighbors and were in need of alms and you gave them nothing. Because of this, God allowed this demon to enter your son so he would eat your goods and dissipate them through his insatiable appetite so you yourselves would become poor168 because you would not give alms to the infirm.’” (Pages 122–123)
“Do not skip receiving the eucharist a single Saturday, ever.65 Go to church regularly, morning and evening, every day. Because what has occurred happened because you went five weeks without partaking of the mysteries66 of Christ.’ He dismissed her and she went home with her husband, the two of them together giving thanks to God.” (Page 108)
“On the fifth day I was unable to master my thought without distraction but I returned to worldly worries and human ways of seeing. I understood that if I was going to succeed in completing this commandment, I would destroy my understanding and become insanely arrogant.86 For this reason I was at peace allowing the cares of this world into my heart so I would not fall into arrogance.’ He added words like these: ‘I have spent fifty years doing ascetic practices without suffering anything like I did that day.’” (Page 149)
“He to whom you have given them knows their number; he doesn’t need anyone to weigh them for him. He who ‘weighs the mountains in a scale and the hills in a balance’ is not ignorant of the weight of this silver [Is 40:12].40 Indeed, if you had given the money to me, then you’d do well to inform me about it, since I am a man. But if you give the money to God, then there is no need to tell me.” (Page 61)
Product Details
- Title: Four Desert Fathers
- Authors: Pambo, Evagrius, Macarius of Egypt, and Macarius of Alexandria
- Translators: Tim Vivian with Rowan A. Greer
- Publisher: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press
- Publication Date: 2004
- Pages: 202
About the Authors
Pambo was an Egyptian Desert Father of the fourth century, a disciple of St. Anthony the Great. He lived in the Nitrian Desert, where he founded several monasteries and became the spiritual father of other saints including St. Pishoy and St. John the Dwarf.
Evagrius (345–399) was from Pontus. He left an ecclesiastical career in Constantinople to become a monk in 383. He then traveled to Egypt, where he lived an ascetic life. He was a disciple of Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Macarius of Egypt.
Macarius of Egypt (ca. 300–391) was an influential Desert Father, hermit, and founding father of monasticism. He was a disciple of St. Anthony the Great.
Macarius of Alexandria was a monk in the Nitrian Desert.
About the Translators
Tim Vivian is lecturer in religious studies at California State University, Bakersfield, and the translator of numerous early patristic texts.
Rowan A. Greer was the Walter H. Gray Professor Emeritus of Anglican Studies at Yale Divinity School.