Contents Foreword Paul Quenon, OCSO Editor's Prologue Preface Lecture 1: Early Christian Spirituality (First and Second Centuries) Spirituality in the Age of the Martyrs * The Ideal of Virgins and Ascetes Lecture 2: Aberrations in the Early Centuries Hatred of the Flesh * Montanism * Neoplatonism * Gnosticism Lecture 3: The Christian Teachers of Alexandria Clement of Alexandria * Origen Lecture 4: St. Anthony of the Desert Enter St. Anthony * The Doctrine of Anthony * The Later Life of Anthony Lecture 5: St. Pachomius and the Cenobites Cenobites vs. Hermits * St. Pachomius's Life Briefly * The Rule of Pachomius Lecture 6: St. Basil of Caesarea His Life Briefly * The Writings of St. Basil * Basilian Cenobitism Lecture 7: Other Cappadocian Fathers: The Two Gregories St.

Gregory Nazianzen * St. Gregory of Nyssa * Gregory of Nyssa's Writings Lecture 8: Palestinian Monasticism and St. Jerome St. Jerome * Other Controversies in the Life of Jerome * Jerome's Monastic Doctrine Lecture 9: The Community of St. Melania St. Melania * St. Melania the Younger * Roman Monasticism in Palestine * Her Monastic Life in the East Lecture 10: Monasticism in Mesopotamia and Syria The Stylites * Hermits of Nitria and Scete * Characteristics of Desert Spirituality Lecture 11: St. Macarius and Pseudo-Macarius St.

Macarius * Messalianism * Pseudo-Macarius Lecture 12: Evagrius Ponticus on Prayer Importance of Evagrius * What Does Evagrius Mean by Prayer? * Degrees of Prayer Summary Lecture 13: Master of the Spiritual Life: Cassian Cassian's Error * Cassian's Life and Background * Abbot Pinufius * The Desert of Scete--and Nitria * The Origenist Conflict * Constantinople and Gaul Lecture 14: The Conferences of Cassian Conference 1: "On the Purpose and Goal of the Monk" * Conference 2: "On Discretion" * Conference 4: "On the Desire of the Flesh and of the Spirit" by Abbot Daniel * Conferences 9 and 10: "Abbot Isaac on Prayer" Lecture 15: Philoxenos of Mabbug Foundations of the Spiritual Life * What Is Simplicity? * Letter to a Converted Jew * Letter to a Novice * Vocation to the Desert * On Fornication Group Discussion Topics, Questions, and Additional Readings Editor's Notes Index.