From the earliest centuries of the church, asceticism and the contemplative life have been profoundly important aspects of western Christianity. And in assessin

Throughout their shared history, Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches have lived through a very complex and sometimes tense relationship – not only theologi

Examines how the early Christians manage to establish a religion and institution which, despite persecution, flourished and grew. This book discusses the emergi

Machine generated contents note:I.How it all began --II.Monks go West --III.first Western Rules for monks and nuns --IV.Coda: Western monasticism takes stock --

For all its rich history in the Latin lands, Christian monasticism began in the east; and it is from the third-century Egyptian wilderness that the wellsprings