The Book of the Elders

The Book of the Elders: Sayings of the Desert Fathers

translated by John Wortley—386 pp. cloth $49.95

If you were a monk in the deserts of Egypt in the fifth century, your practice would begin and develop under the guidance of an elder. While you would spend most of your time in solitary prayer, the elder would provide regular insight, which might come in a short saying or apophthegm. It would be your task to meditate on this saying, learning to put it into practice, until the time came to receive the next piece of spiritual insight. It is these direct sayings, given to monks one by one, that are collected in The Book of the Elders. Over the years, the Desert Fathers’ insights passed from one monastic generation to the next, made their way from the original Coptic into Greek, and accumulated in written collections that preserved the oral tradition. Wortley has translated the “systematic collection,” a compendium of sayings drawn from the two earlier collections, the “alphabetic” and “anonymous” apophthegms. His translation aims to preserve not only the precision of the elders’ meaning but also the simplicity of their tone, in the hope that today’s readers, too, can imagine sitting at their feet.   

from The Book of the Elders, 

"An Exhortation of Holy Fathers on Advancing toward Perfection":

1. Somebody asked Antony, “By observing which [precept] shall I be well pleasing to God?” The elder answered, “Observe what I am telling you: Always have God before your eyes wherever you go. Whatever you are doing, have the testimony from Holy Scripture to hand. Wherever you are living, do not be in a hurry to move away. Observe these three [precepts] and you will be saved.”

2. Abba Pambo asked Abba Antony, “What am I to do?” The elder said to him, “Have no confidence in your own righteousness; have no regrets about a past action; get your tongue and your belly under control.” 

 

The Letters of Barsanuphius and John

Barsanuphius and John:  Letters, Volumes 1 and 2

Barsanuphius and John; translated by John Chryssavgis

Volume 1: 344 pp. paper $44.95; Volume 2: 346 pp. paper $44.95

While an impressive corpus of ancient monastic writing has been translated or re-translated into English during the last thirty years, the Letters of Barsanuphius and John have been awaited longer than most. Two elderly monks, the “great old man” (Barsanuphius), and the “other old man” (John), lived near Gaza in the early sixth century. Rather than breaking their voluntary seclusion to give counsel to those who came to them with questions, they chose to carry on extensive written correspondence. As they became increasingly popular despite their inaccessibility, they were called on to dispense wisdom in both spiritual and practical matters. Eight hundred and fifty questions and answers, presented here in two volumes, shed light, not only on the spiritual tradition of the Desert Fathers and their complex historical and cultural milieu, but also on the timeless inner terrain of the human soul.

Barsanuphius:

"Those who sail at sea, even if they happen upon calm weather, yet while they are in the ocean, always expect storm, danger, and shipwreck. Therefore, they could never benefit from a short period of calm. Then, and only then, do they feel safe, when they actually enter the harbor. In the same way, a sinful person who is still in the world must always tremble at the thought of shipwreck."