Description: The 1500-year-old wisdom of the "Desert Fathers & Mothers" is becoming a refreshingly attractive resource for coping with contemporary breakdowns in personal & cultural norms. "Desert Wisdom" refers to a spiritual philosophy that arose when the Roman Empire, after centuries of persecuting Christians, suddenly claimed earthly power in the name of Christ after the conversion of Constantine. Those who longed for the discipline & courage of the earlier martyrs migrated to the deserts of Egypt. These fourth-century desert mystics left a legacy of wisdom & a way of life that is relevant wherever society suffers a spiritual upheaval. Mayers presents the ancient thought & lifestyle through traditional Wisdom Stories in which characters, actions, & sayings address deep, universal human needs. This insightful collection draws from hermit monks & nuns ("abbas" & "ammas") known to history only as Moses, Poeman, Syncletica, Macarius, Ammonas, Evagrius, Sisoes the Theban, & Bessaron. Each chapter begins with a brief story that has been used for centuries to sharpen spiritual awareness & contemplative practice. Mayers follows with provocative interpretations of the lessons taught by the masters, & concludes with contemporary applications that blend psychology & spirituality. Readers with a special interest in the evolution of spiritual consciousness as well as those with little background in monastic spirituality will find much here that is both enlightening & nourishing.

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