The Desert Fathers were Christian Hermits who lived in the Sahara desert of Egypt, beginning in about the third century. The original desert hermits were Christians fleeing the chaos and persecution of the Roman Empire's Crisis of the third century. Christians were often scapegoated during these times of unrest, and near the end of the century, this persecution was made systematic by the emperor Diocletian. In Egypt, Christian refugee communities formed at the edges of population centers, far enough away to be safe from Imperial scrutiny, but still close enough to have access to civilization. Records from this time indicate that Christians often lived in tombs and trashheaps on the edges of major cities, more or less protected by their obscurity. As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... A hermit, also known as an anchorite or anchoress, is a person living in voluntary seclusion, often for religious reasons. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... Crisis of the Third Century (also known as the Military Anarchy or the Imperial Crisis ) is a commonly applied name for the crumbling and near collapse of the Roman Empire between 235 and 284 caused by the three simultaneous crises of external invasion, internal civil war and economic collapse. ... The scapegoat was a goat that was driven off into the wilderness as part of the ceremonies of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in Judaism during the times of the Temple in Jerusalem. ... Many Christians have experienced persecution from both non-Christians and from other Christians during the history of Christianity. ... Emperor Diocletian Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (245?–312?), born Diocles, was Roman Emperor as Diocletian from November 20, 284 to May 1, 305. ...

Even after Christianity was made legal in Egypt by Diocletian's successor Constantine in 313, a trickle of individuals, many of them young men, continued to live in these marginal areas. The solitude of these places attracted them; the privations of the desert were a means of learning stoic self-discipline, a character trait highly prized in Greco-Roman culture. Such solitude and self-control were not themselves central themes of Jesus' gospel, which stressed the values of community fellowship and assumed an agricultural or urban context. Nevertheless, these young men saw in Jesus' cousin John the Baptist (himself a desert hermit) a model for such self-discipline, and believed they found in him an alternate way of living the gospel. Like John (and Jesus who began his public ministry only after a period of solitude in the Judean desert) these individuals believed that desert life would teach them to eschew the things of this world and allow them to follow God's call in a more deliberate and individual way. Contemporary bronze head of Constantine. ... For other uses, see 313 (number). ... A restored Stoa in Athens. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Classical antiquity. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth; for other uses, see Jesus (disambiguation). ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... The Baptism of Christ, by Piero della Francesca, 1449 John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer or Yahya the Baptizer) is regarded as a prophet by at least three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Mandaeanism. ...

Thus, during the fourth century, the empty areas around Egyptian cities continued to attract Christians wishing to live in solitude. As the lifestyle developed, these men and women developed a reputation for holiness and wisdom. In its early form, each hermit followed more or less an individual spiritual program, perhaps learning some basic practices from other monks, but developing them into their own unique (and sometimes highly idiosyncratic) practice. Later monks, notably Anthony the Great and Pachomius developed a more regularized approach to desert life, and introduced some aspects of community living (especially common prayer and meals) that would eventually develop into Christian monasticism. Many individuals who spent part of their lives in the North African desert went on to become important figures in the Church and society of the fourth and fifth century, among them Athanasius of Alexandria, John Chrysostom, John Cassian, and Augustine of Hippo. Through the work of these last two, the spirituality of the desert fathers, emphasizing an ascent to God through periods of purgation and illumination that led to unity with the Divine, deeply affected the spirituality of the Western Church. For this reason, the writings and spirituality of the desert fathers are still of interest to many people today. Saint Anthony the Great, Father of all Monks Saint Anthony the Great (251 - 356), also known as Saint Anthony of Egypt, Saint Anthony of the Desert, Saint Anthony the Anchorite, and The Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint and the outstanding leader among the Desert Fathers, who were... Pachomius, who died around AD 345 in Tabennisi, Egypt, was one of the founders of Christian monasticism. ... Monasticism (from Greek: monachos—a solitary person) is the religious practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote ones life to spiritual work. ... Centuries: 3rd century - 4th century - 5th century Decades: 250s - 260s - 270s - 280s - 290s - 300s - 310s - 320s - 330s - 340s - 350s 290 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 Significant people Diocletian, Roman Emperor Maximian, Roman Emperor Categories: 300s ... Centuries: 4th century - 5th century - 6th century Decades: 350s - 360s - 370s - 380s - 390s - 400s - 410s - 420s - 430s - 440s - 450s Years: 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 Events: Constantine III seizes control of the Roman garrison in Britain, declares himself emperor, and crosses into Gaul. ... Athanasius of Alexandria (also spelled Athanasios) (298–May 2, 373) was a Christian bishop, the Patriarch of Alexandria, in the fourth century. ... Saint John Chrysostom John Chrysostom (347 - 407) was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the 4th and 5th centuries in Syria and Constantinople. ... John Cassian (c. ... St. ... Spirituality - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The term Great Schism refers to either of two splits in the history of Christianity: Most commonly, it refers to the great East-West Schism, the event that separated Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Roman Catholicism in the eleventh century (1054). ...

References

• The Desert Fathers: Translations from the Latin with an Introduction by Helen Waddell, 1936
• Sayings of the Early Christian Monks translated by Benedicta Ward (Cistercian Studies 59), 1987

External links

• The Paradise of the Desert Fathers, Index of Sayings and Accounts
• The Desert Fathers