TY - BOOK AU - Harmless,William TI - Desert Christians: an introduction to the literature of early monasticism SN - 0195162234 (pbk. : alk. paper) U1 - 271.009015/HAR PY - 2004/// CY - Oxford, UK, New York PB - Oxford University Press KW - Desert Fathers KW - Christian literature, Early KW - History and criticism KW - Monastic and religious life KW - History KW - Early church, ca. 30-600 N1 - Includes bibliographical references and index; Roman Egypt -- Patriarchs, councils, and controversies: 300-451 -- The life of Antony: text and context -- The life of Antony: themes and influence -- Pachomius -- The Apophthegmata Patrum: text and context -- The Apophthegmata Patrum: portraits -- Apophthegmata Patrum: themes -- The histories -- Evagrius Ponticus: ascetical theory -- Evagrius Ponticus: mystical theology -- John Cassian -- Monastic origins: perspectives, discoveries, and disrupted questions N2 - In this book, William Harmless provides an accessible introduction to early Christian monastic literature from Egypt and beyond. He introduces the reader to the major figures and literary texts, as well as offering an up-to-date survey of current questions and scholarship in the field. The text is enhanced by the inclusion of chronologies, maps, outlines, illustrations, and bibliographies. The book will not only serve as a text for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses on early Christianity, the Desert Fathers, and Christian asceticism, but it should stimulate further research by making the fruits of recent scholarship more readily and widely available UR - http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0413/2004000097.html UR - http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0616/2004000097-d.html UR - http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0724/2004000097-b.html ER -