Students of church history and the monastic ascetic life will find this volume of much interest. Contained are three important documents of the early Christian Church: The Sayings of the Fathers---written by holy men who separated themselves from their communities and lived as hermits along the banks of the Nile. The Conferences of Cassian---John Cassian visited Egypt and carried the message of the desert fathers to monasteries in Gaul. The Rule of Saint Benedict---Benedict utilized such documents as the Sayings and the Conferences and adapted them, applying the way of obedience, humility, and patience to all aspects of monastic life.
Long recognized for the quality of its translations, introductions, explanatory notes, and indexes, the Library of Christian Classics provides scholars and students with modern English translations of some of the most significant Christian theological texts in history. Through these works--each written prior to the end of the sixteenth century--contemporary readers are able to engage the ideas that have shaped Christian theology and the church through the centuries. The Library of Christian Classics ensures that this great literature of the Christian heritage is easily available and invites the ongoing development of theology.