Gifts of the Desert: The Forgotten Path of Christian Spirituality
Files
Description
In Kyriacos C. Markides’s newest book, Eastern Orthodox mysticism meets Western Christianity as the internationally renowned author takes readers on a deep journey back in time to unveil the very roots of authentic spirituality. In his previous book The Mountain of Silence, Markides introduced us to the essential spiritual nature of Eastern Orthodoxy in a series of lively conversations with Father Maximos, the widely revered charismatic Orthodox bishop and former abbot of the isolated monastery on Mount Athos. In Gifts of the Desert, Markides continues his examination of Easter Orthodox mystical teachings and practices and captures its living expression through visits to monasteries and hermitages in Greece and America and interviews with contemporary charismatic elders, both male and female.
Markides’s pursuit of a deeper understanding of Orthodoxy takes him to the deserts of Arizona and a stay at a new monastery in Sedona; to the island of Cyprus and a reunion with Father Maximos; on a pilgrimage to holy shrines aboard a cruise ship in the Aegean Sea; and finally to the legendary Mount Athos, home to more than two thousand Orthodox monks. Markides relates his journey and reflections in a captivating style while providing important background material and information on historical events to give readers a highly accessible, in-depth portrait of a tradition little known in the West.
ISBN
9780385506632
Publication Date
2005
Publisher
Doubleday
City
New York, NY
Keywords
Desert Fathers, Spiritual life, Christianity, Monastic and religious life, Middle East
Disciplines
Christianity | Religion | Sociology
Recommended Citation
Markides, Kyriacos C., "Gifts of the Desert: The Forgotten Path of Christian Spirituality" (2005). Faculty and Staff Monograph Publications. 121.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/fac_monographs/121