The Desert: An Anthology for Lent - Softcover

Moses, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 081921728X ISBN 13: 9780819217288

Publisher: Morehouse Publishing, 1997

Synopsis

The desert, with its great emptiness and silence, has long been a symbol of solitude. In our spiritual lives, we sometimes seek such isolation as a means of abandoning ourselves completely to God. At other times, solitude comes upon us uninvited and unwelcome, as we find ourselves totally alone and desolate. In facing the silence and the vast expanses of loneliness, we test our courage, deepen our faith, and hear the voice of God anew.

This book explores the tradition and relevance of desert spirituality in the life and worship of the church today and offers a collection of pertinent writings by these and many other ancient and contemporary authors: Thomas à Kempis, Mother Mark Clare, Henri Nouwen, René Voillaume, Charles de Foucauld, Thomas Merton, R. S. Thomas.

The readings are ideal Lenten devotionals (but wonderful any other time of year as well) as you answer your own call of the desert.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The desert, with its great emptiness and silence, has long been a symbol of solitude. This devotional work for groups or individuals offers an introduction to the tradition of desert spirituality and readings that take the reader on a journey through each day of Lent. General themes covered include solitude, testing, self-emptying, divine encounter, and transformation.

John Moses explores the tradition and relevance of desert spirituality in the life and worship of the church today and offers a collection of pertinent writings from a number of ancient and contemporary authors, including Thomas a Kempis, Charles de Foucault, St. Teresa of Avila, Mother Mary Clare, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, R.S. Thomas, and Rene Voillaume.

Review

".a collection of samples of classic spirituality both new and ageless, this book can be used as a personal reflective book or for group sharing and is especially timely as a Lenten book when Christians as a whole do take the time for a deeper understanding and inner reflection of their faith." -- Church & Synagogue Libraries

"A fine introduction offers a history of desert spirituality, and an epilogue on the literature of the desert completes this lovely, simple book." -- Religious Resource International

"The Desert counts down the days of Lent with appropriate quotes from the desert tradition of faith and prayer. Readers who use these quotations as a basis for daily reflection and prayer will find them divided into five themes: solitude, testing, self-emptying, encounter, and transfiguration. Moses includes brief chapters on the history of the desert tradition, its particular type of Christian experience, and the literature which has come from it." -- The Pennsylvania Episcopalian

"This is definitely a reader-friendly book for Lent. The author is the dynamic new Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, whose predecessors include such literary giants as John Donne. First, he tells us the story of the Desert Fathers who retreated to the wilderness in the fourth and fifth centuries when the Emperor Constantine's establishment of Christianity severely watered down the faith. He does this with a simple style, avoiding complex unpronounceable verbiage. When he has introduced us to the spirituality of the desert, to the use of solitude, he then gives the reader daily soul food to chew on. It can be used for personal devotion or as a small group study resource." -- The Living Church

... definitely a reader friendly book for Lent... for personal devotion or as a small group study resource. -- The Living Church

... fine introduction offers a history of desert spirituality... epilogue on the literature of the desert completes this lovely, simple book. -- Religious Resource International

... personal reflective book or for group sharing... especially timely as a Lenten book... -- Church and Synagogue Library Association

Edition details

• Publisher: Morehouse Publishing
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 081921728X
• ISBN 13: 9780819217288
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 176