Give Me a Word

When Christians first began living as monks in the Egyptian desert at the beginning of the fourth century, they had few books and almost no learning. Along with the Scriptures (learned by heart), they concentrated their learning and experience in the form of tales and sayings, which became their sole training manuals. The present volume translates part of an ancient codification of these gems of spiritual wisdom, one that was arranged in alphabetical order by the name of the monk who either authored the saying or was characterized in the tale.