The Wisdom of the Desert with Nicholas Buxton: The origins, way of life and spiritual practice of Christian Monasticism, the spiritual teachings of Evagrius

The course begins by looking at the origins of Christian monasticism during the third century CE, when thousands of men and women renounced the world and withdrew to the deserts of Egypt, Syria and Palestine to seek God in a life of solitude and prayer. What inspired them to do this? What were they trying to achieve? In seeking answers to these questions, we will examine the lives and sayings of the so-called ‘desert fathers’, with a particular emphasis on the theological writings of Evagrius of Pontus (c. 345-399).

1 – Monks of the Desert – Historical origins of Christian monasticism • the story of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness • St Antony, the ‘first monk’ • fleeing the world to face the self • life in the desert • Pachomius and the beginnings of institutional monasticism.

2 – The Ascetic Rationale – The theology of Origen of Alexandria • principles of monastic asceticism • the importance of humility and purity of heart • Evagrius of Pontus, theologian of the desert • stages on the path of spiritual progress • the cultivation of apatheia (equanimity).

3 – The Eight Thoughts – On the subject of demons • the eight categories of obsessive thoughts: gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, acedia, vanity and pride • the practice of the discernment of thoughts.

4 – On Prayer – Types of prayer in the Christian tradition • prayer in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus • the nature of the mind • the notion of ‘pure prayer’ in Evagrius • the legacy of the Desert Fathers.

The Reverend Dr Nicholas Buxton is a Church of England priest in the Northeast of England, and a founder of ‘Just Meditation’. He has a PhD in Buddhist philosophy from the University of Cambridge and is an experienced meditation teacher and retreat leader.