Background
Harmless, J. William was born on July 30, 1953 in Kansas City. Son of Roy and Mary Louise Harmless.
(In the fourth century, the deserts of Egypt became the ne...)
In the fourth century, the deserts of Egypt became the nerve center of a radical new movement, what we now call monasticism. Groups of Christians-from illiterate peasants to learned intellectuals-moved out to the wastelands beyond the Nile Valley and, in the famous words of Saint Athanasius, made the desert a city. In so doing, they captured the imagination of the ancient world. They forged techniques of prayer and asceticism, of discipleship and spiritual direction, that have remained central to Christianity ever since. Seeking to map the soul's long journey to God and plot out the subtle vagaries of the human heart, they created and inspired texts that became classics of Western spirituality. These Desert Christians were also brilliant storytellers, some of Christianity's finest. This book introduces the literature of early monasticism. It examines all the best-known works, including Athanasius' Life of Antony, the Lives of Pachomius, and the so-called Sayings of the Desert Fathers. Later chapters focus on two pioneers of monastic theology: Evagrius Ponticus, the first great theoretician of Christian mysticism; and John Cassian, who brought Egyptian monasticism to the Latin West. Along the way, readers are introduced to path-breaking discoveries-to new texts and recent archeological finds-that have revolutionized contemporary scholarship on monastic origins. Included are fascinating snippets from papyri and from little-known Coptic, Syriac, and Ethiopic texts. Interspersed in each chapter are illustrations, maps, and diagrams that help readers sort through the key texts and the richly-textured world of early monasticism. Geared to a wide audience and written in clear, jargon-free prose, Desert Christians offers the most comprehensive and accessible introduction to early monasticism.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195162234/?tag=2022091-20
( St. Augustine is best known as a theologian whose views...)
St. Augustine is best known as a theologian whose views and controversies powerfully shaped the course of Christianity in the West. But he was also a struggling North African pastor who had a flair for teaching and who meditated deeply on the complexities of the human heart. This study examines a little-known side of Augustine: his work as a teacher of candidates for baptism. It reconstructs in vivid detail the experience of the ancient catechumenate for the better clarification and implementation of the present process. Beginning with a look at the present rite - what it says and does not say about catechesis and the catechumenate - Father Harmless uses Augustine as a case study." Augustine's treatises on the subject and his numerous sermons to candidates, catechumens, and neophytes form the basis of a portrait of the initiation process from a pastoral as well as a theological perspective. The portrait's structure parallels the four periods of the initiation process. This portrait will be of interest and relevance to al those involved with the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults: pastors, DREs, catechists, and liturgists. William Harmless, SJ, has focused his teaching on the history and theology of the early Church. He completed his doctorate at Boston College in 1990 and teaches at Spring Hill College in Mobile. "
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0814661327/?tag=2022091-20
Harmless, J. William was born on July 30, 1953 in Kansas City. Son of Roy and Mary Louise Harmless.
Doctor of Philosophy, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, 1990.
Thomas R. Caestecker professor liberal arts department theology Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama, 1990—2003. Visiting professor, Touhy chair for interreligious studies John Carroll University, Cleveland, 2003. Professor department theology Creighton University, Omaha, since 2004.
(In the fourth century, the deserts of Egypt became the ne...)
( St. Augustine is best known as a theologian whose views...)
Trustee Loyola University, New Orleans, 1996-2003, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama, 1992-1902. Member North America Patristic Society, American Academy Religion.