The Forgotten Desert Mothers: Sayings, Lives, and Stories of Early Christian Women
Average Rating: out of 4 Reviews
Price: $13.95
Sale: $7.95
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
EAN (European Article Number): 9780809140169
Number of Items: 1
Binding: Paperback
Author: Laura Swan
Publisher: Paulist Press
Dewey Decimal Number: 270.2082
Publication Date: 2001-03
Reading Level: 224
Description: In The Forgotten Desert Mothers, Laura Swan introduces readers to the sayings, lives, stories and spirituality of women in the early Christian desert and monastic movement, from the third century on. In doing so, she finally sets the record straight that women played an important and influential role in early Christianity, indeed a role that has been long overshadowed by men.
She begins with an exploration of the historical context and spirituality of the desert ascetics. Then she weaves together the sayings of the major desert ammas, or mothers, along with commentary that invites readers to reflect on their own spiritual journey as they share their wisdom. The book then journeys between desert, monastery and city to reveal the stories of ascetics and solitaries whose stories are rarely heard, organized in the author's own alphabetical collection.
The Forgotten Desert Mothers demonstrates, like no other work, that women have long had a history of leadership in Christianity. This engaging, eye-opening and insightful work targets all faith seekers looking to reclaim the history and spirituality of the women who came before them, as well as to understand their own inner journey. It will be a welcome addition to courses on early church history, women's studies and religious studies.
Customer Reviews
Review Summary: way better than I expected
Date: 2007-01-11
Details: I would like to say I really enjoyed this book. I found it interesting to hear several different backgrounds and also a lot of common ground placed among these forgotten desert mothers.
Review Summary: inspirational work of art
Date: 2005-07-16
Details: I thoroughly loved this book, particularly the wonderful commentary. I found myself drawn to their lives and craving to learn more about the ammas. Also the historical perspective of the ever evolving role of women in catholicism was evident and insightful. I also found the dictionary in the back very helpful.
Review Summary: Buy it for the sayings of the Ammas
Date: 2003-06-24
Details: The sayings of the desert mothers (the Ammas) are worth the purchase of the book. They are starkly beautiful and fresh. However, Laura Swan's commentary is predictable, dull and full of religious jargon and psychological cliche. Often the commentary loses sight of a particular Amma's "saying" entirely. Swan has a knack for missing the humor or irony in many of the sayings. I soon gave up reading Swan and simply read the Ammas' sayings -- and was more than rewarded.
Review Summary: Fascinating introduction to little-known women
Date: 2002-10-13
Details: This is a wonderful resource book for anyone interested in the history of spirituality. We have heard about the desert fathers, but here is a well-documented, readable, sometimes quirky look at their female counterparts. Swan relates the writings of the desert matriarchs to her own life and thought, which helped me think through some of the issues, such as asceticism, marriage, leadership, and changing views of women, society and spirituality. Read it! It is full of plums!
out of 4 Reviews
