W8166 – Wisdom of the Desert Fathers
Unit Code
W8166
Unit Name
Wisdom of the Desert Fathers (postgraduate)
Unit Weighting
9 Credit Points
Type of Unit
Foundational
Prerequisites, corequisites or exclusions
Nil
Academic Staff
Samuel Kaldas: BA Hons (USyd), Grad Cert Theology (SAGOTC), PhD (USyd)
Curriculum Objectives
This course introduces students to the lives and literature of the Desert Fathers, teaching them to read desert texts closely and critically with a view to better understanding their philosophical worldview in its ancient context and in relation to contemporary issues.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a basic familiarity with some major figures, schools of thought and ideas of Desert Christianity
2. Read ancient ascetic texts with an awareness of their author’s context and influences
3. Read ancient ascetic texts with an awareness of philosophical issues (ancient and modern) raised by them
4. Conduct close readings of ascetic texts to address philosophical questions
5. Make discerning use of relevant secondary literature on ancient texts and movements
Content
1. Why the Desert? An overview of Desert Christianity
2. Ascetic Struggle: Key concepts in the Desert Christian vision of spiritual struggle
3. Ascetic Virtues: In-depth exploration of four highly-prized virtues
4. Ascetic Vices: The Desert Christian origins of the “seven deadly sins”
5. Ascetic Concepts: Loneliness vs. solitude
6. Readings from desert literature will be supplemented by readings in ancient and contemporary philosophy on these themes.
UNIT WEEKLY SCHEDULE
W1 Welcome to the Desert:
An introduction to the Desert Fathers and Mothers and their compelling/confronting way of life; intro to the two goals of the unit: (1) to understand Desert Christian thought in its historical context and (2) to apply Desert Christian thinking to contemporary challenges and questions.
The Ascetic Struggle
W2 Soul and Body, Spirit and Flesh:
According to desert literature, you’re made of different parts, different elements (usually body, soul, spirit); what are these different components and how are they supposed to relate to one another and to God?
W3 Passions, Thoughts and Detachment:
The whole point of ascetic struggle is to defeat “the passions”. What are passions and where do they come from? What attitude ought we have to the material creation and the objects that our passions attract us to? How do you kill passions?
W4 The Divided Self and Desert Demonology:
Desert writers sometimes speak as though we have “two selves” — a good self and an evil self — each fighting to become the real version of us. Evil spiritual forces — demons — are constantly trying to tip the balance in favour of the evil self. Why do demons feature so prominently in desert literature? How is demonic influence understood to work?
W6 Death and Eschatology:
A good Desert Christian always has their mind (and sometimes their bed) in a tomb. In what ways did remembrance of death motivate them in their ascetic struggle? And how did they conceive of Heaven, Hell and the world to come?
Ascetic Virtues
W7 Humility and Self-Knowledge:
What does it mean to be “humble” and why is it so great an achievement? Humility is often said to be a consequence of “self-knowledge”, but what does it mean to “know yourself” and why is it so hard to do? What insights can the Desert Christians offer into contemporary issues surrounding “self-esteem” and “self-image?”
W8 Discernment and Purity of Heart:
Another candidate for the highest virtue is discernment or discretion. What is this virtue, how does one develop it? Why is it often placed so high on the list of virtues? How does it relate to other virtues like obedience and humility?
W9 Love:
How did the Desert Christians cultivate love in their hearts, especially when they had such limited contact with others? What is genuine, Christian love and how does one attain it?
Ascetic Vices
W9 and 10 The Seven (or Eight) Deadly Sins, Parts 1 and 2:
The famous ‘seven deadly sins’ have their origins in Evagrius’ list of eight evil thoughts (logismoi) which the devil sows in a struggling Christian’s heart. In these lectures, we’ll explore Desert Christian thinking on some of these vices and consider how things have changed since ancient times and how they’ve stayed the same.
Ascetic Themes
W11 Loneliness, Solitude and Communion:
Desert Christians sometimes seem to be radically individualistic, opposed to any bonds of friendship or family that might distract them from their devotion to God. What value did they value solitude so highly, and what light can this shed on the modern epidemic of loneliness?
W12 Joy, Suffering and the Cross:
The Desert Christians can seem like a rather miserable bunch, but what role did joy play in their vision of Christian life? How did they deal with hardships and trials without losing heart?
