Disciples of the Desert: Monks, Laity, and Spiritual Authority in Sixth-Century Gaza
An important contribution and a welcome addition to the burgeoning study of Palestinian monasticism in general and of Gaza in particular.(Brouria Bitton-AshkelonyReligious Studies Review)This little book should not only be on the shelves of every monastic library, it should also be read by anyone with an interest in the give-and-take between monastic and everyday life inside and outside monasteries.(Brian Patrick McGuireAmerican Benedictine Review)An important contribution to the understanding of the development of the early desert literature and a fine introduction to the relationships among monastics and laity in the sixth century.(John ChryssavgisTheology Today)Groundbreaking work... Provides an informative, engaging interpretation of a daunting body of evidence that, in turn, makes an important contribution to an understudied form of monasticism in the Gaza region.(Bernadette McNary-ZakJournal of Religion)An important contribution and a welcome addition to the burgeoning study of Palestinian monasticism in general and of Gaza in particular that we witness in recent years.(Brouria Bitton-AshkelonyJournal of the American Academy of Religion)Based on very exciting material, and she presents it very accessibly to the wider audience it deserves. The whole work is well-structured.(Arietta PapaconstantinouHenoch)An important contribution... The first book-length exploration of the entire epistolary collection in its social context.(John ChryssavgisSobornost: Eastern Churches Review)Profitable reading for anyone interested in Eastern monasticism or in the nature of ascetic authority. Hevelone-Harper presents an academically intriguing and spiritually uplifting glimpse into the nature of the desert ethos.(David MezynskiSt. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly)Hevelone-Harper's fine study offers vivid and persuasive evidence from the early centuries of monasticism of just how central to Christian life the monastic impulse was. For this reason, the book should be part of the field of vision not just for specialists in monastic history but for all who wish to understand Christianity in its historic context.(Dennis D. MartinFides Et Historia)A topic of great importance in the study of Holy Men, and in the study of this community, is the relationship between the community and the wider world. The strongest chapter of this book examines these relations closely.(John H. CorbettJournal of Religious History)Hevelone-Harper demonstrates with real subtlety how spiritual authority developed and came to be transmitted among the monastic communities in Gaza. A first-rate work of scholarship.(Choice)Indispensable for students of asceticism in the later Roman world and well worth the attention of a broader audience.(Paul DilleyJournal of Early Christian Studies)A responsible and sensitive introduction to the authority and practice of these remarkable monastic spiritual directors—how they established and maintained their authority despite challenges to it, how they guided disciples from their first interest in the ascetic life to their monastic maturity, and how they interacted with lay Christians and other authoritative figures in Palestinian Christianity and the wider society.(David BrakkeSpiritus)