Studies in Patristics (the writings and history of the Early Church) continue to grow in popularity. It’s one thing to read about the writings of the early Christians, but it’s something else entirely to read these writers in their own words—whether in original languages or translations. Today, we’re adding to our Patristic offerings for Accordance with a Greek and English set of the Desert Fathers as well as the first installments in the Popular Patristics Series adapted for the Accordance Library. If you have never read the Church Fathers, these works from SVS Press, with introductions and notes, are an excellent place to start!
Desert Fathers Set: Morphologically-Tagged Greek, English, Notes
Desert Fathers Set: Morphologically-Tagged Greek, English, NotesThis set contains the Greek Desert Fathers (also known as the Apophthegmata Patrum). The Greek text is based on the 1864 Migne edition in Patrologiae Graecae (vol 65). The Greek text was morphologically tagged by Dr. Rex Koivisto of Multnomah University.
The content of the Desert Fathers includes sayings and stories of over a hundred men (and a few women) who lived as ascetics in the desert of Egypt, from the fifth century AD and later. These ascetics were often sought out for spiritual counsel or advice, either in an ongoing way by disciples who attached themselves to a given ascetic, or by outside visitors who venerated the spirituality and wisdom of these ascetics and sought their wisdom and counsel. They were originally spoken and written in the Egyptian Coptic language, and only later recorded as Greek text.
The teachings of the Desert Fathers have had a lasting impact on the Christian faith and spirituality, influencing many thinkers and writers throughout history. Their emphasis on asceticism, solitude, and the pursuit of spiritual purity continues to inspire people seeking a deeper connection with the divine. While the teachings of the Desert Fathers are rooted in Christian tradition, their insights on the human experience and spiritual growth can resonate with people of many different faiths and backgrounds. Today, people continue to seek guidance and wisdom from spiritual leaders and practitioners, including those offering accurate online psychic readings as well as those who draw from the wisdom of the Desert Fathers and other spiritual traditions.
The Desert Fathers in Greek and English in Accordance for macOS.
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It will be available separately as an English module for Accordance, but will not be linked to the Migne due to the expansions into copyrighted Greek texts unavailable to us.
The Desert Fathers
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Popular Patristics Series (Release 1) (5 Volumes)
Release 1 is available in a group of all five titles or individually.
Give Me a Word: The Alphabetical Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Translated by John Wortley
When Christians first began living as monks in the Egyptian desert at the beginning of the fourth century, they had few books and almost no learning. As they gained experience, they concentrated that experience in the form of an oral tradition of tales and sayings (apophthegmata). Apart from the Scriptures (also learned by heart) this was the only training manual they had. Consequently, when the onslaught of barbarians drove many monks out of Egypt early in the following century, they found it better to preserve their oral tradition in writing.
Thus, towards the end of the fifth century there eventually emerged a codification of this monastic lore. It was in two parts: one in which the items were arranged in alphabetical order by the name of the monk who either authored the saying or was characterized in the tale; the other in which all the remaining “anonymous” material was arranged under various heads. The present volume is an attempt to provide the reader with an effective translation of the first of those parts.
Give Me a Word: The Alphabetical Sayings of the Desert Fathers in Accordance for iPadOS.
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Give Me a Word
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Three Treatises on the Divine Images: St. John of Damascus
Translated by Andrew Louth
Is all Christian art fundamentally blasphemous? That was the question posed aggressively by the Christian iconoclasts of the eighth century in a bitter controversy. The resounding answer “no” from John of Damascus helped to secure the future of art in the service of Christ. Without his brilliant defense, both profound and at times earthy, we might well have had no icons, murals, and mosaics in churches to elevate and enrich our spirits and to enhance our worship. This fresh and complete translation, by a distinguished patristic scholar, of John’s three treatises on the divine images shows us the issue at stake both then and now.
Three Treatises on the Divine Images in Accordance for Windows.
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Three Treatises on the Divine Images
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Four Desert Fathers: Pambo, Evagrius, Macarius of Egypt & Macarius of Alexandria
Translated by Tim Vivian
The four desert Fathers who gave their names to this volume—Pambo, Evagrius, Macarius of Egypt, and Macarius of Alexandria—were well known some 1600 years ago in Alexandria and the monastic communities of Lower Egypt. They were most famous, perhaps, because the monk (and later bishop) Palladius recounted their Lives—preserved in the Coptic Palladiana—in his Lausiac History.
The introduction describes the relationships among Palladius and Evagrius, Origenism, the spiritual and theological ramifications of the Anthropomorphite controversy, and subsequent effects on the Lausiac History and the four Coptic Lives of this volume. This work is a companion volume to Saint Macarius the Spirit Bearer, which contains the translations of three ancient texts: The Sayings of Saint Macarius of Egypt, The Virtues of Saint Macarius of Egypt, and The Life of Saint Macarius of Scetis. These three texts provide insight into one of the most venerated saints of the Coptic Orthodox Church and into life in the Egyptian monastic communities of the fourth century.
Four Desert Fathers in Accordance for iOS.
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Four Desert Fathers
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St. Macarius the Spiritbearer: Coptic Texts Relating to Saint Macarius the Great
Translated by Tim Vivian
This important work features three seminal texts which provide insight into one of the most venerated saints of the Coptic Church and into the life of the Egyptian monastic communities of the fourth century: The Sayings of Saint Macarius, The Virtues of Saint Macarius, and The Life of Saint Macarius of Scetis.
Macarius the Great (also referred to as Macarius of Egypt or Macarius the Egyptian) presided over a loosely knit scattering of ascetic monastic communities in the fourth century Egyptian desert. He enjoyed great respect during his lifetime and his fame was further spread after appearing in Palladius’ Lausiac History. This work is a companion volume to Four Desert Fathers, also published by SVS Press, which features the lives of Macarius the Spiritbearer, Macarius of Alexandria, Pambo and Evagrius. The two volumes together, introducing the thought and practice of these desert dwellers through their Sayings, Virtues and Lives, offer the best access to their world.
St. Macarius the Spiritbearer
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On the Lord’s Prayer: Tertullian, Cyprian, & Origen
Translated by Alistair Stewart-Sykes
These are the only three existing ante-Nicene treatises on the Lord’s Prayer, and they became the starting point for many other commentaries. Of the three, however, only the discourse of Cyprian is an address to catechumens. Tertullian’s treatise contains additional material on the conduct of worship and on prayer in the assembly, and Origen’s commentary is a vast work on the whole subject of prayer, as much suited to advanced learners in the school of Christ as to those preparing for baptism.
On the Lord’s Prayer
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5-Volume Popular Patristics Series (Release 1)
Get all five volumes of Release #1 of the Popular Patristics Series!
5-Volume Popular Patristics Series
Regular Price $99.90
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All of the Popular Patristics titles have been thoroughly analyzed by our developers, identifying specific content to make research fast and efficient. Hyperlinks to other titles in the Accordance Library have been created when possible. The volume Give Me a Word contains a glossary of terms, which have been hyperlinked within the text throughout the title.