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Nicholas Buxton

The course begins by looking at the origins of Christian monasticism during the third century CE, when thousands of men and women renounced the world and withdrew to the deserts of Egypt, Syria and Palestine to seek God in a life of solitude and prayer. What inspired them to do this? What were they trying to achieve? In seeking answers to these questions, we will examine the lives and sayings of the so-called ‘desert fathers’, with a particular emphasis on the theological writings of Evagrius of Pontus (c. 345-399).

1 – Monks of the Desert – Historical origins of Christian monasticism • the story of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness • St Antony, the ‘first monk’ • fleeing the world to face the self • life in the desert • Pachomius and the beginnings of institutional monasticism.

2 – The Ascetic Rationale – The theology of Origen of Alexandria • principles of monastic asceticism • the importance of humility and purity of heart • Evagrius of Pontus, theologian of the desert • stages on the path of spiritual progress • the cultivation of apatheia (equanimity).

3 – The Eight Thoughts – On the subject of demons • the eight categories of obsessive thoughts: gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, acedia, vanity and pride • the practice of the discernment of thoughts.

4 – On Prayer – Types of prayer in the Christian tradition • prayer in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus • the nature of the mind • the notion of ‘pure prayer’ in Evagrius • the legacy of the Desert Fathers.

The Reverend Dr Nicholas Buxton is a Church of England priest in the Northeast of England, and a founder of ‘Just Meditation’. He has a PhD in Buddhist philosophy from the University of Cambridge and is an experienced meditation teacher and retreat leader.

Wise Studies

Christian Scholars

The Wisdom of the Desert: The origins, way of life and spiritual practice of Christian Monasticism, the spiritual teachings of Evagrius

Peter Tyler

In these four talks, Peter Tyler explores the factors that contributed to the rise of mystical writing in 16th Century Spain. He traces the particular history of the Peninsula that shaped the milieu within which mysticism flourished at this time.

One of the most popular and approachable Christian saints of all time, St Teresa of Avila (1515 – 1582) is justly celebrated as one of the key writers in the Christian mystical tradition. Yet her popularity belies the struggles she had to overcome in her own lifetime, to have her mystical approaches accepted by the wider church. Peter looks at how her life and struggles influenced her mystical teaching, especially as found in The Book of the Life and The Interior Castle.

Peter explores the author of the ‘Dark Night of the Soul’, St John of the Cross (1542 – 1591). His teachings on the spiritual life are remarkably light and beautiful. Peter places John’s life and teaching within the context of 16thCentury Spain and explores questions such as: ‘How can God be known in this life?’ and ‘How far does knowledge of God lead to annihilation of the individual personality?’

The Spanish Mystics: Ecstasy and Communion: The Teachings of Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross

Ann Conway-Jones

Moses’ encounter with God on the summit of Mount Sinai, as told in the biblical book of Exodus, contains a number of peculiarities and paradoxes. Early Christian mystics seized on these as clues to the spiritual understanding of Moses’ experiences, and as guides to the practice of contemplation. In this course we will examine five moments in Moses’ ascent of Mount Sinai: his entry into the darkness; the elders’ vision of the sapphire pavement; the pattern of the tabernacle revealed; God’s placing of Moses into the cleft of the rock; and Moses’ shining face. We will explore how these intriguing passages inspired four early Christian writers – Gregory of Nyssa, Evagrius of Pontus, Pseudo-Macarius and Dionysius the Areopagite – as they reflected on such topics as the unknowability of God and the state of a mind at prayer. In doing so, we will discover the influence of scripture on the development of the Christian mystical tradition.

Session 1: The Darkness of Unknowing (Exodus 20.18-21)

Session 2: Divine Blue (Exodus 24.9-11)

Session 3: The Heavenly Tabernacle (Exodus 25 – 28)

Session 4: The Cleft in the Rock (Exodus 33:11-23)

Session 5: Transformation (Exodus 34:29-35)

Ann Conway-Jones’ research interest is early Jewish–Christian relations, focussing particularly on biblical exegesis and the origins of mysticism. Her PhD research, involving a range of Jewish and Christian mystical writings about the heavenly temple, has been published by OUP as Gregory of Nyssa’s Tabernacle Imagery in Its Jewish and Christian Contexts.

Moses, Mount Sinai, and early Christian Mystics