Augustine Casiday

Discernment in the Desert Fathers

History & Biography

“Through tracing the evolution of discretio from biblical culture to monastic practice during the patristic era, Dr Rich's excellent study presents in its complexity the cultivation of discernment as a charismatic element in the Christian striving for moral, intellectual, and theological integrity. His exposition of the writings of Evagrius Ponticus, John Cassian, and the 'Sayings of the Desert Fathers' is as skilled as it is clear. There is much to be learnt from these pages.”