Early Christian Lives

by Carolinne White (Editor), Athanasius of Alexandria (Contributor), Jerome (Contributor)

Written between the mid-fourth and late sixth centuries to commemorate and glorify the achievements of early Christian saints, these six biographies depict men who devoted themselves to solitude, poverty and prayer. Athanasius records Antony's extreme seclusion in the Egyptian desert, despite temptation by the devil and visits from his followers. Jerome also shows those who fled persecution or withdrew from society to pursue lives of chastity and asceticism in his accounts of Paul of Thebes, Hilarion and Malchus. In his Life of Martin , Sulpicius Severus describes the achievements of a man who combined the roles of monk, bishop and missionary, while Gregory the Great tells of Benedict, whose Rule became the template for monastic life. Full of vivid incidents and astonishing miracles, these Lives have provided inspiration as models for centuries of Christian worship.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Genres: History, Religion, Christianity, Biography, Classics, Theology, Nonfiction

219 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 1998

Reviews

[Adam Marischuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poorly titled, the title of the introduction ("The Early Development of Monasticism") is significantly more illuminating.

The book is a collection of a series of biographies of late-classical/early medieval monastic figures, usually written relatively close to the lives of the subjects. The biographies include:

-Life of Anthony by Athansius
-Life of Paul of Thebes by Jerome
-Life of Hilarion by Jerome
-Life of Malchus by Jerome
-Life of Martin of Tours by Sulpicius Severus
-Life of Benedict by Gregory the Great

The general introduction by Carolinne White is very informative and readable, along with the brief introductions to each of the biographies which precede each chapter. The biographies are entertaining and illuminating, though they vary from early forms of hagiography to historical polemic and the believability and accuracy leave something to be desired.

What the biographies do do, however, is give important insights into the beliefs, values and opinions of the authors (Jerome's obsession with sexual purity, Gregory's hierarchical views of ecclesiology etc).

Worth reading for an understanding of early Christianity, especially monasticism, but not quite the "Early Christian Lives" that the title states.

[Timothy Stead · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good selection which allows the reader to perceive both the diversity of Late Antique hagiography and trace the influence of seminal works like that of Athanasius and Sulpicius Severus over the centuries. Despite the title, this is really a selection of monastic hagiography, focusing on the exploits of abbots and holy men, rather than the other vitally important type of early Christian lives - those of the martyrs. Please Penguin, may we have a collection of those in translation?

[Taylor Swift Scholar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, a book from early Christianity that is not super boring and obsessed with the exact composition of Jesus the GodMan. These early monks are absolutely delightful. Demons are everywhere! Two hermits get into a battle about who is more humble! Would read again.

[Abigail Borland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good hagiography. Reminds me that the fight against the principalities and the powers is real but Christ’s light shines brighter. Obviously the early church fathers had some interesting obsessions with asceticism that don’t necessarily reflect the New Testament as a whole, but the concept of souls embarking on spiritual journeys in the wilderness to seek and find greater communion with God is always edifying.

[Sungdong Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant reading!
I had to read a couple of chapters for class but ended up finishing the whole thing. The translations were very modern, making the reading much more enjoyable than other versions. My favorite out of all the stories would be "Life of Martin of Tours" by Sulpicius Severus. Unlike other hagiographies that may even be considered propagandas for Christianity, Severus kept his storytelling very simple, yet maintained rich in emotional descriptions. I even laughed out loud when Martin, who has already become a bishop, hesitates to take a look at a sick girl begging for his help, fearing that he won't be able to perform the right miracle to heal her. He eventually got peer pressured to visit the girl and use his superpower - praying to god - and fortunately enough, barely manage to drop the girl's fever.

[Logan Prettyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vita Antonii is a tour de force and highly worth reading.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read it for class, and it was dreadful. I have never enjoyed monastics.

[Anatole David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jerome's lives are excellent.

[Joseph Grondin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for a course on the history of Late Antique and Early Medieval Monasticism, and it was definitely one of the more enjoyable things to read. Rating it is difficult, however. There are many Lives contained within this book, and though they are all good, some are definitely better than others. The "Life of Antony" by Athanasius would definitely be my favorite, with the "Life of Martin of Tours" being my second-favorite. Jerome's Lives have less substance to them, which made them less memorable to me. The "Life of Benedict" by Gregory the Great definitely has a lot of substance, but his style is not nearly as easy or pleasant to read as Athanasius or Severus'.

However, I believe that all of these works have value. Each of them has something which the reader can gain from them, intellectually and historically, but especially spiritually. Its an easy recommendation for me, but I especially recommend the "Life of Antony" over them all.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up at a thrift store because it looked interesting. At lunch I like to do a short Bible study and spend some time reading on church history as well. This book focuses mainly on early monasticism and some of the earliest monks. I found the beliefs and stories of these men quite interesting. And while it wasn't necessarily what i thought I was getting into, I enjoyed the read and the information conveyed. The introduction, and noted prior to each section were well done and useful.

[Justin Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

BLUF: 6 Lives of early Saints but I only enjoyed a few. By the time I got to the 6th, it had become monotonous. Worth reading once if you like reading memoirs/biographies/stories of the Saints but once was enough for me.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since these lives are all separate works I’ll list them out as I read them.

The Life of Martin of Tours by Severus Sulpicius 1/3/24
I really liked this one. Seems like a good man.

The Life of St. Benedict by Gregory the Great 1/4/24

[7jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. :)

[✨ m e g a n ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Honestly just not for me. Darn textbooks.

[Edward Whiting · Rating 4 out of 5]

cwazy

[Jayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me a while to get through. I enjoyed the preface to the stories as it gives you a better look into why certain themes are more pronounced than others. I didn't agree with everything, but every once in a while something would stick out and really hit home. It was also interesting from a historical point of view.

[Abigail Frances Houlihan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sir? You need help. Get out of the dessert and eat some food.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1800133...

Six biographies of important figures in early monatsticism - Athanasius' life of Anthony, three short biographies by Jerome, Sulpicius Severus' life of Martin of Tours and Gregory the Great's life of Benedict. They all live holy lives and perform many miracles (often involving expelling demons from the possessed). Arians and other heretics are at least as bothersome as the pagan authorities (and more so after the early fourth century). Devils take on physical form and wrestle with our heroes. I had come across some of this material in Gibbon (who hates monks and all they stand for) but it was interesting to see it in its own context.

[Johnsonk5 · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you're really interested in the history of Christianity, some of these works are essential (St. Antony, St. Jerome etc.) but otherwise, this text is borderline unreadable. The early Christian writers were horrendous storytellers, the central characters are all the same (St. Antony, St. Paul of Thebes, Hilarion etc.) and they have no redeeming qualities. Honestly, the most likable and relatable character in this book is Satan, everyone else sucks. There's some interesting content here which is revealing of early Christian psychology, but it isn't worth wading through the shit to get it.

[Joshua C(himpius) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A manual for living a fulfilling life.

I decided its probably time to give this book a proper review because afterall it has become one of my all time favourites. It's very difficult to explain Christianity simply to someone in a way that recognises it has been around for over 2000 years. The examples of the monks are able to explain the point of Christianity by living it. They strive towards perfection and armed with their promises that they will reach it, do everything to get there.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Live of Anthony the Great, Martin of Tours, and Benedict of Nursia are the stars here. Simply incredible to read. For anyone nervous about miraculous or 'charismatic' forms of the faith, read this and recognize that these are not recent things, but have been a part of the church tradition all the way through.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "Life of St. Martin of Tours" is worth the price of the book. This fourth century monk-bishop went on an anti-pagan rampage throughout Gaul, with extraordinary results. The poor pagans didn't know what hit them...but neither did the church hierarchy.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of early Christian monastics provides insight into the practice of Christianity in its first few centuries. The book also contains introductory notes on the period and the writers in question.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read that highlights the graces and the challenges of early Christians living the life!

[Jonathan]

None

[Sympawtico · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly interesting book: the strange beginnings of a strange religion.

[Benjamin Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an essential collects of hagiography for those with an interest in western monasticism. Great read!

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am very happy that these six saints' Lives are available in one edition. The translation is pretty good. The introductions and commentary are just ok.

[5greenway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good collection.