Earth, Water & Fire: Three Classical Elements of Desert Spirituality
by David Valerio I. Introduction My book, sir philosopher, is the nature of created things, and it is always at hand when I wish to read the words of God. (Evagrius, para. Praktikos 92) Stereotypically, the monastic life is perceived as entailing a rejection of the world. In this view, the select men and women who left society in order to enter the wilderness did so in order to save their own souls, unencumbered by temptations from interactions with other created beings. While there is some truth to this, it doesn’t imply that the Desert Monastics detested Creation. In fact, the spirituality of the desert was marked by a profound reverence for Earth. It was embodied, practical, and deeply concerned with the monk’s harmonious relationship with the natural world. To partake in the divine nature and enter into union with God, the monk had to commune with the created world