Conferences of John Cassian

Name: Conferences of John Cassian
Author: John Cassian

John Cassian (c. 360 – c. 435) was a monk and theologian who carried the monastic wisdom of the Egyptian desert fathers into the Latin West. After years among the hermits of Egypt, he founded monasteries for men and women at Marseille in Gaul. His Institutes and Conferences became foundational manuals of Western monastic life, shaping the Rule of Benedict and centuries of prayer and discipline.

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First published: 426
Category: Devotional
Length: 203k words · about 14 hours
Narration: 🎧 Volunteer Readers

About this book

John Cassian's Conferences record conversations with the desert fathers of Egypt on the inner life of prayer and the warfare against sin. Written in the early fifth century for monks in Gaul, they became a foundational classic of monastic spirituality, shaping Western devotion for a thousand years. This text uses the public-domain Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers translation.