Exhortation to the Monks by Hyperechios: Reflections on the Spiritual Journey

by Tim Vivian (Introduction), Tim Vivian (Translator), John Chryssavgis (Foreword by)

Overview

"Hyperechios’ sayings deserve to be known better and making them available in English translation makes them fully accessible to scholars/readers of all abilities.” —Greg Peters, American Benedictine Review

“[S]tellar scholarship . . . a marvel . . . . This volume is a great basis for lectiodivina, for a retreat, for a class in the spiritual life and its vision and tools.” —Michael Plekon, Cistercian Studies Quarterly

Hyperechios's Exhortation to the Monks for the first time in English translation

Hyperechios is a little-known monk of the fourth to fifth centuries, who is thought to have lived in Roman Palestine, possibly coastal Sinai. He wrote the Exhortation to the Monks, 160 short sayings, much like the apophthegmata, or sayings of the desert fathers and mothers, but also structurally very different—most of the sayings are two lines of poetry that offer instruction.

The Exhortation, and early Christian monastic writings in general, teach that a spiritual life requires a life of training and practice, individually and as a neighbor and friend within one’s community. This volume studies Hyperechios’s Exhortation to better understand the moral and spiritual values in a fourth to fifth-century Christian monastic community, while reflecting also on how these are contemporary with the modern day. Drawing on modern works by scholars and placing the Exhortation in conversation with contemporary writers on the spiritual life, Tim Vivian begins with an introduction about Hyperechios, his location, the text, then a lengthy reflection on spiritual matters. He follows this with an English-language translation of the Exhortation and the Greek text, both accompanied by footnotes that offer biblical and patristic cross-references.

Exhortation to the Monks by Hyperechios will be of interest to scholars and general readers of early Christianity, early monasticism, and Christian spirituality, both ancient and contemporary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781649033680
Publisher:	American University in Cairo Press, The
Publication date:	07/23/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	228
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Tim Vivian (Introduction, notes and translated by) is professor emeritus of religious studies at California State University, Bakersfield, and a retired priest of the Episcopal Church. He has published, among many books, The Life of Antony (with Apostolos N. Athanassakis, 2003), The Holy Workshop of Virtue: The Life of Saint John the Little (with Maged S.A. Mikhail, 2010), Becoming Fire: Through the Year with the Desert Fathers and Mothers (2009) and The Sayings and Stories of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (vol. 1, forthcoming, 2021).

John Chryssavgis (Foreword by) is archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, theological advisor to the Ecumenical Patriarch, and a clergyman of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He is the author of several books, including John Climacus: From the Egyptian Desert to the Sinaite Mountain (2018) and Primacy in the Church: The Office of Primate and the Authority of Councils, vols. 1 and 2 (2016 and 2020).

John Chryssavgis, archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, theological advisor to the Ecumenical Patriarch, and a clergyman of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; author of John Climacus: From the Egyptian Desert to the Sinaite Mountain (2018) and Primacy in the Church: The Office of Primate and the Authority of Councils, vols. 1 and 2 (2016 and 2020).

Table of Contents

Preface
Foreword. John Chryssavgis
Abbreviations and Select Sources

Chapter 1: Introduction
So Long Ago and Far Away, Yet Ours, and Us: Reflection & Conversation
I. Hyperechios
IA. Who was Hyperechios?
IB. Where Did He Live?

II. Exhortation to the Monks
IIA. The Text(s)
IIB. The Soul in Paraphrase, Heart in Pilgrimage: The Exhortation to the Monks

III. Omissions & Commissions
A. Preface
B. Sin
C. The Passions
1. Anger
2. Arrogance
3. Desire(s)
4. Acquiring & Possessing
5. Flesh & World
6. Thoughts

IV. The Bridal Chamber
A. Virginity: Introduction
B. The Bridegroom and the Bridal Chamber
C. The Metaphor of Marriage
D. The Metaphor of Marriage: A Reflection with The Sacrament of Love by Paul Evdokimov

V. Love’s Body: Community
1. Cattle Prod
2. An Arm Gently Around a Shoulder
3. Exultation

VI. Hyperechios and Us
A. Mitakuye Oyasin: All My Relations
B. Anyone Who Had a Heart

Chapter 2: Exhortation to the Monks by Hyperechios
A New English Translation
Key Terms and Cross-References
Exhortation to the Monks
Appendix: Another Series of Sayings Attributed to Hyperechios

Chapter 3: Exhortation to the Monks
The Greek Text

Glossary
Selected Bibliography
Indexes

Editorial Reviews

[S]tellar scholarship . . . a marvel . . . . This volume is a great basis for lectiodivina, for a retreat, for a class in the spiritual life and its vision and tools.” —Michael Plekon, Cistercian Studies Quarterly

“Tim Vivian has made a scholarly and well-referenced translation of Hyperechios’s Exhortation to the Monks, adding to the corpus of desert monastic literature available in English. . . . Vivian also shows the contemporary relevance of the Exhortation, especially through the lens provided by four contemporary theologians: Greg Boyle, Beldan Lane, Rowan Williams and Philip Sheldrake. . . . There is a golden thread that runs through the tradition and Vivian wants to highlight that thread, and by doing so, illumine his readers. . . . Hyperechios’ sayings deserve to be known better and making them available in English translation makes them fully accessible to scholars/readers of all abilities. Further, Vivian’s introduction situates the text among other early Christian monastic texts, showing the role this text played in early Christian monasticism.” —Greg Peters, American Benedictine Review

“The mysterious ancient monk Hyperechios and his neglected but profound Exhortation to the Monks have found their ideal translator and interpreter in Tim Vivian. No one has translated as much early monastic literature as Vivian, and few can match his knowledge of Christian spirituality, past and present. This book is an outstanding resource for professional historians and, even more, for anyone interested in the spiritual aspects of the Christian monastic tradition.”—David Brakke, The Ohio State University

"Tim Vivian has once again introduced the English-speaking world to another important desert Christian ascetic. This text is not only a superb translation of Hyperechios' Exhortation but a deep, meaningful introduction to the world of early Christian monasticism. I highly commend it!"—Greg Peters, Biola University

“What a great service Tim Vivian has done in making this extraordinary but little known compilation of spiritual wisdom from ancient Christian monasticism available to us in English. Hyperechios’s teaching on the spiritual life is characterized by deep authority and compassion and it resonates anew for us in our own time. A significant contribution to our understanding of the spirituality of the desert fathers and mothers.”—Douglas E. Christie, Loyola Marymount University

"One of the leading experts on the world and spirituality of the Christian desert, and a prolific translator of its writings, Tim Vivian here offers us a new translation of the relatively unknown sayings of Hyperechios, together with a wonderful introduction, Greek text, and lengthy glossary explaining the key terms involved. We can be grateful to Vivian for sharing with us more of his spiritual wisdom and scholarly ability; this volume is sure to enrich our knowledge and lives."—John Behr, University of Aberdeen

"Of the 160 sayings of Hyperechios, only eighteen ended up in the Alphabetical and Systematic Collection of the Sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. The rest have been waiting in Greek patrology for a reader and translator. Tim Vivian has now filled that gap. And rightly so, for Hyperechios brings monastic life into the limelight in his own way as evidenced by, among other things, his attention to Scripture, fraternal love, and the place of the cross of Christ in monastic life. An almost forgotten abba is here given a voice and a face again in the great choir of monks through Tim Vivian's work." —Br. Thijs Ketelaars, Order of Saint Benedict, Sint-Adelbertabdij, The Netherlands

PRAISE FOR THE LIFE OF BISHOI:

"This volume is undoubtedly both a milestone in the study of early Christian spirituality and a tremendous achievement.."—Samuel Rubenson, Lund University

"The collective labor that went into the production of this volume was undoubtedly large. I suspect the benefits accruing to interested readers will be even larger." —Stephen J. Davis, Yale University

From the Publisher