The Way of the Desert Mothers and Fathers: A journey into Peace and Compassion

‘When the love of God is completely overwhelming, it binds the lover not just to God but to everyone else too.’ Thalassios the Libyan

This day retreat invites you to step aside from the haste and noise of the world, and into the stillness and silence of the desert tradition.

Through a flow of three talks, silent meditation practice, and conversation, we will explore the wisdom-teachings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers – the early Christian contemplatives who sought the healing of the heart in the wilderness. Central to their teaching and manuals of instruction was a threefold path of the spiritual life. Following this ancient framework, we hear what these ancient teachers say about:

• Praxis: the first stage of teachings and ‘exercises’ to develop disciplined attention and the skills to examine and unmask the multiple false versions of identity we construct, to understand the various energies of our being and bring about greater interior harmony, integration and stability.
• Theoria: the name for the second stage means ‘seeing’ – where we deal with the more subtle hindrances to progressing in the spiritual life, and begin to perceive the presence of God shining in all people and all creation.
• Gnosis: the stage of knowing, understanding. Not intellectual knowledge, but pure awareness, self-forgetful (self-transcending) immersion in the oneness of God’s love.

As Christianity became entangled with imperial power and spread as state religion, it turned its focus to an increasingly rationalistic defence of its theology and power.

The contemplative tradition inspired by the Desert Fathers and Mothers remained largely uninterested in controversial theological debate. It was a wisdom tradition, concerned primarily with transformation. It’s teaching and literature was dedicated to understanding the secrets of the inner life, to following the path of peacefulness and humility, to a purity of prayer that blossomed in a life of compassion and mercy.

This retreat is an invitation to explore an ancient wisdom-path that has much to offer our contemporary culture.

For these ancient Christian teachers, we don’t become fully human persons through individualism, but through communion. Not through accumulating, but through releasing. Not through seeking to possess, but through giving ourselves away, offering the love that is the deepest truth of who we are. Such a person does not merely pray for others, but has become living-intercession for all people and all beings – a living icon of the One who holds creation in a single embrace of compassion.

In preparation, all participants will receive a selection of short teachings ("sayings") from the desert tradition a week before the retreat to reflect on.

The retreat will be relevant and accessible to anyone searching for truth and peace, regardless of their faith, beliefs or previous experience of meditation. 

Schedule

This online event will involve a flow of short talks, silent meditation practice and times of conversation. A reading list will be provided after the event.

Price and Pricing policy

Tickets cost £35. There is an option to purchase a ticket with a donation to help us maintain our core offering, including the twice weekly online meditation sessions, which are free of charge. All our paid-for events are priced to simply cover costs (rather than make a profit) so they are as accessible as possible. However, we realise that even the most reasonably priced ticket can be difficult sometimes. If this is the case, we invite you to email us so we can help. 

Retreat leader

Chris Whittington is the Founder of The School of Contemplative Life. The charity’s vision is to help people establish peace in themselves and become places of peace in the world. Chris was introduced to contemplative practice during several years of formation when he lived at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey. His’ monastic teachers, including Sylvester Houedard OSB, taught meditation as a universal wisdom found within all the great spiritual traditions, a pathway to peace and solidarity with people of all faiths and none. Following an introduction by the Abbot of the Prinknash community, Chris subsequently studied at the Dalai Lama’s monastery in Dharamsala, India. Chris regularly delivers talks, workshops and retreats and has introduced meditation from the Christian wisdom tradition to thousands of people in the UK and abroad.

Words from Martin Laird OSA, Author of Into the Silent Land

”The School of Contemplative Life will surely rate among the most significant responses to the spiritual longings of the people of this nation and abroad. Through it’s debut book, ‘The Missing Peace’, it’s growing online practice community and thoughtfully designed programme of retreats, The School will directly nourish and cultivate the depth-dimension of life, offering Christians – and seekers from all traditions – an accessible pathway to the wellspring of silence, compassion and peace flowing within. Simply put, there is no other organisation in this country quite like this, dedicated to helping people discover their groundless Ground, the eternal Mystery ever hidden with Christ in God.”

Words from Rev’d Dr. Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury

“I am delighted that there is a concrete opportunity for developing this new initiative in seeking to open doors into Christian wisdom for those who may have little previous awareness of its resources. This will be a chance for Christians of all traditions to discover new openings for growth in contemplative maturity.”

Terms and conditions

Please refer to our website for the terms and conditions associated with this event. If you need to cancel for whatever reason after booking, please get in touch with us as soon as possible and we will try to find a solution. In the event that we cannot fill your place, the cost of your ticket may not be refundable.

For information about the School of Contemplative Life, please visit our website: www.schoolofcontemplativelife.com