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The Church Fathers · c. 525–545
The Letters
Barsanuphius and John of Gaza · 6th century
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What it is
Around eight hundred and fifty replies from two enclosed elders to monks and laypeople who wrote to them with questions, from prayer and doubt to lawsuits and illness.
Why it lasted
The most complete record of spiritual direction to survive from the ancient church — both sides of a real correspondence rather than a treatise.
Where to read it
Public domain and free to read in full, though not held here. The archives below have it.
These open a search on each archive rather than a direct link, which is the honest way to point at an edition nobody here has checked line by line.
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