Women are the worst... Or are they?
The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks is a collection of reflections and parables by the first Christian monks edited by Benedicta Ward. The reader can gain access to insights on a myriad of topics, one of the most prominent topics being what appears to be the monks’ disdain of women. These early monks went so far as to flee to isolated areas to avoid women and the temptation that they bring with them. “The disciple said, ‘Where is there a place that is without women except the desert?’ Sisois said, ‘Then let me stay in the desert’” (11). While to most modern readers this stance might seem harsh, through meditation and a desire for a deeper understanding, one can find wisdom behind the monks’ seemingly extreme stance. One conversation between a hermit and a brother shows how seriously many of the early monks took their avoidance of women. “A hermit asked a brother, ‘Do you often talk with women?’ The brother said, ‘No.’ He went on, ‘My temptations come fro...
