Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden

Join Bishop Erik Varden, a Trappist monk and Bishop of Trondheim, Norway, in this episode of Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden, where he unpacks the timeless wisdom of the Desert Fathers through the lens of Abba Antony’s striking lesson. In this episode, titled "Lacerated Body," Bishop Varden reflects on a story from the sayings of the Desert Fathers, where a brother seeking to become a monk...

In this special Q&A episode of Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden , host Jamie Baxter welcomes Bishop Varden to answer listener questions, offering profound insights from the Desert Fathers’ wisdom. Recorded as Jamie prepares to travel to Norway to join Bishop Varden for future episodes, this session covers topics from the recent chapters on self-mastery and lust, as well as practical and...

Bearing One Another’s Burdens - Lessons from the Desert Fathers on Lust and Fraternity In this powerful bonus roundtable discussion for Episode 26 of Desert Fathers in a Year , host Jamie Baxter, joined by Adam, Doyle, and Jared, dives into the Desert Fathers’ wisdom on sympathy, focusing on a poignant saying from the systematic collection’s chapter on lust. This episode explores the profound Chri...

Episode Overview In this episode of Desert Fathers in a Year , we delve into a poignant story from the Systematic Collection of the Desert Fathers about two brothers navigating the aftermath of temptation in the marketplace. This narrative, rich with lessons on compassion, repentance, and the power of communal support, serves as a mirror for our own struggles with sin and redemption. Host Jamie Ba...

Have a question for Bishop Varden? In this bonus roundtable for Episode 25 of Desert Fathers in a Year with Bishop Erik Varden, host Jamie Baxter and guests Adam, Doyle, and Jared dive into the powerful story of Amma Sarah, the first Desert Mother featured in the series. For thirteen years, Amma Sarah battled the demon of lust, never praying for the temptation to leave but instead seeking God’s st...

Submit your question to Bishop Varden Episode Overview Join host Jamie Baxter from Exodus 90 for Episode 25 of Desert Fathers in a Year , titled “Amma Sara and the Battle Against Temptation.” This episode dives into the fifth chapter of the Desert Fathers’ systematic collection on lust, featuring a powerful saying from desert mother Amma Sara. Guided by Bishop Erik Varden, the episode explores how...

Have a question for Bishop Erik Varden? Bonus Roundtable Discussion - On Discernment: Three Approaches Join us for a special bonus roundtable discussion in Desert Fathers in a Year with host Jamie Baxter from Exodus 90, alongside Adam, Doyle, and Jared. In this episode, we dive into Abba Anthony’s profound teaching on the three bodily movements related to lust: natural, fueled by overindulgence, a...

Episode Overview Join host Jamie Baxter from Exodus 90 for Episode 24 of Desert Fathers in a Year , titled “On Discernment: Three Approaches.” This episode continues the exploration of the fifth chapter of the Desert Fathers’ systematic collection on lust, featuring a profound saying from Abba Anthony. Guided by Bishop Eric Varden, the episode situates Christian sexuality within human dignity and...

Do you have a question for Bishop Varden? Submit your questions here . Episode Overview Join host Jamie Baxter from Exodus 90 and guests Adam, Doyle, and Jared for the bonus roundtable discussion of Episode 23 of Desert Fathers in a Year , titled “Lust.” This episode marks the start of a new focus on the fifth chapter of the Desert Fathers’ systematic collection, exploring the timeless wisdom of A...

Submit your questions to Bishop Erik Varden by emailing hello@desertfathers.com . Episode Overview This episode delves into the Desert Fathers' insights on lust, drawing from Abba Poemen’s counsel to a brother wrestling with lust and anger. We explore how the Fathers understood lust (porneia) as distinct from eros, emphasizing its self-centered nature and its opposition to true freedom in Christ....

Desert Fathers in a Year: Episode 22 Bonus Roundtable - Austerity at Home, Charity Abroad Episode Overview: In this Bonus Roundtable for Episode 22 of Desert Fathers in a Year, host Jamie Baxter, joined by Adam Doyle and Jared, dives into the profound saying of Abba Makarios from the Systematic Collection of the Desert Fathers. The discussion explores the balance between personal austerity and com...

Austerity at Home, Charity Abroad In Episode 22 of Desert Fathers in a Year , we continue our journey into the wisdom of the Desert Fathers, focusing on self-mastery through the lens of Abba Makarios’ life. This episode explores the delicate balance between personal asceticism and communal charity, drawing from a saying in the Systematic Collection of the Desert Fathers . Host Jamie Baxter and Bis...

Desert Fathers in a Year: Episode 21 Bonus Roundtable - Necessary Words Overview In this bonus roundtable discussion for Episode 21 of Desert Fathers in a Year , host Jamie Baxter and guests Adam, Doyle, and Jared dive into the fourth chapter of the systematic collection of the Desert Fathers, focusing on self-mastery. The episode explores a powerful saying attributed to Abba Serapion, highlightin...

Necessary Words: Confession, Freedom, and the Danger of Silence 🏜️ Welcome to Desert Fathers in a Year! In today’s episode, we explore the powerful story of Abba Serapion , who struggled with a seemingly small vice—secretly stealing rusks after meals. What unfolds is a deeply human and spiritual lesson in shame, secrecy, and the liberating power of confession . When Serapion finally confesses his...

Desert Fathers in a Year: Episode 20 Bonus Roundtable - Words That Wound Episode Overview Welcome to the bonus roundtable discussion for Episode 20 of Desert Fathers in a Year , hosted by Jamie Baxter from Exodus 90. In this episode, titled "Words That Wound," Jamie is joined by Adam, Doyle, and Jared to explore a powerful saying from Abba Achillas in the Desert Fathers' systematic collection, foc...

Episode 20: Words That Wound 🏜️ Welcome to Desert Fathers in a Year! In this episode of Desert Fathers in a Year with Bishop Erik Varden, we explore the story of Abba Achillas, who transforms a wounding word into a path of peace. Spitting blood after a brother’s hurtful remark, Achillas reveals the spiritual battle against anger and resentment. Through prayer and restraint, he refuses to spread ha...

To Speak or Not to Speak? Jamie, Doyle, and Jared from the Exodus 90 team meet to discuss Bishop Varden's reflection on Episode 19: Donkey on the Loose. Want to follow along? The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks (Penguin Classics) Each week, we'll meet to discuss Bishop Varden's reflection and what practical takeaways we can glean from it and apply to our lives. New Roundtable...

Donkey on the Loose - Mastering Speech with Abba Antony 🏜️ Welcome to Desert Fathers in a Year! In this episode of Desert Fathers in a Year, we dive into a timeless Desert Fathers story where brothers journey to meet Abba Antony, joined by a silent elder who offers profound wisdom. His metaphor of a "donkey on the loose" critiques their unrestrained speech, revealing the power of self-mastery over...

🏜️ Welcome to Desert Fathers in a Year, Episode 18: Q&A - Ask Bishop Varden Episode Overview In this special episode of Desert Fathers in a Year , we mark the one-third milestone of our series with a listener Q&A featuring Bishop Erik Varden. Bishop Varden answers questions submitted by listeners, covering topics from the organization of the systematic collection to practical spiritual adv...

What is the Fear of God? Jamie, Doyle, Adam, and Jared from the Exodus 90 team meet to discuss Bishop Varden's reflection on Episode 17: The Fear of God. Want to follow along? The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks (Penguin Classics) Each week, we'll meet to discuss Bishop Varden's reflection and what practical takeaways we can glean from it and apply to our lives. New Roundtable...

Do you have a question for Bishop Varden? Submit your question to Bishop Varden for our upcoming Q&A episode. You can submit your question here. 🏜️ Welcome to Desert Fathers in a Year, Episode 17: The Fear of God. In this episode of Desert Fathers in a Year , we explore the profound teaching of Abba Peter on the "fear of God." Far from nervous anxiety, this fear is a reverent awe of God’s divi...

Do you have a question for Bishop Varden? Submit your question to Bishop Varden for our upcoming Q&A episode. You can submit your question here. Jamie, Doyle, Adam, and Jared from the Exodus 90 team meet to discuss Bishop Varden's reflection on Episode 16: The Monk and the Actress. Each week, we'll meet to discuss Bishop Varden's reflection and what practical takeaways we can glean from it and...

🏜️ Welcome to Desert Fathers in a Year, Episode 16: The Monk and the Actress. Discover the profound story of Abba Pambo, a Desert Father, whose encounter with an actress in Alexandria reveals deep Christian compassion and humility. In this episode of Desert Fathers in a Year, we explore Pambo’s tears, sparked by the tragic loss of a soul and his own reflection on spiritual zeal. Learn how his rela...

Jamie, Doyle, Adam, and Jared from the Exodus 90 team meet to discuss Bishop Varden's reflection on Episode 15: Penthos. Each week, we'll meet to discuss Bishop Varden's reflection and what practical takeaways we can glean from it and apply to our lives. New Roundtable Discussions will be published every Thursday. We owe a special thanks to our partners. Desert Fathers in a Year is... • ...written...

🏜️ Welcome to Desert Fathers in a Year, Episode 15: Penthos. Please visit DesertFathers.com to subscribe to our email newsletter and to download a free PDF of Athanasius's Life of Antony. Modern life is like a desert, parched for the life-giving water that Jesus promised to the woman at the well. The Desert Fathers offer timeless insights for our growth in self-knowledge, charity, and holiness. We...