Bonnie B. Thurston 
Saint Mary of Egypt 
A Modern Verse Life and Interpretation

2022 Catholic Media Association second place award in mysticism



From its origins in the fourth and fifth centuries, first in monastic circles and then in wider Christian communities, the story of Mary of Egypt was wildly popular. From early Christianity through the medieval periods, from Egypt to Scandinavia, verse lives in Greek, Latin, and vernacular languages portray her as the model of repentance. Continuously venerated in the liturgy and icons of the Orthodox Churches, she is now seldom known in the West. This modern verse life and the accompanying essay reintroduces St. Mary’s extraordinary life, its theological and spiritual implications, and its remarkable depiction of gender complementarity.

Про автора

Benedicta Ward (1933-2022) was a Reader in the History of Christian Spirituality at the University of Oxford. Her most recent book was Anselm of Canterbury: His Life and Legacy (SPCK 2009). She was a member of the Anglican monastic community of the Sisters of the Love of God.