Project Gutenberg 2005-08-01 Public domain in the USA. 297 Kingsley, Charles 1819 1875 Kingley, Charles Kingsley, C. (Charles) The Hermits Transcribed from the 1891 Macmillan and Co. edition by David Price "The Hermits" by Charles Kingsley is a historical account written in the late 19th century that delves into the lives and spiritual journeys of early Christian hermits. The work explores the reasons behind the ascetic movement in the Christian world, focusing on figures such as St. Antony, St. Paul, and others who sought solitude and connection with God during a time of societal decay in the Roman Empire. The opening of "The Hermits" sets the stage for an exploration of the social and moral conditions that drove individuals to abandon the secular world for lives of solitude and contemplation. Kingsley begins with a tale involving St. Paphnutius, a hermit who reflects on the state of the Roman Empire and the corruption that precipitated the monastic movement. Through this narrative, the introduction highlights themes of despair, yearning for purity, and the quest for spiritual solace, painting a vivid picture of the motivations behind the hermits' retreat from society and their pursuit of a higher spiritual calling. The groundwork for individual lives, especially that of St. Antony, is carefully laid, indicating that these early ascetics were not only fleeing societal chaos but were also pioneering new paths in faith and community. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 67.1 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Hermits BX Text Category: History - Ancient Category: History - Religious Category: Religion/Spirituality 573354 2025-07-04T06:53:55.046543 text/html 576006 2013-03-03T13:58:08 text/html 1259813 2025-07-04T06:54:02.499519 application/epub+zip 1263642 2025-07-04T06:53:57.100586 application/epub+zip 290299 2025-07-04T06:53:55.850522 application/epub+zip 1443911 2025-07-04T06:54:06.786507 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1408356 2025-07-04T06:54:01.515506 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 408073 2022-09-04T11:47:18.966330 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 541631 2025-07-04T06:53:54.462534 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 541337 2013-03-03T13:58:34 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18324 2025-07-04T06:54:06.912478 application/rdf+xml 10615 2025-07-04T06:53:56.349543 image/jpeg 2958 2025-07-04T06:53:56.098555 image/jpeg 208366 2013-03-03T14:02:12 application/octet-stream application/zip 1183662 2013-03-03T14:02:13 application/octet-stream application/zip 1251195 2025-07-04T06:53:55.113535 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia