Read Summaries and Samples of Christian Spiritual Classics
Early Church Period
- 90's: I Clement here
- 155: Polycarp: Letter to the Philippians here
- c.175: Theophilus: Apology here
- c.300-350: The Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Apophthegmata Patrum) here
- d. 407: John Chrysostom, "Golden Mouth" here
Medieval Period
- c.460: St. Patrick: Confessions here
- c.530: Benedict of Nursia: “73 Commandments” from his Rule here
- c.1150: Bernard of Clairvaux: On Loving God here
- c.1226: Francis of Assisi: The Little Flowers here
- c. mid-1200s: Mechthild of Magdeburg: The Flowing Light of the Godhead here
Protestant Reformation
- Erasmus: The Handbook of the Christian Soldier here
- Ignatius Loyola: Spiritual Exercises here
Post-Protestant Reformation Europe
- 1675: Philip Jacob Spener: Pious Desires: Father of Pietism here
- c.1691: Brother Lawrence: The Practice of the Presence of God here
- c.late 1800's: Russian Orthodox Classic: The Way of the Pilgrim here
- 1893: The shortest Christian Spiritual Classic: Hound of Heaven here