Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Desert Fathers

  • Gluttony: rise, fall, and resurgence of a capital sin

    F. Gonzalez-CrussiChicago, Illinois, United States The notion of gluttony (gula in Latin, meaning throat, gullet) was born among the Desert Fathers. These were hermits who in the early Middle Ages chose to live in a harsh environment and in solitude, conditions they deemed most suitable for mystical contemplation. Among them, the monk Evagrius Ponticus (345-399…