Page 83 - LD215 History of the Church in Africa A4 final

The Nile Corridor Churches

of the Nile. During the time he spent in the mountains Antony
underwent a series of temptations. The demons of lust, fear, and
pain tormented him so severely that at times he lost consciousness.…
Antony emerged from the mountains a changed man and became
the counselor of bishops and emperors. (1996, 33)

From the evidence, it is clear that Anthony and the monastic
movement became very popular in the Coptic Church. Isichei states: “It
was said at a later date, with pardonable exaggeration, that there were
more Egyptians in the desert than in the cities” (28). Sundkler adds:

The rapid growth of the [monastic] movement is seen in the fact
that at Easter A.D. 390, no less than 50,000 monks congregated
for the feast. This also explains the rural masses’ transition to
Christianity in Upper Egypt. The monks were the missionaries of
the church. (15)

Pachomius was the first monk to organize a commune (a community
of life-minded people) for those who wanted to live apart from society.
Thus, the early history of monasticism was written in Coptic and
developed on African soil. This movement led to monks, monasteries,
nuns, and convents.

Another individual associated with Anthony was Didymus the Blind.
Born in the early part of the fourth century, Didymus of Alexandria lost
his sight when he was four years of age. Burgess offers insight into his
life and service:

However, his indomitable determination, intense desire to
learn, and prayer for inner light more than compensated for his
physical handicap. He studied the alphabet from wooden tablets
and became acquainted with grammar, vocabulary, and literary
structure by attentive listening.… Asked by St. Antony of the Desert
whether he was saddened by his blindness, Didymus responded
that it was a great grief to him. To this Anthony replied: “I am
surprised that a wise man should grieve at the loss of a faculty
which he shared with ants and flies and gnats, and not rejoice
rather in having one of which only saints and apostles have been
thought worthy.” (1984, 113)

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