"The Macarian writings are among the most important and influential works of the early Christian ascetic and mystical tradition. Marcus Plested deals both with their immediate historical and theological context and with their later influence and circulation - their 'legacy'. His book constitutes the first attempt to examine in detail and in the round the nature of that legacy within the Eastern Christian tradition. This is undertaken not so much as an exercise in source criticism as an exploration of the very nature and dynamic of the Christian paradosis. In short, Plested offers a timely reassessment of the 'place' of the writings in the Eastern Christian tradition, thereby clearing away some of the pre-conceptions that have hindered due appreciation of these remarkable works."--BOOK JACKET.