Episode 32: Philosophy

Episode 32: Philosophy

Author: Exodus 90 August 5, 2025 Duration: 12:16

In this episode, Bishop Erik Varden reflects on the virtue of fortitude as taught by the Desert Fathers, emphasizing the importance of enduring hardship in the pursuit of wisdom.

The conversation explores how ancient wisdom can guide modern challenges. The episode concludes with a call to live logically and in alignment with the teachings of Christ, drawing inspiration from the lives of early Christian monks.

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Join Saint Michael’s Lent starting August 15 on the Exodus 90 app for a 40-day spiritual devotion. Go to exodus90.com to learn more!

Visit Desertfathers.com to join our email newsletter for updates and reflections.

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We owe a special thanks to our partners. Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden is...

• 🦉...written by Bishop Erik Varden. You can follow Bishop Varden on his blog, coramfratribus.com.

• 🎥 ...produced by EWTN

• 🎙️ ...edited and supported by Saint Kolbe Studios


• 🧡...and brought to you by Exodus 90, download the Exodus 90 app today

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Fortitude and the Desert Fathers

01:56 Philosophy and Hardship in Pursuit of Wisdom

09:22 Enduring Hardship and Living Logically

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Tags: Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden, fortitude, philosophy, wisdom, hardship, trials, St. Gregory, Christian life, perseverance, spiritual growth


There’s a particular kind of stillness that feels almost impossible to find now, a quiet where you might actually hear something other than the next notification. Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden is built around that search for quiet, drawing direct lines between our fragmented modern experience and the ancient, radical journey of the early Christian monastics. This isn’t a history lesson, though you’ll certainly learn. Instead, Bishop Varden, with the Exodus 90 community, acts as a guide through a year-long exploration, starting at the new year. Each episode becomes a point of reflection, using the stark wisdom of those who went into the literal desert to find God as a mirror for our own crowded lives. You’ll hear their stories and sayings unpacked not as relics, but as surprisingly urgent counsel for anyone feeling parched by the pace and pressure of today’s culture. The rhythm of this podcast is intentional-meant to be absorbed slowly, creating space to consider how their pursuit of essential truth challenges our own attachments and distractions. It’s an invitation to see your own daily landscape, with all its demands and digital noise, as a place where that same transformative silence can be cultivated.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden
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