Episode 40: Q&A w/ Bishop Varden

Episode 40: Q&A w/ Bishop Varden

Author: Exodus 90 October 1, 2025 Duration: 1:10:43

In this Q&A session with Bishop Erik Varden, Jamie Baxter and Bishop Varden explore:

  • The nature of love and self-forgetfulness
  • Philosophical perspectives on progress
  • The relevance of Stoicism
  • The implications of artificial intelligence
  • The importance of maintaining joy in celebratory seasons
  • And more!

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This January, take up the example of the Fathers and embrace a life of prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. Leave behind the pharaohs and idols that keep you enslaved and take up the journey to the promised land. Join tens of thousands of men from all around the world for the Exodus 90 Challenge. We start January 5th, 2026. Download the Exodus 90 app or visit 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 and Context of the Q&A Session

03:07 The Nature of Love and Self-Forgetfulness

09:03 Philosophical Perspectives on Progress and History

18:45 Stoicism and Its Relevance to Christian Living

21:41 Artificial Intelligence and Wisdom from the Desert Fathers

29:19 The Solitary Life and Its Impact on Humanity

35:09 Challenges of Prayer and Asceticism

44:42 Living Joyfully in Celebratory Seasons

49:35 The Discipline of Speech and Communication

54:07 Practical Wisdom for Financial Responsibility

58:38 Navigating Romantic Relationships and Spiritual Priorities

01:07:57 Conclusion and Blessing






Tags:


Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden, Q&A, love, self-knowledge, humility, progress, Stoicism, artificial intelligence, prayer, asceticism, financial responsibility, romantic relationships


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
Podcast Episodes
Episode 32: Philosophy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 wis…
Episode 31: Gold [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:00
In this episode of Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden, Bishop Varden explores the teachings of the Desert Fathers on the theme of possessing nothing, emphasizing the dangers of materialism and the importance of gener…
Episode 30: Foresight and Providence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:33
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden explores the theme of possession and trust through the story of a gardener who learns the importance of relying on God rather than hoarding wealth. The conversation d…
Episode 29: Lovely Books [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:56
In this episode of Desert Fathers, Bishop Erik Varden explores the themes of unity in early Christianity, the significance of books in monastic life, and the balance between possession and purpose in knowledge. Bishop Va…
Episode 28: Lacerated Body [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:11
Join Bishop Erik Varden, a Trappist monk and Bishop of Trondheim, Norway, in this episode of Desert Fathers with Bishop Erik Varden, where he unpacks the timeless wisdom of the Desert Fathers through the lens of Abba Ant…
Bonus Roundtable: Sympathy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:21
Bearing One Another’s Burdens - Lessons from the Desert Fathers on Lust and FraternityIn this powerful bonus roundtable discussion for Episode 26 of Desert Fathers in a Year, host Jamie Baxter, joined by Adam, Doyle, and…
Episode 26: Sympathy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:06
Episode OverviewIn this episode of Desert Fathers in a Year, we delve into a poignant story from the Systematic Collection of the Desert Fathers about two brothers navigating the aftermath of temptation in the marketplac…
Bonus Roundtable: The Source of Strength [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:06
Have a question for Bishop Varden?In this bonus roundtable for Episode 25 of Desert Fathers in a Year with Bishop Erik Varden, host Jamie Baxter and guests Adam, Doyle, and Jared dive into the powerful story of Amma Sara…
Episode 25: The Source of Strength [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:55
Submit your question to Bishop VardenEpisode OverviewJoin host Jamie Baxter from Exodus 90 for Episode 25 of Desert Fathers in a Year, titled “Amma Sara and the Battle Against Temptation.” This episode dives into the fif…