"This is a collection of 23 discourses, addressed to monks, written in the Armenian language in probably the sixth century. The discourses provide instruction on the ascetic life and Christian morality, utilizing Biblical texts and theological themes that were prevalent among early Christian writers of the Eastern church. Emphases include the practice of virtue, the purification of the soul, and the attainment of union with God. In the introduction to the book, the translator provides detailed analysis of the discourses and their historical context, and in the appendices he illustrates philological and literary questions related to the discourses"--