The Desert
Fathers Past and Present:
Photos of Monks and Monasteries of the Eastern Churches
"Photography
teaches its devotees how to look lovingly and intelligently at the world, but religious
mysticism introduces the soul to God."
-- Alvin Langdon Coburn, 1962
 Welcome to Inner Light
Productions, the Web’s leading repository of fine art photographs and
related resources on monks, monasteries, and the monastic life of the Eastern Churches! With over
a thousand visitors per week, it is also one of the most popular sites for those seeking
the wisdom of the Early Church and the teachings of the Desert Fathers. The goal of
our enterprise is simple -- to provide you with "images and words of the Desert
Fathers" to enrich your personal and spiritual life. We do this by making
"images of the spirit" available here, in our book, and for purchase, thereby
giving you the opportunity (and the blessing!) of helping monks and monasteries with
financial support. Several hundred dollars has already been earned for monasteries
in Egypt, Greece, and the Holy Land. This site is updated weekly with new texts from
the Desert Fathers and other information so be sure to bookmark us and visit regularly!
You can also search our site using keywords to get right to
the information you seek.
In addition, we offer carefully selected listings of books, music, and software on
monasticism and the spiritual life which we believe you will appreciate. All revenues from
purchases made through Inner Light Productions goes to support the monastery documentation
project.
Exhibition Photos for the
Home and Office
The photographs offered by Inner Light
Productions are all produced by award- winning photographer and U.S. Foreign
Service Officer, Michael McClellan, who has
traveled throughout Europe and the Middle East to bring you these photos. At present, two
galleries of photos are available: one of Eastern Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox monasteries
in Egypt, and another of some of the monasteries on
Mount Athos in Greece. Later this year, we plan to have
galleries of photos from Russia, Yugoslavia, the United States, the Holy Land, and other
countries on-line, too! There is also a full portfolio of his
photographic work available on-line which contains many other images besides those of
monks and monasteries. In the future, we also expect to offer photos from the monastic
traditions of other religious groups as well.
Fine art prints processed to the highest archival standards are
offered for sale. They are printed to order, signed and dated, and can be shipped with or
without frames, ready to hang.
Our
Book is Now Available!
"Monasticism in Egypt"
I . . .
ordered your photography book and have it on my coffee table.
It's a gem! -- Carolyn Silva, Los Gatos, California
 The first
volume in a planned series of books on the monastic life is now available. "Monasticism in Egypt: Images and Words of the Desert Fathers"
is a beautifully-printed volume you will treasure for years as you view images of
modern-day Fathers of the Egyptian Deserts and read the words of the ancient Desert
Fathers of the third and fourth centuries. As you will see, the "Spirit of the
Desert" is truly alive!
Subscribe Now to Our Free
Newsletter!
The
"Thought of the Week" is like a cool oasis in the desert, uplifting my
spirit. Thank you for being here, to sustain and uplift those of us who "work
in the vineyard," and get weary. God Bless You! -- Rev. Bill Triebe, Somerset, Pennsylvania
Before you step into our gallery, we invite you to subscribe to the Inner
Light Thought of the Week mailing list. Each Sunday, you will receive in your e-mail
mailbox a thought or saying from the ancient Desert Fathers (from Egypt and other monastic
fathers). A full archive of all these
"thoughts" is available here on our site. We hope you will find each of these a
heartwarming inspiration to get your workweek off to the right start.
"I wanted
to write to let you know how important your regular 'Thought of the Week' has become to
me. It is the highlight of my Monday morning mail! The great and gentle wisdom which
comes from these pages not only provides me with the strength and encouragement to
persevere through arduous times, they are also, quite simply, a joy to read. The
words, the thoughts of these wonderful guides of the spirit never fail to move me. They
frequently leave me with a quiet and serenity that goes with me throughout the day.
They are a blessing." --
Richard Byrne, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Thank you again for coming to visit us! Please step into our Gallery now and see what Inner Light Productions
has to offer! And, before you leave, please sign our Guest Book and let us know what you think of our site and offer any
suggestions you may have for improving it!
Inner Light Books --
Writings of the
Holy Desert Fathers and Mothers
 In association with Amazon.com, a specially
selected listing of books on monasticism,
asceticism, Christian spirituality, and ancient Desert Wisdom -- as well as other topics
related to Christianity -- is available which can be safely ordered on-line through
Amazon.com. We also have a Music Store of CDs we think will be of
interest to you. We are confident you will find our carefully chosen products to be just
what you need as you continue learning more about the monastic way and Christian
spirituality in general.
Photography Projects
Currently Underway
Inner Light Productions has several
photography projects underway. Our first book, Monasticism
in Egypt: Images and Words of the Desert Fathers, is now available from
the American University in Cairo Press. After that, hopefully to be published in the year
2000, will be a large-format documentary book which will provide a comprehensive overview
of monasticism in the Eastern Churches at the end of the Second Millennium. Tentatively
entitled, Monks and Monasteries of the Eastern Churches: On the Threshold of a
New Millennium, this book will offer the reader the most thorough overview
available of monastic life in the Eastern Churches of the Middle East, Africa, the
Caucasus, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and North America. If you wish to learn more about
this project, and perhaps participate in it as a sponsor (and be noted in the published
book as a sponsor), please visit our Sponsor Page.
If you want to learn more about this on-going photographic documentary and how it began,
read the enclosed article from The
Christian Activist newspaper.
Other Items of Interest
"The
Monastic Marketplace" -- monks and monasteries produce and sell a
nice range of goods and services including books, religious items, and
even everyday household supplies such as tea, coffee, honey, etc.
Several of the best are collected here for your convenience -- please
support the monasteries by buying their handwork!
"Monasticism
in Egypt: Images and Words of the Desert Fathers" -- the first
volume in our planned series of photo books on monasticism is now available! Get a good
overview of the book here, then go to Amazon.com where you can safely order it on-line at
a discount.
"Inner Light Books and Music" -- on-line
store of carefully selected titles (many with reviews) on monasticism, spirituality, and
Christianity. In association with Amazon.com
"About the Photographer" -- resume and
bio of photographer Michael McClellan. You can also view a full portfolio of his work
on-line.
"Do You Want To Be An 'Inner Light'
Sponsor?" -- information on how to become a sponsor of our millennial documentary
project and the immediate benefits of doing so.
"Monasticism Through the Camera's Lens: One
Convert's Pilgrimage" -- an article about the photographer which appeared in The
Christian Activist, issue #4, 1994.
"A Still, Small Voice: Sixteen Centuries of
Egyptian Monasticism" -- exhibit catalog from our exhibition held at the
Washington National Cathedral in April 1992, sponsored by the National Cathedral and the
Embassy of Egypt, and opened by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III.
"Monasticism in Egypt" -- text of a
speech given by H.H. Pope Shenouda III at the opening of the exhibit at the Washington
National Cathedral, April 1992.
"Related Links" -- we are pleased to
offer here links to other sites on the World Wide Web that concern Eastern Orthodoxy, the
Coptic Church, and monasticism, as well as links to the world of fine art on the World
Wide Web. If you have a site you would like to list here, please e-mail us so we can visit
your site, and then we will be happy to exchange links as appropriate.
Inner Light Productions thanks Akan Ismaili for his help,
guidance, and graphic designs.
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