New Books in Religion · New Books Network

Daniel Eastman An, "Fear of God: Practicing Emotion in Late Antique Monasticism" (U California Press, 2025)

January 24, 2026·38 min·3 clips
Why did Greek monks interpret fear of God as fear of divine judgment, unlike other languages?
Dr. Daniel Ahn discusses his book 'Fear of God: Practicing Emotion in Late Antique Monasticism,' exploring how monastic communities in the Eastern Mediterranean (4th-7th centuries) understood and practiced fear of God through linguistic, social, and material approaches. He reveals how language influenced interpretations, fear shaped community relationships, and spaces like monasteries fostered emotional connections.

As heard by us

A careful look at monastic fear of God as a practiced discipline.

Daniel Eastman's discussion stays close to a practical question: what fear of God meant in late antique monastic life, and how monks learned it through Psalms, prayer, and discipline.

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Why you'd press play

You want to hear how fear of God gets folded into daily psalm-singing and monastic prayer.

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