Saint Macrina (327 - 370) was a major guiding force in the early development of monasticism and it was through her example that her brother, Saint Basil the Great, was inspired to establish one of the first monastic communities. This life, written by her other famous brother, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, is one of the masterpieces of Christian literature. One of the most extraordinary texts in early monastic literature and full of unique information about female monasticism, it is an essential complement to Basil's monastic writings. "" --Columba Stewart, OSB, author of 'Cassian the Monk' A luminous account of the practical, forceful, and effective work of this monastic founder and spiritual guide. "" --Susan Ashbrook Harvey, author of 'Asceticism and Society in Crisis: John of Ephesus' and 'The Lives of the Eastern Saints' Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa (c. 330 - 395), theologian, philosopher, and orator, was the last of the great Cappadocian fathers and an ardent supporter of Christian orthodoxy. The profundity and richness of his thought are revealed in his many doctrinal, exegetical, polemical, and ascetical treatises. Kevin Corrigan is a professor at The Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts, Emory University. He is the author of 'Plotinus' Theory of Matter-Evil and the Question of Substance' (1996) and many articles on the patristic and medieval periods.