Extreme Pilgrim

This is the title of a short TV series in UK in which a Church of England priest, Peter Lewis Jones, goes off in search of spiritual paths; in China, India, and, the other night, by traveling out into the deserts of Upper Egypt to spend three weeks alone in the caves at the Monastery of St Anthony. His guide is the wonderful Father Lazarus, who has a much more spectacular beard than me.

I was skeptical about this series, fearing some of the worst aspects of both reality TV styles, and western spiritual tourism which parachutes people into situations and expects instant results. I have to say I was wrong, and was impressed by the programme and its central character. His time in Egypt was very honest, very open and very brave. He began by challenging the prevailing dualist theology, which encourages a life of constant prayer with the threat that the demons will get you if you don’t. Jones didn’t find this attractive or compelling, and neither do I. I found the same thing reading William Dalrymple’s “From the Holy Mountain” last year. Eventually, however, Jones set this aside, and simply set about the task in hand; maintaining the pattern of his devotions in an implacably hostile environment; facing up to the external challenge of his situation, and the inner challenge of confronting his own faith and personality. I thought he came through the whole thing as a brave and wise individual who had grown visibly through the experience.