Introduction
The phenomenon of mysticism is complex. It has many characteristics depending on different religious traditions. Mysticism in Christianity itself is diverse and reflects different cultures and periods. Here we are studying early Christian mysticism through two very early writers: Aphrahat the Persian Sage (c 260-c 345) and Theodoret of Cyrus (c 393-469) whose works allow us both to define the mystic pathways of Christian proto-monachism and to identify the place of women, at that time already important, in the development of mysticism.
