Book excerpt: The life of Syncletica is one of the oldest lives of a woman saint and provides rare testimony to the life of female sanctity in the fifth century. This translation of the life forms Part One of a two-part set, while Part Two provides the first full-length study of the teachings and spiritual background of this most remarkable woman. Anchored firmly in the Scriptures and in everyday, human experience, Syncletica's teachings are as pertinent today as they were fifteen centuries ago. Her meditations, based on astute psychological insights, still have the power to inspire, to encourage, and to challenge latter-day disciples to live authentic Christian lives.