At the same time, the desert fathers in Egypt were guiding their disciples in the ways of contemplative prayer, teaching them to enter into wordless silence where they would encounter God. Their teaching profoundly influenced Eastern Christianity where mystical theology flourished, as the hesychasts taught the Jesus prayer and led their disciples to the heights of contemplation. The desert fathers also influenced Western monasticism where contemplation put down roots that remain to this day.
— William Johnston, Mystical Theology