| Maximus, St. Gregory Palamas emphasized the fulness of the human structure, in which an earthly body is united with the reasonable soul, as the preeminent title of man to be regarded as the «image of God,» Capita physica, theol. etc., 63, 66, 67, M.G. CL, col. 1147, 1152, 1165. 144 Cf. St. Gregory of Nyssa, Oratio cat., 35, ed. Srawley, p. 133; Eng. transl. p. 103; c. 8, p. 46, transl. p. 47; De mortuis, M.G. XLVI, col. 520, 529; Orat. fun. de Placid., XLVI, 876–877. St. Gregory here reechoes St. Methodius, the similarity is even in the terms used; see Srawley’s comparison in the introduction to his edition of the «Catechetical Oration,» p. xxv–xxviii. The analogy of refinement itself is taken from St. Methodius: see De resurr. 1.43.2–4, Bonwetsch (1917), p. 291; 42.3, p. 288–289; cf. Symp. ix.2, Bonw. 116. Methodius reproduces the tradition of Asia Minor. See in Theophilus of Antioch, ad Autolicum II.26, Otto s. 128 ss. Almost word for word St. Irenaeus, adv. haeres. III.23.6; 19.3, M.G. VII, 964, 941; 23–111; cf. frg. XII, c. 1233, 1236. The same in Hippolitus, adv. Graecos, 2, ap. Hell, TU XX.2, frg. 353, s. 140. St. Epiphanius includes large sections from Methodius in his Panarion, haeres. 64, cap. 22–29, ed. Holl II, 435–448. St. Basil also held the conception of death as a healing process, Quod Deus non est auctor malor., 7, M.G. XXXI, 345; also St. John Chrysostom, De resurr. mort. 7, M.G. L, c. 429. 145 St. Irenaeus, adv. haeres. III. 18.7: νωσεν ον τν νθρωπον τ Θε (lat.: haerere facit et adunavit), M.G. VII, c. 937; 19.2: non enim proteramus aliter incorruptelam et immortalitatem percipere, nisi adunati fuissemus incorruptelae et immortalitati, nisi prius incorruptela et immortalitas facta fuisset id quod et nos, ut absorberetur quod erat corruptibile ab incorruptela; c. 939; V.12.6: hoc autem et in semel totum sanum et integrum redintegravit hominem, perfectum eum sibi praeparans ad resurrectionem, c. 1155–1156. 146 St. Athanasius, De Incarnatione, 6–8; M.G. |
| Far more than a group of disparate texts bound together at random in a single volume, it is indeed what its editors St Makarios of Corinth and St Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain claim it to be: «a mystical school of noetic prayer» 26 . Sometimes I am asked: in what order should the writings of the Philokalia be read? Should we start at the beginning, on page one, and read straight through to the end? Probably that is not the best method. To one who is unfamiliar with Hesychasm but who has a serious and deep longing to discover its true meaning, I sometimes suggest the following sequence of texts: i. St Kallistos and St Ignatios Xanthopoulos, Directions to Hesy-chasts (Philokalia IV, 197–295, English translation Kadloubovsky and Palmer, Writings from the Philokalia, 164–270) 27 . ii. St Hesychios the Priest, On Watchfulness and Holiness (Philokalia I, 141–73, English translation I, 162–98). iii. Evagrios the Solitary (alias Neilos the Ascetic: i.e. Evagrios of Pontus), On Prayer (Philokalia I, 176–89, English translation I, 55–71). iv. A Discourse on Abba Philimon (Philokalia II, 241–52, English translation II, 344–57). v. St Gregory of Sinai, On the Signs of Grace and Delusion; On Stillness; On Prayer (Philokalia IV, 66–88, English translation IV, 257–86) 28 . But here I strongly recommend readers not to attempt the physical technique mentioned by St Gregory, unless they are under the direct instruction of an experienced spiritual teacher. The Philokalia yesterday and today Such is the character of the Philokalia: what, then, has been its influence? In the Greek world the book had initially only a limited impact, in part perhaps because (as already noted) almost all the texts were given in the original Patristic or Byzantine Greek, not in a neo-Greek paraphrase. More than a century passed before a second Greek edition appeared in 1893; and it was not until 64 years later that another Greek edition commenced publication in 1957. Thus, during the first 175 years of its existence, the Greek Philokalia was printed only three times; it was not exactly a best seller! It is significant that a standard work of reference in the 1930 " s, the multi-volume Great Hellenic Encyclopedia, under the heading " Philokaliá mentions only the Philokalia of Origen, edited by St Basil the Great and St Gregory the Theologian, while making no reference at all to the Philokalia of St Makarios and St Nikodimos 29 . |
| The great spiritual abilities of the young monk were evidenced in the Church reading and singing. He was musically talented and possessed a voice that " in church singing and reading was like that of a swallow, wondrously harmonious, delighting the ears of those who heard him. " St. Paphnutius assigned Joseph as ecclesiarch. Joseph spent about seventeen years in the monastery of St. Paphnutius. The strict monastic obedience under the guidance of the experienced abbot was an excellent spiritual school for him, giving him the education needed to become an instructor and guide of monastic life. Towards the end of St Paphnutius’s life, Joseph was ordained hieromonk and, in accord with the final wishes of St Paphnutius, he was appointed Abbot of the Borov monastery. St Joseph decided to transform the monastic life along strictly coenobitic principles, following the example of the Kiev Caves, Holy Trinity-St. Sergius, and St. Cyril of White Lake monasteries. However, this intention was met with strong opposition from a majority of the brethren. Only seven pious monks were of one mind with the abbot. St. Joseph decided to visit Russian coenobitic monasteries in order to seek out the best arrangement for monastic life. He arrived together with the Elder Gerasimus at the St Cyril of White Lake monastery, which itself presented a model of strict asceticism on the principles of a coenobitic monastery rule. His acquaintance with the life of these monasteries strengthened St Joseph's views. But, after returning to Borov monastery at the wish of the prince, St Joseph again encountered the brethrens’ same staunch resistance to changing their customary rule. Thus, he resolved to found a new monastery with a strict coenobitic rule. He took seven like-minded monks to Volokolamsk, his native region, to a forest known to him since childhood. The prince of Volokolamsk at the time was Boris Vasilievich, the pious brother of Grand Prince Ivan III. Having heard about the virtuous life of the great ascetic Joseph, he gladly received him and allowed him to settle on the outskirts of his principality, at the confluence of the Rivers Struga and Sestra. The selection of this spot was accompanied by a remarkable occurrence: a storm blew down the trees before the eyes of the astonished travelers, as though clearing the place for the future monastery. Here, on June 1479, the ascetics set up a cross and built a wooden church in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God, which was consecrated on August 15, 1479. This is historically the date of the founding of the monastery of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, later named after its founder. |
| Finally, the Soviet victory over fascist Germany created conditions favorable for the return of the national treasures to Georgia. According to an agreement between Stalin and De Gaulle, the treasures and their faithful protector were loaded onto an American warplane and flown back to their motherland on April 11, 1945. When he finally stepped off the plane and set foot on Georgian soil, St. Ekvtime bowed deeply and kissed the earth where he stood. Georgia greeted its long-lost son with great honor. The people overwhelmed St. Ekvtime with attention and care, restored his university professorship, and recognized him as an active member of the Academy of Sciences. They healed the wounds that had been inflicted on his heart. Exhausted by the separation from his motherland and the woes of emigration, St. Ekvtime rejoined society with the last of his strength. But mankind’s enemy became envious of the victory of good over evil and rose up against St. Ekvtime’s unshakable spirit. In 1951 the Chekists arrested his stepdaughter, Lydia Poltoratskaya. St. Ekvtime, who by that time was seriously ill, was now left without his caregiver. In 1952, without any reasonable explanation, St. Ekvtime was forbidden to lecture at the university he himself had helped to found, and he was secretly placed under house arrest. The people who had reverently greeted him upon his return now trembled in fear of his persecution and imminent death. Many tried to visit and support St. Ekvtime, but they were forbidden. On February 21, 1953, St. Ekvtime died of a heart attack, and three days later a group of approximately forty mourners accompanied the virtuous prince to his eternal resting place. On February 10, 1963, the centennial of St. Ekvtime’s birth, his body was reburied at the Didube Pantheon in Tbilisi. When his grave was uncovered, it was revealed that not only his body, but even his clothing and footwear had remained incorrupt. St. Ekvtime’s relics were moved once again, to the Pantheon at the Church of St. Davit of Gareji on Mtatsminda, where they remain today. |
| –. «Nothingness in the Philosophy of Lao Tzu.» Philosophy East and West. Vol. 1, no. 3 (October 1951). Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr. The Gulag Archipelago. Vol. 2. New York: Harper and Row, 1975. Sophrony (Sakharov), Archimandrite. His Life Is Mine. Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1977. -. Saint Silouan the Athonite. Essex, England: Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist, 1991. –. We Shall See Him as He Is. Essex, England: Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist, 1988. Stakhovich, Nun Maria, and Sergius Bolshakoff. Interior Silence: Elder Michael, the Last Great Mystic of Valaam. Platina, Calif.: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1992. Staniloae, Dumitru. Orthodox Spirituality. South Canaan, Penn.: St. Tikhon " ». Seminary Press, 2002. –. Theology and the Church. Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1980. Symeon the New Theologian. The First-Created Man. Platina, Calif.: St. Herman Brotherhood, 1994. -. St. Symeon the New Theologian: The Discourses. The Classics of Wester it Spirituality Series. New York: Paulist Press, 1980. Sze, Mai-mai. The Way of Chinese Painting. New York: Random House, 1956. Theophan the Recluse, St. The Path of Prayer: Four Sermons on Prayer. Newbury, Mass.: Praxis Institute Press, 1992. –. The Path to Salvation: A Manual of Spiritual Transformation. Platina, Calif.: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1996. –. The Spiritual Life and How to Be Attuned to It. Platina, Calif.: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1995. Thompson, Laurence G. Chinese Religion: An Introduction. The Religious Life of Man Series. 2d edition. Encino, Calif.: Dickenson Publishing Co., 1975. –. The Chinese Way in Religion. The Religious Life of Man Series. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1973. Waley, Arthur., trans. The Book of Songs. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1937. –. Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1939. Reprint. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1982. –. The Way and Its Power: A Study of the “Tao Te Ching» and Its Place in Chinese Thought. New York: Grove Press, 1958. |
| Merton, Thomas (1915–68): Roman Catholic Cistercian writer in the USA, author of The Sign of Jonas (London, 1953), Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (Image Books, New York, 1968), etc. New Clairvaux, Monk of: author of Don’t You Belong to Me? (Paulist Press, N.Y., 1979). Newman, John Henry Cardinal (1801–90): leader of the Anglican Tractarians; became a Roman Catholic in 1845; author of The Arians of the Fourth Century (1833) and other works on the Fathers. Suso, Henry (c. 1295–1366): German Dominican mystical writer. See The Life of Blessed Henry Suso by Himself, tr. T.F. Knox (London, 1913). Thompson, Francis (1859–1907): Roman Catholic poet. Traherne, Thomas (c. 1636–74): English mystical poet and spiritual writer; author of Centuries of Meditations. Tyrrell, George (1861–1909): Roman Catholic writer linked with the Modernist movement. Index AUTHORS AND SOURCES Abraham Yakov of Sadagora, 70 Agathon, Abba, 140, 151 Andrew of Crete, St, 180, 186 Antony of Egypt, St, 12, 54, 142, 143, 146, 186 Antony, Metropolitan of Kiev, 105, 186 Aphrahat, 42, 52, 186 Arsenius, Abba, 172 Athanasius of Alexandria, St, 27, 186 Augustine, St, 22, 59, 108, 186 Basil the Great, St, 27, 43, 71, 93,186 Liturgy of, 103, 109 Beausobre, lulia de, 86, 131, 186 Berdyaev, Nicolas, 73, 186 Betjeman, John, 9 Blake, William, 14–15, 158 Boehme, Jacob, 172, 194 Book of the Poor in Spirit, 83,194 Brianchaninov: see Ignatii Bulgakov, Sergius, 79,187 Cabasilas: see Nicolas Cabasilas Christmas, hymns for, 94, 98, 103,114 Chrysostom: see John Chrysostom Clement of Alexandria, St, 71, 169, 187 Clément, Olivier, 22, 86, 159, 187 Climacus: see John Climacus Cloud of Unknowing, 20, 194 Colliander, Tito, 48, 151, 172, 173, 187 Cyril of Alexandria, St, 103, 187 Cyril of Jerusalem, St, 182, 187 Desert Fathers: see Sayings of the Desert Fathers Diadochus of Photike, St, 175, 187 Dimitrii of Rostov, St, 21, 187 Dionysius the Areopagite, St, 31, 141, 169, 172,187 Dostoevsky, Feodor, 73, 81, 108, 127, 128, 187 Duns Scotus, 92 |
| The immediate influence of the Philokalia, or rather Dobrotlyubie, was most immediately felt in Russia, where it was read by St. Seraphim of Sarov and the monks of Optina Pustyn’, the monastery south of Moscow that became a center for the Slavophiles and other members of the Russian intelligentsia. It led to a revival of monasticism in Russia, in which stress was laid on the practice of private prayer, especially the Jesus Prayer, and the institution of spiritual fatherhood (starchestvo), echoes of which can be heard in Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov. It also inspired a revival of interest in the fathers, among whom the philokalic fathers formed a core. A work with a complex history, known in English as The Way of the Pilgrim, popularized the Jesus Prayer and (in its most common form) the institution of starchestvo, both in Russia and then through translations in the 20th century throughout the world. The Jesus Prayer, from being the preserve of primarily Athonite monks, came to gain a popularity that now reaches well beyond the bounds of Orthodoxy. in the 20th century there were translations into many European languages, mostly selections from the Greek Philokalia. in the English-speaking world the first translations were from the Russian of St. Theophan’s Dobrotolyubie, though there is a projected (not yet completed) translation of the whole Greek text of the original. Rather different is the Romanian translation, the work of the great Romanian theologian, Fr. Dumitru Staniloae. This version is much longer than the Greek original, and often includes a more comprehensive selection of the works of the fathers included, as well as supplementing the selection found in the Greek version by other philokalic fathers, frequently following the example of St. Theophan. it also includes a commentary, recognizing that a reader of a printed book now cannot be sure of the guidance of a spiritual father, a thing taken for granted by the original compilers. SEE ALSO: Elder (Starets); Hesychasm; Jesus Prayer; Pilgrim, Way of the; St. Gregory Palamas (1296–1359); St. Isaac the Syrian (7th c.); St. Maximos the Confessor (580–662); St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite (1749–1809); St. Paisy Velichovsky (1722–1794); St. Seraphim of Sarov (1759–1833); St. Symeon the New Theologian (949–1022); St. Theophan (Govorov) the Recluse (1815–1894); Sts. Barsanuphius and John (6th c.); Staniloae, Dumitru (1903–1993) |
| Another affinity that the Irish shared with the Orthodox practice was its own form of the liturgy. Over the centuries the Orthodox Church has maintained a variety of liturgies, all of ancient origin, such as the liturgies of St John Chrysostom, St James the Apostle and St Basil the Great. Evidence of a pre-Roman liturgy of the Irish Church can be found in manuscripts such as the Antiphonary of Bangor , a collection of hymns and prayers dating from around 680. These texts radiate a Christian view of the world that echoes the Psalms in praise of God’s creation, as in the writings of the Church Fathers. All of creation is viewed as a vast whole, without the dualism of spirit and matter that would become the dominant post-Patristic medieval Western heterodox cosmology. It is pertinent to note that the metaphysical system expounded by the Irish philosopher John Scottus Eriugena (see further on) would also reflect this awareness of the unity of all creation. This reinforces our view that Irish Christianity was a holistic, Patristic faith. Irish missionary activity From their base in Ireland, missionaries spread out over Britain and continental Europe, proclaiming the Gospel, baptizing the people, and establishing places of worship and instruction. They often wandered about in groups of seven, or more often twelve, plus a leader, following the example of Christ and His twelve apostles. According to a 1966 study by Georges and Bernadette Cerbelaud-Salagnac, nearly 300 Irish missionaries went to Britain and the Continent. An even larger number set out from the monastery at Luxeuil (which was founded by St Columban in Belgium around 591) to the surrounding lands. The major figures in this enormous Irish missionary activity were St Columcille, who founded the monastery on Iona and evangelized the Scots and Picts; St Aidan, who founded the monastery on Lindisfarne and evangelized the Northumbrians; St Fridolin, who founded monasteries in France and Germany; St Fursey, who founded monasteries in East Anglia and Gaul; St Kilian, who did missionary work among the East Franks and the Thuringians, and suffered martyrdom; St Gall, the Enlightener of Switzerland; and St Columban, who founded monasteries in Belgium, Switzerland and Italy against fierce opposition. We will look at their lives further on in this essay. |
| The christological and Origenist controversies that raged in Palestine during the 6th century colored the Discourses’ initial reception. St. Theodore the Studite attested to their orthodoxy in the late 8th century, although it is possible that St. John Klimakos had already written the Ladder of Divine Ascent with them in mind. Dorotheos’ influence spread with the Studite monastic reforms, especially to Mount Athos, and his works were read in refectories throughout the Greek East, along with those of St. Ephrem and the desert Apophthegmata. St. Nil Sorskii partially translated Dorotheos into Church Slavonic in the 15th century. Since Dorotheos’ writings also indicate early traditions of the Jesus Prayer, they were incorporated into St. Paisy Velichovsky’s hesychast renewal movement. St. Theophan the Recluse accordingly appended Dorotheos’ works, which had been translated and published separately by the Optina Hermitage in the 1850s, to the 19th-century Russian translation of the Philokalia. SEE ALSO: Cappadocian Fathers; Desert Fathers and Mothers; Hesychasm; Jesus Prayer; Optina; Philokalia·; Non-Possessors (Nil Sorskii); Pontike, Evagrios (ca. 345–399); St. John Klimakos (ca. 579-ca. 659); St. Paisy Velichovsky (1722–1794); St. Theophan (Govorov) the Recluse (1815–1894); Sts. Barsanuphius and John (6th c.) REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS Chryssavgis, J. (trans.) (2003) Barsanuphius and John, Letters from the Desert: A Selection of Questions and Responses. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press. Wheeler, E. (trans.) (1977) Dorotheos of Gaza: Discourses and Sayings. Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications. St. Elizaveta Feodorovna (1864–1918) KONSTANTIN GAVRILKIN Born as Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Luise Alice of Hesse, she was the older sister of Alexandra of Hesse, the future wife of Tsar Nicholas II (1872–1918). In 1884 Elizabeth became Orthodox and married Grand Duke Sergei (1857–1905), the fifth son of Emperor Alexander II (d. 1881). She assumed the name of Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna of Russia and quite soon became actively involved in various charities, especially for women and children from poor and destitute families, creating for them jobs, hospitals, schools, and affordable housing. In 1891 the couple moved to Moscow, where her husband was to serve as governor general. In 1905 the terrorist Ivan Kaliaev assassinated Grand Duke Sergei by throwing a bomb at his carriage. |
| Lambert// Idem. Le «Chronicon Sancti Laurentii Leodiensis» dit de Rupert de Deutz. Louvain, 1952. P. 371-395; M è re Marie-Henri [Bribosia M.]. L " iconographie de St. Lambert//Bull. de la Commission royale des monuments et des sites. Brux., 1955. T. 6. P. 85-248; Gaier C. Le rôle militaire des reliques et de l " étendard de St. Lambert dans la principauté de Liège//Le Moyen Âge. Brux., 1966. T. 72. P. 235-249; Lampen W., Colafranceschi C. Lamberto//BiblSS. Vol. 7. Col. 1079-1082; Jonsson R. Historia: Études sur la genèse des offices versifiés. Stockh., 1968. P. 127-184; Colman P., Sneyers R. Le buste-reliquaire de St. Lambert de la cathédrale de Liège et sa restauration//Bull. de l " Institut royal du patrimoine artistique. Brux., 1973/1974. T. 14. P. 39-88; Philippe J. La cathédrale St.-Lambert de Liège: Gloire de l " Occident et de l " art mosan. Liège, 1979; St. Lambert: Culte et iconographie/Éd. Ph. George. Liège, 1980; Werner M. Der Lütticher Raum in frühkarolingischer Zeit: Untersuch. z. Geschichte einer karolingischen Stammlandschaft. Gött., 1980. S. 241-275; Nisin P. A. L " arrière plan historique du «Triomphe de St. Lambert» à Bouillon//Le Moyen Âge. 1983. T. 89. P. 195-213; Kupper J.-L. St. Lambert: De l " histoire à la légende//RHE. 1984. T. 79. P. 5-49; Gerberding R. A. The Rise of the Carolingians and the «Liber Historiae Francorum». Oxf., 1987. P. 116-135; Wood I. N. The Merovingian Kingdoms, 450-751. L.; N. Y., 1994; Hamann S. Frühe genealogische Verbindungen um das Patrozinium St. Lambert//Regensburg, Bayern und Europa: FS f. K. Reindel zum 70. Geburtstag. Regensburg, 1995. S. 49-69; Thibaux J.-B. Vie de St. Lambert: Un écrit liégeois du Xe siècle. Verviers, 1997; Adam R. La Vie de St. Lambert (ca 1144-1145) du chanoine Nicolas et l " élection du prince-évêque Henri de Leez (1145-1164)//Bull. de l " Inst. archéol. liégeois. 2000. T. 111. P. 59-89; idem. Rationes lacunae: Pourquoi aucune Vita de St. Lambert n " a-t-elle été imprimée au XVe siècle?//Bull. |
|
|
