Book Review of The Path of Prayer: Four Sermons on Prayer by St. Theophan the Recluse :: Saint Theophan the Recluse Literature Essays

Book Review of The Path of Prayer Four Sermons on Prayer by St. Theophan the cave manIt is a good deal said that there are no more heroes in todays world or even that this is an age of the anti-hero. Yet anyone who is blessed with the prospect to observe children for any length of time will see that regard for those who exemplify certain ideals (heroes) is a spontaneous element in basic adult male psychology. The reported lack of heroes and the cult of the anti-hero are the fruit of a disillusioned Aadult mentality which has been lied to on this as well as other subjects and wherefore robbed of the natural inclination of a normal human being (a child) who is as yet untainted by the cynicism and Asophistication of a deeply troubled society. The more often the lie is repeated the more firmly it is held to be true. But, heroes do still exist -- it is rather that a society which values valuelessness no longer has eye to see them and has lost the ability to produce them. For those wh o have eyes to see, one such hero is the author of the book under review here.St. Theophan of Vysha (+1894), better cognise as Theophan the Recluse, is one of the great 19th century Russian luminaries of the Orthodox Church whose light reaches even unto us in the present, heterodox West. Being almost our contemporary, he was nevertheless steeped in the ancient Tradition of the Fathers. Having faced in his life existential and intellectual conditions very similar to our own, he is a twosome to authentic spiritual life in the Nazarene, making the wisdom of the Christian Tradition easily accessible to us. This should not be particularly surprising, for as Christ himself tells us, a light is kindled not to be hidden under a basket but to be held aloft to shed light for all. peerless must stubbornly persist in blindness not to behold this Light Who has been providentially kindled in St. Theophan for our sake in these latter days. standardized so many of the more recent saints of th e Orthodox Church, very few of his writings are available in English. What is available is quickly gobbled up by seekers thirsting after a word of life from the Living Spring of Christs Gospel. Unseen Warfare, his reworking of Lawrence Scupolis Spiritual Combat (from the version already adapted by St.