The Philokalia: The Complete Text

380 Pages·1983·3.04 MB·English

by  Philip Sherrard, ed.), G.E.H. Palmer, Kallistos Ware (transl., [compiled by] St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain & St. Markarios of Corinth

The
Philokalia

THE C0 M PLETE TEXT

rompiled by

St Nikodimos of the

Holy Mountain

and

StMakarios of Corinth

VOLUME ONE

Trtms/ated from the Greek

and edited by

G.E.H Palmer, Philip Sherrard

Kallistos Ware

t1
The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the

fourth and fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of

the Orthodox Christian tradition. First published in Greek

in 17 82, translated into Slav:mic and later into Russian,

The Philokalia has exercised an influence far greater

than that of any book other than the Bible in the recent

history of the Orthodox Church.

'This excellent English translation, which takes into account

the latest scholarly research into the original works,

represents a major "gift" from the wise men of the East.

The fluency of the literary style of this translation and

the practical understanding which these writings reveal

for the spiritual predicaments facing each Christian in every

generation, brings the book well within the range of the

ordinary reader who seeks spiritual counsel. The complete

Phifokafia covers the period from the fourth to the

fifteenth century.Volume One ... takes us up to

the eighth century and is thus the common heritage

of Orthodox and Catholics.' Chrysostom

ISBN 0 571 13013 5

t1

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The Philo kalia

V O L U ME I
THE PHILO KALlA

THE COMPLETE TEXT

compiled by

ST NIKODIMOS OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN

and

ST MAKARIOS OF CORINTH

translatedfrom the Greek
and edited by

G . E . H . P A L M E R
P H I L I P S HE R R A R D
K A L LI S T O S W A RE

with the assistance cif

T H E H O LY T R A N SF I G U R AT I O N M O N AS T E R Y
( B R O O K LI N E )
C O N ST A N TI N E C A V A R N O S
BASIL O SB O R N E
N O R M AN R U S S E L L

VOLUME I

faber andfaber

LON DON · BOSTON
First published in I979

by Faber and Faber Limited

3 Queen Square London WCIN 3AU

First published in Faber Paperbacks I983

Reprinted I984

Printed in Great Britain by

Whitstable Litho Ltd., Whitstable, Kent

All rights reserved

©The Eling Trust I979

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not,

by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out

or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent

in any form of binding or cover other than that in which

it is published and without a similar condition including this

condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

The Philokalia Vol. I

I. Prayer - Early works to I800

I. Nikodemus, of the Holy Mountain, Saint

II. Makarios, of Corinth, Saint

III. Palmer, G.E.H. IV. Sherrard, Philip

V. Ware, Kallistos

248.3'2

BV209

ISBN 0-571-I 1377-x

ISBN 0-57I-13013-5 Pbk
Dedicated to the memo')' cif
FATHER NIK ON

( 1 8]5"- 1 9 6 3 )

Hermit

cif St George's, Karoulia,
on the Holy Mountain cif Athos

without whose inspiration this
work would not have been undertaken