Contemporary Ascetics of Mount Athos, Volume 2

Surrounded by the tranquil Mediterranean countryside of the Holy Mountain, an ascetic of Mount Athos struggles in "unseen warfare" to achieve a state of inner silence and purity. As the only monastic republic in the world, Mount Athos has been inhabited by monks alone for more than a thousand years, setting the tone of Orthodox Christian spirituality worldwide and producing a continuous stream of saints. Contemporary Ascetics of Mount Athos describes the lives and the spiritual images of five Athonite elders of recent centuries, who, although differing greatly from each other in their backgrounds, characters and ways of life, all bear the evident seal of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, testifying to a troubled world that the purpose of man's existence is union with God. Contemporary Ascetics of Mount Athos, now available in English, holds great importance in its ability to evoke awareness and insight among lovers of God today. The most exalted teachings on asceticism and the vision of God are seen practically applied in the persons of these new luminaries, stars in our midst--gentle and heedful of others.