Eric Scheske is editor of Gilbert! The Magazine of G.K. Chesterton. You can email him at bsbs@voyager.net.
A Vast Anthology of Mystical Texts
Pope John Paul II has strongly endorsed Eastern spirituality. His Apostolic Letter commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of the baptism of Russia demonstrates his enthusiasm: “The Eastern Slavs have developed a history, spirituality, … as well as certain forms of theological reflection on revealed truth which, while differing from those used in the West, are at the same time a complement to the latter.”
Western publishers have begun to realize Eastern Christianity’s spiritual importance. Paulist Press’ on-going series, “Classics of Western Spirituality,” for instance, includes Eastern luminaries, most of whom are largely unknown to Westerners. Symeon the New Theologian, Gregory Palamas, the Pseudo-Macarius and other Eastern Christian writers are now available in highly-readable, yet scholarly, translations.
Perhaps the most important Eastern work, the Philokalia, is being reissued by British publisher Faber & Faber. This publication has drawn heavy attention in scholarly circles, but appears to be bypassing the mass of Western Christians, even though the Philokalia was compiled, not for scholars, but for monks and laity.
The Philokalia is a vast anthology of ascetic and mystical texts dating from the fourth to the fifteenth century. A mere partial listing of its contributors hints at its spiritual rigor: Nicephorous the Solitary, Gregory of Sinai, Philemon the Abba, Maximos the Confessor, Theodoros the Great Ascetic, Ilias the Presbyter. It was first published in Venice in 1782 by two leading eighteenth century spiritual lights, Macarius and Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain. Paisus Velichkovsky translated it into Slavonic and issued it under the title Dobrotolubiye (the Slavonic form of the Greek term Philokalia, which means love of the beautiful or the good). The great 19th-century Russian monk, Theophan the Recluse, translated it into Russian and expanded it. The new English version uses Theophan’s edition.
