The Letters of Barsanuphius and John: Desert Wisdom for Everyday Life PDF
Preview The Letters of Barsanuphius and John: Desert Wisdom for Everyday Life
The spiritual letters of Barsanuphius and John, two sixth-century ascetics from the Gaza Strip, are extraordinary documents. They open a window into the heart of Early Christian monasticism. The exchange of question and answer touches on the hopes, fears, and temptations of all kinds (even the most banal), experienced by every kind of persons—monks and laity alike. Here are the rugged rocks in which the honey drops of Desert Wisdom were distilled. John Chryssavgis does full justice to these unique letters of advice. Two wise and loving Christians speak from his pages. And as they do, the icy modern image of the monk as an exalted authority figure melts away to reveal a tenderness and a skill in one-to-one spiritual counsel that lifts the heart, even at distance of fifteen hundred years. Peter Brown Emeritus Professor of History Princeton University John Chryssavgis has translated into English the vast correspondence of Barsanuphius and John, and so he writes in this book from an exact knowledge of their teaching. He is in deep sympathy with their spiritual outlook. While placing the two Old Men in their historical context, he shows also the timeless quality of their answers. As Chryssavgis rightly points out, their counsel is not “scripted or prescriptive,” but consistently situational, involved, and full of loving tenderness. I am particularly moved by the way he associates solitary contemplation with social consciousness. The message of these elders, as the author presents it, is both simple and yet full of hope. It is the closest that the desert literature comes to a transliteration of notes from case studies of a personal therapist. Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia Emeritus Professor of Theology University of Oxford An insightful, encouraging, and challenging book! Dare one call a book these days “inspiring?” Indeed, yes. In this volume the Spirit is alive and well. Monasticism, early, medieval, modern, still has plenty to say to us today, but not only say—show rather than tell, live out in love rather than prescribe, teach embodied rather than lecture from a distant podium or pulpit. There is so much here! Barsanuphius and John guide us in the ways of true community, communion that offers transformation. Tim Vivian Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies California State University (Bakersfield) 9780567704856_txt_print.indd 1 01-02-2022 09:13:19 9780567704856_txt_print.indd 2 The Letters of Barsanuphius and John 9780567704856_txt_print.indd 3 01-02-2022 09:13:19 9780567704856_txt_print.indd 4 The Letters of Barsanuphius and John Desert Wisdom for Everyday Life John Chryssavgis 9780567704856_txt_print.indd 5 01-02-2022 09:13:19 T&T CLARK Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK 1385 Broadway, New York, NY 10018, USA 29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland BLOOMSBURY, T&T CLARK and the T&T Clark logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain 2022 Copyright © John Chryssavgis, 2022 John Chryssavgis has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work. For legal purposes the Acknowledgments on pp. 190–1 constitute an extension of this copyright page. Cover image: stock_colors / Getty Images Plus All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN: HB: 978-0-5677-0484-9 PB: 978-0-5677-0485-6 ePDF: 978-0-5677-0487-0 eBook: 978-0-5677-0486-3 Typeset by Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd. To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com and sign up for our newsletters. 9780567704856_txt_print.indd 6 01-02-2022 09:13:19 CONTENTS List of Illustrations ix Foreword x Introduction 1 Part One: The Desert Blossoms: Setting the Scene 13 1 Monasticism in Egypt and Palestine: A Historical Framework 15 2 Luminaries of Gaza: Prominent Personalities and Identities 39 3 Fundamental Concepts and Principles: Looking through a Window Frame 58 Part Two: The Desert Beckons: Sitting by the Cell 85 4 Spiritual Direction: Two Extraordinary Models 87 5 Fasting and Feasting: Sustained by God in the Wilderness 113 6 Mourning and Tears: The Way of Brokenness and Imperfection 134 7 Discernment and Compassion: The Way of Awareness and Authenticity 147 9780567704856_txt_print.indd 7 01-02-2022 09:13:19 viii CONTENTS 8 Solitude, Silence, and Stillness: Subtle Variances of the Soul 166 Conclusion 185 Select Bibliography 189 Acknowledgments 190 Index 192 9780567704856_txt_print.indd 8 01-02-2022 09:13:19 ILLUSTRATIONS 1 Hermit cells in Palestine 34 2 Icon of Sts Barsanuphius and John 61 3 First edition of Barsanuphius and John (Venice) 115 4 Vatopedi manuscript, Letters 241–243 148 9780567704856_txt_print.indd 9 01-02-2022 09:13:19
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