Philokalia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Part of the series on Eastern Christianity |
|
 Eastern Christianity Portal |
|
|
History |
|
|
Traditions |
|
|
Liturgy and Worship |
|
|
Theology |
|
The Philokalia (Gk. φιλοκαλία, "love of the beautiful") is a collection of texts written between the fourth and fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Eastern Orthodox hesychast tradition. They were originally written for the guidance and instruction of monks[1] in 'the practise of the contemplative life'[2]. The collection was compiled in the eighteenth-century by St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth.
Although these works were individually known in the monastic culture of Greek Orthodox Christianity before their inclusion in The Philokalia, their presence in this collection has resulted in a much wider readership due to its translation into several languages, including a seven-volume translation into Russian (Dobrotolyubie) by St. Theophan the Recluse in the nineteenth-century; Romanian and French translations.
In the words of the publishers of the current English translation, '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'[3]
Philocalia is also the name given to an anthology of the writings of Origen compiled by Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzus [4]
Contents |
[edit] Nature, scope and intention of the collection
The Philokalia was first published in Venice in 1782.
The collection's full title is The Philokalia of the Niptic Fathers[5]. Niptic is an adjective derived from the Greek Nipsis (or Nepsis) referring to contemplative prayer and meaning 'watchfulness'.
Philokalia is defined as the "love of the beautiful, the exalted, the excellent, understood as the transcendent source of life and the revelation of Truth."[6] In contemplative prayer the mind is trained to become aware of God as a living presence as the source of being of all creatures and sensible forms. The writings of The Philokalia have been chosen above others because they "...show the way to awaken and develop attention and consciousness, to attain that state of watchfulness which is the hallmark of sanctity. They describe the conditions most effective for learning what their authors call the art of arts and the science of sciences, a learning which is not a matter of information or agility of mind but of a radical change of will and heart leading man towards the highest possibilities open to him, shaping and nourishing the unseen part of his being, and helping him to spiritual fulfilment and union with God."[7]
[edit] Contents
- Saint Isaiah the Solitary
- On Guarding the Intellect: Twenty-Seven Texts
- Evagrios the Solitary
- Outline Teaching on Asceticism and Stillness in the Solitary Life
- Texts on Discrimination in respect of Passions and Thoughts
- Extracts from the Texts on Watchfulness
- On Prayer: 153 Texts
- Saint John Cassian
- On the Eight Vices
- On the Holy Fathers of Sketis and on Discrimination
- Saint Mark the Ascetic
- On the Spiritual Law: 200 Texts
- On Those who Think that They are Made Righteous by Works: 226 Texts
- Letter to Nicolas the Solitary
- Saint Hesychios the Priest
- On Watchfulness and Holiness
- Saint Neilos the Ascetic
- Ascetic Discourse
- Saint Diadochos of Photiki
- On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination: 100 Texts
- Saint John of Karpathos
- For the Encouragement of the Monks in India who had Written to Him: 100 Texts
- Ascetic Discourse Sent at the Request of the Same Monks in India
- Saint Theodoros the Great Ascetic
- A Century of Spiritual Texts
- Theoretikon
- Saint Maximus the Confessor
- Four Hundred Texts on Love (Foreword to Elpidios the Presbyter)
- Two Hundred Texts on Theology and the Incarnate Dispensation of the Son of God, Written for Thalassios
- Various Texts on Theology, the Divine Economy, and Virtue and Vice
- On the Lord's Prayer
- Thalassios the Libyan
- On Love, Self Control, and Life in accordance with the Intellect (written for Paul the Presbyter)
- Saint John of Damascus
- On the Virtues and the Vices
- A Discourse on Abba Philemon
- Discourse
- Saint Theognostos
- On the Practice of the Virtues, Contemplation and the Priesthood
- Saint Philotheos of Sinai
- Forty Texts on Watchfulness
- Ilias the Presbyter
- A Gnomic Anthology
- Theoretikon
- Theophanis the Monk (Theophan the Monk)
- The Ladder of Divine Graces
- Saint Peter of Damascus (Peter Damascene)
- Book I: A Treasury of Divine Knowledge
- Book II: Twenty-Four Discourses
- Saint Symeon Metaphrastes: Paraphrases of the Homilies of Saint Macarius of Egypt
- I. Spiritual Perfection
- II. Prayer
- III. Patient Endurance and Discrimination
- IV. The Raising of the Intellect
- V. Love
- VI. The Freedom of the Intellect
- Saint Symeon the New Theologian
- On Faith
- 153 Practical and Theological Texts
- The Three Methods of Prayer (Attributed to Saint Symeon)
- Nikitas Stithatos (Nikitas Stethatos)
- On the Practice of the Virtues: One Hundred Texts
- On the Inner Nature of Things and on the Purification of the Intellect: One Hundred Texts
- On Spiritual Knowledge, Love and the Perfection of Living: One Hundred Texts
- Theoliptos, Metropolitan of Philadelphia
- On Inner Work in Christ and the Monastic Profession
- Texts
- Nikiphoros the Monk
- On Watchfulness and the Guarding of the Heart
- Saint Gregory of Sinai
- On Commandments and Doctrines, Warnings and Promises; on Thoughts, Passions and Virtues, and also on Stillness and Prayer: 137 Texts
- Further Texts
- On the Signs of Grace and Delusion, Written for the Confessor Longinos: Ten Texts
- On Stillness: Fifteen Texts
- On Prayer: Seven Texts
- Saint Gregory Palamas
- To the Most Reverend Nun Xenia
- A New Testament Decalogue
- In Defence of Those who Devoutly Practise a Life of Stillness
- Three Texts on Prayer and Purity of Heart
- Topics of Natural and Theological Science and on the Moral and Ascetic Life: 150 Texts
- The Declaration of the Holy Mountain in Defence of Those who Devoutly Practice a Life of Stillness
[edit] The Philocalia of Origen
Philocalia is also the name given to an anthology of the writings of Origen compiled by Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzus in 358-9.
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Philokalia, Volume One, Palmer, Sherrard, Ware, Faber & Faber, 1979, London, p.15
- ^ ibid p.14
- ^ Publisher's blurb, Volume One of the current English translation by G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard and Bishop Kallistos Ware, Faber & Faber, 1979
- ^ English translation online here: [1]
- ^ The Philokalia, Vol 1 p 367
- ^ ibid p. 13
- ^ Ibid p. 13
[edit] See also
[edit] Translations
- Palmer, G.E.H; Sherrard, Philip; Ware, Kallistos (Timothy). The Philokalia, Vol. 1 ISBN 0-571-11377-X , ISBN 0-571-13013-5
- Palmer, G.E.H; Sherrard, Philip; Ware, Kallistos (Timothy). The Philokalia, Vol. 2 ISBN 0-571-15466-2
- Palmer, G.E.H; Sherrard, Philip; Ware, Kallistos (Timothy). The Philokalia, Vol. 3 ISBN 0-571-17525-2
- Palmer, G.E.H; Sherrard, Philip; Ware, Kallistos (Timothy). The Philokalia, Vol. 4 ISBN 0-571-19382-X
- Smith, Allyne. The Philokalia: The Eastern Christian Spiritual Texts -- Selections Annotated and Explained (SkyLight Paths, 2006) ISBN 1594731039. This contains selections from the Palmer/Sherrard/Ware translation, with facing commentary.
[edit] Popular culture
The Philokalia is featured prominently in a much shorter and well-known book called The Way of a Pilgrim. In this book a Russian traveler learns to pray from various people he meets on his travels and by reading the Philokalia.
