Philokalia
Encyclopedia
The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters of the Eastern Orthodox hesychast
tradition
. They were originally written for the guidance and instruction of monks in "the practise of the contemplative life". 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 resulted in a much wider readership due to its translation into several language
s, including a seven-volume translation into Russian (Dobrotolyubie) by St. Theophan the Recluse
in the nineteenth-century, and subsequent Romanian, Italian and French translations.
The book is a "principal spiritual text" for all the Eastern Orthodox Church
es, and the publishers of the current English translation state that "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".
Philocalia is also the name given to an anthology of the writings of Origen
compiled by Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzus.
The collection's title is The Philokalia of the Niptic Fathers, or more fully The Philokalia of the Neptic Saints gathered from our Holy Theophoric Father, through which, by means of the philosophy of ascetic practice and contemplation, the intellect is purified, illumined, and made perfect. Niptic is an adjective derived from the Greek Nipsis (or Nepsis
) referring to contemplative prayer
and meaning "watchfulness". Watchfulness in this context includes close attention to one's thoughts, intentions, and emotions, with the aim of resisting temptations and vain and egoistic thoughts, and trying to maintain a constant state of remembrance of God. There are connections between this ancient practice and modern concepts of cognitive psychology
and 'mindfulness
'.
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." In contemplative prayer the mind becomes absorbed in the awareness of God as a living presence as the source of being of all creatures and sensible forms. According to the authors of the English translation, Kallistos Ware, G. E. H. Palmer, and Philip Sherrard
, the writings of The Philokalia have been chosen above others because they:
Nikodemos and Makarios
were monks at Mt. Athos, a mountain in northern Greece historically considered the geographical center of Orthodox spirituality and home to many monasteries. The Greek edition was first published in Venice in 1782, with a Church Slavonic edition coming out around the same time, produced by the Ukrainian
hieromonk
Paisius Velichkovsky
. The 19th century saw the publishing of vernacular editions in Russian
and several other languages.
The Philokalia is rooted in hesychasm
("quietness"), an inner spiritual tradition with a long history dating back to the Desert Fathers
. The practices include contemplative prayer, quiet sitting, and recitation of the Jesus Prayer
. While traditionally taught and practiced in monasteries, hesychasm teachings have spread over the years to include laymen. Nikodemos, in his introduction, described the collected texts as "a mystical school of inward prayer" which could be used to cultivate the inner life and to "attain the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." While the monastic life makes this easier, Nikodemos himself stressed that "unceasing prayer" should be practiced by all.
The full title of the book refers to the original authors as the "Neptic Saints", emphasizing one of the common practices in hesychasm of nepsis
or "watchfulness". It refers to much more than general spiritual alertness and vigilance, but includes the practice of watching all of one's thoughts and fantasies, keeping 'guard' over the heart and mind. It has also been compared to "mindfulness" as used in other spiritual traditions.
The hesychasm teachings in the Philokalia, though they may be perceived as bearing a resemblance to Eastern spiritual practises, are viewed by Orthodox Christians as inseparable from the sacraments and liturgy of the Orthodox Church, and are given by and for those who are already living within the framework of the Church. A common theme is the need for a spiritual father or guide.
. The fifth volume has yet to be published in English. Some works in the Philokalia are also found in the Patrologia Graecae and Patrologia Latina
of J. P. Migne.
This piece by Anthony was changed to an appendix in the English translation by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware (1979, p. 327), because of their view that the language and the general idea is not explicitly Christian and may not have been written by Antony.
Hesychasm
Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Byzantine Rite, practised by the Hesychast Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches,...
tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
. They were originally written for the guidance and instruction of monks in "the practise of the contemplative life". The collection was compiled in the eighteenth-century by St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain and St.Makarios of Corinth
Macarius of Corinth
Macarius of Corinth Macarius of Corinth Macarius of Corinth (birth name: Macarius Notaras was born in Corinth in 1731 and died in Chios in April 1805. St Macarius as Bishop and later Metropolitan of Corinth, was a mystic and spiritual writer who worked to revive and mostly sustain the Orthodox...
.
Although these works were individually known in the monastic culture of Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
Orthodox Christianity before their inclusion in The Philokalia, their presence in this collection resulted in a much wider readership due to its translation into several language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s, including a seven-volume translation into Russian (Dobrotolyubie) by St. Theophan the Recluse
Theophan the Recluse
St. Theophan the Recluse, also known as "Theophan Zatvornik" or "Theophanes the Recluse" , is a well-known saint in the Russian Orthodox Church. He was born George Vasilievich Govorov, in the village of Chernavsk. His father was a Russian Orthodox priest. He was educated in the seminaries at...
in the nineteenth-century, and subsequent Romanian, Italian and French translations.
The book is a "principal spiritual text" for all the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
es, and the publishers of the current English translation state that "The Philokalia has exercised an influence far greater than that of any book other than the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in the recent history of the Orthodox Church".
Philocalia is also the name given to an anthology of the writings of Origen
Origen
Origen , or Origen Adamantius, 184/5–253/4, was an early Christian Alexandrian scholar and theologian, and one of the most distinguished writers of the early Church. As early as the fourth century, his orthodoxy was suspect, in part because he believed in the pre-existence of souls...
compiled by Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzus.
History and teaching
The Philokalia was first published in Venice in 1782.The collection's title is The Philokalia of the Niptic Fathers, or more fully The Philokalia of the Neptic Saints gathered from our Holy Theophoric Father, through which, by means of the philosophy of ascetic practice and contemplation, the intellect is purified, illumined, and made perfect. Niptic is an adjective derived from the Greek Nipsis (or Nepsis
Nepsis
Nepsis is an important idea in Orthodox Christian mystical theology. Nepsis is a state of watchfulness or sobriety that forms one dimension of the state of contemplative prayer...
) referring to contemplative prayer
Theoria
For other uses of the term "contemplation", see Contemplation Theoria is Greek for contemplation. It corresponds to the Latin word contemplatio, "looking at", "gazing at", "being aware of".- Introduction :...
and meaning "watchfulness". Watchfulness in this context includes close attention to one's thoughts, intentions, and emotions, with the aim of resisting temptations and vain and egoistic thoughts, and trying to maintain a constant state of remembrance of God. There are connections between this ancient practice and modern concepts of cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology is a subdiscipline of psychology exploring internal mental processes.It is the study of how people perceive, remember, think, speak, and solve problems.Cognitive psychology differs from previous psychological approaches in two key ways....
and 'mindfulness
Mindfulness (psychology)
Modern clinical psychology and psychiatry since the 1970s have developed a number of therapeutic applications based on the concept of mindfulness in Buddhist meditation.-Definitions:...
'.
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." In contemplative prayer the mind becomes absorbed in the awareness of God as a living presence as the source of being of all creatures and sensible forms. According to the authors of the English translation, Kallistos Ware, G. E. H. Palmer, and Philip Sherrard
Philip Sherrard
Philip Sherrard was a British author, translator, and philosopher. His work includes important translations of Modern Greek poets, and books on Modern Greek literature and culture, metaphysics, theology, art and aesthetics...
, 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 GodTheosisIn Christian theology, divinization, deification, making divine or theosis is the transforming effect of divine grace. This concept of salvation is historical and fundamental for Christian understanding that is prominent in the Eastern Orthodox Church and also in the Catholic Church, and is a...
."
Nikodemos and Makarios
Macarius of Corinth
Macarius of Corinth Macarius of Corinth Macarius of Corinth (birth name: Macarius Notaras was born in Corinth in 1731 and died in Chios in April 1805. St Macarius as Bishop and later Metropolitan of Corinth, was a mystic and spiritual writer who worked to revive and mostly sustain the Orthodox...
were monks at Mt. Athos, a mountain in northern Greece historically considered the geographical center of Orthodox spirituality and home to many monasteries. The Greek edition was first published in Venice in 1782, with a Church Slavonic edition coming out around the same time, produced by the Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
hieromonk
Hieromonk
Hieromonk , also called a Priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism....
Paisius Velichkovsky
Paisius Velichkovsky
Saint Paisius Velichkovsky or Wieliczkowski is the person who transmitted Eastern Orthodox staretsdom or the concept of spiritual guidance to the Slavic world.A Ukrainian by birth, Pyotr Velichkovsky was born in Poltava, where his father, Ivan, was a priest...
. The 19th century saw the publishing of vernacular editions in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and several other languages.
The Philokalia is rooted in hesychasm
Hesychasm
Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Byzantine Rite, practised by the Hesychast Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches,...
("quietness"), an inner spiritual tradition with a long history dating back to the Desert Fathers
Desert Fathers
The Desert Fathers were hermits, ascetics, monks, and nuns who lived mainly in the Scetes desert of Egypt beginning around the third century AD. The most well known was Anthony the Great, who moved to the desert in 270–271 and became known as both the father and founder of desert monasticism...
. The practices include contemplative prayer, quiet sitting, and recitation of the Jesus Prayer
Jesus Prayer
The Jesus Prayer or "The Prayer" is a short, formulaic prayer esteemed and advocated within the Eastern Orthodox church:The prayer has been widely taught and discussed throughout the history of the Eastern Churches. It is often repeated continually as a part of personal ascetic practice, its use...
. While traditionally taught and practiced in monasteries, hesychasm teachings have spread over the years to include laymen. Nikodemos, in his introduction, described the collected texts as "a mystical school of inward prayer" which could be used to cultivate the inner life and to "attain the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." While the monastic life makes this easier, Nikodemos himself stressed that "unceasing prayer" should be practiced by all.
The full title of the book refers to the original authors as the "Neptic Saints", emphasizing one of the common practices in hesychasm of nepsis
Nepsis
Nepsis is an important idea in Orthodox Christian mystical theology. Nepsis is a state of watchfulness or sobriety that forms one dimension of the state of contemplative prayer...
or "watchfulness". It refers to much more than general spiritual alertness and vigilance, but includes the practice of watching all of one's thoughts and fantasies, keeping 'guard' over the heart and mind. It has also been compared to "mindfulness" as used in other spiritual traditions.
The hesychasm teachings in the Philokalia, though they may be perceived as bearing a resemblance to Eastern spiritual practises, are viewed by Orthodox Christians as inseparable from the sacraments and liturgy of the Orthodox Church, and are given by and for those who are already living within the framework of the Church. A common theme is the need for a spiritual father or guide.
Contents
This listing of texts is based on the English translation of four volumes by Bishop Kallistos Ware, G.E.H. Palmer, and Philip SherrardPhilip Sherrard
Philip Sherrard was a British author, translator, and philosopher. His work includes important translations of Modern Greek poets, and books on Modern Greek literature and culture, metaphysics, theology, art and aesthetics...
. The fifth volume has yet to be published in English. Some works in the Philokalia are also found in the Patrologia Graecae and Patrologia Latina
Patrologia Latina
The Patrologia Latina is an enormous collection of the writings of the Church Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers published by Jacques-Paul Migne between 1844 and 1855, with indices published between 1862 and 1865....
of J. P. Migne.
Volume 1
- St. Isaiah the Solitary
- On Guarding the Intellect: 27 Texts
- Evagrius the SolitaryEvagrius PonticusEvagrius Ponticus , also called Evagrius the Solitary was a Christian monk and ascetic. One of the rising stars in the late fourth century church, he was well-known as a keen thinker, a polished speaker, and a gifted writer...
- Outline Teaching on Asceticism and Stillness in the Solitary.
- Texts on Discrimination in respect of Passions and Thoughts.
- Extracts from the Texts on Watchfulness
- On Prayer: 153 Texts.
- St. John Cassian
- On the Eight Vices.
- On the Holy Fathers of Sketis and on Discrimination.
- St. 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.
- St. Hesychios the PriestHesychius of SinaiHesychius of Sinai was a hieromonk of Thorn-bush monastery on Mount Sinai, and an ascetic author of the Byzantine period in literature....
- On Watchfulness and Holiness.
- St. Neilos the AsceticNilus of SinaiSaint Nilus the Elder, of Sinai , was one of the many disciples and fervent defenders of St. John Chrysostom.-Life:We know him first as a layman, married, with two sons...
.
- Ascetic Discourse.
- St. Diadochos of PhotikiDiadochos of PhotikiSaint Diadochos of Photiki was a fifth century ascetic whose work is included in the Philokalia.Scholars have acknowledged his great influence on later Byzantine saints such as Maximos the Confessor, John Climacus, Symeon the New Theologian, and in general the Hesychast movement of the 14th century...
.
- On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination: 100 Texts.
- St. 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.
- St. Antony the GreatAnthony the GreatAnthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...
- "On the Character of Men and on the Virtuous Life: 170 Texts."
This piece by Anthony was changed to an appendix in the English translation by Palmer, Sherrard and Ware (1979, p. 327), because of their view that the language and the general idea is not explicitly Christian and may not have been written by Antony.
Volume 2
- St. Theodoros the Great Ascetic (Theodore of Edessa)
- A Century of Spiritual Texts
- Theoretikon
- St. Maximos the Confessor
- Four Hundred Texts on Love, with a 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 PrayerLord's PrayerThe Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
- Thalassios the Libyan
- On Love, Self Control, and Life in accordance with the Intellect (written for Paul the Presbyter)
- St. John of DamascusJohn of DamascusSaint John of Damascus was a Syrian monk and priest...
- St. John of Damascus
- On the Virtues and the Vices
- A Discourse on Abba Philemon
- St. Theognostos
- On the Practice of the Virtues, Contemplation and the Priesthood
Volume 3
- St. Philotheos of Sinai
- Forty Texts on Watchfulness
- Ilias the Presbyter
- A Gnomic Anthology: Part I
- A Gnomic Anthology: Part II
- A Gnomic Anthology: Part III
- A Gnomic Anthology: Part IV
- Theophanis the Monk
- The Ladder of Divine Graces
- St. Peter of Damascus
- Book I: A Treasury of Divine Knowledge
- Book II: Twenty-Four Discourses
- St. Symeon the Metaphrast: Paraphrases of the Homilies of St. Macarius of EgyptMacarius of EgyptMacarius of Egypt was an Egyptian Christian monk and hermit. He is also known as Macarius the Elder, Macarius the Great and The Lamp of the Desert.-Life:...
- St. Symeon the Metaphrast: Paraphrases of the Homilies of St. Macarius of Egypt
- Spiritual Perfection
- Prayer
- Patient Endurance and Discrimination
- The Raising of the Intellect
- Love
- The Freedom of the Intellect
Volume 4
- St. Symeon the New TheologianSymeon the New TheologianSymeon the New Theologian was a Byzantine Christian monk and poet who was the last of three saints canonized by the Eastern Orthodox church and given the title of "Theologian"...
- On Faith
- 153 Practical and Theological Texts
- The Three Methods of Prayer [attributed to him]
- Nikitas StithatosNikitas StithatosNiketas Stethatos was a Byzantine mystic and theologian, and a critic of some Armenian and Latin customs. He is considered a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church.-Hesychast controversy:...
- Nikitas Stithatos
- 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
- St. Gregory of SinaiGregory of SinaiSaint Gregory of Sinai was instrumental in the emergence of "technical" Hesychasm on Athos in the early 14th century....
- St. 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
- St. Gregory PalamasGregory PalamasGregory Palamas was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece and later the Archbishop of Thessaloniki known as a preeminent theologian of Hesychasm. The teachings embodied in his writings defending Hesychasm against the attack of Barlaam are sometimes referred to as Palamism, his followers as Palamites...
- St. 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
Volume 5
This volume has not yet been published in English translation. These are the contents of the modern Greek translation.- Kallistos and Ignatios the Xanthopouloses
- Method and precise cannon for those who choose the hesichastic and monastic life: 100 chapters
- Kalistos Angelikoudis
- Kefalaia (Chapters): 81 chapters
- Kalistos Tilikoudis (presumed the same as Kalistos Angelikoudis)
- On Hesichastic Practice
- Kalistos Katafygiotis (presumed the same as Kalistos Angelikoudis)
- On union with God, and Life of Theoria
- Saint Simeon Archbishop of Thessaloniki
- Chapters on the Sacred and Deifying prayer
- Saint Mark the Gentle
- On the Words that are Contained in the Sacred Prayer
- Anonymous
- Interpretation of "Kyrie Eleyson" (Lord Have Mercy)
- Saint Simeon the New Theologian
- Discourse on Faith and teaching for those who say that it is not possible for those who find themselves in the worries of the world to reach the perfection of the virtues, and narration that is beneficial at the beginning.
- On the Three Ways of Prayer
- St. Gregory of SinaiGregory of SinaiSaint Gregory of Sinai was instrumental in the emergence of "technical" Hesychasm on Athos in the early 14th century....
- Excerpts from the life of St. Maximos Kapsokalivis
- All Christians Must Pray Uninterruptedly
- Indices
- St. Gregory of Sinai
See also
- HesychasmHesychasmHesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Byzantine Rite, practised by the Hesychast Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches,...
- Jesus PrayerJesus PrayerThe Jesus Prayer or "The Prayer" is a short, formulaic prayer esteemed and advocated within the Eastern Orthodox church:The prayer has been widely taught and discussed throughout the history of the Eastern Churches. It is often repeated continually as a part of personal ascetic practice, its use...
- PoustiniaPoustiniaA poustinia is a small sparsely furnished cabin or room where one goes to pray and fast alone in the presence of God. The word poustinia has its origin in the Russian word for desert...
- HermitHermitA hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
- St Paisius Velichkovsky
- The WorldWorld (theology)-Christian views on the World:In Christianity, the concept connotes the fallen and corrupt world order of human society. The world is frequently cited alongside the flesh and the Devil as a source of temptation that Christians should flee...
- NepsisNepsisNepsis is an important idea in Orthodox Christian mystical theology. Nepsis is a state of watchfulness or sobriety that forms one dimension of the state of contemplative prayer...
Studies
- Paschalis M. Kitromilides, "Philokalia's first journey?" in Idem, An Orthodox Commonwealth: Symbolic Legacies and Cultural Encounters in Southeastern Europe (Aldershot, 2007) (Variorum Collected Studies Series: CS891),