The Philokalia A Classic Text of Orthodox Spirituality [Paperback]

ThePhilokalia(literally love of the beautiful or good ) is, after the Bible, the most influential source of spiritual tradition within the Orthodox Church. First published in Greek in 1782 by St. Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain and St. Macarios of Corinth, thePhilokaliaincludes works by thirty-six influential Orthodox authors from the fourth to fifteenth-centuries such as Maximus the Confessor, Peter of Damascus, Symeon the New Theologian, and Gregory Palamas. Surprisingly, this important collection of theological and spiritual writings has received little scholarly attention. With the growing interest in Orthodox theology, the need for a substantive resource for philokalic studies has become increasingly evident. The purpose of the present volume is to remedy that lack by providing an ecumenical collection of scholarly essays on thePhilokaliathat will introduce readers to its background, motifs, authors, and relevance for contemporary life and thought.

Abbreviations Used
Foreword: Kallistos Ware
Introduction: Brock Bingaman and Brad Nassif
HISTORY
Chapter One: St. Nikodimos and the Philokalia by Kallistos Ware
Chapter Two: The Making of the Philokalia: A Tale of Monks and Manuscripts by John Anthony McGuckin
Chapter Three: The Influence of the Philokalia in the Orthodox World by Andrew Louth
Chapter Four: Conversing with the World by Commenting on the Fathers: Fr Dumitru Staniloae and the Romanian Edition of The Philokalia by Mihail Neamtu
THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
Chapter Five: The Luminous Word: Scripture in the Philokalia by Douglas-Burton Christie
Chapter Six: Concerning Those Who Imagine That They Are Justified by Works: The Gospel According to St. Mark - the Monk by Bradley Nassif
Chapter Seven: The Theological World of the Philokalia by Rowan Williams
Chapter Eight: Tradition and Creativity in the Construction and Reading of the Philokalia by J.L. Zecher
Chapter Nine: Becoming a SpiritlÓÈ