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| Letters (Fathers of the Church) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Saint Barsanuphius, The Prophet, Saint John, Barsanuphius & John
Creator: John Chryssavgis
Publisher: Catholic University of America Press
Category: Book
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $35.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 1415111
Media: Leather Bound
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 344
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.4 x 1.1
ISBN: 0813201136
Dewey Decimal Number: 270.2
EAN: 9780813201139
ASIN: 0813201136
Publication Date: December 6, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW, FACTORY SEALED!!!!
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Product Description
The complete text of the Letters of Barsanuphius and John appears here in English for the first time. John Chryssavgis's faithful and deft translation brings vividness and freshness to the wisdom of a distant world, ensuring its accessibility to contemporary readers. Addressed to local monastics, lay Christians, and ecclesiastical leaders, these remarkable questions and responses (850 of them) offer a unique glimpse into the sixth-century religious, political, and secular world of Gaza and Palestine during a period torn by doctrinal controversy and in a context shaped by the tradition of the early desert fathers. The "great old man," Barsanuphius, and the "other old man," John, flourished near Gaza around the early sixth century. Choosing to dwell in complete isolation, they saw no one with the exception of their secretaries, Seridos and the well-known Dorotheus of Gaza. Barsanuphius and John communicated in silence through letters with numerous visitors who approached them for counsel. Curiously, this inaccessibility became the very reason for the popularity of the elders. They formed an extraordinarily open system of spiritual direction, which allowed space for conversation and even conflict in relationships, while also accounting for the wisdom and the wit of the correspondence. Barsanuphius's inspirational advice responds to problems of a more spiritual nature; John's institutional advice responds to more practical problems. The two elders in fact complement one another, together maintaining a harmonious authority-in-charity. Their letters are characterized by spontaneity and sensitivity, as well as by discretion and compassion. They stress ascetic vigilance and evangelical "violence," gratitude and joy, humility and labor, prayer and tears.
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Barsanuphius and John Catechetical Q & A May 18, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
"Do not seek to be regarded as somebody, don't compare yourself to others in anything. Leave the world, mount the cross, discard all earthly things, shake the dust from off your feet." St. Barsanuphius of Gaza
Letters from the Desert:
This is the first helping of around 800 extant Letters written by two monastic elders of the early sixth century conveying their teaching on both practical living and spiritual problems. Saints Barsanuphius' and John's instructions have been preserved in the form of questions and answers posed by individuals of various callings clergy and laity. Saint Barsanuphius instructed Abba Seridus to record all his answers without having any fear of making mistakes, as the Holy Spirit would direct him to chronicle everything correctly and in sequential order.
Barsanuphius and John:
Barsanuphius of Gaza (d. ca. 540 AD), also known as Barsanuphius of Palestine, was an Egyptian hermit of the sixth century. He lived in absolute seclusion for fifty years at, and then near the monastery of Saint Seridon of Gaza in Palestine in a small cave, spending his time in prayer while he kept his silence. He wrote many letters, 800 of which have survived. For his great humility, God honored him with the gifts of wisdom and prophecy. He corresponded mainly with John the Prophet, abbot of the monastery of Merosala and teacher of Dorotheus of Gaza.
St. John the Prophet:
Venerable John also practiced a life of silence and earned the gifts of prophecy and perspicacity, for which he received the designation of prophet. His place of birth is unknown. During an 18 year period up to his death, he lived near the Elder Barsanuphius. It has been traditionally told by Greek monks that, like Apostle Paul, he ascended into Heaven and witnessed the indescribable blessings of God's Kingdom. Being a miracle worker, he raised the dead and like the Prophet Elijah, could control the rain and wind. At the closing stages of his life, he was invited by the Patriarch of Jerusalem to visit the city, where he convinced the emperor to restore the concordant relationship with the Church of Jerusalem. He died in the year of 563.
Catechetical Q & A:
The monastic tradition of silence, developed by the Deserts Fathers, limits offering an advise, to a request. A novice asking for a word of wisdom,' in response to which a Biblical verse of guidance was given, that followed the basic way of Catechetical teaching in Alexandria. Catechism in Q & A., started by Clement and Origen, was a Neoplatonic tradition, that is still observed by Roman Catholics as "The Catechism or Instruction in faith".
The interpretive process and its effective application was the center of the desert fathers' quest for holiness. The setting within which the early monastic movement centered was on the guidance of the enlightened Elders, exemplified here in Barsanuphius' insight into the good news that set them free, and their ways of following the Lord, checking milestones of their progress by self emptying, Kenosis, into participation of the divine nature,Theosis (2 Pet 1:4).
The Letters:
In a compelling introduction to his fresh translation of the letters, Fr. John reviewed Palestenian Monasticism which was very much linked with the North Egyptian tradition. he explained the two Palestinian regions, and the pilgrimage of elite figures like mealania, Rufinus and Jerome. He goes on to Euthymius and venerable Mar Sabas. He discusses the theological issues of the letters after fitting the two saints within the context of the Palestinian tradition. He gives also a good brief survey of the manuscripts, their editions, and translations.
On Divine Mysteries:
A Christian faithful asked St John, "Should one be curious about the Divine Mysteries? And is a sinner who approaches them condemned as unworthy?" St John replied, "When coming into the holy temple to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, and when receiving Them, pay heed to yourself that you unfailingly believe the truth of this Sacrament. But as to how this happens, do not be curious, as it has been said: 'Take, eat, this is My Body and Blood'. The Lord gave them to us for the remission of sins (Matt 26:26, Mark 14:22). We have hope that he who believes thus will not be condemned, but he who does not believe is already condemned. And thus, do not forbid yourself to approach, condemning yourself as a sinner, but recognize that a sinner who approaches the Savior is vouchsafed the remission of sins".
Benedict XVI on Barsanuphius:
Recently, Pope Benedict XVI commented on this spiritual testimony of the ancient Christian tradition. In fact, in the Epistles of Barsanuphius of Gaza, questioned by monks, and lay due to the wisdom of his discernment, he wished to comfort all those who manifested their toils, the trials of life, the dangers, and the misfortunes. In this way, he quoted a verse of the Psalms, he recalled several times: "The Lord will keep you from all evil, he will keep your life."
Benedict here recounts what the Copts call monastic self absolution, "My beloved children, I embrace you in the Lord, imploring him to keep you from all evil and to give you endurance like Job, grace like Joseph, meekness like Moses and courage in combats like Joshua, the son of Nun, mastery of your thoughts like the Judges, the subjection of enemies as to kings David and Solomon, fruitfulness of the earth as to the Israelites. May he grant you the remission of your sins with healing of the body like the paralytic. May he rescue you from the waves like Peter, and snatch you from tribulation like Paul and the other apostles. May he keep you from all evil, as his true children and grant you, in his name, what your heart requests, for the benefit of the soul and body. Amen" (Barsanuphius and John of Gaza, Epistles, 194 [Collection of Patristic Texts], XCIII, Rome, 1991, pp. 235-236).
Fr. John Chryssavgis:
The Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Professor of Theology and former Dean at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. A popular figure between the intellectual AmeriCopts of the USA, studied in Athens and Oxford, and taught patristics in Sydney, and Boston. He is a fresh breath of Alexandrine Greeks, who wrote about the common fathers of the early Church, focusing on monastic hagiography and mystical theology. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on Orthodox spirituality, including Ascent to Heaven,The Desert is Alive, The Way of the Fathers, and Soul Mending: The Art of Spiritual Direction.
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