Philokalia and the Inner Life
On Passions and Prayer
Philokalia and the Inner Life
On Passions and Prayer
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Publisher: James Clarke & Co Ltd
ISBN: 9780227173428
Published: 27/01/2011
The Philokalia was published in Venice in 1782. It is an anthology of patristic writings from the Eastern Church, spanning the 4th to the 15th Centuries, which has been the subsequent focus of a significant revival in Orthodox spirituality. It presents an understanding of psychopathology and mental life which is significantly different to that usually encountered in western Christianity. It also presents accounts of both mental wellbeing and the pathologies of the mind or soul which are radically different to contemporary secular accounts and yet which also find remarkable points of similarity with contemporary psychotherapeutic approaches, such as cognitive therapy. The book provides an introduction to the history of the Philokalia and the philosophical, anthropological and theological influences that contributed to its information. It presents a critical account of the pathologies of the soul, the remedies for these pathologies, and the therapeutic goals as portrayed by the authors of the Philokalia. It then offers a critical engagement of this material with a contemporary understanding of psychotherapy.
Finally, it raises important questions about the relationship between thoughts and prayer.
Way of Life - Steve Press "Chris has provided a guide book to help the general reader through this rich resource ... This rich encyclopedic work will be valued by many for a long time." Andrew Louth, Professor Emeritus of Patristic and Byzantine Studies, Durham University "Hitherto there has been little attempt to relate the understanding of the inner life found in the Philokalia to the revolution in Western understanding of the psyche found in modern psychology. In this book, Chris Cook demonstrates the potentialities opened up by such an engagement." "This is a profound work of scholarship and spiritual understanding that can be strongly recommended to believers of any religion or none." Professor Andrew Sims, Royal College of Psychiatrists- Spirituality and Psychiatry Special Interest Group Newsletter, No. 31, June 2011 'Even though life in its fullness will always transcend our understanding of it, doing justice to the complexity of human life requires that psychology be more than merely an empirical or clinical discipline. This is why 'The Philokalia and the Inner Life: On Passion and Prayer' by Christopher C.H. Cook (2011) is important for both contemporary psychology and Christian pastoral care,' Fr Gregory, Koinonia, www.palamas.info/?p=6169
