This book presents the life and teaching of Saint Silouan the Athonite as portrayed by his disciple Saint Sophrony the Athonite.
In the autumn of 1892, Saint Silouan, being a young peasant then with the name Simeon from the province of Tambov reached Mt Athos. Although he was unlearned and ignorant in the ordinary sense – two winters at the village school were all he could boast of in the way of scholarship – tireless inner striving gave him a personal experience of Christianity identical with that of many of the early ascetic Fathers.
Saint Sophrony went to Mt. Athos in 1925 and there, at the Monastery of St. Panteleimon, became amanuensis to Staretz Silouan whose writings were pencilled in laborious, unformed characters on odd scraps of paper.
Saint Silouan the Athonite
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Revelation concerning God declares, ‘God is love’, ‘God is light, and in him is no darkness at all’. How difficult for us mortals to agree with this! Difficult, for both our own personal life and the life of the world around us would appear to testify to the contrary.
Indeed, where is this light of the Father’s love if we all, approaching the end of our lives, in bitterness of heart can lament with Job, ‘My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart … If I wait, the grave is mine house . . . Where is now my hope?’ And that which from my youth my heart has sought secretly but fervently – ‘Who shall see it?’
Christ Himself attests that God is concerned for all creation, that He does not ignore a single small bird, that He clothes the grass of the field, and His concern for people is so incomparably great that ‘the very hairs of our head are all numbered’.
But where is this Providence that is attentive to the last detail? We are all of us crushed by the spectacle of evil walking unrestrained up and down the world. Millions of lives that have often hardly begun – before they are even aware of living — are strangled with incredible ferocity.
So whyever is this absurd life given to us?
And lo, the soul longs to meet God and ask Him, ‘Why didst Thou give me life? … I am surfeited with suffering. Enveloped in darkness. Why dost Thou hide Thyself from me? I know that Thou art good but wherefore art Thou so indifferent to my pain?’
‘Why art Thou so . . . cruel and merciless toward me?’
‘I cannot fathom thee.’
Contents
Foreword
PART I
The Staretz’ Life and Teaching
I. Childhood and Early Years
II. Arrival on Mt. Athos
III. Monastic Striving
IV. Portrait of the Staretz
V. The Staretz’ Doctrinal Teaching
VI. Pure Prayer and Mental Stillness
VII. The Imagination and the Ascetic Struggle against its Various Aspects
VIII. Uncreated Divine Light and Ways of Contemplation
IX. Grace and Consequent Dogmatic Consciousness
X. Spiritual Trials
XI. ‘Keep thy mind in hell, and despair not.’
XII. The Divine Word and the Bounds of Created Nature
XIII. On the Purport of Prayer for the World
Afterword
XIV. The Staretz’ Demise
XV. Testimonies
Postscriptum
PART II
The Writtings of Staretz Silouan
Foreword
I. Yearning for God
II. On Prayer
III. On Humility
IV. On Peace
V. On Grace
VI. On The Will of God and on Freedom
VII. On Repentance
VIII. On the Knowledge of God
IX. On Love
X. We are Children of God and in the Likeness of the Lord
XI. On the Mother of God
XII. On the Saints
XIII. Concerning Shepherds of Souls
XIV. Concerning Monks
XV. Concerning Obedience
XVI. Concerning Spiritual Warfare
XVII. Concerning Intrusive Thoughts and Delusions
XVIII. Adam’s Lament
XIX. Reminiscences and Conversations
XX. Thoughts, Advice and Observations on Asceticism
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Saint Sophrony the Athonite
Saint Sophrony, started his monastic life on Mount Athos. His acquaintance with Saint Silouan became the landmark of his life. He lived as a cenobitic monk at St Panteleimon’s monastery and later as a hermit in the caves of Karoulia. After twenty two years on the Holy Mountain, he travelled to Paris for medical treatment, where he served as a parish priest. In 1959, he founded our monastery in Essex, England, where he served as the abbot and spiritual father. Towards the end of his life he withdrew to live once more as a recluse. Read more…
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Based on 22 reviews
Customers widely praise "Saint Silouan the Athonite" as an essential, timeless classic offering profound spiritual insights, guidance, and inspiration for the Christian journey. Reviewers highlight its excellent writing, the relatability of St. Silouan's life, and its impact on understanding faith, often recommending it as a must-read for anyone seeking deeper spirituality.
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Lucia Dunn (verified owner) –
“keep thy mind in hell ,and despair not “ A lesson in hope
There are some books that you pick up at the wrong time, and somehow the words just don’t reach you. Then, months later, you open the same book again and suddenly it speaks to you in a completely different way.
This is what happened to me with Saint Silouan the Athonite. It had been sitting on my bookshelf for a few months, and although I had always intended to read it, I just wasn’t drawn to it yet. Then one day I started, and I found myself completely absorbed.
What has struck me most is how deeply personal and human St Silouan’s spiritual journey feels. His struggles, his longing for God, his humility, his moments of suffering and the incredible depth of his love and compassion make you realise that holiness is not about being untouched by struggle. It is about how we turn to God in the middle of it.
The chapter “Keep thy mind in hell, and despair not” had a particularly profound effect on me. I kept coming back to those words. At first they sound so severe, but the more I reflected on them, the more I understood that they are actually words of immense hope.
To recognise our own weakness and failures honestly, without making excuses or running away from them, but at the same time never to despair of God’s mercy. To be humble without losing hope. That is something I feel I will carry with me.
I think perhaps I was simply ready for this book now. And that has made me think about spiritual reading in a different way too. Sometimes it isn’t the book that has changed: it is us. We read something at one point in our lives and it passes over us, and then at another moment, the very same words can reach somewhere deep inside us.
This is a book I don’t feel I have simply “finished”. I know I will go back to it, slowly, perhaps opening it at different times and finding something new each time.
And apart from everything it contains, the edition from the Monastery of St John the Baptist in Essex is simply beautiful. There is something very special about holding a book connected with that place and with the spiritual tradition of St Sophrony and St Silouan.
It has become one of those books that I know I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Lucia Volpi Dunn
Ray Farah (verified owner) –
A must read for any Person during their lifetime.
This book has been an incredible spiritual guide. Moreover, it answered a plentitude of Theological questions that I had, some of which I was not aware that I had–lying in the back of my mind, which was a help beyond description. Saints Silouan and Sophrony pray for us!
James Burgess (verified owner) –
Saint Siliouan
Radu Iacob (verified owner) –
The best spiritual book
After the Bible, I believe every Christian—not only Christians, in fact—should read at least once The Sayings of the Desert Fathers and this book. It is an essential spiritual work for every soul seeking the Truth and searching for salvation.
Sonny (verified owner) –
Saint Siliouan
I honestly can’t believe just how stunning the quality of these books are.
I treasure mine dearly.
Adam Garber (verified owner) –
This book is a timeless classic for Orthodoxy. It really speaks to the heart. If I’m ever asked questions about Orthodoxy I cannot help but think of this book. For lack of better words, the life of St Silouan shows us the goal and fruit of the Christian life.
Patrick Mclean (verified owner) –
Excellent service. Thank you. I was very happy to get a hard back book of St. Silouan that was very much like the original.
Luke Brown (verified owner) –
Praise be to God for revealing His saints to us
Br. Fr. (verified owner) –
There are so many layers to this book, from the excellent and inspirational autobiographical parts to the deep spiritual insights and pure and practical prayers, I cannot recommend it enough.
Binding, typography and paper quality is excellent. A classic for any respectable library.
God bless everyone involved in making this book available.
Mark (verified owner) –
The book of Saint Silouan makes me so interested to read it. I love books and this is definitely a good one. I have just started reading and it’s very well written, robust and arrived carefully packaged. I am enjoying every moment reading it.
Thank you for making it available to buy online, it’s a gem, God bless you all.