God, Where is the Wound?: Healing Remedies for Today's World

by Schemanun Siluana Vlad, Nun Efrema (preface), Grig Gheorghiu (translator)

The book “God, Where is the Wound?” is the transcription of three conferences held in Germany in 2012, at the invitation of His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany and Central and Northern Europe. This transcription was later augmented by Mother Siluana “for enrichment and explanation” of the text. And so, the book is an image of living faith, detailed, easy to understand and to be put into practice. It is very attractive by its clarifications of Christian anthropology and by its subtle descriptions of psychological experiences that readers are surprised to discover they are very familiar with. At the same time, the book shines a light upon living a correct Christian life as co-working with God. It shows surprising possibilities for living this life, possibilities which, however, fit perfectly in ancient Orthodox practices.

Mother Siluana knew pain all her life. She didn’t run away from it, but she befriended it and always sought its meaning, which she understood especially after she had the experience of meeting God in her life. “Pain - the verb of individual life. Its field of action is the soul. Physical pain also reverberates in the soul…whatever you do, it is always there. Can it be that such an obvious permanence has no significance? Could I not find meaning in it?” - wrote Mother Siluana in her diary when she was 34 years old.

Mother Siluana’s desire and yearning was for all to be healed, and this yearning is apparent in all her works and her monastic life - it is also the impulse that is woven as a thread through the ideas, words, and images she uses in these conferences for illustrating psychological states and methods of healing, for offering unexpected answers to our pain and suffering. She starts with a clear exposition of elements of Orthodox theology based on the notion of Truth (“the truth will set you free” - John 8:32) as the foundation for healing.

Mother Siluana uses concepts from modern science to facilitate the understanding of common experiences that all readers can identify with. She clarifies the difference between life as survival – which we experience as a consequence of the Fall and for which we are conditioned by internal survival mechanisms – and Life as a gift from God, Life for which He created us, Life which becomes possible when we open ourselves up to God’s grace through prayer and the fulfillment of the commandments. Mother Siluana imparts these ideas in an accessible and energetic way, emphasizing their profound spiritual importance, despite the distorted meanings with which secular thinking imprints them.

From the preface by Nun Efrema, St. Silouan the Athonite Monastery, Iasi, Romania

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Christian, Psychology

199 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2023

Reviews

[claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 would recommend.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking and deep considerations on trauma response, psychology, and patristic theology offer a path to the healing of our soul and body through forgiveness and prayer.

[Garrett Paschal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would say this is the best psychologically-informed Orthodox spirituality book I’ve read. Mother Siluana looks at the human person containing body, mind and spirit. This book gathers together patristic theology, neuroscience, and trauma research. Thank you Grig for the translation of this book.

[Tiina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. Except for the parts that I hated. (One of my children is a cancer survivor. If you have read the book, you probably know why this may ruffle my feathers.) Even so, I have to give it five stars.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read and reread for any Orthodox Christian. one of the most eye/soul-opening books of my life so far

[Sam Gruber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Orthodox friend lent this to me since he thought it would be helpful to read

This lady is definitely pretty smart but I’m not orthodox so many of the pleadings and conclusions she promotes simply go in one ear and out the other for me

A lot of good stuff though that if I was more mature I would have listened to more closely

I find a lot of her arguments lacking as well, but that doesn’t mean I don’t envy her ability to truly believe them

I wish I wasn’t so confused

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book bumps other books to enter my top 10 of all time. I already know I will read again this year. It is one to think about and spend time with the material.

[Michelle Cho · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL! Thank you TB - finally finished the stack of books that you have generously shared with me hehehe :)

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

two stars because she blames parents if thier kids die of medical conditions.

[Iustina · Rating 5 out of 5]

O carte minunată, revelatoare,vindecatoare.