Following the Footsteps of the Invisible: The Complete Works of Diadochus of Photikë (Cistercian Studies Series)

by Cliff Ermatinger

Fifth-century Christianity was a theological battlefield. With the Messalian heretics and their experientialist spirituality on the one side and the intellectualist school on the other, representatives of both extremes found themselves condemned by the Church. In this milieu of subjectivist notions of grace and negative anthropology, there appeared a true mystic, Diadochus, Bishop of Photike in Epiros. His is a theology whose two poles are God's grace and man's ability to cooperate with it by way of discernment of spirits. Diadochus's ability to salvage what was orthodox from the Messalians and the intellectualists proves that, rather than a reactionary, he was a true theologian capable of synthesis, open to the truth even if found in his adversary, and yet firm in his faith, unwilling to compromise. He is among the earliest witnesses of the Jesus Prayer. Diadochus is the most important spiritual writer of his century, whose influence can be found in the writings of Maximus the Confessor, Simeon the New Theologian, Gregory of Palamas, and the author of The Way of the Pilgrim. This is the first translation of his complete works in English.

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

Reviews

[Dominic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fr. Ermatinger gives an excellent and succinct overview of Diadochus's spirituality. It is refreshing to learn from the Fathers, especially their deep biblical sense of the human person and our relation to God.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 4 out of 5]

Det är svårt att kvantifiera religion. Det stora problemet är att denna innehåller vad jag skulle beskriva som viktiga insikter kring relationen perception - individ - gud, vilket är kärnan i dess värde. Samtidigt skulle jag inte utgå från att andra delar min upplevda blindhet i dessa frågor. Precis som kring all användbar litteratur, är insikterna självklara från tiden efter att man fått dem. Jag rekommenderar boken varmt.