Father Arseny: A Cloud of Witnesses [Paperback]

Vera Bouteneff (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

The stories of Father Arseny and his work in the Soviet prison camps have captured the minds and hearts of readers all over the world. In this second volume readers will find additional narratives about Father Arseny newly translated from the most recent Russian edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

For those of us who regretted coming to the end of Father Arseny: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father, this new collection is truly an unexpected joy. These memoirs by his spiritual children place us around the dining room table with that holy man, listening to stories and wisdom that enlighten our own difficult times. --Frederica Mathewes-Green

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Russian

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: St Vladimirs Seminary Pr (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881412325
• ISBN-13: 978-0881412321
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #341,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where to start reading about Orthodox piety, April 15, 2006

By 

M. Harrington "M.A. Harrington" (Walla Walla, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Father Arseny: A Cloud of Witnesses (Paperback)

This book is so vital to read as Westerners who may not know about the persecutions of the Russian Church under the communist. What makes this books stand alone is the life of Fr. Arseny of Blessed Memory. His struggles with criminals, political prisoners, brutal guards, and trying to simply stay alive while fulfilling his sentence in one of the soviet, "special camps," gives you a look at how one man's humanity and compassion can have such a deep impact on so many others. Fr. Areny's life stands among many of the as yet un-cannonized saints that suffered for the Orthodox Faith. The spiritual depth and the description of some of Gods mysteries pulls back the veil of this world for the reader so they can see the depths of Gods love in his saints. You will love this book even if you are not Orthodox.

5.0 out of 5 stars A good continuation..., January 21, 2012

By 

Salaam Yitbarek (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Father Arseny: A Cloud of Witnesses (Paperback)

This is a continuation of the book Father Arseny, 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father : Being the Narratives Compiled by the Servant of God Alexander Concerning His Spiritual Father.

The story of Father Arseny is perhaps the most illustrative example of what an Orthodox Christian life should be that I've ever read. It is a story of self-examination, repentance, prayer, forgiveness - all elements that from the basis of Orthodox Christian living (praxis). I can't count the number of people who've been inspired by these books. I would certainly recommend or even prescribe these two books to every Orthodox Christian. An absolute must, if there is such a thing.

As for the non-Orthodox, Christian or not, I would of course also recommend this book. It is for them too inspirational, as well as informative. As other non-Orthodox reviewers have indicated, it has led them to ask questions of Orthodoxy, and this is good!