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Light Through Darkness: The Orthodox Tradition (Traditions of Christian Spirituality)

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Nowadays, when people speak of "spiritual" exploration, they often have in mind the esoterica of Eastern religions or the fuzzy nebulosity of a personal faith that they try to reconcile with science at the same time as hoping for something beyond the physical world. The Traditions of Christian Spirituality series tries to show that there is just as much "spiritual" richness in the Christian tradition as in anything exotic and trendy. I don't know how true that is in other bodies calling themselves Christian, but in LIGHT THROUGH DARKNESS author John Chryssavgis makes his strong case that the Orthodox Church has precisely the kind of wisdom and beauty that the spiritual seeker needs.

Chryssavgis shows how Orthodoxy aims for spiritual transformation and union with God in all its facets. He speaks of the meaning of the liturgy and sacraments, personal prayer and contrition, the not always silent "silence" of the monastic life, and the role of a spiritual father in guiding the individual believer. I especially like his use of quotations from the Desert Fathers with stunning insight, which shows that Orthodox Christianity has wisdom far beyond the Zen koan.

I have only two complaints about the book. The first is that, though this series ostensibly is meant to show seekers that Christianity is worth exploring, the book seems to already assume a great deal of prior experience with the Christian tradition. I just wish that it were written at a level a bit more general. My second complaint is the frequencies of Chryssavgis' references to environmentalism. Chryssavgis is the theological advisor to the Ecumenical Patriach on environmentalism, and has written many texts pointing to a love of the natural world among the Fathers. However, here he makes it seem that environmentalism is a major part of Orthodox Christian practice, while in fact in the lives of the average believers (even Fathers) it is very much subjugated with the much more urgent task of the salvation of human souls. Linking the Orthodox Church with the environmental movement may win it some positive attention from modern secularists, but it risks distorting the actual life of the Church.

This book would seem to work best as some thought-provoking moments for the Orthodox Christian believer who wants to better appreciate the focus on a relationship with God in his own tradition.

This is a very readable analysis of some of the major themes of Orthodox spirituality. It contains many profound insights while being written in a lively and readable style. It includes a fascinating chapter on three modern spiritual elders who are perhaps not widely known (I was enchanted by some of the 'common sense' and witty sayings by Paisios the Elder). There are also some very pertinent comments about our treatment of the environment and the Orthodox perspective on ecology, which summarizes some of the points made in the author's 'Beyond the Shattered Image' while being less rigorous and complex.

Another reviewer criticises the frequent references to environmentalism but misses the point a little. Since, in Orthodox theology, the divine mission is not only to regenerate humanity but to sanctify and transfigure the whole of creation, then ecology and love for the totality of God's world is central. To quote Fr. Amphilochius,"Whoever does not love trees, does not love Christ."

Nowadays, when people speak of "spiritual" exploration, they often have in mind the esoterica of Eastern religions or the fuzzy nebulosity of a personal faith that they try to reconcile with science at the same time as hoping for something beyond the physical world. The Traditions of Christian Spirituality series tries to show that there is just as much "spiritual" richness in the Christian tradition as in anything exotic and trendy. I don't know how true that is in other bodies calling themselves Christian, but in LIGHT THROUGH DARKNESS author John Chryssavgis makes his strong case that the Orthodox Church has precisely the kind of wisdom and beauty that the spiritual seeker needs.

Chryssavgis shows how Orthodoxy aims for spiritual transformation and union with God in all its facets. He speaks of the meaning of the liturgy and sacraments, personal prayer and contrition, the not always silent "silence" of the monastic life, and the role of a spiritual father in guiding the individual believer. I especially like his use of quotations from the Desert Fathers with stunning insight, which shows that Orthodox Christianity has wisdom far beyond the Zen koan.

I have only two complaints about the book. The first is that, though this series ostensibly is meant to show seekers that Christianity is worth exploring, the book seems to already assume a great deal of prior experience with the Christian tradition. I just wish that it were written at a level a bit more general. My second complaint is the frequencies of Chryssavgis' references to environmentalism. Chryssavgis is the theological advisor to the Ecumenical Patriach on environmentalism, and has written many texts pointing to a love of the natural world among the Fathers. However, here he makes it seem that environmentalism is a major part of Orthodox Christian practice, while in fact in the lives of the average believers (even Fathers) it is very much subjugated with the much more urgent task of the salvation of human souls. Linking the Orthodox Church with the environmental movement may win it some positive attention from modern secularists, but it risks distorting the actual life of the Church.

This book would seem to work best as some thought-provoking moments for the Orthodox Christian believer who wants to better appreciate the focus on a relationship with God in his own tradition.

Interesting read for anyone that wants to learn more about Christian Spirituality and Mysticism