The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain: Contemporary Voices from Mount Athos [Paperback]

Alexander Golitzin (Author, Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In brief, this is a splendid book in every way . . . Extremely well written, highly informative, and very inspiring. Fr. Alexander and St. Tikhon's Seminary Press have done the English-speaking Orthodox world a magnificent favor by producing this book. Please forgive our superlatives, but we are really excited by this publication. This is definitely a 'rush out and buy it!' book . . . Fr. Alexander manages to make his timely introduction. . . both spiritual uplifting and delightful . . . His . . . compelling explanation of the monastic life [is] probably the finest written in modern times . . . The extended introduction . . . alone would make this book worth purchasing . . . The story of how our beloved St. Herman has come to be loved and honored in Greece is . . . simply inspiring . . . One can read this book straight through with eager interest, and then pick it up again and again . . ." -- Doxa, Christmas 1996

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Greek

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 311 pages
• Publisher: St Tikhons Seminary Pr (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1878997483
• ISBN-13: 978-1878997487
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,321,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Filled with warmth and insight, October 24, 2004

By 

D. Golden (Savannah, GA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain: Contemporary Voices from Mount Athos (Paperback)

There is no need for a lengthy review in this instance. This book is, to put it quite simply, an outstanding resource for anyone who wants to see into the heart of Orthodoxy. The Orthodox ( Athonite ) tradition, largely unknown or at best, poorly understood by Western Christianity, offers a distinctly, loving and mystical vision on the nature of faith. Father Golitzin has assembled a wonderful collection of articles and stories that are both greatly enjoyable and highly informative. Whether you are Orthodox or just interested in learning about the world's first Christian church, you will find this book to be a very rewarding read.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good understanding of the Holy Mountain, April 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain: Contemporary Voices from Mount Athos (Paperback)

Hieromonk Alexander (Golitzin) provides an excellent history of Mount Athos, concentrating on more recent history.

By presenting translations of contemporary Athonite spirituality, he permits the reader to directly the spirituality directly rather than through a filter. Particularly striking to this reader was how similar in tone and 'feel' these texts are to those of the Desert Fathers of many centuries ago. Thus, it demonstrates how Christian Orthodoxy has maintained the faith that was once for all given to the saints.

Highly recommended!

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and inspiring, January 2, 2012

By 

David Withun (FORT GORDON, GA, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain: Contemporary Voices from Mount Athos (Paperback)

This book is a wonderful introduction to the life, spirituality, and mission of the monks of Holy Mount Athos. The historical notes, detailing of the daily life of the monks, and description of the impact their spirituality has had on the world via St. Herman of Alaska were particularly moving and helpful aspects of the book. Perhaps the greatest aspect of this book, however, is the inspiration it provides for those of us who are trying to live a life of authentic Orthodox spirituality in the world and not on Mount Athos. The monks, in the sermons and other short writings and sayings excerpted in this book, have constant reference to the attainability of God's grace even for those in the world and offer us encouragement and advice on how to attain to it. I recommend this book both for those who want to better under the place of the Holy Mountain in Orthodoxy and for those who want to deepen their own spiritual life.