Unseen Warfare: The Spiritual Combat and Path to Paradise of Lorenzo Scupoli (English, Russian and Greek Edition)
This spiritual classic was written by Lorenzo Scupoli, a sixteenth-century Venetian priest. Immensely popular in its own day, it was ranked by Francis de Sales with the Imitation of Christ. In the general rapport between Western and Eastern Christendom, it reached Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, who first recognized its immense spiritual worth, and later, in the nineteenth century, Theophan the Recluse, both of whom edited and translated the work.
Rich in its references to the teachings of the saints and Fathers, Unseen Warfare combines the insights of West and East on that spiritual combat which is the road to perfection and the stripping away of all that militates against it. Staretz Theophan wrote in his foreword, "the arena, the field of battle, the site where the fight actually takes place is our own heart and all our inner man. The time of battle is our whole life."
Unseen Warfare is a perfect complement to the Philokalia.
Reviews (110)
Disregard Previous Criticisms Made In Ignorance - Buy this book!
There are very few spiritual books as beneficial, practical, and edifying as this one. If you consider yourself a Christian, this book is indispensable! Sts. Nicodemus and Theophan did a God-glorifying job with editing and revising this writing by Lorenzo Scupoli. In this book are topics that are not widely discussed in any Christian circle, even within Orthodoxy, unfortunately. This is a book that should be in every Christian's library, similar in rank to the Philokalia, Sayings of the Desert Fathers, St. Dorotheos' Discourses, St. Theophan's Path to Salvation, and St. Ignatius' The Field. I would say that merely reading the first 5 chapters of this book are sufficient for the price paid! Pay no heed to the criticisms of laity who object to some of the more austere admonishments in this text; wisdom dictates that not everything we read from the Fathers can be applied to our lives, nor should they be without spiritual guidance, lest we fall into the great sin of pride, prelest, and self-direction--all of which lead to our own destruction. This book should be prayerfully read, and any new rules that come to mind should be presented to your spiritual father before applying them to your life: This is the Orthodox way, and anything contrary is the way of Satan.
I feel a bit like Herod who loved to listen to John the Baptist ...
I probably should be ashamed to confess that I have this book of spiritual mastery in my bathroom and flip daily to random pages as it's too intense to read cover to cover. I have received REAL spiritual direction that HAS grounded and directed my prayer life. But much of it is beyond my experience and a bit repelling. I feel a bit like Herod who loved to listen to John the Baptist while not understanding a word!! The attraction IS irresistible. I've put all my other books back in the bookcase and this one book remains day by day despite conflicting passions about it.
Deep analysis of Christian Perfection
A book written by a Catholic priest, revised by an Orthodox Greek and edited by a famous Russian Ascetic. this final version is the product of an exhaustive effort to deliver a guide to Christian perfection as it is understood and practiced by Christian ascetics in the past two millennia. it draws on the material provided by Cassian's writings about the teachings of the desert fathers in the east (In Egypt and Syria) and builds on this the experiences of both western and Eastern Christianity of later generations. I do not think this is going to be a book for the novice or beginner in these areas of contemplation and spiritual exercises. But it should be of great help for persons who aspire to reach great heights in enjoying a strong and ecstatic relationship with God. Such people are always subject to the unseen warfare described in this book and therefore this would be a very good guide book for them along the road to perfection.
Great book
Read :)
Thank you.
Thank you.
A civil war within
As a Christian pacifist, I'm extremely wary of militaristic language, in either common speech ("bullet points" or "I got bombed last night") or allegedly spiritual discourse ("Onward Christian soldiers, marching off to war..."). So I was initially put off by the title _Unseen Warfare_. But as soon as I began reading the book, it becane clear that the type of warfare discussed was quite different from what we usually take the word to mean. Scupoli (along with Nicodemus & Theophan, his Orthodox editors) argues that Christian perfection lies in aligning one's will with God's, but that this alignment is extremely difficult because an entire army of contrary "wills" resides in us, continuously dragging us away from God. In order to counter these "wills," the Christian must arm herself with "invisible weapons." The "most trustworthy and unconquerable" of them are: (1) never rely on yourself in anything; (2) always bear in your heart a perfect and all-daring trust in God alone; (3) strive without ceasing; and (4) remain constantly in prayer. It's clear that these weapons, rather than seeking to overpower by sheer brute strength, take seriously the strength-through- powerlessness that St. Paul writes about. Unseen warfare is fought not by pitting one's will against a foe, but by surrendering oneself to God; not by trusting in one's own resources, but by acknowledging dependence; not by risking everything on one flashy, dramatic battle, but by persevering, little by little, day by day; and not by drawing up battle plans so much as by ceaseless praying. The language may be militaristic, but the purport of the language actually subverts the violence and self-assertion associated with war. It speaks of self-sacrifice, love, devotion, discipline. _Unseen Warfare_ is a sobering read, because it convicts the reader (or at least it convicted THIS reader) of falling woefully short in the quest for Christian perfection. But it's also an inspiring and ennobling read, because it encourages the reader to greater resolve. Highly recommended.
Five Stars
Must read for all Orthodox Christians everywhere to aid you in your day-to-day encounter with the evil one.
I wouldn't bye it if I were you
Not that good didn't like it
Five Stars
could not be better!
understand what's happenning in your life!
The basic understanding of God's action in our daily lives-what is happening spiritually in a particular situation in our lives- to understand this and what action to take! How the passions impact on our understanding of God and how to turn (mechanism) the passions into virtues which are required for the salvation of man.
Comments
Post a Comment