Philokalia
Collection of hesychast texts compiled by Nicodemus and Macarius.
The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters of the mystical hesychast tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Compiled in the 18th century by Nicodemus the Hagiorite and Macarius of Corinth, it is considered the principal spiritual text for all Eastern Orthodox churches, with an influence second only to the Bible in recent Orthodox history.
- Compiled
- 18th century
- Compilers
- Nicodemus the Hagiorite and Macarius of Corinth
- Original language
- Greek
- Field
- Christian spirituality, hesychasm
- Known for
- Foundational text on hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer
Lore & Background
The Philokalia was compiled by Nicodemus the Hagiorite and Macarius of Corinth, both monks at Mount Athos, a mountainous peninsula in northern Greece historically considered the geographical center of Orthodox spirituality. They based their collection on codices from the library of the monastery of Vatopedi, dating from the 12th to 15th centuries. Translations spread the work widely.
Reader's Guide
The Philokalia is the foundational text on hesychasm, an inner spiritual tradition emphasizing watchfulness (nepsis), contemplative prayer, and the Jesus Prayer. Its teachings have influenced Orthodox monastic and lay spirituality for centuries, spreading beyond monasteries through translations and popular works like The Way of a Pilgrim. The collection's title means 'love of the beautiful,' referring to the transcendent source of life and truth. Debates arose among translators about accessibility: Nicodemus believed the Jesus Prayer could benefit anyone, while Velichkovsky and Bryanchaninov warned that without guidance from a spiritual father, practitioners risked spiritual delusion. The Philokalia's impact extended to Western Europe through Russian émigrés after the Bolshevik revolution, and it influenced writers such as T. S. Eliot and J. D. Salinger. Modern centering prayer practices, taught by Thomas Keating and Thomas Merton, also draw on its teachings. The work remains central to Orthodox spiritual life, inseparable from the sacraments and liturgy of the Church.
Did You Know?
- The Philokalia was compiled from five codices at the monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, dating from the 12th to 15th centuries.
- Paisius Velichkovsky's Church Slavonic translation was the version carried by the pilgrim in The Way of a Pilgrim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Philokalia?
The Philokalia is a large anthology of spiritual writings produced by Eastern Orthodox mystics spanning roughly the 4th through 15th centuries. Assembled in the 18th century, it is regarded as the single most important spiritual reference work in the Orthodox tradition after Scripture itself.
Who put the Philokalia together?
Two 18th-century monks, Nicodemus the Hagiorite and Macarius of Corinth, selected and arranged the texts into the collection we know today. Their editorial work gave the disparate writings a unified structure and lasting canonical status.
What is hesychasm, and why does the Philokalia matter for it?
Hesychasm is the Eastern Orthodox contemplative practice centered on stillness, unceasing prayer, and the pursuit of divine union. The Philokalia is the foundational reference for that tradition, laying out its theology, methods, and spiritual goals in a single volume.
What is the Jesus Prayer, and where does it appear in the Philokalia?
The Jesus Prayer is a short, repetitive invocation of Christ's name that serves as the practical core of hesychast prayer. The Philokalia devotes extensive passages to explaining how to pray it, making it the go-to text for anyone studying the practice.
In what language was the Philokalia originally written?
The source texts were composed in Greek over many centuries, and the 18th-century compilation preserved that Greek as its original language. Translations into other languages came later as the work spread beyond the Greek-speaking Orthodox world.
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