The Philokalia and the Inner Life: On Passions and Prayer

Christopher C.H. Cook

Jan 2011 · James Clarke & Co

About this ebook

The Philokalia was published in Venice in 1782. It is an anthology of patristic writings from the Eastern Church, spanning the 4th to the 15th Centuries, which has been the subsequent focus of a significant revival in Orthodox spirituality. It presents an understanding of psychopathology and mental life which is significantly different to that usually encountered in western Christianity. It also presents accounts of both mental well-being and the pathologies of the mind or soul that are radically different to contemporary secular accounts and yet also find remarkable points of similarity with contemporary psychotherapeutic approaches, such as cognitive therapy. The book provides an introduction to the history of the Philokalia and the philosophical, anthropological and theological influences that contributed to its information. It presents a critical account of the pathologies of the soul, the remedies for these pathologies, and the therapeutic goals as portrayed by the authors of the Philokalia. It then offers a critical engagement of this material with a contemporary understanding of psychotherapy. Finally, it raises important questions about the relationship between thoughts and prayer.

About the author

The Reverend Professor Christopher C.H. Cook is a Research Fellow at Durham University and teaches Spirituality and Pastoral Theology at Cranmer Hall, St John's College, Durham. He is also a consultant psychiatrist with over twenty years of experience, and is Director of the Project for Spirituality, Theology and Health. As well as numerous papers and articles, his other published works include Alcohol, Addiction and Christian Ethics, and he was joint author of The Treatment of Drinking Problems.