Orthodox Book Review: A Night in the Desert of the Holy Mountain

“A Night in the Desert of the Holy Mountain” by Metropolitan Hierotheos is a recording of conversations that Metropolitan Hierotheos had with an Elder on Mt. Athos while he was still an Archimandrite. After his conversations with the Elder, he jotted the conversations down as to not forget what the Elder had said. In Greece it is a spiritual classic and has had over 9 editions with many printings in the original Greek. It has been translated into French, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic, as well as English, which has had multiple editions and printings. This book is a fantastic read about the Jesus Prayer and the Orthodox interior life and proceeds from one topic to the next and is a great primer on how to pray. The book is 204 pages and at the back of the book there is a glossary of 8 pages of important terms. Currently it can be purchased for about $26 brand new with some slightly cheaper books on the used market.

In this book the Elder discusses the Orthodox Hesychastic life and how it differs with the New Age and other philosophical and religious traditions (pgs 45, 50-52). He discusses the soul and its three powers: nous, desire (the appetitive power), and will (the incensive power) (pg57). He talks about the concentration, attention, and watchfullness (pgs 58, 61-66, 81, 84). He also talks about, the body during prayer, imagination, discernment, repentance, keeping the commandments, and the Jesus Prayer, which is the main focus of the book. He also talks about Theosis, and the Uncreated Light.

00:00 Intro
02:10 Topics
03:05 Cat Problems ;(
03:52 Quotes
05:30 Conclusion