John Climacus: From the Egyptian Desert to the Sinaite Mountain

271 Pages·2018·6.922 MB·English

by  John Chryssavgis

JOHN CLIMACUS
John Chryssavgis explores the ascetic teaching and theology of St John
Climacus, a classical and formative writer of the Christian medieval East and
theauthoroftheseventh-centuryLadderofDivineAscent.Thistextprovedto
be the most widely used handbook of the spiritual life in the Christian East,
partly because of its unique and striking symbol of the ladder that binds
together the whole book. It has caught the attention of numerous readers in
East and West alike through the ages and is a veritable classic of medieval
spirituality,whosepopularityintheEastequalsthatofTheImitationofChrist
in the West.
Chryssavgisfollowsthedevelopmentandinfluenceofearlierdesertliterature
from Egypt through Palestine into Sinai, and includes a discussion of the
theology of tears, the concept of unceasing prayer, as well as the monastic
principles of hesychia (silence) and eros (love).

John Climacus
From the Egyptian Desert to the Sinaite Mountain
JOHN CHRYSSAVGIS
First published 2004 by Ashgate Publishing
Published 2016 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprintof the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Coppyright # John Chryssavgis, 2004
Illustrations copyright # Elizabeth Williams, 2002
John Chryssavgis has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Notice:
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used
only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Chryssavgis, John
John Climacus: from the Egyptian desert to the Sinaite mountain
1.John,Climacus,Saint,ca.579–ca.649–Contributionsinthetheologyofman
2. Man (Christian theology) – History of doctrines – Early church, ca. 30–600
I. Title
2330.092
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chryssavgis, John.
John Climacus: from the Egyptian desert to the Sinaite mountain / John
Chryssavgis.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0–7546–5040–5 (alk. paper)
1.Christianlife–OrthodoxEasternauthors.2.John,Climacus,Saint,6thcent.
I. Title.
BX382.C49 2004
270.20092–dc22
2004002021
ISBN 13: 978-0-7546-5040-9 (hbk)
Contents
Chronological Table vi
List of Illustrations viii
Acknowledgements ix
Abbreviations x
Introduction 1
1 John Climacus and the Ladder 15
Appendix: Biographical Note 42
2 Soma–Sarx: The Body and the Flesh 47
3 Kardia: The Heart 79
4 Nous: The Intellect 101
5 ‘Joyful Sorrow’: The Double Gift of Tears 131
6 Ascesis: The Ascetic Struggle of the Monk 165
7 The Ascetic at Prayer 211
Conclusion 233
Bibliography 239
Name Index 255
Subject Index 257
Chronological Table
Agathon d. 370
Am(m)oun d. 350
Anastasius of Sinai d. c. 700
Antony 251–356
Arsenius c. 360–c. 449
Athanasius of Alexandria c. 296–373
Augustine of Hippo 354–430
Barsanuphius d. c. 543
Basil of Caesaria 330–379
Clement of Alexandria c. 150–c. 215
Cyril of Scythopolis fl. c. 524–558
Diadochus of Photice c. 400–c. 486
Dionysius the Areopagite c. 500
Dorotheus of Gaza c. 506–c. 570
Ephraim the Syrian c. 306–373
Euthymius 376–473
Evagrius c. 345–399
Evergetinos, Paulos d. 1054
Gregory of Nazianzus 329–379
Gregory of Nyssa c. 330–395
Gregory Palamas c. 1296–1359
Gregory of Sinai c. 1265–c. 1337
Hesychius of Sinai 7th–8th century
Hilarion c. 291–c. 371
Isaac the Syrian late 7th century
Isaiah of Scetis d. c. 489
John Cassian 360–435
John Chrysostom 347–407
John the Dwarf c. 339–c. 407
John of Lycopolis d. 395
John Moschus c. 545–619
John, the ‘Other Old Man’ d. c. 543
Macarian Homilies mid-5th century
Macarius of Alexandria 293–393
Macarius of Egypt c. 300–c. 390
Mark the Monk early 5th century
Maximus the Confessor c. 580–682
Melanie the Elder 342–411
ChronologicalTable vii
Melanie the Younger 380–c. 439
Nilus of Ancyra 5th century
Origen of Alexandria 185–c. 254
Pachomius 292–347
Palladius of Helenopolis c. 363–c. 431
Pambo 304–373
Paul of Thebes c. 235–c. 341
Paula the Elder 347–404
Paula the Younger b. c. 397
Peter the Iberian d. c. 490
Philotheus of Sinai 9th–10th century
Poemen d. c. 450
Porphyry of Gaza d. 420
Sabas 439–532
Serapion of Thmuis d. c. 370
Seridos d. c. 543
Silvanus d. c. 412
Sisoes d. 429
Symeon the Stylite d. 459
Symeon the New Theologian 949–1022
Syncletica 380–c. 460
Theodore the Studite 759–826
Thalassius the Libyan 7th century
Theodoret of Cyrus c. 393–466
Xanthopoulos, Kallistos and Ignatios mid-13th–early 14th century
Zeno, of Silvanus d. 451
Zosimas (Reflections) fl. 475–525
List of Illustrations
The Sinaite peninsula and neighboring Egypt and Palestine
(Map: the author) xii
John Climacus
(Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA) 14
The peaks of Mt Sinai and St Catherine on the horizon
(Photograph: Elizabeth Williams) 46
The monastery of St Catherine from the basin of Elijah
(Photograph: Elizabeth Williams) 78
The burning bush at the monastery of St Catherine
(Photograph: Elizabeth Williams) 100
The path to the cave of John Climacus
(Photograph: Elizabeth Williams) 130
The cave hermitage of John Climacus
(Photograph: Elizabeth Williams) 164
The monastery church in Pharan
(Photograph: Elizabeth Williams) 210
Acknowledgements
IamgratefultotheHolyTransfigurationMonasteryinBrooklineMAforthe
gracious support of the brotherhood throughout the preparation of this
publication, as well as for permission to quote from their translation of the
Ladder.AniconofStJohnClimacusfromthesamemonasteryisalsoincluded
in this book.
Ms Elizabeth Williams has, yet again, proved generous in her friendship,
granting permission for and use of her photographs, which adorn this book.
Asabbatical fellowshipattheCenter ofTheologicalInquiryatPrincetonin
thespringof2002providedthenecessaryresources–boththeacademicleisure
and the spiritual pleasure – for the re-writing and revision of my book.
JC
Easter 2004