Philokalia

The Philokalia (Ancient Greek: φιλοκαλία, lit. 'love of the beautiful', from φιλία philia "love" and κάλλος
kallos "beauty") is "a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters"[1]
of the Eastern Orthodox Church mystical hesychast tradition. They were originally written for the guidance
and instruction of monks in "the practice of the contemplative life".[2] The collection was compiled in the
18th century by Nicodemus the Hagiorite and Macarius of Corinth based on the codices 472 (12th
century), 605 (13th century), 476 (14th century), 628 (14th century) and 629 (15th century) from the library
of monastery of Vatopedi, Mount Athos.[3]

Although these works were individually known in the monastic culture of Greek Orthodox Christianity
before their inclusion in the Philokalia, their presence in this collection resulted in a much wider readership
due to its translation into several languages. The earliest translations included a Church Slavonic language
translation of selected texts by Paisius Velichkovsky (Dobrotolublye, Добротолю́ бїе) in 1793, a Russian
translation[4] by Ignatius Bryanchaninov in 1857, and a five-volume translation into Russian
(Dobrotolyubie) by Theophan the Recluse in 1877. There were subsequent Romanian, Italian, French,
German, Spanish, Finnish and Arabic translations.[5][6][7]

The book is the "principal spiritual text" for all the Eastern Orthodox churches.[8] The publishers of the
current English translation state that "the Philokalia has exercised an influence far greater than that of any
book other than the Bible in the recent history of the Orthodox Church."[9]

Philokalia (sometimes Philocalia) is also the name given to an anthology of the writings of Origen
compiled by Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nazianzus. Other works on monastic spirituality have also
used the same title over the years.[8][10]

Contents
History
Teachings
Timeline of editions and translations
Contents
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Translations
See also
References
Further reading
External links
History
Nikodemos and Makarios were monks at Mount Athos, a mountainous peninsula in northern Greece,
historically considered the geographical center of Orthodox spirituality and home to 20 monasteries. The
first edition, in Greek, was published in Venice in 1782, with a second Greek edition published in Athens
in 1893. All the original texts were in Greek—two of them were first written in Latin and translated into
Greek in the Byzantine era.[5]

Paisius Velichkovsky's translation into Church Slavonic, Dobrotolublye (published in Moscow in 1793),
included selected portions of the Philokalia and was the version that the pilgrim in The Way of a Pilgrim
carried on his journey. That book about a Russian pilgrim who is seeking advice on interior prayer helped
popularize the Philokalia and its teachings in Russia. Velichkovsky's translation was the first to become
widely read by the public, away from the monasteries—helped by the popularity of The Way of a Pilgrim,
and the public influence of the startsy at Optina Monastery known as the Optina Elders. Two Russian
language translations appeared in the 19th century, one by Ignatius Brianchaninov (1857) and another by
Theophan the Recluse's Dobrotolubiye (1877). The latter was published in five volumes and included texts
that were not in the original Greek edition.[5][6][11]

Velichkovsky was initially hesitant to share his translation outside of the Optina Monastery walls. He was
concerned that people living in the world would not have the adequate supervision and guidance of the
startsy in the monastery, nor would they have the support of the liturgical life of the monks. He was finally
persuaded by the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg to publish the book in 1793. Brianchanivov expressed the
same concerns in his work, warning his readers that regular practice of the Jesus Prayer, without adequate
guidance, could potentially cause spiritual delusion and pride, even among monks. Their concerns were
contrary to the original compiler of the Philokalia, Nicodemos, who wrote that the Jesus Prayer could be
used to good effect by anyone, whether monastic or layperson. All agreed that the teachings on constant
inner prayer should be practiced under the guidance of a spiritual teacher, or starets.[12]

The first partial English and French translations in the 1950s were an indirect result of the Bolshevik
revolution, which brought many Russian intellectuals into Western Europe. T. S. Eliot persuaded his fellow
directors of the publishing house Faber and Faber to publish a partial translation into English from the
Theophan Russian version, which met with surprising success in 1951. A more complete English
translation, from the original Greek, began in 1979 with a collaboration between G. E. H. Palmer, Kallistos
Ware, and Philip Sherrard. They released four of the five volumes of the Philokalia between 1979 and
1995.[13] In 1946, the first installment of a ten volume Romanian translation by Father Dumitru Stăniloae
appeared. In addition to the original Greek text, Stăniloae added "lengthy original footnotes of his own" as
well as substantially expanding the coverage of texts by Saint John of the Ladder, Saint Dorotheos of Gaza,
Maximus the Confessor, Symeon the New Theologian, and Gregory Palamas. This work is 4,650 pages in
length.[14] Writings by the Trappist monk Thomas Merton on hesychasm also helped spread the popularity
of the Philokalia, along with the indirect influence of J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey, which featured
The Way of a Pilgrim as a main plot element.[15]

Teachings
The collection's title is The Philokalia of the Niptic Fathers,[16] or more fully The Philokalia of the Neptic
Saints gathered from our Holy Theophoric Father, through which, by means of the philosophy of ascetic
practice and contemplation, the intellect is purified, illumined, and made perfect.[8] Niptic is an adjective
derived from the Greek Nipsis (or Nepsis) referring to contemplative prayer and meaning "watchfulness".
Watchfulness in this context includes close attention to one's thoughts, intentions, and emotions, with the
aim of resisting temptations and vain and egoistic thoughts, and trying to maintain a constant state of
remembrance of God. There are similarities between this ancient practice and the concept of mindfulness as
practiced in Buddhism and other spiritual traditions.[17][18] The Philokalia teachings have also influenced
the revival of interior prayer in modern times through the centering prayer practices taught by Thomas
Keating and Thomas Merton.[19]

Philokalia is defined as the "love of the beautiful, the exalted, the excellent, understood as the transcendent
source of life and the revelation of Truth."[20] In contemplative prayer the mind becomes absorbed in the
awareness of God as a living presence as the source of being of all creatures and sensible forms. According
to the authors of the English translation, Kallistos Ware, G. E. H. Palmer, and Philip Sherrard, the writings
of the Philokalia have been chosen above others because they:

...show the way to awaken and develop attention and consciousness, to attain that state of
watchfulness which is the hallmark of sanctity. They describe the conditions most effective for
learning what their authors call the art of arts and the science of sciences, a learning which is
not a matter of information or agility of mind but of a radical change of will and heart leading
man towards the highest possibilities open to him, shaping and nourishing the unseen part of
his being, and helping him to spiritual fulfilment and union with God."[20]

The Philokalia is the foundational text on hesychasm ("quietness" or "stillness"), an inner spiritual tradition
with a long history dating back to the Desert Fathers.[8] The practices include contemplative prayer, quiet
sitting, and recitation of the Jesus Prayer. While traditionally taught and practiced in monasteries,
hesychasm teachings have spread over the years to include laymen.[11] Nikodemos, in his introduction,
described the collected texts as "a mystical school of inward prayer" which could be used to cultivate the
inner life and to "attain the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." While the monastic life makes
this easier, Nikodemos himself stressed that "unceasing prayer" should be practiced by all.[2]

The hesychasm teachings in the Philokalia are viewed by Orthodox Christians as inseparable from the
sacraments and liturgy of the Orthodox Church, and are given by and for those who are already living
within the framework of the Church. A common theme is the need for a spiritual father or guide.[21]

Timeline of editions and translations

4th-15th centuries The original texts are written by various spiritual masters. Most are written
in Greek, two are written in Latin and translated into Greek during Byzantine times.[5]
1782 First edition, Greek, published in Venice, compiled by Nikodemos and Makarios.[5]
1793 Church Slavonic translation of selected texts, Dobrotolublye, by Paisius Velichkovsky,
published in Moscow. This translation was carried by the pilgrim in The Way of a Pilgrim.
First to be read outside of monasteries, with a strong influence on the two following Russian
translations.[5][6]
1857 Russian language translation, by Ignatius Brianchaninov.[5]
1877 Russian language translation, by Theophan the Recluse, included several texts not in
the Greek original, and omitted or paraphrased some passages.[5]
1893 Second Greek edition, published in Athens, included additional texts by Patriarch
Kallistos.[5]
1946-1976 In 1946, the first installment of a twelve volume Romanian translation by Father
Dumitru Stăniloae appeared.[5][22]
1951, 1954 First partial English translations by E. Kadloubovsky and G. E. H. Palmer in two
volumes: Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart and Early Fathers from the
Philokalia. These were translated from Theophane's Russian version, and published by
Faber and Faber.[5]
 1953 "Small Philokalia" is published in French: Petite Philocalie de la prière du coeur (ed.
Jean Gouillard, Points / Sagesses)
1957-1963 Third Greek edition, published in Athens by Astir Publishing Company in five
volumes. Modern English translation based on this edition.[5]
1963 Parts of the Philokalia is published in Italian for the first time (La filocalia. Testi di
ascetica e mistica della Chiesa orientale, Giovanni Vannucci, Libreria Editrice Fiorentina,
Firenze)
1965 First translation of selected texts from Philokalia is published in Finnish by name
Sisäinen kauneus. Rukousta koskevia poimintoja Filokaliasta. (Inner Beauty. Selected texts
from the Philokalia on Prayer.) from German translation of Kleine Philokalie. The translation
was made by Irinja Nikkanen and it was published by Pyhäin Sergein ja Hermanin
veljeskunta (Brotherhood of sts. Sergius and Herman).[23]
1979-1995 English translation by Kallistos Ware, G. E. H. Palmer, and Philip Sherrard, of the
first four of the five Greek volumes, from the Third Greek edition. This was published by
Faber and Faber.[5]
1981-1993 A Finnish translation was made from the original Byzantine Greek text by
Valamon ystävät ry (Friends of Valamo monastery registered association) in four volumes.
Translation was made by nun Kristoduli, Irinja Nikkanen and Matti Jeskanen. An appendix
(fifth volume) by nun Kristoduli was published at 1998.[23]
1982-1987 An Italian translation by M. Benedetta Artioli and M. Francesca Lovato of the
Community of Monteveglio and P. Gribaudi is published in Turin in four volumes.
1988 Little Philokalia on prayer of heart (Piccola filocalia della preghiera del cuore) in Italian
is translated by Jean Gouillard and published in Milan.
1998 A Polish translation of Philokalia by Józef Naumowicz is published in Kraków.
2020 An English translation by Anna Skoubourdis of the fifth volume of the Philokalia is
published by Virgin Mary of Australia and Oceania.

Contents
This listing of texts is based on the English translation of four volumes by Bishop Kallistos Ware, G. E. H.
Palmer, and Philip Sherrard. Some works in the Philokalia are also found in the Patrologia Graecae and
Patrologia Latina of J. P. Migne.

Volume 1
St. Isaiah the Solitary

1. On Guarding the Intellect: 27 Texts

Evagrius the Solitary

1. Outline Teaching on Asceticism and Stillness in the Solitary

2. Texts on Discrimination in respect of Passions and Thoughts
3. Extracts from the Texts on Watchfulness
4. On Prayer: 153 Texts

St. John Cassian

1. On the Eight Vices

2. On the Holy Fathers of Sketis and on Discrimination
 St. Mark the Ascetic

1. On the Spiritual Law: 200 Texts

2. On Those who Think that They are Made Righteous by Works: 226 Texts
3. Letter to Nicolas the Solitary

St. Hesychios the Priest

1. On Watchfulness and Holiness

St. Neilos the Ascetic

1. Ascetic Discourse

St. Diadochos of Photiki

1. On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination: 100 Texts

St. John of Karpathos

1. For the Encouragement of the Monks in India who had Written to Him: 100 Texts
2. Ascetic Discourse Sent at the Request of the Same Monks in India

St. Antony the Great

1. On the Character of Men and on the Virtuous Life: 170 Texts

This piece by Anthony was changed to an appendix in the English translation by Palmer, Sherrard, and
Ware (1979, p. 327), because of their view that the language and the general idea is not explicitly Christian
and may not have been written by Antony.

Volume 2
St. Theodoros the Great Ascetic (Theodore of Edessa)
1. A Century of Spiritual Texts
2. Theoretikon

St. Maximos the Confessor

1. Four Hundred Texts on Love, with a foreword to Elpidios the Presbyter

2. Two Hundred Texts on Theology and the Incarnate Dispensation of the Son of God (written
for Thalassios)
3. Various Texts on Theology, the Divine Economy, and Virtue and Vice
4. On the Lord's Prayer

Thalassios the Libyan

1. On Love, Self Control, and Life in accordance with the Intellect (written for Paul the
Presbyter)

St. John of Damascus

1. On the Virtues and the Vices

A Discourse on Abba Philemon

 St. Theognostos

1. On the Practice of the Virtues, Contemplation and the Priesthood

Volume 3
St. Philotheos of Sinai

Forty Texts on Watchfulness

Ilias the Presbyter

1. A Gnomic Anthology: Part I

2. A Gnomic Anthology: Part II
3. A Gnomic Anthology: Part III
4. A Gnomic Anthology: Part IV

Theophanis the Monk

1. The Ladder of Divine Graces

St. Peter of Damascus

1. Book I: A Treasury of Divine Knowledge

2. Book II: Twenty-Four Discourses
St. Symeon the Metaphrast: Paraphrases of the Homilies of St. Macarius of Egypt

1. Spiritual Perfection
2. Prayer
3. Patient Endurance and Discrimination
4. The Raising of the Intellect
5. Love
6. The Freedom of the Intellect

Volume 4
St. Symeon the New Theologian
1. On Faith
2. 153 Practical and Theological Texts
3. The Three Methods of Prayer [attributed to him]
Nikitas Stithatos

1. On the Practice of the Virtues: One Hundred Texts

2. On the Inner Nature of Things and on the Purification of the Intellect: One Hundred Texts
3. On Spiritual Knowledge, Love and the Perfection of Living: One Hundred Texts
Theoliptos, Metropolitan of Philadelphia

1. On Inner Work in Christ and the Monastic Profession

2. Texts
 Nikiphoros the Monk

1. On Watchfulness and the Guarding of the Heart

St. Gregory of Sinai

1. On Commandments and Doctrines, Warnings and Promises; on Thoughts, Passions and

Virtues, and also on Stillness and Prayer: 137 Texts
2. Further Texts
3. On the Signs of Grace and Delusion, Written for the Confessor Longinos: Ten Texts
4. On Stillness: Fifteen Texts
5. On Prayer: Seven Texts

St. Gregory Palamas

1. To the Most Reverend Nun Xenia
2. A New Testament Decalogue
3. In Defence of Those who Devoutly Practise a Life of Stillness
4. Three Texts on Prayer and Purity of Heart
5. Topics of Natural and Theological Science and on the Moral and Ascetic Life: 150 Texts
6. The Declaration of the Holy Mountain in Defence of Those who Devoutly Practice a Life of
Stillness

Volume 5

This volume was published in English translation in 2020. These are the contents of the modern Greek
translation.[24]

Kallistos and Ignatios the Xanthopouloses

1. Method and precise canon for those who choose the hesychastic and monastic life: 100
chapters

Kallistos Angelikoudis
1. Kefalaia (Chapters): 81 chapters

Kallistos Tilikoudis (presumed the same as Kallistos Angelikoudis)

1. On Hesychastic Practice

Kallistos Katafygiotis (presumed the same as Kallistos Angelikoudis)

1. On union with God, and Life of Theoria[25]

Saint Simeon, Archbishop of Thessaloniki

1. Chapters on the Sacred and Deifying prayer

Saint Mark the Gentle

1. On the Words that are Contained in the Sacred Prayer

Anonymous

1. Interpretation of "Kyrie Eleison" (Lord Have Mercy)

 Saint Simeon the New Theologian
1. Discourse on Faith and teaching for those who say that it is not possible for those who find
themselves in the worries of the world to reach the perfection of the virtues, and narration
that is beneficial at the beginning.
2. On the Three Ways of Prayer

St. Gregory of Sinai

Excerpts from the life of St. Maximos Kapsokalivis
All Christians Must Pray Uninterruptedly
Indices

Translations
Palmer, G. E. H.; Ware, Kallistos; Sherrard, Philip (1979). The Philokalia: The Complete
Text. Vol. 1. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-11377-X.
Palmer, G. E. H.; Ware, Kallistos; Sherrard, Philip (1982). The Philokalia: The Complete
Text. Vol. 2. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-15466-2.
Palmer, G. E. H.; Ware, Kallistos; Sherrard, Philip (1986). The Philokalia: The Complete
Text. Vol. 3. Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-17525-2.
Palmer, G. E. H.; Ware, Kallistos; Sherrard, Philip (1999). The Philokalia: The Complete
Text. Vol. 4. Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-19382-X.
Cavarnos, Constantine (2007). The Philokalia: Love of the Beautiful. Institute for Byzantine
& Modern Greek Studies. ISBN 978-1-884729-79-9.
Cavarnos, Constantine (2009). The Philokalia: A Second Volume of Selected Readings
(Selected Readings from the Philokalia, Volume 2). Institute for Byzantine and Modern
Greek Studies. ISBN 978-1-884729-91-1.
Palmer, G. E. H.; Ware, Kallistos. "The Philokalia: Complete Text" (https://archive.org/details/
Philokalia-TheCompleteText). Retrieved 9 June 2014.

See also
Lovingkindness (Biblical Hebrew: ‎‫)חסד‬
Hesychasm
Jesus Prayer
Poustinia
Hermit
Paisius Velichkovsky
Nepsis
The Way of a Pilgrim

References
1. Ware, Kallistos; Sherrard, Philip, eds. (1979). The Philokalia: the complete text (https://book
s.google.com/books?id=8ViqQ6qYSjIC&pg=PA10). London: Faber. p. 10. ISBN 0-571-
13013-5.
2. Ware (1979), pp. 14-15. (https://books.google.com/books?id=8ViqQ6qYSjIC&pg=PA14)
 3. Admin (2020-01-28). "Philokalia: Definition, History, and Source" (https://asceticexperience.
com/2020/01/philokalia-definition-history-and-source/). The Ascetic Experience. Retrieved
2020-01-28.
4. "Orthodox Thought" (http://orthodoxthought.sovietpedia.com/).
orthodoxthought.sovietpedia.com. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
5. Ware (1979), pp. 11–12. (https://books.google.com/books?id=8ViqQ6qYSjIC&pg=PA11)
6. Johnson, Christopher D. L. (2010). The Globalization of Hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer (h
ttps://books.google.com/books?id=uN2vBZdGXwAC&pg=PA39). Continuum Advances in
Religious Studies. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-4411-
2547-7.
7. Cook (2011), pp. 10. (https://books.google.fi/books?id=FpwABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA10)
8. Palmer, G. E. H.; Ware, Kallistos; Allyne Smith; Sherrard, Philip (2006). The Philokalia: The
Eastern Christian Spiritual Texts—selections Annotated & Explained (SkyLight
Illuminations) (https://books.google.com/books?id=k9e_9dXUqpQC&pg=PR7). Skylight
Paths Publishing. pp. vii–xiv. ISBN 1-59473-103-9.
9. Ware (1979), Publisher's blurb from back cover.
10. English translation online here (http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/origen_philocalia_02_text.ht
m)
11. Witte, John F.; Alexander, Frank S. (2007). The teachings of modern Orthodox Christianity
on law, politics, and human nature (https://books.google.com/books?id=THpyJ0jBeH0C&pg
=PA6). New York: Columbia University Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-231-14265-6.
12. Johnson (2010), p. 38. (https://books.google.com/books?id=uN2vBZdGXwAC&pg=PA39)
13. Ware, Kallistos (2008). René Gothóni, Graham Speake (ed.). The Monastic Magnet: Roads
to and from Mount Athos (https://books.google.com/books?id=xKsL6gpDJwEC&pg=PA148).
Peter Lang. pp. 148–149. ISBN 978-3-03911-337-8.
14. Binns, John. An Introduction to the Orthodox Christian Churches (2002). Cambridge
University Press, pp. 92-93. ISBN 0521661404
15. Johnson (2010), pp. 41-42. (https://books.google.com/books?id=uN2vBZdGXwAC&pg=PA4
1)
16. Ware (1979) pp. 367-368 (https://books.google.com/books?id=8ViqQ6qYSjIC&pg=PA367)
17. Dowd, E. Thomas; Stevan Lars Nielsen (2006). The Psychologies in Religion (https://books.
google.com/books?id=gXQHUAn_GpcC&pg=PA55). Springer Publishing Company. p. 55.
ISBN 978-0-8261-2856-0.
18. Braud, William; Anderson, Rosemarie (1998). Transpersonal research methods for the
social sciences: honoring human experience (https://books.google.com/books?id=9xJpOxsL
RXcC&pg=PA243). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. p. 243. ISBN 0-7619-1013-1.
19. Palmer, G. E. H.; Allyne Smith (2006). Philokalia: the Eastern Christian spiritual texts (https://
books.google.com/books?id=k9e_9dXUqpQC&pg=PR14). SkyLight Paths Publishing.
p. 14. ISBN 978-1-59473-103-7.
20. Ware (1979), p. 13. (https://books.google.com/books?id=8ViqQ6qYSjIC&pg=PA13)
21. Ware (1979), p. 16 (https://books.google.com/books?id=8ViqQ6qYSjIC&pg=PA16).
22. Binns, John. An Introduction to the Orthodox Christian Churches (2002). Cambridge
University Press, pp. 92-93. ISBN 0-521-661404
23. sisar Kristoduli; Matti Jeskanen; Irinja Nikkanen ja Maria Peltonen, eds. (2003). Filokalia - V
osa. Valamon Ystävät r.y. pp. 5–7. ISBN 951-96833-5-6.
24. Φιλοκαλία των Ιερών Νυπτικκών (translated into modern Greek by Antonios G. Galitis) (in
Greek) (3 ed.). Thessaloniki: Perivoli tis Panagias publishers. 2002.
25. "On Union With God and Life of Theoria, part translated into English" (http://www.greekortho
doxchurch.org/union_with_god_kallistos_katafytiotis_angelikoudis.html). Retrieved
2010-06-02..

Further reading
Paschalis M. Kitromilides, "Philokalia's first journey?" in Idem, An Orthodox Commonwealth:
Symbolic Legacies and Cultural Encounters in Southeastern Europe (Aldershot, 2007)
(Variorum Collected Studies Series: CS891).
Bingaman B & Nassif B (eds) (2012) The Philokalia. A Classic Text of Orthodox Spirituality.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.

External links
Quotes from the Philokalia (http://orthodoxchurchquotes.com/tag/quotes-from-the-philokalia/)
at Orthodox Church Quotes
The Philokalia (https://greekphilokalia.wordpress.com/2018/09/25/philokalia-pdf/) digitized
(PDF)
An historical survey of the Philokalia (https://fortnightlyreview.co.uk/2011/06/philokalia_pilgri
m/) by Rev Prof Andrew Louth
Volume 3 at archive.org (https://archive.org/details/philokaliacompl00gehp)

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