Pseudo-Macarius: The Fifty Spiritual Homilies and The Great Letter (Classics of Western Spirituality

The Classics of Western Spirituality

by George A. Maloney SJ (Translator)

English-speaking Christians owe Paulist Press an enormous debt of gratitude for their continuing efforts to help us gain a deeper appreciation of our spiritual heritage. Spiritual Life The Fifty Spiritual Homilies and The Great Letter translated and edited with an introduction by George A. Maloney, S.J., preface by Kallistos Ware If the love of God dwells within you, it is necessary that such love bring forth other fruit, such as fraternal love, meekness, sincerity, perseverance in prayer, and zeal and all virtues. But since the treasure is precious, so also great are the labors, necessary to obtain it. From the Great Letter George A. Maloney, S.J., provides a great service by bringing to the public the first modern English translation of the spiritual homilies and Great Letter of Pseudo- Macarius, a Syrian monk of the fourth century whose identity is still the subject of scholarly investigation. The Fifty Homilies, in the form of a practical, monastic pedagogy, reveal the typical traits of Eastern Christian asceticism, with particular emphasis on the spiritual combat, the action of the Holy Spirit, and the importance of interior prayer. The Great Letter discusses the purging of the passions to bring the Christian into a state of tranquility and integration, and addresses the monastic community with instructions regarding organization, humility, and prayer. †

Genres: Theology, Religion, Spirituality, Christianity, Prayer, Mysticism, Nonfiction

298 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1992

Reviews

[Matt Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most amazing treasures of the early church which I've yet read. Symeon of Mesopotamia (the probable identity of "Pseudo-Macarius") was one of the most powerful spiritual thinkers of his era, and is likely to have influenced the theology of Gregory of Nyssa. It was one factor influencing the development of sanctification in the theology of John and Charles Wesley, and their friend and colleague John Fletcher, all of whom were had become familiar with these. Wesley published an abridged version of these in his "Christian Library" for his preachers.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are sermons which I re-read every year. Such a vital well of spirituality and humanism has few equals in the Christian Tradition.

[Andrew McHenry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a challenging read for me. My interest was drawn by the author's famous influences on John Wesley and his movement. I first heard of it when I was in seminary (from 1992 to 1995). Macarius was identified as a key source of the eastern influences on the Wesleyan/Methodist movement.

The preface and introduction are helpful for the historical context, but they are also tedious. Some of the content about comparative older manuscripts is only appropriate for scholars who are looking into studying them directly. Also, these parts never really resolve the question of authorship. The well-known Macarian attribution is quickly dismissed and replaced with a vague suggestion of a Syrian monastic origin - but nothing firmly determinative is ever given.

More information about the monastic context would've been helpful. Part of the reason this was challenging for me is because as I've gotten older, I've become more apt to gauge my Christian life in relationship to Jesus' great commandments: love God and love your neighbor. There's some attention to these, but a lot of the focus is on inward purity of thoughts. It's hard to relate to this without having a sense of how it was pursued in monastic life. Lacking those specifics, the reader is forced to guess.

But we can also take this as a challenge, and not as a reason to dismiss the whole work. There are plenty of good reasons why it was so inspiring for John Wesley (and for others). The yearning for holiness, perfection, and the milestones that come along the way - these are all good. We do well to let it set a higher standard for all of us and call us to something better.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good look into (probably) 4th Century Christian monastic thinking. Themes and topics are readily accessible to the modern mind, giving us scriptural exegesis and spiritual advice.