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On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit
38 pages, Paperback
Published February 27, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 14, 2026
Something tells me that I'll come back to this book very often.
January 18, 2026
The illumination of the Holy Spirit shown through St Seraphim’s unwavering light and generosity to others is a message for all Christian’s on the path of Theosis.
July 23, 2025
A magical little book that is wonderfully simple and straightforward in its content and delivery. I have read this book twice in two different published versions, and this version is my favourite. It is an exposition of the true purpose of Christian life, which Saint Seraphim distils to the essential requirement of doing all things in life in the pursuit of acquiring the Holy Spirit.
This version includes a brief description of Saint Seraphim's life at the beginning of the book, and he was clearly an exceptionally gentle and compassionate individual who lived in solitude for much of his life in the pursuit of theosis, but would always entertain lay visitors who came his way with immense hospitality, as demonstrated in this testimony by Nicholas Motovilov, who was one such visitor who brought this gem of literature and of Saint Seraphim's wisdom to the world.
Saint Seraphim refers to numerous passages of scripture in the context of how scripture relates to the dispensation of the Holy Spirit upon all who seek peace within themselves through Christ and upon all who seek truth in all things. It is clear that Saint Seraphim was overflowing with the Holy Spirit given his enlightened explanation of all matters relating to the Holy Spirit and its acquisition.
This version also includes the extended tract "St. Seraphim's Transfiguration in the Holy Spirit", which is part of Motovilov's account of his conversation with Saint Seraphim that was not included in the other version I read, but is certainly worth reading. In this account, Motovilov witnesses Saint Seraphim transfigured in the Holy Spirit before his very own eyes towards the end of their conversation, quite literally glowing by the light of the Spirit with eyes that express the fiery inner transformation brought about by the Holy Spirit, and Motovilov experiences the same transformation himself, feeling heat in the middle of a snowy Russian winter, all of which may have been why it was excluded from the other version of the book I read to maintain greater credibility of the account, which I consider a shame as I believe the account in its entirety having undergone an intense spiritual experience with the Holy Spirit in the past of my own.
If you have a version of the book that does not include this extended account, the account of Saint Seraphim's transfiguration can be read for free here:
https://orthochristian.com/47867.html
The rest of the text of 'On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit' can be read for free here:
https://orthochristian.com/47866.html
The version of the book with the full account, including the transfiguration of Saint Seraphim at the end and the brief biography at the beginning, can be purchased here:
https://amzn.eu/d/4jgOrtP
This version includes a brief description of Saint Seraphim's life at the beginning of the book, and he was clearly an exceptionally gentle and compassionate individual who lived in solitude for much of his life in the pursuit of theosis, but would always entertain lay visitors who came his way with immense hospitality, as demonstrated in this testimony by Nicholas Motovilov, who was one such visitor who brought this gem of literature and of Saint Seraphim's wisdom to the world.
Saint Seraphim refers to numerous passages of scripture in the context of how scripture relates to the dispensation of the Holy Spirit upon all who seek peace within themselves through Christ and upon all who seek truth in all things. It is clear that Saint Seraphim was overflowing with the Holy Spirit given his enlightened explanation of all matters relating to the Holy Spirit and its acquisition.
This version also includes the extended tract "St. Seraphim's Transfiguration in the Holy Spirit", which is part of Motovilov's account of his conversation with Saint Seraphim that was not included in the other version I read, but is certainly worth reading. In this account, Motovilov witnesses Saint Seraphim transfigured in the Holy Spirit before his very own eyes towards the end of their conversation, quite literally glowing by the light of the Spirit with eyes that express the fiery inner transformation brought about by the Holy Spirit, and Motovilov experiences the same transformation himself, feeling heat in the middle of a snowy Russian winter, all of which may have been why it was excluded from the other version of the book I read to maintain greater credibility of the account, which I consider a shame as I believe the account in its entirety having undergone an intense spiritual experience with the Holy Spirit in the past of my own.
If you have a version of the book that does not include this extended account, the account of Saint Seraphim's transfiguration can be read for free here:
https://orthochristian.com/47867.html
The rest of the text of 'On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit' can be read for free here:
https://orthochristian.com/47866.html
The version of the book with the full account, including the transfiguration of Saint Seraphim at the end and the brief biography at the beginning, can be purchased here:
https://amzn.eu/d/4jgOrtP
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews