The Thunderbolt of Ever-Living Fire: "American" Conversation with an Athonite Elder

by Archimandrite Vasileios of Iveron, Bishop Maxim Vasiljevic (Editor)

The present book consists of Elder Vaileios' talks, discussions and dialogues in various venues mostly in the United States during his visit in 2011, along with excerpts from his writings selected to complement the themes of his talks. The themes dealt with by Fr. Vasileios so eloquently in this book are extraordinarily wide-ranging; he handles complex and difficult issues in theology, spirituality, liturgics, parish life and monasticism with amazing clarity and insight. He quotes with equal facility from figures as diverse as Heraclitus, Dostoevsky, St. Isacc the Syrian, St. Maximus the Confessor, Stefan Zweig, Andrei Tarkovsky, Vladimir Lossky, Georges Florovsky and St. Nicholas Cabasilas. Above all, there is an exhilarating sense of freedom and innocence in his thought. It is the freedom and innocence of profound faith and spiritual knowledge and childlike simplicity. His wisdom is expressed via the "hyperlogic" of a hesychastic spirit, which makes for surprising connections and illuminating insights. The appearance of this new book by Archimandrite Vasileios is truly a cause for celebration.

Genres: Christianity

125 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2014

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"God, I wish that You will save all my brothers and all people, not just me; I do not want to enter Paradise without them. If you do not save them, then I do not wish for that salvation either" (St Symeon the New Theologian). This quote shared by Archimandrite Vasileios, along with many others like it, emphasize a Church humbly united in ontological purpose: Christ's overthrow of death. In a world, both global and local, fractured by personal and political disagreement, Vasileios speaks, again and again, of a divinity that transcends our temporal concerns and provides a much needed context for our conflicts and concerns. With this ontological context, we no longer see the opposed other, but we recognize that, "our brother is our life." I found this book to be a great encouragement.