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Mount Athos: Renewal in Paradise
Mount Athos, a spectacularly beautiful rocky peninsula on the coast of Greece, has been a monastic preserve since the ninth century. This richly illustrated book tells the entire story of Athos, the Holy Mountain, from the first anchorite monks who lived in caves and huts through centuries of political and religious controversy to the thriving monastic communities of today.
“Superb photographs, fascinating. Travelers and pilgrims alike, as well as those who prefer to stay at home, will relish this tour of Athos’s history, its relics and treasures, and, in part, its consciousness.”—Literary Review
“An all-embracing panorama of the nature and detailed history of Athos.”—Anglo-Hellenic Review
“This beautifully produced book contains everything the layman could wish to know about Athos. It is more, much more, than a mere travel book, though it would be a useful addition to the Orthodox pilgrim’s knapsack.”—The Tablet
“Superb photographs, fascinating. Travelers and pilgrims alike, as well as those who prefer to stay at home, will relish this tour of Athos’s history, its relics and treasures, and, in part, its consciousness.”—Literary Review
“An all-embracing panorama of the nature and detailed history of Athos.”—Anglo-Hellenic Review
“This beautifully produced book contains everything the layman could wish to know about Athos. It is more, much more, than a mere travel book, though it would be a useful addition to the Orthodox pilgrim’s knapsack.”—The Tablet
308 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 1, 2012
Graham Speake delivers a history of Mount Athos which anyone should read if studying the Orthodox or Eastern Catholics. Not only does it beautifully describe the Holy Mountain, but in the latter chapters the author presents the life of a monastic and the experience of a pilgrim on Mount Athos.
August 10, 2007
MOUNT ATHOS: Renewal in Paradise is a history of this land of monasteries written by Graham Speake, a frequent visitor to the Holy Mountain and ultimately a convert to Orthodox Christianity. The first thing you will notice about the book is that it is lavishly illustrated, containing dozens of full-colour pictures that vividly portray the Athos' beauty. I certainly found myself enthralled by these pictures, and read the book with pleasure.
Before recounting the traditional founding of the monastery in the 10th century, Speake gives the various legends for early monastic settlement on the peninsula, doubtful though some may be. The political workings that regulated the monastery in its early days are clearly spelt out, Byzantine though they may be. The influence of non-Greek peoples on Athos, such as the Vlachs, Kyivan Rusians, and Serbs gets a large amount of space, and Speake dispassionately reports the ethnic conflicts that have led to Slavs and Romanians sometimes finding it difficult to visit the mountain today. Finally, as the subtitle of the book indicates, Speake gives readers an idea of how miraculous the Athos' contemporary flourishing is in comparison to the moribund state of monasticism there for much of the 20th century.
Beyond the history, though, Speake's guide is also a vivid portrayal of the timeless way of life on the Holy Mountain: the existing monasteries and their ways of functioning, the relation to the church calendar, initiation procedures, the preparation of meals, and so forth. Speake even describes the baptism of his godson, an adult convert, who profited from the Holy Mountain's remarkably rigorous and spiritually constructive cathechesis. Even though this comes from a university press, the book is very dedicated to Orthodox belief and appreciates the monastic way of life and what it can teach everyday Orthodox Christians.
This is a delightful book, it makes me wish I could buy my ticket now. And it certainly makes a good gift for friends and loved ones who for whatever reason cannot go themselves. Highly recommended.
Before recounting the traditional founding of the monastery in the 10th century, Speake gives the various legends for early monastic settlement on the peninsula, doubtful though some may be. The political workings that regulated the monastery in its early days are clearly spelt out, Byzantine though they may be. The influence of non-Greek peoples on Athos, such as the Vlachs, Kyivan Rusians, and Serbs gets a large amount of space, and Speake dispassionately reports the ethnic conflicts that have led to Slavs and Romanians sometimes finding it difficult to visit the mountain today. Finally, as the subtitle of the book indicates, Speake gives readers an idea of how miraculous the Athos' contemporary flourishing is in comparison to the moribund state of monasticism there for much of the 20th century.
Beyond the history, though, Speake's guide is also a vivid portrayal of the timeless way of life on the Holy Mountain: the existing monasteries and their ways of functioning, the relation to the church calendar, initiation procedures, the preparation of meals, and so forth. Speake even describes the baptism of his godson, an adult convert, who profited from the Holy Mountain's remarkably rigorous and spiritually constructive cathechesis. Even though this comes from a university press, the book is very dedicated to Orthodox belief and appreciates the monastic way of life and what it can teach everyday Orthodox Christians.
This is a delightful book, it makes me wish I could buy my ticket now. And it certainly makes a good gift for friends and loved ones who for whatever reason cannot go themselves. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews