Light Through Darkness

Traditions of Christian Spirituality

by John Chryssavgis

This fascinating study finds a deeper insight at the heart of the Orthodox the idea of brokenness and darkness as the only way to healing and light, the idea of imperfection as the only way to salvation.

Genres: Spirituality, Theology

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Jared Kassebaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Orthodox tradition and eastern Christian spirituality has been a lot of my reading and listening lately, as they encompass much that feels underappreciated/underemphasized or straight up left out of my American evangelical first 22ish years of life. The emphasis on light as a central metaphor of Christ and the resurrection, the apophatic (emptying of knowledge in pursuit of God) way of theology vs the accumulation of knowledge as a means to know God I received in Protestantism, and the beauty and simplicity of hesychasm (way of the heart, centered around the historic Jesus Prayer) stand out as primary takeaways in this sometimes dense exploration of Eastern thought. Highly recommend for anyone, especially evangelicals attempting to broaden their understanding of historic Christianity beyond the narrow scope we are presented in America.

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chryssavgis sets out to describe Orthodox spirituality which for him is mostly monastic and ascetic.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nowadays, when people speak of "spiritual" exploration, they often have in mind the esoterica of Eastern religions or the fuzzy nebulosity of a personal faith that they try to reconcile with science at the same time as hoping for something beyond the physical world. The Traditions of Christian Spirituality series tries to show that there is just as much "spiritual" richness in the Christian tradition as in anything exotic and trendy. I don't know how true that is in other bodies calling themselves Christian, but in LIGHT THROUGH DARKNESS author John Chryssavgis makes his strong case that the Orthodox Church has precisely the kind of wisdom and beauty that the spiritual seeker needs.

Chryssavgis shows how Orthodoxy aims for spiritual transformation and union with God in all its facets. He speaks of the meaning of the liturgy and sacraments, personal prayer and contrition, the not always silent "silence" of the monastic life, and the role of a spiritual father in guiding the individual believer. I especially like his use of quotations from the Desert Fathers with stunning insight, which shows that Orthodox Christianity has wisdom far beyond the Zen koan.

I have only two complaints about the book. The first is that, though this series ostensibly is meant to show seekers that Christianity is worth exploring, the book seems to already assume a great deal of prior experience with the Christian tradition. I just wish that it were written at a level a bit more general. My second complaint is the frequencies of Chryssavgis' references to environmentalism. Chryssavgis is the theological advisor to the Ecumenical Patriach on environmentalism, and has written many texts pointing to a love of the natural world among the Fathers. However, here he makes it seem that environmentalism is a major part of Orthodox Christian practice, while in fact in the lives of the average believers (even Fathers) it is very much subjugated with the much more urgent task of the salvation of human souls. Linking the Orthodox Church with the environmental movement may win it some positive attention from modern secularists, but it risks distorting the actual life of the Church.

This book would seem to work best as some thought-provoking moments for the Orthodox Christian believer who wants to better appreciate the focus on a relationship with God in his own tradition.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a required text in a Christian Spirituality class I took my first semester of seminary. It just so happened to be taught by a Russian Orthodox priest.