Father Arseny

by Vera Bouteneff

Enjoy this new edition of the classic story of Father Arseny, with freshly edited text, a new cover, and a new foreword by Peter Bouteneff. It is one of the great mysteries of life that in atmospheres of the harshest cruelty, a certain few not only survive but emerge as beacons of light and life. Father Arseny, former scholar of church art, became Prisoner No. 18736 in the brutal \x26#34;special sector\x26#34; of the Soviet prison camp system. In the darkness of systematic degradation of body and soul, he shone with the light of Christ\x27s peace and compassion. His sights set on God and his life grounded in the Church, Father Arseny lived by injunction to \x26#34;bear one another\x27s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ\x26#34; (Galatians 6:2). This narrative, compiled from accounts of Father Arseny\x27s spiritual children and others whom he brought to God, gives stirring glimpses of his life in prison camp and after his release. It also tells the stories of people whose lives, often during times of almost unimaginable crisis, were touched and transfigured through their connection with Father Arseny. Emerging from the context of the particular tragedies of Soviet Russia, this book carries a universal impact certain to be felt by readers in the West today.

279 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Kelly Rushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

An array of both moving and somber accounts from the individuals whose live’s were touched by Father Arseny; this book is an amazing testament to the love, wisdom and solitude found in Orthodoxy Christianity.

[Philip Lavery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great book I think the best way to describe it is the last paragraph of the conclusion

read is unforgettable.
Reading these memoirs, one can't help but remember the many people
who suffered and died for the faith and for all of us.