What do you think?
Rate this book
The Classics of Western Spirituality
John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent
"This series is a testimony to the Spirit breathing where He wills." America John The Ladder of Divine Ascent edited and translated by Colm Luibheid and Norman Russell notes on translation by Norman Russell, preface by Kallistos Ware "Prayer is the mother and daughter of tears. It is an expiation of sin, a bridge across temptation, a bulwark against affliction. It wipes out conflict, is the work of angels, and is the nourishment of everything spiritual." John Climacus (c. 579-649) The Ladder of Divine Ascent was the most widely used handbook of the ascetic life in the ancient Greek Church. Popular among both lay and monastics, it was translated into Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, Old Slavonic, and many modern languages. It was written while the author (who received his surname from this book) was abbot of the monastery of Catherine on Mount Sinai. As reflected in the title, the ascetical life is portrayed as a ladder which each aspirant must ascend, each step being a virtue to be acquired, or a vice to be surrendered. Its thirty steps reflect the hidden life of Christ himself. This work had a fundamental influence in the particularly the Hesychastic, Jesus Prayer, or Prayer of the Heart movement. Pierre Pourrat in his History of Christian Spirituality calls John Climacus the "most important ascetical theologian of the East, at this epoch, who enjoyed a great reputation and exercised and important influence on future centuries." †
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 600
634 people are currently reading
2460 people want to read
About the author
John Climacus
18 books25 followersSaint John Climacus (Greek: Ἰωάννης τῆς Κλίμακος), also known as John of the Ladder, John Scholasticus and John Sinaites, was a 7th-century Christian monk at the monastery on Mount Sinai. He is revered as a saint by the Roman Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches.
We have almost no information about John's life. There is in existence an ancient Vita, Life of the saint by a monk named Daniel of Raithu monastery. Daniel, though claiming to be a contemporary, admits to no knowledge of John's origins—any speculation on John's birth is the result of much later speculation, and is confined to references in the Menologion. The Vita is generally unhelpful for establishing dates of any kind. Formerly scholarship, on the basis of John's entry in the Menologion, had placed him in the latter 6th Century. That view was challenged by J.C. Guy and others, and consensus (such as there is) has shifted to a 7th Century provenance. If Daniel's Vita is trustworthy (and there is nothing against which to judge its accuracy), then John came to the Vatos Monastery at Mount Sinai, now Saint Catherine's Monastery, and became a novice when he was about 16 years old. He was taught about the spiritual life by the elder monk Martyrius. After the death of Martyrius, John, wishing to practice greater asceticism, withdrew to a hermitage at the foot of the mountain. In this isolation he lived for some twenty years, constantly studying the lives of the saints and thus becoming one of the most learned Church Fathers. When he was about seventy-five years of age, the monks of Sinai persuaded him to become their Igumen. He acquitted himself of his functions as abbot with the greatest wisdom, and his reputation spread so far that, according to the Vita, Pope Gregory the Great wrote to recommend himself to his prayers, and sent him a sum of money for the hospital of Sinai, in which the pilgrims were wont to lodge.
Of John's literary output we know only the Κλίμαξ (Latin: Scala Paradisi) or Ladder of Divine Ascent, composed in the early seventh century at the request of John, Abbot of Raithu, a monastery situated on the shores of the Red Sea, and a shorter work To the Pastor (Latin: Liber ad Pastorem), most likely a sort of appendix to the Ladder. It is in the Ladder' that we hear of the ascetic practice of carrying a small notebook to record the thoughts of the monk during contemplation.
We have almost no information about John's life. There is in existence an ancient Vita, Life of the saint by a monk named Daniel of Raithu monastery. Daniel, though claiming to be a contemporary, admits to no knowledge of John's origins—any speculation on John's birth is the result of much later speculation, and is confined to references in the Menologion. The Vita is generally unhelpful for establishing dates of any kind. Formerly scholarship, on the basis of John's entry in the Menologion, had placed him in the latter 6th Century. That view was challenged by J.C. Guy and others, and consensus (such as there is) has shifted to a 7th Century provenance. If Daniel's Vita is trustworthy (and there is nothing against which to judge its accuracy), then John came to the Vatos Monastery at Mount Sinai, now Saint Catherine's Monastery, and became a novice when he was about 16 years old. He was taught about the spiritual life by the elder monk Martyrius. After the death of Martyrius, John, wishing to practice greater asceticism, withdrew to a hermitage at the foot of the mountain. In this isolation he lived for some twenty years, constantly studying the lives of the saints and thus becoming one of the most learned Church Fathers. When he was about seventy-five years of age, the monks of Sinai persuaded him to become their Igumen. He acquitted himself of his functions as abbot with the greatest wisdom, and his reputation spread so far that, according to the Vita, Pope Gregory the Great wrote to recommend himself to his prayers, and sent him a sum of money for the hospital of Sinai, in which the pilgrims were wont to lodge.
Of John's literary output we know only the Κλίμαξ (Latin: Scala Paradisi) or Ladder of Divine Ascent, composed in the early seventh century at the request of John, Abbot of Raithu, a monastery situated on the shores of the Red Sea, and a shorter work To the Pastor (Latin: Liber ad Pastorem), most likely a sort of appendix to the Ladder. It is in the Ladder' that we hear of the ascetic practice of carrying a small notebook to record the thoughts of the monk during contemplation.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
January 22, 2016
In the Western Christian tradition (Roman Catholicism and Protestantism), there are a small handful of classic books that have radically shaped the way we perceive the Christian life--and this is true for you even if you haven't read them. Our Christian culture and self-understanding has been deeply shaped by Augustine's Confessions and City of God, and, if you're an evangelical, by Pilgrim's Progress. The Eastern Christian tradition, however, was largely shaped by other works, and these have played into the distinctive flavor of Eastern Christian spirituality. Among the most influential books of that tradition, at least in terms of the Christian perception of the spiritual life, are Pseudo-Dionysius' works and The Ladder of Divine Ascent by John Climacus. So while most Westerners haven't heard of this book, that doesn't mean that it's obscure--rather, that we Westerners may simply be rather narrow in our experience and understanding of our Christian heritage.
The Ladder was written somewhere around the year 600 AD, by a monk who had spent his life living with communities of other monks in the region of Palestine and Egypt. As such, it's primarily a text written for other monks. It takes the image of the ladder to heaven from the story of Jacob's dream in Genesis 28, and uses it to enumerate 30 steps of spiritual progress on the way to union with God. From this book, the Eastern Christian tradition learned much of its understanding of the life of Christians as a pattern of askesis, of self-discipline for the sake of spiritual growth. It outlines the particular vices to be on guard for, the ways that demons may try to tempt or undermine the progress made by varying temperaments of people, and offers advice for how to grow in one's habits of prayer and discipline.
It's not an easy book to read, largely because it comes out of a time and culture that are radically different from our own. But, partly for that reason, it's a very important book. It challenges a great deal of our contemporary Christian assumptions. While admitting that the body is a good creation of God, it views this physical form as our battlefield. Christian theology tends to swing on a pendulum of understandings regarding the spirit/body dynamic, from an almost-Gnostic sensibility about the body's crude weightedness, tying down the spirit, to a blithe assumption that spirit and body dance together perfectly, such that we never give a thought to the ways that our body can impede our spiritual progress. Though there are still some near-Gnostic trends in evangelical thought, most of the theology coming out in recent decades has focused on body-affirming positions. Climacus and the Ladder come down on the other end of the spectrum--the body was created good, yes, but it was created as part of our labor. Following a traditional ancient-Christian perception of God's purpose in creation--that God created a developmental world, fashioned for the growth of its creatures, rather than an already-perfect creation that was later brought down from its heights of perfection by sin--Climacus would have us see our bodies as our battlefields, as the soil in which we labor to produce a harvest for the Lord. We are called as Christians to be agents of the Kingdom of God in this world, and to work for the expansion of that Kingdom. Well, part of that work is to plant the flag of Christ's Kingdom in our own unruly, fleshly natures. The first battle for the Kingdom of God begins at home, reclaiming the dust of our flesh. Thus The Ladder encourages us to be tremendously serious about things that we in American Christianity shrug off--the dual dangers of allowing our bodies to operate with unrestrained appetites (leading to gluttony) and of focusing so much on diet and exercise that we glorify the body itself (leading to vainglory and pride); further, it gives helpful advice to consider spiritual practices that almost none of us dare attempt anymore--challenging the way our bodies' appetites can master our lives in demands for sleep, for comfort, for idle play. There are sections of Climacus' work that leave me unsettled, thinking that, even amid the concessions he allows for the weakness of human nature, he may still drive us too hard. But at the same time, it challenges me to look hard at my life, spent in relative ease, and to consider the great question of whether I have fought hard enough to bring my whole person--body as well as soul--into the obedient submission of the Kingdom of God. As Paul says, "Nothing shall be my master," and that "nothing," I suppose, includes myself.
The Ladder was written somewhere around the year 600 AD, by a monk who had spent his life living with communities of other monks in the region of Palestine and Egypt. As such, it's primarily a text written for other monks. It takes the image of the ladder to heaven from the story of Jacob's dream in Genesis 28, and uses it to enumerate 30 steps of spiritual progress on the way to union with God. From this book, the Eastern Christian tradition learned much of its understanding of the life of Christians as a pattern of askesis, of self-discipline for the sake of spiritual growth. It outlines the particular vices to be on guard for, the ways that demons may try to tempt or undermine the progress made by varying temperaments of people, and offers advice for how to grow in one's habits of prayer and discipline.
It's not an easy book to read, largely because it comes out of a time and culture that are radically different from our own. But, partly for that reason, it's a very important book. It challenges a great deal of our contemporary Christian assumptions. While admitting that the body is a good creation of God, it views this physical form as our battlefield. Christian theology tends to swing on a pendulum of understandings regarding the spirit/body dynamic, from an almost-Gnostic sensibility about the body's crude weightedness, tying down the spirit, to a blithe assumption that spirit and body dance together perfectly, such that we never give a thought to the ways that our body can impede our spiritual progress. Though there are still some near-Gnostic trends in evangelical thought, most of the theology coming out in recent decades has focused on body-affirming positions. Climacus and the Ladder come down on the other end of the spectrum--the body was created good, yes, but it was created as part of our labor. Following a traditional ancient-Christian perception of God's purpose in creation--that God created a developmental world, fashioned for the growth of its creatures, rather than an already-perfect creation that was later brought down from its heights of perfection by sin--Climacus would have us see our bodies as our battlefields, as the soil in which we labor to produce a harvest for the Lord. We are called as Christians to be agents of the Kingdom of God in this world, and to work for the expansion of that Kingdom. Well, part of that work is to plant the flag of Christ's Kingdom in our own unruly, fleshly natures. The first battle for the Kingdom of God begins at home, reclaiming the dust of our flesh. Thus The Ladder encourages us to be tremendously serious about things that we in American Christianity shrug off--the dual dangers of allowing our bodies to operate with unrestrained appetites (leading to gluttony) and of focusing so much on diet and exercise that we glorify the body itself (leading to vainglory and pride); further, it gives helpful advice to consider spiritual practices that almost none of us dare attempt anymore--challenging the way our bodies' appetites can master our lives in demands for sleep, for comfort, for idle play. There are sections of Climacus' work that leave me unsettled, thinking that, even amid the concessions he allows for the weakness of human nature, he may still drive us too hard. But at the same time, it challenges me to look hard at my life, spent in relative ease, and to consider the great question of whether I have fought hard enough to bring my whole person--body as well as soul--into the obedient submission of the Kingdom of God. As Paul says, "Nothing shall be my master," and that "nothing," I suppose, includes myself.
March 25, 2023
The last chapter is worth the whole book! My five stars are primarily for that. I could go back and meditate on that chapter again and again without exhausting it. The 30th step is, what else? Love, which is God, Himself! After you have struggled up through all your sins, faults and evil tendencies and then waded through a myriad of weaknesses, you arrive at Love. He is waiting for you there! More to come...
I am ½ way through The Ladder of Divine Ascent , but I am quite sure this book is not only not meant for me, but I will not be ready for it for at least another 50 or more years if ever. That said, I am not wasting time reading it. It is FULL of amazing information for Spiritual Giants and even spiritual infants such as me. The one caveat I would say upfront is that anyone who suffers from the least bit spiritual scruples should not under any circumstances read it! This is a book for those who want to carry their own Cross as well as that of the rest of the world. I am not one of those people, I know, but I did not realize until I started this book that it was written for such an audience.
Each Chapter of the book is a ‘Step’ of the Ladder and consists of examples of those who embody the characteristics of a particular heroic virtue or its concomitant vices. I never in my wildest imagination knew there could be so many ways we could sin! This is why I warn off those who suffer from scruples. You gentle souls don’t need to learn more things to worry about. I have learned that I am so very far from perfection that I can say with all honesty that I am truly an infant in the arms of God. I KNOW and AM nothing! There are true warriors of holiness out there and they are NOT me! But all this is good to learn for the sake of my humility.
The 30 steps outlined by John Climacus are listed below, but before you look at them and become overwhelmed, recall they are meant for monks as guidance to be mastered over an entire lifetime, not in a single Lent as this silly booklady thought she could do. Also, there is overlap and circling back to earlier material as each step builds on the next. FYI, though I am continuing to read subsequent steps, I am still working on the first one. (The little encouraging statements after each step come directly from the text at the end of each chapter and I include them because I particularly liked them.) How I wish!
Step 1 – On Renunciation, which once stepped upon, one should not turn back.
Step 2 – On Detachment, may those who run this course not imitate Lot's wife but Lot, and run away.
Step 3 – On Banishment or Living as a Stranger, being equal in number to the Trinity, may the one who has attained it, let him not glance to the right or left.
Step 4 – On Obedience, as the number of Evangelists is equal in number to this step, let the contestant keep running without fear.
Step 5 – On Painful and Genuine Repentance Which is the Life of Godly Convicts and Concerning the Prison; for by means of repentance the five senses are cleansed, and through a willful submitting to punishment and retribution, eluded eternal punishment is eluded.
Step 6 – On the Remembrance of Death, who succeeds in keeping the end always before, will never sin.
Step 7 – On Lamentation Which Brings About Joy, who is found deserving of it, may he help me as well. Because such as one has already been assisted, since by means of this seventh step he has cleansed himself from the corruption of this world.
Step 8 – On Liberty from Anger and Humility, who wears it by nature may wear no other crown. But the one who has achieved it by struggling has overcome all eight at once.
Step 9 – On the Remembrance of Injuries, who has obtained it courageously entreat the Savior, Jesus, to deliver him from his future sins.
Step 10 – On Defamation or Slander, who has conquered it is the one who exercises love or grieving.
Step 11 – On Loquaciousness and Stillness, who has conquered it has smitten a variety of evils.
Step 12 – On Lying, who has ascended to it has received the root of all graces.
Step 13 – On Despondency, who has truly achieved it has become skilled in goodness.
Step 14 – On the Boisterous, yet Evil Lord, the Belly, one who has truly achieved it has become skilled in goodness.
Step 15 – On Incorruptible Chastity and Purity Which the Corruptible Achieve Through Labor and Perspiration, who has attained it while abiding in the flesh has already died and been resurrected. From here on he will have a foretaste of the coming immortality.
Step 16 – On the Love of Money or Greed, who has achieved this triumph has either acquired love or removed concern.
Step 17 – On Poverty, who has ascended to it is traveling to Heaven stripped bare of all material possessions.
To be continued…
For Lent. This is the kindle edition I plan to use, but also have a hard copy, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8.... My sister recommended a website with podcasts, which I have not had time to check out. Not sure if they are simply a recording of the book, or talks about it over at: https://www.philokaliaministries.org, although I think I will have my hands full just trying to absorb this. Going to try to stay off GRs as much as possible during Lent, so please dear friends, do not feel slighted, only PRAYED for. bl
May you all have a VERY BLESSED LENT!
I am ½ way through The Ladder of Divine Ascent , but I am quite sure this book is not only not meant for me, but I will not be ready for it for at least another 50 or more years if ever. That said, I am not wasting time reading it. It is FULL of amazing information for Spiritual Giants and even spiritual infants such as me. The one caveat I would say upfront is that anyone who suffers from the least bit spiritual scruples should not under any circumstances read it! This is a book for those who want to carry their own Cross as well as that of the rest of the world. I am not one of those people, I know, but I did not realize until I started this book that it was written for such an audience.
Each Chapter of the book is a ‘Step’ of the Ladder and consists of examples of those who embody the characteristics of a particular heroic virtue or its concomitant vices. I never in my wildest imagination knew there could be so many ways we could sin! This is why I warn off those who suffer from scruples. You gentle souls don’t need to learn more things to worry about. I have learned that I am so very far from perfection that I can say with all honesty that I am truly an infant in the arms of God. I KNOW and AM nothing! There are true warriors of holiness out there and they are NOT me! But all this is good to learn for the sake of my humility.
The 30 steps outlined by John Climacus are listed below, but before you look at them and become overwhelmed, recall they are meant for monks as guidance to be mastered over an entire lifetime, not in a single Lent as this silly booklady thought she could do. Also, there is overlap and circling back to earlier material as each step builds on the next. FYI, though I am continuing to read subsequent steps, I am still working on the first one. (The little encouraging statements after each step come directly from the text at the end of each chapter and I include them because I particularly liked them.) How I wish!
Step 1 – On Renunciation, which once stepped upon, one should not turn back.
Step 2 – On Detachment, may those who run this course not imitate Lot's wife but Lot, and run away.
Step 3 – On Banishment or Living as a Stranger, being equal in number to the Trinity, may the one who has attained it, let him not glance to the right or left.
Step 4 – On Obedience, as the number of Evangelists is equal in number to this step, let the contestant keep running without fear.
Step 5 – On Painful and Genuine Repentance Which is the Life of Godly Convicts and Concerning the Prison; for by means of repentance the five senses are cleansed, and through a willful submitting to punishment and retribution, eluded eternal punishment is eluded.
Step 6 – On the Remembrance of Death, who succeeds in keeping the end always before, will never sin.
Step 7 – On Lamentation Which Brings About Joy, who is found deserving of it, may he help me as well. Because such as one has already been assisted, since by means of this seventh step he has cleansed himself from the corruption of this world.
Step 8 – On Liberty from Anger and Humility, who wears it by nature may wear no other crown. But the one who has achieved it by struggling has overcome all eight at once.
Step 9 – On the Remembrance of Injuries, who has obtained it courageously entreat the Savior, Jesus, to deliver him from his future sins.
Step 10 – On Defamation or Slander, who has conquered it is the one who exercises love or grieving.
Step 11 – On Loquaciousness and Stillness, who has conquered it has smitten a variety of evils.
Step 12 – On Lying, who has ascended to it has received the root of all graces.
Step 13 – On Despondency, who has truly achieved it has become skilled in goodness.
Step 14 – On the Boisterous, yet Evil Lord, the Belly, one who has truly achieved it has become skilled in goodness.
Step 15 – On Incorruptible Chastity and Purity Which the Corruptible Achieve Through Labor and Perspiration, who has attained it while abiding in the flesh has already died and been resurrected. From here on he will have a foretaste of the coming immortality.
Step 16 – On the Love of Money or Greed, who has achieved this triumph has either acquired love or removed concern.
Step 17 – On Poverty, who has ascended to it is traveling to Heaven stripped bare of all material possessions.
To be continued…
For Lent. This is the kindle edition I plan to use, but also have a hard copy, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8.... My sister recommended a website with podcasts, which I have not had time to check out. Not sure if they are simply a recording of the book, or talks about it over at: https://www.philokaliaministries.org, although I think I will have my hands full just trying to absorb this. Going to try to stay off GRs as much as possible during Lent, so please dear friends, do not feel slighted, only PRAYED for. bl
May you all have a VERY BLESSED LENT!
November 7, 2017
This book (the third English translation) offers an image of ladder as a way of ascetical life. It's true that it's aimed at monks, people that join a monastery like one on Mount Athos, but quite a few points work well even for us who are not these people. I'm not sure if I've read this before, but reading it was worth it. The number of ladders gives a nod to the number of years Jesus was when he began his preaching (30).
The introduction talks about the author and his background, about the ladder itself and it's text-structure, explores some themes, and lists some sources and influences on future audiences. It's good to read this first, because it clears the plot well. This book is an Orthodox classic, often read at Lent in monasteries. The author lived in a monastery in Sinai, around 7th century, with at least one long visit to a monastery in Alexandria (the description of the 'Prison' for unruly monks in this place is a bit shocking, but don't let it put you off).
It's a case of body vs. mind, and the purpose is to help a person to see both perils and good ways on the road to perfection. Some later steps are of persons who have advanced quite far on their monk's life, but it's not talked in a way that those who are not yet there would lose their courage and think they would never achieve it - it takes time and work, but doesn't feel impossible.
The author shows us the three ways within: at the monastery, in a smaller group with a leader, and the solitary life. The solitary life is not for the beginner, for it is mentally hard and demanding, and easy to do wrong if done too early or for wrong reasons. It's better to live a group or monastery life for years first.
The text is not without some humor; in the 'Stillness' chapter, for example:
"The cat keeps hold of the mouse. The thought of the hesychast keeps hold of his spiritual mouse. Do not mock this analogy. Indeed, if you do, it shows you still do not understand the meaning of stillness."
And you do have to realise that although these steps go from 1 to 30, one may end up using some steps again, especially when not yet advanced in experience and years.
This is a book not for fast reading, read and then forgotten. It is for pondering, to find inspiration and motivation. It holds more than might first appear. So for monks and non-monks this is a treasure - easy to see why the reading-aloud tradition uses this book. This is a book of quiet greatness.
The introduction talks about the author and his background, about the ladder itself and it's text-structure, explores some themes, and lists some sources and influences on future audiences. It's good to read this first, because it clears the plot well. This book is an Orthodox classic, often read at Lent in monasteries. The author lived in a monastery in Sinai, around 7th century, with at least one long visit to a monastery in Alexandria (the description of the 'Prison' for unruly monks in this place is a bit shocking, but don't let it put you off).
It's a case of body vs. mind, and the purpose is to help a person to see both perils and good ways on the road to perfection. Some later steps are of persons who have advanced quite far on their monk's life, but it's not talked in a way that those who are not yet there would lose their courage and think they would never achieve it - it takes time and work, but doesn't feel impossible.
The author shows us the three ways within: at the monastery, in a smaller group with a leader, and the solitary life. The solitary life is not for the beginner, for it is mentally hard and demanding, and easy to do wrong if done too early or for wrong reasons. It's better to live a group or monastery life for years first.
The text is not without some humor; in the 'Stillness' chapter, for example:
"The cat keeps hold of the mouse. The thought of the hesychast keeps hold of his spiritual mouse. Do not mock this analogy. Indeed, if you do, it shows you still do not understand the meaning of stillness."
And you do have to realise that although these steps go from 1 to 30, one may end up using some steps again, especially when not yet advanced in experience and years.
This is a book not for fast reading, read and then forgotten. It is for pondering, to find inspiration and motivation. It holds more than might first appear. So for monks and non-monks this is a treasure - easy to see why the reading-aloud tradition uses this book. This is a book of quiet greatness.
April 10, 2012
A wonderful read during the Lenten season as John Climacus guides monastics on their ladder of theosis.
September 25, 2011
Meant for monks, it is nonetheless full of helpful advice and encouragement for anyone on the path. A true masterpiece that deserves to be read many times. The further you progress the more it will mean to you - and I would dare even suggest that the more this work rings true and speaks to you, the further along you are. At any stage, though, this is profitable reading!
November 18, 2010
ugh. It's taking me sooooooo loooooonnnngggg to read this --- BECAUSE IT SUCKS SO HARD!
This man's philosophy on how to live your life (if you are a monk that it) is the antithesis of everything I believe! He promotes good intentioned shaming, he is down on family, he advocates silence and detatchment...
Excerpt;
The man who really loves the Lord, who has made a real effort to find the future Kingdom, who is really pained by his sins, who is really mindful of eternal torment and judgement, who really lives in fear of his own departure, will not love, care or worry about money, or possessions, or parents, or worldly glory, or friends, or brothers, or anything at all on earth. But having shaken off all ties with earthly things and having stripped himself of all his cares, and having come to hate even his own flesh, and having stripped himself of everything, he will follow Christ without anxiety or hesitation, always looking Heavenward and expecting help from there, according to the word of the saint: My soul hath cleaved after Thee; and according to that other ever-memorable man who said: I have not wearied of following Thee, nor have I desired the day or rest of man, O Lord.
GOOD GRIEF!
This man's philosophy on how to live your life (if you are a monk that it) is the antithesis of everything I believe! He promotes good intentioned shaming, he is down on family, he advocates silence and detatchment...
Excerpt;
The man who really loves the Lord, who has made a real effort to find the future Kingdom, who is really pained by his sins, who is really mindful of eternal torment and judgement, who really lives in fear of his own departure, will not love, care or worry about money, or possessions, or parents, or worldly glory, or friends, or brothers, or anything at all on earth. But having shaken off all ties with earthly things and having stripped himself of all his cares, and having come to hate even his own flesh, and having stripped himself of everything, he will follow Christ without anxiety or hesitation, always looking Heavenward and expecting help from there, according to the word of the saint: My soul hath cleaved after Thee; and according to that other ever-memorable man who said: I have not wearied of following Thee, nor have I desired the day or rest of man, O Lord.
GOOD GRIEF!
December 24, 2024
A challenge to piety.
The trick with monastic writings is that they frame Creation as distraction - there is deep truth to the claim that there is only Christ, but I wonder if the lived experience of human life is so utterly alien to the ways of God that it must be entirely cast aside.
Then again, taking up one’s cross bears little resemblance to life-as-usual.
Can the “normal” life of friends, beauty, and laughter be sanctified, or is it merely an idol that we refuse to relinquish for the pearl of greatest price?
The trick with monastic writings is that they frame Creation as distraction - there is deep truth to the claim that there is only Christ, but I wonder if the lived experience of human life is so utterly alien to the ways of God that it must be entirely cast aside.
Then again, taking up one’s cross bears little resemblance to life-as-usual.
Can the “normal” life of friends, beauty, and laughter be sanctified, or is it merely an idol that we refuse to relinquish for the pearl of greatest price?
April 11, 2012
One of the most revered works of theology and devotion in the Eastern Christian world, it is read in monasteries in the Eastern Churches every Lent, and is one of the most compelling, beautiful works of its type I have ever read. St. John takes you into the heart of the Christian mystery, and despite the fact that it was written for monks, its wisdom is really for everyone.
April 18, 2025
THIS IS SIMPLY THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK TO READ WITH THE SOLE EXCEPTION OF THE BIBLE.
It's been awhile since I have added a book to my life changing list. Though this book is aimed at monks it contains the central element of Orthodoxy, complete self denial and destruction of the will to be replaced by His will in the pursuit of humility queen of the virtues and gaining all the virtues in opposition to the vice that haunts us and separates us from God.
This is probably the most counter cultural book you can read in the 21st century. Every philosophy and religion (although in the West these two are basically the same) results in the self being deified. This book is the precise opposite of that. Which is so refreshing!
This book encapsulates the difference between East and the West and it's very rational basis in pursuit of religion.
Although this book is refreshing it is also hard if one takes what St John has to say seriously and apply it to one's life.
This book helped me understand pride being the root of all sin which makes it's opposite humility the queen of all virtues. This book although talks about many things is a manual in humility and what that means exactly since our society doesn't know what humility even means nor would they understand it's attraction.
This book highlighted to me the radical and incredible success Jordan Peterson has had in attaining the virtues he has without the aid of traditional religion. He is a truly great man for what he has achieved on his own strength. It's scary to think of how bright is soul would shine if he was Orthodox. The rest of us mediocre sinners need Orthodoxy's full strength to even begin to understand the height's that man has reached by God's hidden grace.
2nd reading:
"Every philosophy and religion (although in the West these two are basically the same) results in the self being deified." This is a quote from my first review and how embarrassing. The problem is not deification. The problem is making our own will god versus what this book proposes. Which is radicle self denial in order to become like Christ.
This book truly must have been written by an angel.
The first 3 steps are on leaving the world behind. Beginning with Renunciation of life (can you already hear the scream of modernity), On Detachment, and Exile. The ladders last step is on Faith, Hope, and Love with love being the last ring of the ladder. It is love that can sustain someone without food like St. Mary of Egypt who spent 50 years in the desert with just 3 loves of bread.
pg 74 "A Christian is an imitator of Christ in thought, word and deed, as far as this is humanly possible, and he believes rightly and blamelessly in the Holy Trinity."
The first 3 steps are on leaving the world behind and setting out on a new path. The fourth step is beautiful obedience where one learns to annihilate one's will. It is one of the longer chapters and along with Humility my favorite.
pg 111 "Drink deeply of scorn from every man, as though it were living water handed you to cleanse you from lust. Then indeed will a deep purity dawn in your soul and the light of God will not grow dim in your heart."
pg 120 "He who strives for dispassion and for God considers lost any day on which he was not criticized."
The next 3 steps are on Penitence, Remembrance of Death, and Mourning. And that is as I can discuss.
pg 131 "A sign of true repentance is the admission that all our troubles and more besides, whether visible or not, were richly deserved."
There is such wisdom in these pages it is often beyond me even to talk about. Everything is balanced and parsed apart. There is a constant back and forth as you overcome one struggle and fall into another. The most common is you over come some passion and then fall into vainglory as you begin to think you did it on your own and how great you are from abstaining from that sin. Every virtue when achieved opens up other areas of attack and so it's a great balancing act to overcome one thing and then fall into another and then get dragged back to the first and have to pick yourself up again and fight on. Such is the great war.
Despondency is one of the greatest dangers as there is nothing to help you if you fall in. Since it takes away even the motivation to fight it and leaves you with nothing not even the desire to continue. The only hope is the grace of God and trying to drive it out with hope or something.
Humility is the great sword that can slay every vice even pride. It is my favorite. There is something about the humble person that is divine and so attractive like St Nektarios.
pg 149 "The first stage of blessed patience is to accept dishonor with bitterness and anguish of soul. The intermediate stage is to be free from pain amid all such things. The perfect stage, if that is attainable, is to think of dishonor as praise. Let the first rejoice and the second be strong, but blessed be the third, for the exults in the Lord."
It's been awhile since I have added a book to my life changing list. Though this book is aimed at monks it contains the central element of Orthodoxy, complete self denial and destruction of the will to be replaced by His will in the pursuit of humility queen of the virtues and gaining all the virtues in opposition to the vice that haunts us and separates us from God.
This is probably the most counter cultural book you can read in the 21st century. Every philosophy and religion (although in the West these two are basically the same) results in the self being deified. This book is the precise opposite of that. Which is so refreshing!
This book encapsulates the difference between East and the West and it's very rational basis in pursuit of religion.
Although this book is refreshing it is also hard if one takes what St John has to say seriously and apply it to one's life.
This book helped me understand pride being the root of all sin which makes it's opposite humility the queen of all virtues. This book although talks about many things is a manual in humility and what that means exactly since our society doesn't know what humility even means nor would they understand it's attraction.
This book highlighted to me the radical and incredible success Jordan Peterson has had in attaining the virtues he has without the aid of traditional religion. He is a truly great man for what he has achieved on his own strength. It's scary to think of how bright is soul would shine if he was Orthodox. The rest of us mediocre sinners need Orthodoxy's full strength to even begin to understand the height's that man has reached by God's hidden grace.
2nd reading:
"Every philosophy and religion (although in the West these two are basically the same) results in the self being deified." This is a quote from my first review and how embarrassing. The problem is not deification. The problem is making our own will god versus what this book proposes. Which is radicle self denial in order to become like Christ.
This book truly must have been written by an angel.
The first 3 steps are on leaving the world behind. Beginning with Renunciation of life (can you already hear the scream of modernity), On Detachment, and Exile. The ladders last step is on Faith, Hope, and Love with love being the last ring of the ladder. It is love that can sustain someone without food like St. Mary of Egypt who spent 50 years in the desert with just 3 loves of bread.
pg 74 "A Christian is an imitator of Christ in thought, word and deed, as far as this is humanly possible, and he believes rightly and blamelessly in the Holy Trinity."
The first 3 steps are on leaving the world behind and setting out on a new path. The fourth step is beautiful obedience where one learns to annihilate one's will. It is one of the longer chapters and along with Humility my favorite.
pg 111 "Drink deeply of scorn from every man, as though it were living water handed you to cleanse you from lust. Then indeed will a deep purity dawn in your soul and the light of God will not grow dim in your heart."
pg 120 "He who strives for dispassion and for God considers lost any day on which he was not criticized."
The next 3 steps are on Penitence, Remembrance of Death, and Mourning. And that is as I can discuss.
pg 131 "A sign of true repentance is the admission that all our troubles and more besides, whether visible or not, were richly deserved."
There is such wisdom in these pages it is often beyond me even to talk about. Everything is balanced and parsed apart. There is a constant back and forth as you overcome one struggle and fall into another. The most common is you over come some passion and then fall into vainglory as you begin to think you did it on your own and how great you are from abstaining from that sin. Every virtue when achieved opens up other areas of attack and so it's a great balancing act to overcome one thing and then fall into another and then get dragged back to the first and have to pick yourself up again and fight on. Such is the great war.
Despondency is one of the greatest dangers as there is nothing to help you if you fall in. Since it takes away even the motivation to fight it and leaves you with nothing not even the desire to continue. The only hope is the grace of God and trying to drive it out with hope or something.
Humility is the great sword that can slay every vice even pride. It is my favorite. There is something about the humble person that is divine and so attractive like St Nektarios.
pg 149 "The first stage of blessed patience is to accept dishonor with bitterness and anguish of soul. The intermediate stage is to be free from pain amid all such things. The perfect stage, if that is attainable, is to think of dishonor as praise. Let the first rejoice and the second be strong, but blessed be the third, for the exults in the Lord."
March 31, 2013
This cannot be titles or surnamed a book..
This work is a way of Life...meant for monks,but as Christians
are we not all to live as religious?
In an upward ascent i read this daily to instill what is not or to ask for perfection
in something that has been hardened by sin...
St John Climacus i feel put his life into this work as it is one of few he wrote.
I HIGHLY SUGGEST THIS especially for all Christians
Daily reading
This work is a way of Life...meant for monks,but as Christians
are we not all to live as religious?
In an upward ascent i read this daily to instill what is not or to ask for perfection
in something that has been hardened by sin...
St John Climacus i feel put his life into this work as it is one of few he wrote.
I HIGHLY SUGGEST THIS especially for all Christians
Daily reading
August 14, 2011
One of the greatest spiritual manuals out side the holy Scriptures, read with care, remember this was written for monks not lay people but the greatest of treasure may be detected from these pages.
June 7, 2019
The more i learn and read, the guiltier i will feel during Judgement Day.
And yet, here we are.
And yet, here we are.
April 26, 2021
A truly deep and wonderful book that's certainly worth reading for Orthodox Christians, and especially during Great Lent, as it helps the believer focus on humility, fasting, and repentance, which is definitely pronounced during Great Lent.
Here's a couple of sayings that I found of note:
Step 4: On Obedience
84. It is not when we courageously endure the derision of our father that we are judged patient, but when we endure it from all manner of men. For we bear with our father both out of respect and as a duty to him.
Step 5: On Repentance and the Prison
28 It is impossible for us who have fallen into the pit of iniquities ever to be drawn out of it, unless we sink into the abyss of the humility of the repentant.
Step 9: On Remembrance of Wrongs
17. The forgetting of wrongs is a sign of true repentance. But he who dwells on them and thinks that he is repenting is like a man who thinks he is running while he is really asleep.
Here's a couple of sayings that I found of note:
Step 4: On Obedience
84. It is not when we courageously endure the derision of our father that we are judged patient, but when we endure it from all manner of men. For we bear with our father both out of respect and as a duty to him.
Step 5: On Repentance and the Prison
28 It is impossible for us who have fallen into the pit of iniquities ever to be drawn out of it, unless we sink into the abyss of the humility of the repentant.
Step 9: On Remembrance of Wrongs
17. The forgetting of wrongs is a sign of true repentance. But he who dwells on them and thinks that he is repenting is like a man who thinks he is running while he is really asleep.
August 8, 2025
I learned so much from this intense yet winsome monk. The last three chapters alone are worth the price of the book.
What a joy it was to sit under the wise instruction of this man of God as I strive to ascend ever higher on the spiritual ladder toward God, who “is indeed love, to whom be praise, dominion, power, in whom is and was and will be the cause of all goodness throughout infinite ages.”
What a joy it was to sit under the wise instruction of this man of God as I strive to ascend ever higher on the spiritual ladder toward God, who “is indeed love, to whom be praise, dominion, power, in whom is and was and will be the cause of all goodness throughout infinite ages.”
February 9, 2024
There are thirty steps (chapters) of the ladder for the thirty years of Christs visible life until He was baptized.
The three pitfalls demons use to destroy us and throw us off the ladder;
1. Get us to not do Gods will
(Despondency, sloth, indifference, despair - run while it is still day, night is coming)
2. If they fail in the first they will twist and warp what we do to make it not Gods will at all.
(Lust, greed, avarice, selfishness- the heart is deceitful above all things- a humble and contrite spirit fights this)
3. If they fail in the first two then they sit at our feet and praise us for all the good that we have done.
(Pride- which comes before a fall. St. Paul said he was the worst of sinners - remembrance of wrongs keeps us from pride and reminds of Gods mercy. Remembrance of death makes us more desirous of union with God)
I’m convinced God wanted me to read this book because I was speaking with a friend on the phone about this icon that is on the cover, I even sent him a picture of it and then the very next day my wife came home from a walk and brought me this book from the neighborhood book box and asked me if I wanted it..
This is easily tied for my favorite book of all time. No other book that I have read gives such insight on how to fight the daily (and nightly) spiritual battle that assails those who are serious about fighting it. In the words of St. John Climacus, “As soon as the flame is burning within you, run for you do not know when it will go out and leave you in darkness.”
The three pitfalls demons use to destroy us and throw us off the ladder;
1. Get us to not do Gods will
(Despondency, sloth, indifference, despair - run while it is still day, night is coming)
2. If they fail in the first they will twist and warp what we do to make it not Gods will at all.
(Lust, greed, avarice, selfishness- the heart is deceitful above all things- a humble and contrite spirit fights this)
3. If they fail in the first two then they sit at our feet and praise us for all the good that we have done.
(Pride- which comes before a fall. St. Paul said he was the worst of sinners - remembrance of wrongs keeps us from pride and reminds of Gods mercy. Remembrance of death makes us more desirous of union with God)
I’m convinced God wanted me to read this book because I was speaking with a friend on the phone about this icon that is on the cover, I even sent him a picture of it and then the very next day my wife came home from a walk and brought me this book from the neighborhood book box and asked me if I wanted it..
This is easily tied for my favorite book of all time. No other book that I have read gives such insight on how to fight the daily (and nightly) spiritual battle that assails those who are serious about fighting it. In the words of St. John Climacus, “As soon as the flame is burning within you, run for you do not know when it will go out and leave you in darkness.”
February 16, 2025
I rated as a four simply because I always hesitate to rate as a five, unless the work is exceptional.
Truly this work should be read slowly and in piece-meal, as one would read Imitation of Christ. The Saint takes much time taking into account individual weakness and how the spiritual life is slow and different depending on personal disposition.
Truly this work should be read slowly and in piece-meal, as one would read Imitation of Christ. The Saint takes much time taking into account individual weakness and how the spiritual life is slow and different depending on personal disposition.
January 23, 2025
Literally can’t even begin to describe how good and convicting this book is. It’s truly a masterpiece. I used up two highlighters inking up these pages. A MUST READ.
Read
May 1, 2024“Ascend, brothers, ascend eagerly, and be resolved in your hearts to ascend and hear Him who says: Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of our God.”
+St. John Climacus
+St. John Climacus
May 16, 2017
It seems to me, after reading a good number of works of Christian spirituality and theology, the majority of them are profound and helpful. This makes sense since the ones we still read today have stood the test of time, I imagine the garbage of the ancient and medieval world was soon forgotten. While most are good, some are much easier to read through then others. It may be a translation thing, or maybe just some writers wrote more with a more complex structure than others. Whatever it is, John Climacus is on the easier to read through side of things. Much of his writing is aphorisms, the sort of writing you find in the biblical book of Proverbs. So if you have never read many Christian classics and want to, this might not be a bad place to start.
The problem of course is that this is written for monks. So the level of spiritual life, the standard he sets, seems both out of reach for normal people and legalistic. If you forget his audience, it would be easy to condemn what he says as works-righteousness blather. But if you can see through the high calling to the monks you can still find much to challenge normal people. For example, maybe some of us are lazy and sleep too much. We don't need to become monks and wake up twice in the middle of the night to pray, but it might not hurt to sleep a little less so we can spend more time in prayer.
Overall, recommended.
The problem of course is that this is written for monks. So the level of spiritual life, the standard he sets, seems both out of reach for normal people and legalistic. If you forget his audience, it would be easy to condemn what he says as works-righteousness blather. But if you can see through the high calling to the monks you can still find much to challenge normal people. For example, maybe some of us are lazy and sleep too much. We don't need to become monks and wake up twice in the middle of the night to pray, but it might not hurt to sleep a little less so we can spend more time in prayer.
Overall, recommended.
February 8, 2019
"There are some who undertake this holy way of life because of a delight in, a thirst for the love and sweetness of God, and they achieve a union of this kind only after they have shed all vice and acquired all virtue...I have put together a ladder of ascent, let each one take note of the step on which one is standing."
Kallistos Ware, the great modern day Orthodox theologian, claims in the introduction that The Ladder of Divine Ascent has been and remains the most commonly read book outside of the Bible in Eastern Christianity. Written around 600 by a monk to monks living in community on Mt. Sinai, John Climacus envisions a 30-runged ladder that one climbs in pursuit of union with God. While the 30 rungs metaphorically represent the 30 years leading up to Jesus' ministry, they more practically each highlight a virtue to be acquired or a vice to be overcome in any serious pursuit of spiritual growth. The monastic, ascetic, radical context of The Ladder should not be taken lightly; several sub-themes of his teachings will appear obscure to the modern reader, if not offensive. Nevertheless, read in community and with a sincere effort to bridge the cultural chasms between him and us, there is value for anyone here on the upward and onward journey to God.
Kallistos Ware, the great modern day Orthodox theologian, claims in the introduction that The Ladder of Divine Ascent has been and remains the most commonly read book outside of the Bible in Eastern Christianity. Written around 600 by a monk to monks living in community on Mt. Sinai, John Climacus envisions a 30-runged ladder that one climbs in pursuit of union with God. While the 30 rungs metaphorically represent the 30 years leading up to Jesus' ministry, they more practically each highlight a virtue to be acquired or a vice to be overcome in any serious pursuit of spiritual growth. The monastic, ascetic, radical context of The Ladder should not be taken lightly; several sub-themes of his teachings will appear obscure to the modern reader, if not offensive. Nevertheless, read in community and with a sincere effort to bridge the cultural chasms between him and us, there is value for anyone here on the upward and onward journey to God.
December 19, 2025
Honestly, I read maybe 80% of this but I’m calling it done as I struggled and argued all over this book. I guess I see why it’s a classic, why people still read it. But I didn’t agree with a lot of the theology. And honestly, it made me sad as so much of it read as if the author - and the monks with his beliefs - feel they have to suffer so for God. And still not feel assured of their salvation. If you read this, get the version from the monastery with the endnotes and footnotes. It would have made it better for me.
March 27, 2025
Considered an Eastern Christian spirituality classic. I appreciate the structure of it and the 'big picture' steps of ascending away from sinfulness and towards union with God. There were very many insightful phrases, though the intended audience is a cenobitical monk, so some adjustments must be made on the reader's side. The introduction to this edition also contains an unnecessary anti-Catholic rhetoric.
February 3, 2025
So this was a good read, but it was also one of the most difficult books I have read. Mainly because I found a lot of the advice and sentiments to be solid, but hard to apply outside of a monastic setting. There is a modern work that I guess goes over how do that so I will probably read that at some point. Nevertheless, I am glad that I at least gave it a read, especially because many Orthodox saints and theologians reference it.
February 6, 2023
Not sure why it took me so long, not sure why I ever stopped
Read
May 17, 2023ngmi bros...
April 29, 2025
Amazing book for Lent.
July 19, 2025
One of the greatest books ever written. Outside of Scripture this work may be the most exceptional source of spiritual wisdom out there. Will be reading every single year. Holy Saint John Climacus entreat Christ our God that like you we may ascend the ladder of salvation! ☦️
Read
July 8, 2023This work helps one understand how underestimated the problem of gluttony is. No, it's not about what you see at Walmart, but there's a lot more to it. Truly horrifying.
St John shows the marvelous nature of simplicity. He also said in the longest chapter, 4 on obedience many hard-hitting things.
When St. John the Ladder speaks on the virtues or vices he shows its effects and causes, the stages of progress or regress within it, and the signs to discern these. If you want to identify where you are with respect to any given one of these vices / virtues, this road map or conceptual 'ladder' and your experience need to be unified. In most people's condition, they can be told only by a spiritual guide. I'd say Aristotle still helps define virtue (and not his philosophy but this part was modified slightly and carried through the phronema of the Fathers. We have forgotten so could do well to remember it). He called this mysterious thing that takes the matrix of (true) concepts (general principles about what to do in such and such situation) and matrix of (accurate) empirical signs in real life (to see what the situation is) and can link them up rightly without discarding special features of the situation 'phronesis.' We can say that's true perception (not just physical perception, but living understanding). The fathers call it 'discernment', and say very different things about it than Aristotle does of course, for example about how to get it, and about the source.
St John shows the marvelous nature of simplicity. He also said in the longest chapter, 4 on obedience many hard-hitting things.
When St. John the Ladder speaks on the virtues or vices he shows its effects and causes, the stages of progress or regress within it, and the signs to discern these. If you want to identify where you are with respect to any given one of these vices / virtues, this road map or conceptual 'ladder' and your experience need to be unified. In most people's condition, they can be told only by a spiritual guide. I'd say Aristotle still helps define virtue (and not his philosophy but this part was modified slightly and carried through the phronema of the Fathers. We have forgotten so could do well to remember it). He called this mysterious thing that takes the matrix of (true) concepts (general principles about what to do in such and such situation) and matrix of (accurate) empirical signs in real life (to see what the situation is) and can link them up rightly without discarding special features of the situation 'phronesis.' We can say that's true perception (not just physical perception, but living understanding). The fathers call it 'discernment', and say very different things about it than Aristotle does of course, for example about how to get it, and about the source.
April 25, 2024
This year, 2023, I read this edition during Great Lent. I liked how the translators used simplified English words than the other versions I read. It helped me absorb much more than the last time I read the book. St. John Climacus wrote this book, he was a monk who lived in solitude for 40 years, and then he was appointed as the abbot of St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai. He lived between the 6th and the 7th Century. He included in this book all his experiences dealing with human nature and fighting against passions. The book is addressed to another monk.
In my opinion, this book is an essential guide to the Clergy, Monks and lay people. St. John describes in the book the passions, where they come from, and how a person might fight them. And in each step of the ladder, he contrasts passion against virtue. He encourages everyone to acquire a virtue. He calls this "running the race", as St. Paul says in his epistles. He encourages every Christian to have a spiritual guide.
In my opinion, this book is an essential guide to the Clergy, Monks and lay people. St. John describes in the book the passions, where they come from, and how a person might fight them. And in each step of the ladder, he contrasts passion against virtue. He encourages everyone to acquire a virtue. He calls this "running the race", as St. Paul says in his epistles. He encourages every Christian to have a spiritual guide.
April 11, 2019
I wish I could give this book 10 stars. There are very few other books that are so rewarding upon multiple re-reads. I do not understand at all the people who say it is only for monastics, or that it should only be read with adequate preparation. This was the first Orthodox book I read when I started getting interested in Orthodoxy. I didn't understand most of it, but it was the litterary equivalent of attending an All-Night Vigil for the first time: bewildering, intoxicating and wondrous. It "smelled like incense", so to speak, and gave me a sense of what Orthodoxy feels like. And the struggle against the passions is something every human being must undertake or else perish, whether monastic or not. Very little of this book is not applicable to laypeople.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews