On the Mystical Life: The Ethical Discourses : The Church and the Last Things Vol. 1

Popular Patristics Series #14

by Symeon the New Theologian, Alexander Golitzin (Introduction)

Now Back in Print. St Symeon's theology emphasizes the mystical encounter with God and transfiguration by grace.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Nonfiction

193 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1995

About the author

St Symeon the New Theologian was born in Galatia, Paphlagonia and his father prepared him for education at Constantinople in official life. He was afterwards assigned as a courtier in attendance to the Emperors Basil II and Constantine Porphyrogenitus. He abandoned his life as a courtier to retreat to a monastery at the age of 27 under his Elder, Simeon the Pious at the Monastery of Stoudios. Later he became abbot of the Monastery of St. Mammas in Constantinople.

The strict monastic discipline for which Symeon aimed rankled some in the monastery. One day after the Divine Liturgy some of the monks attacked and nearly killed him. After they were expelled from the monastery Symeon asked that they be treated leniently. From church authorities too, Symeon endured severe opposition, some of whom found his works irksome enough to banish him from Constantinople. So he left and resided in the Monastery of St. Makrina across the Bosphorus. Eventually he became a recluse.

Symeon was not educated in Greek philosophy but was quite familiar with the life of the church. He often spoke from direct personal experience and on occasion attacked certain scholars whom he viewed as pretending to have a knowledge they didn't have.

Some of Symeon's works include his Catechetical discourses, The First Created Man Hymns of Divine Love and the Three Theological Discourses.
(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful little book. The translation is very readable, and the personality of Symeon really comes through. The discourses are lively and full of memorable imagery. I was particularly struck by his calling on all Christians to emulate Mary in becoming mystically pregnant with Christ, and describing the relationship of the penitent soul and God in terms of same-sex intimacy. The translator obviously disapproves of the latter, but I love it!

[MagellanIsCoolerThanJustinBieber · Rating 2 out of 5]

The "mystical life" turns into the heretical life in these first two Ethical Discourses. I'm not sure what the east sees in our friend St. Symeon. His dubious claims include that Christ's resurrected body was "immaterial" (33) and that our resurrected bodies too will be "immaterial...[and] beyond any perception of the senses" so that we will be "embodied in a bodiless way" (39). Lovers of historic Christian teaching should steer clear of this one.

[Christian Proano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though there is a time and context for St. Symeon's writing, his writing is such that he speaks to all Christians of all times, and as far a this book goes, he writes in such a way that no doubt will make everyone upset at some point of his reading.

He is not writing against tradition (the living faith of the dead), he actually is a product of it, he writes against traditionalism (the dead faith of the living). So His writing ought to be taken not in isolation but with the rest of the Fathers. And for this reasons his conclusions should not be taken as overriding 1000 years of traditions, or a flushing of it for a new content. If you do the rites in the flesh then you are getting flesh that avails nothing, but if with faith you are aware that there is also Spirit revealing through the gift, and that the gifts becomes actual in the revelation, then you are approaching the Church movement correctly.

[Jay D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practical but deficient.