Russian Monks - Russian Christian Monks, Starets, Theodosius of Kiev, Isidore, Mikhail Sabinin, Saint Kuksha of the Kiev Caves (Paperback)

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Russian Christian Monks, Starets, Theodosius of Kiev, Isidore, Mikhail Sabinin, Saint Kuksha of the Kiev Caves, Abraham of Rostov, John of Pskov, Antony of Siya, Euphrosynus of Pskov, Varlaam of Chikoy, Avraamy of Galich, Abraham and Coprius of Griasowetzk. Excerpt: A starets (Russian:, fem. ) is an elder of a Russian Orthodox monastery who functions as venerated adviser and teacher. Elders or spiritual fathers are charismatic spiritual leaders whose wisdom stems from God as obtained from ascetic experience. It is believed that through ascetic struggle, prayer and Hesychasm (seclusion or withdrawal), the Holy Spirit bestows special gifts onto the elder including the ability to heal, prophesy, and most importantly, give effective spiritual guidance and direction. Elders are looked upon as being an inspiration to believers and an example of saintly virtue, steadfast faith, and spiritual peace. Elders are not appointed by any authority; they are simply recognized by the faithful as being people "of the Spirit." An elder, when not in prayer or in voluntary seclusion, receives visitors (some who travel very far) and spends time conversing with them, offering a blessing (if the elder is an ordained cleric) and confession, and praying. People often petition the elder for intercessionary prayers, believing that the prayer of an elder is particularly effective. Personal confessions to elders are encouraged, although not all of them are ordained to the priesthood. Many of them have a reputation amidst believers of being able to know the secrets of a person's heart without having ever previously met the visitor, and having the ability to discern God's plan for a person's life. This, as all of the elder's gifts, is believed to come from the Holy Spir... More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=2535939