FRIENDS OF MOUNT ATHOS BOOK REVIEWS

© 1999

Orthodoxos Monachismos kai Agion Oros. By Archimandrite George, Abbot of the Monastery of St Gregorios. 2^nd enlarged edition. Mount Athos: Holy Monastery of St Gregorios, 1997. 181 pages. Price not given. ISBN 960-7553-08-X.

The first edition of this collection of talks and articles appeared in 1983. It now appears in what would seem to be a considerably expanded form, as approximately half of the material in the present collection comes from after that date. A list of just some of the twelve items included gives an idea of its scope: 'Evangelical Monasticism', 'Divine Worship on the Holy Mountain', 'The Holy Mountain and the European Community', 'Obedience as the Way of Salvation', 'Monasticism according to St Symeon, Archbishop of Thessaloniki', 'St Nektarios as Spiritual Father of Monks', 'The Holy Mountain and Orthodoxy in the Balkans'.

The spirit of the collection may be grasped in these words of Fr George: 'Not only for those living in the world, but also at times for members of the Church who are not moved by a true Orthodox mentality (phronema), Orthodox hesychastic monasticism is "a sign which shall be spoken against".' The task of the Holy Mountain, he points out, is to ensure that Orthodoxy of faith and practice is preserved within the Church.

The book is beautifully produced and written in what strikes the reviewer as clear, almost 'classic', demotic Modern Greek.

BISHOP BASIL OF SERGIEVO

Oxford