The spiritual letters of Barsanuphius and John, two sixth-century

ascetics from the Gaza Strip, are extraordinary documents. They

open a window into the heart of Early Christian monasticism. The
exchange of question and answer touches on the hopes, fears, and
temptations of all kinds (even the most banal), experienced by every
kind of persons—monks and laity alike. Here are the rugged rocks
in which the honey drops of Desert Wisdom were distilled. John
Chryssavgis does full justice to these unique letters of advice. Two
wise and loving Christians speak from his pages. And as they do,
the icy modern image of the monk as an exalted authority figure
melts away to reveal a tenderness and a skill in one-to-one spiritual
counsel that lifts the heart, even at distance of fifteen hundred years.
Peter Brown
Emeritus Professor of History
Princeton University

John Chryssavgis has translated into English the vast correspondence

of Barsanuphius and John, and so he writes in this book from an
exact knowledge of their teaching. He is in deep sympathy with
their spiritual outlook. While placing the two Old Men in their
historical context, he shows also the timeless quality of their
answers. As Chryssavgis rightly points out, their counsel is not
“scripted or prescriptive,” but consistently situational, involved,
and full of loving tenderness. I am particularly moved by the way
he associates solitary contemplation with social consciousness. The
message of these elders, as the author presents it, is both simple and
yet full of hope. It is the closest that the desert literature comes to
a transliteration of notes from case studies of a personal therapist.
Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia
Emeritus Professor of Theology
University of Oxford

An insightful, encouraging, and challenging book! Dare one call a

book these days “inspiring?” Indeed, yes. In this volume the Spirit
is alive and well. Monasticism, early, medieval, modern, still has
plenty to say to us today, but not only say—show rather than tell,
live out in love rather than prescribe, teach embodied rather than
lecture from a distant podium or pulpit. There is so much here!
Barsanuphius and John guide us in the ways of true community,
communion that offers transformation.
Tim Vivian
Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies
California State University (Bakersfield)
ii
The Letters of
Barsanuphius
and John
iv
The Letters of
Barsanuphius
and John
Desert Wisdom for
Everyday Life

John Chryssavgis
 T&T CLARK
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 CONTENTS

List of Illustrations  ix
Foreword  x

Introduction  1

Part One: The Desert Blossoms: Setting the Scene  13

1 Monasticism in Egypt and Palestine: A Historical
Framework  15
2 Luminaries of Gaza: Prominent Personalities and
Identities  39
3 Fundamental Concepts and Principles: Looking
through a Window Frame  58

Part Two: The Desert Beckons: Sitting by the Cell  85

4 Spiritual Direction: Two Extraordinary Models  87
5 Fasting and Feasting: Sustained by God in the
Wilderness  113
6 Mourning and Tears: The Way of Brokenness and
Imperfection  134
7 Discernment and Compassion: The Way of
Awareness and Authenticity  147
viii CONTENTS

8 Solitude, Silence, and Stillness: Subtle Variances of

the Soul  166

Conclusion  185

Select Bibliography  189

Acknowledgments  190
Index  192
 ILLUSTRATIONS

1 Hermit cells in Palestine  34

2 Icon of Sts Barsanuphius and John  61
3 First edition of Barsanuphius and John (Venice)  115
4 Vatopedi manuscript, Letters 241–243  148
 ­F OREWORD

If we had been visiting Gaza in the early sixth century, we would have
found, not far off in the desert, a remarkable monastic community.
At its center were two elders living in strict seclusion, Barsanuphius
and John, known respectively as “the Great Old Man” and “the
Other Old Man.” These two elders had come to be widely respected
as charismatic counselors. Neither of them, however, spoke face to
face with those who sought their guidance. Enquirers were required
to submit their questions in writing, and in due course they received
a written reply from one of the Old Men, or occasionally from both.
In an earlier work, John Chryssavgis has translated into English
the entire correspondence of Barsanuphius and John. It is indeed
fortunate that there survive in Greek some 850 of these questions
and answers. No other document from the early Christian era shows
us in such vivid detail how spiritual direction was understood and
exercised in practice. With minimal editing, the Letters reveal the
actual voices of the inquirers and their respondents with immediacy
and intimacy, as well as with vividness and verve. It is the closest
that the desert literature comes to a transliteration of notes from
case studies of a personal therapist.
The enquirers came from all levels of society: not only from the
members of the community where Barsanuphius and John dwelt,
but also from those outside, bishops and monastics, clergy and
laity. The topics are highly varied. As we would expect, many of the
questions concern the life of prayer: for example, “Tell me, father,
about unceasing prayer” (Letter 87). Another recurrent theme is
physical illness: the elders, for instance, have to assure a novice who
cries out that he cannot “bear the affliction of his illness” (Letter
613). Often the questions are specific and practical: “How much
should I eat?” (Letter 154); “If one enters the church during the time
of the Liturgy and leaves before the end, is this a sin?” (Letter 736);
“The locusts ravage my fields. If I drive them away, my neighbors
 ­FOREWOR xi

grow furious with me”—presumably because the locusts then move

on to their fields—“but if I leave them, I suffer loss. What should I
do?” (Letter 684).
As Chryssavgis notes, whereas contemporary lives of the saints
are full of miracles, it is noteworthy that miracle stories are almost
entirely absent from the correspondence of the two elders of
Gaza. There is little on fear of the supernatural or reliance on the
superstitious; the advice is realistic and down to earth. Often it is
expressed in brief and somewhat riddling phrases. “Forget yourself
and know yourself,” they say (Letter 112); “Let us weep in order
that we may laugh” (Letter 196); “Die completely, that you may live
completely” (Letter 37). It is for the recipient to work out the riddle
and apply it to himself.
There is also little on theoretical mysticism or speculative
theology; the emphasis is on ascetic moderation. The objective is
reaching inward; the inner is far more important than the outer
(Letter 77). “Labor” and “violence” (Letters 239 and 340), along
with “pain” (Letters 256 and 267) and “suffering” (Letter 703),
are inseparable from “bearing the cross” (Letters 45, 191, 243, and
519) and “restraining the will” (Letters 16, 121, 232, and 243) in
imitation of Christ Himself (Letters 20, 106, 150, 191, and 239).
In this regard, Barsanuphius and John write without evasion or
compromise, but at that the same time with profound compassion.
They are humane and generous. Avoiding extremes, they caution
against excessive asceticism and austerity in eating and fasting,
sleep and vigilance (Letters 146 and 570); instead, they insist,
“Always keep the middle way” (Letter 314). While conscious of the
authority that they have received from God, they display a sensitive
respect for the freedom of others. “Do not force the will,” they
affirm in characteristic terms, “but only sow in hope. For our Lord
did not force anyone, but only preached the Gospel; and whosoever
wanted, listened” (Letter 35). They do not offer elaborate rules, but
say: “Do not look for a command. I do not want you to be under the
law but under grace” (Letter 23). “It is always beneficial to practice
freedom,” they state (Letter 378); “so the two go together: the free
will of the human being and the power of God” (Letter 763).
Yet as Chryssavgis emphasizes throughout this book, this respect
for the freedom of others did not signify that the two Old Men
were in any way distant or indifferent. On the contrary, one of
their favorite Scriptural texts is Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another’s
xii ­FOREWOR

burdens.” They see the spiritual father or mother, not as a legislator,

but par excellence as a burden bearer, a companion, and a fellow-
sufferer. “Hold my hand and walk,” they write (Letter 31); “I have
spread out my wings over you and bear your burdens” (Letter 239).
Again and again, in moving terms, they emphasize how closely
they feel involved in the joys and sorrows of their disciples. “The
Lord has bound your soul to mine,” they affirm (Letter 164).
“There is not a blink of the eye or a moment that I do not have you
in my mind and in my prayer” (Letter 113). “I will never abandon
you, even in the age to come” (Letter 239). As John Chryssavgis
rightly points out, their counsel is not “scripted or prescriptive,”
but consistently situational, involved, and full of loving tenderness.
What matters to them are not rules but persons. They understand
the weakness and vulnerability of others, their secret pain and
insecurity, yet at the same time they are acutely conscious of the
greatness of human nature, of its boundless possibilities.
John Chryssavgis writes in this book from an exact knowledge
of their teaching. He is in deep sympathy with their spiritual
outlook. I am particularly moved by the way he associates solitary
contemplation with social consciousness. While placing the two
Old Men in their historical context, he shows also the timeless
quality of their answers. Their message, as he presents it, is both
simple and full of hope, both enriching and enduring. It is best
summed up in two quotations that illustrate this simplicity and
hopefulness: “Simply do your best, brother, and God will come to
your assistance in everything” (Letter 343); “Rejoice in the Lord,
rejoice in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord” (Letter 10). Whenever I
read the correspondence of the two elders of Gaza, this threefold
repetition comes at once into my mind and heart. This is an engaging
contemporary book about a remarkable classic text.

Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia

Professor Emeritus, University of Oxford
 Introduction

The Appeal of the Desert

The modern revival of interest in desert spirituality is doubtless
associated with a search for purpose in—and arguably perhaps
escape from—the daily grind or frenzied race of urban life. For
many, pursuing contemplation in a competitive world invites the
prospect of penetrating the surface of mere survival in order to
perceive the meaning and mystery of life in abundance. Discerning
the stirrings of the heart through inwardness and introspection
invites a rediscovery and recovery of classical virtues for the sake of
refining and redefining contemporary existence.1
The quest for an adequate vocabulary to describe and distinguish
tested ways and virtues of ancient philosophy and spirituality comes
in response to the gross caricature of self-exploration and self-
examination that promotes the self and projects the selfie. Isolation
and communication—or individualism and communion—are
regarded as irreconcilable opposites. Sociability and not solitude
is the disposition considered inherent to the human heart, while
an aversion to or attrition of the world is considered abhorrent to
the human mind.2 Nonetheless the notion of living with sacrifice,

1
See Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn, Ars Vitae: The Fate of Inwardness and the Return of the
Ancient Art of Living (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2020), who
suggests that contemporary therapy “suggests a felt need that takes the bigger picture
of a person’s life into account. … In the writings of the ancient philosophers, we
find a completely different interpretation of what is wrong and what would help,”
through such principles as detachment, freedom, and compassion. [Here at 26].
2
See David Vincent, A History of Solitude (Medford, MA: Polity Press, 2020), 1–30,
where Vincent reviews the treatise by Johann Georg Zimmermann, Solitude Considered
with Respect to Its Dangerous Influence Upon the Mind and Heart (1784–5).
2 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

simplicity, and service can present an appealing counterstatement,

even contradiction to living without intention, motivation, or
determination. The search for depth in a superficial urban world, or
quiet in a noisy suburban society, or stability in a tumultuous global
context, exposes something unpretentious, inconceivable, and
invigorating in the early desert fathers and mothers, who explored
the rough terrain and barren wilderness along their journey for
knowledge of self and knowledge of God.
This renewed focus on the early desert experience is deeply
indebted to a recent access to desert literature and an increasing
familiarity with the desert dwellers themselves. Regardless of
original source and historical influence—through some biography,
chronicle, or collection of stories and sayings—every rise and
reformation of monasticism through the centuries in East and West
has been rooted in or shaped by the early desert tradition. Beyond
the contrasting provenance of its miscellaneous and unconventional
personalities—whether someone like Macarius of Egypt or Paula of
Rome, Poemen of Scetis or Melania of Jerusalem—the remoteness of
the early desert has been illuminated by contemporary scholarship,
rendering its spiritual legacy a prolific resource of information and
inspiration.
The fourth-century desert fathers and mothers of Egypt reflect
and represent a way of inner transformation through external retreat
and physical withdrawal that long predates any alternative spiritual
or social lifestyles recently advocated by theologians and bloggers
alike3 as methods of separation or segregation ostensibly for the
sake of sustaining political honor or preserving moral integrity. Such
a mindset or worldview is not, however, the approach envisaged or
endorsed by Barsanuphius and John as heirs apparent to the fourth-
century desert dwellers in the East and historic peers of Benedict of
Nursia (480–547) in the West. The desert provided the fundamental
and essential conditions for shaping models of spirituality among
those aspiring to seclusion or silence and fellowship or community
in a diverse range of living conditions and circumstances. It is the
aim of this book to reimagine the implications and intricacies of the

See, for example, Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (Notre
3

Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1981), 163; and Rod Dreher, The
Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation (New York,
NY: Sentinel, 2017).
 INTRODUCTION 3

spirituality of the desert through the lens of Barsanuphius and John,

and to do so in the modern context.

The Tradition of the Desert

During the late-fourth and through the mid-fifth centuries, some of
the key personalities and representative communities of Egyptian
monasticism began to disperse from the centers of Alexandria and
Egypt, for various reasons traveling eastward to the neighboring
regions of Palestine and Sinai. But of course they did not travel
alone; they brought along with them an entire tradition of “stories”
and collection of “sayings” that shaped their own understanding
of the ascetic way and subsequently circulated among those who
approached them in search of a “word of advice” for day-to-day
existence or a “counsel of life” for ultimate salvation.
In the earliest years, of course, the teaching and training were
transmitted by word of mouth—from elder to disciple, from cell
to cell, and from generation to generation. Eventually, however, the
stories and sayings came to be preserved in collections of Sayings
of the Desert Fathers (Apophthegmata Patrum), recorded in many
languages of the Christian tradition, including Greek and Latin,
Coptic and Syriac, as well as Armenian and Arabic. What began as
a verbal tradition, conveying all the charisma and charm of the wise
elders—male (abba) and female (amma)—gradually found record in
a written tradition conveying the virtues and ways, all the wit and
wisdom of former generations, for the purpose of imitation by and
instruction for the disciples and successors of the abbas and ammas.
The two figures at the center of this book certainly regard
themselves as part of this broader tradition. The “great old man”
Barsanuphius says: “I regard myself as a slave on a mission” (Letter
139), even describing the “other old man” John as “a fellow slave”—
echoing the Pauline tradition in the New Testament (Col. 1:7). This
self-deprecating self-designation belies any slavish attitude on the
part of the two renowned Palestinian elders. Instead it defines an
identity captured and captivated by inspiration and imagination.
But it also describes the embodiment of a long tradition of spiritual
direction inherited from the early desert of Egypt and imparted to
countless people approaching for spiritual guidance and edification.
4 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Such at least is the deeper conviction of these elders as they offer

counsel in full assurance that their disciples are receiving no more
and no less than “the healing medicine of the word of the Spirit”
(Letter 570c).

The Two Elders: Barsanuphius and John

The following chapters explore the history and heritage, the context
and contents of a vast collection of letters—a correspondence course
in the way and life of the Spirit—as dictated by two humble monks,
Barsanuphius and John, around the middle of the sixth century in
Gaza of Palestine.4 The two elders lived in absolute seclusion and
strict reclusion for over half a century (in the case of Barsanuphius)
and almost two decades (in the case of John), bringing consolation
and counsel to numerous visitors and pilgrims. Their widespread
reputation induced near-legendary holiness—reportedly raising the
dead (Letter 90) and themselves allegedly ascending to heaven—
which accounted for their spiritual prominence and social prestige
across the region and through the centuries. Not only were they
considered giants of profound empathy and personal edification,
but their discernment and judgment could sway the highest civil
authorities—an extraordinary legacy built on a deceptively ordinary
lifestyle.
These unassuming and unostentatious hermits lived during the
grandiose time of Emperor Justinian I (482–565) and died after the
controversial period in the wake of the Fourth Ecumenical Council
(451). This accounted for an aura of popularity and celebrity
among their contemporaries, while also for a cloud of confusion
and suspicion among their successors who frequently mistook
Barsanuphius the Great with Barsanuphius the Monophysite
condemned at the Sixth Ecumenical Council of 680–1.
Notwithstanding any mythical or heretical eclipse, the letters of
Barsanuphius and John certainly offer an unparalleled glimpse into the

4
References to the letters of Barsanuphius and John are in parentheses. For the English
translation of the full correspondence, see John Chryssavgis, Barsanuphius and John:
Letters, 2 volumes in The Fathers of the Church Patristic Series (Washington, DC:
The Catholic University of America Press, 2006–7), 113–14.
 INTRODUCTION 5

sixth-century religious and secular worlds of Gaza and Palestine at a

time increasingly marred by intense doctrinal debate and controversy
as well as in a world inordinately shaped by early martyrdom and
monasticism. Their correspondence includes questions and answers
ranging from monastic partnership to municipal taxation. Some
letters respond to inquiries about everyday life, including the
veterinary treatment of a horse, the leprous infection of a servant,
or the devastating vandalism of a vineyard. People inquire about a
variety of predicaments and problems, from promotions at work to
complaints about a stone falling on their foot! Questions address
prayer and forgiveness, relations with bishops and relations with
non-Christians, and even ethical aspects of purchasing property or
taking a bath. People seek advice on the replacement of an unworthy
bishop, the management of alms donated to the poor, and the quality
of public entertainment in faraway Constantinople.
The religious diversity of the region surrounding Gaza at this
time—a century prior to the rise of Islam—generates questions
concerning Christians interacting with Jews, Manichaeans, and
pagans. Above all, however, the letters abound in subtle insights
about the human heart, offering timeless teachings on the inner
warfare against resentment and temptation, vacillation and
frustration, as well as depression and tension.5 They explain why
prayers may not be heard; they explore the nature of virtue and
vice; and they expose the hypocrisy of false humility. In general,
they examine human foibles arising from personal friendships to
relationships between monks and abbots. Throughout, a serene
clarity emanates from the charismatic experience of the elders
and the introspective asceticism of the desert. Compassion and
discernment (perpetual watchwords of the monastic life) combine
with authenticity and perspicacity (persistent catchwords of the
Christian life) to create a literary corpus that both illumines and
informs the intricate and complicated relationship between the

5
See Lorenzo Perrone, “Trembling at the Thought of Shipwreck: The Anxious
Self in the Letters of Barsanuphius and John of Gaza,” in Between Personal and
Institutional Religion: Self, Doctrine, and Practice in Late Antique Eastern
Christianity, ed. Brouria Bitton-Ashkelony and Lorenzo Perrone (Turnhout: Brepols,
2013), 9–36. See also Inbar Graiver, Asceticism of the Mind: Forms of Attention and
Self-Transformation in Late Antique Monasticism (East Toronto: Pontifical Institute
of Mediaeval Studies, 2018).
6 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

heart within and the world outside. The elders and their letters are
an incarnation and extension of the golden precept of monastics
called to be “apart-from all and yet a-part-of all.”6

A Spirituality of Transparency
Arguably the most striking feature of this unique methodology is
that it fosters an overt and transparent system of spiritual direction,
allowing ample space for conversation as well as conflict in personal
and spiritual relations, while at the same time smashing all fallacies
of religious authority as rigidly unidirectional or unidimensional.
The freedom to choose—ultimately, even the license to err—is, for
Barsanuphius and John, part and parcel of “the perfect law, the law of
liberty” (Jas 1:25). Thus, while the “great old man” advises an inquiring
monk to “do as he was told by the Other Old Man,” assuring him that
“from now on, one response should be sufficient [for him], for the God
of Barsanuphius and John is one” (Letter 224), Abba John elsewhere
suggests that two recommendations are actually better than one!

A certain Christ-loving layman once said to the Old Man,

John:  “Why are you mocking us, father John, by sending us
to the holy and Great Old Man, father Barsanuphius, when
you have the same power of the Spirit?”
He responded as follows.  I am nothing; and even if I was, I would
not be mocking you. For if I had sent you to him and you had
not obtained a response, then it would have been mockery.
In fact, it is to your benefit that there are two people praying
for you; for two people are better than one. It appears that
even the Lord does the same; for … not once but many times
He would send His disciples to the Father, saying: “If you ask
anything of my Father in my name, he will give it to you” (Jn
16:23); and again: “I do nothing on my own (Jn 14:16), but
the Father who dwells in me does his works.” (Letter 783)

And here is where Barsanuphius and John constitute a refreshing

peculiarity in the early ascetic tradition but also in medieval and

Evagrius of Pontus, Chapters on Prayer, 124.

6
 INTRODUCTION 7

contemporary spiritual practice. There are not too many spiritual

directors and certainly far fewer church leaders—throughout the
centuries and especially today—known for concluding their decision
or judgment with the words from our correspondence: “Feel free to
seek a second opinion” (Letter 504)! This is because, echoing the
sensitivity and subtlety of the desert tradition,7 Barsanuphius and
John understand the end of spiritual direction as being forgiveness,
compassion, and communion—not austerity, control, or exploitation:

Question to the Other Old Man:  If I am tempted and happen to

transgress the command, what should I do?
Response.  If you receive a command from the saints and happen
to transgress it, then do not be disturbed or stressed to abolish
it. Remember what is said of the righteous: that “though they
fall seven times a day, yet they will rise again” (Prv 24:16), and
also the words of the Lord to Peter: “Forgive your brother
seventy times” (Mt 18:22). Therefore, if he commanded mortals
to forgive so many times, how many more times would he
forgive everything, when he is rich in mercy and compassion?
He cries out every day through the Prophet: “Return to me
and I shall return to you; for I am merciful” (Jl 2:13, Zec 1:3),
and again: “Now, O Israel” (Dt 10:12). Be careful that, upon
hearing that the command has not actually been abolished,
you do not become indifferent and reach the point of neglect;
for this is indeed a grave sin. Furthermore, do not despise the
command for the sake of what appear to be small details; even
if you happen to be neglectful in these details, you should still
strive to correct yourself. For through indifference to such
small details, one is later led to greater sins. (Letter 371)

Such sensibility on the part of the spiritual elder to the vulnerability

of the spiritual disciple is not the result of abstract anarchy but
derives from a deeper aversion to uniformity or conformity:

Question to the Great Old Man: I ask you, dear father and
teacher, not to be angry with my faults, but instead to give

7
See, for example, Poemen 86, in Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers:
The Alphabetical Collection (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1975). See
also the translation by John Wortley, Give Me a Word: The Alphabetical Sayings of
the Desert Fathers (Yonkers, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2014).
8 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

me a rule about how I must behave in fasting, psalmody, and

prayer. Are there distinct rules for different days?
Response by Barsanuphius. Brother, had you paid attention to
the words of your questions, you would have understood the
power of wisdom. If I am truly your father and teacher, why do
you want me to be angry? For a father is compassionate and
has no wrath at all. And a teacher is long-suffering, foreign
to any wrath. But as for the rule about which you inquire,
you are going around in endless circles in an effort to “enter
through the narrow gate that leads to life” eternal (Mt 7:13).
Behold, Christ tells you very concisely how you must enter.
Leave aside the rules of people and listen to him, who says:
“Whoever endures to the end will be saved” (Mt 10:22, Mk
13:13). If one does not endure, one will not enter into life.
So do not look for a command. I do not want you to be
“under the law, but under grace” (Rom 6:14). For it is said:
“The law is not laid down for the righteous” (1 Tm 1:9). Retain
discernment, like a helmsman steering the boat according to
the winds. When you are sick, act accordingly in all things as
you have written; and when you are well, again act accordingly.
Because when the body is unwell, it does not digest food
normally. Thus, a rule would prove worthless in that case.
And as far as the variety of days, treat them all as equally holy
and good. Do everything with understanding, and this will prove
to be for you unto life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Letter 23)

This engaging exchange is reminiscent of the fluidity and

spontaneity of the initial, formative period of monasticism, when
sensibility to the particular situation and peculiar circumstances
of each person meant far more than adherence to any hardened
rules or codified regulations. What matters to Barsanuphius and
John are not rules but persons, not changing external circumstances
but focusing on internal transformation in the here and now. The
two elders constantly try to inject something of the immediacy and
mysteriousness of God’s presence in the spiritual adventure. They
repeatedly cite Deuteronomy 4.1, which emphasizes embracing each
situation in its own right. From the outset, Barsanuphius writes:

Do not set any decrees for yourself. Become obedient and humble;
and be demanding of yourself each day. For the prophet  also
 INTRODUCTION 9

indicated what should be done daily, when he observed: “And I

said, Now I have begun” (Ps 76.10); and Moses also said: “So
now, O Israel.” (Dt, 4.1 and 10.12) Therefore, you too should
keep this “now.” (Letter 21)

As Benedictine scholar Columba Stewart puts it: “Barsanuphius,

the great solitary of Gaza in the early sixth century, often refused to
lay down a rule when asked to do so; he recognized that laws and
obligations could short-circuit the growth he was there to encourage.”8
It is this sensitivity and subtlety on the part of the two elders
that attracted the attention of pilgrims and readers through the
centuries. Their invigorating admonitions and transformative
recommendations reveal an inimitable ability to relate the inner
world to the outer circumstances as well as pursue the extraordinary
in the very ordinary by discovering clarity in chaos and beauty in
the most disagreeable or disordered aspects of life.

The Text: Manuscripts and Translations

Surviving manuscripts reveal that the correspondence of Barsanuphius
and John found early appreciation and steady circulation. Although
the Arab invasions of Palestine left little or nothing reminiscent
in that region of the monastic presence or Byzantine influence,9
nevertheless the correspondence was definitely known in early ninth-
century Constantinople.
The earliest manuscripts originate on Mt. Sinai and date from the
tenth century.10 Several manuscripts are preserved on Mt. Athos from

8
Columba Stewart, “The Desert Fathers on Radical Self-Honesty,” Sobornost/Eastern
Churches Review 12 (1990), 25–39 and 143–56. Reprinted in Vox Benedictina: A
Journal of Translations from Monastic Sources 8.1 (1991), 7–54.
9
J. Pargoire, L’ Église Byzantine de 527 à 847 (Paris: Librairie Victor Lecoffre, 1905),
274f.
10
They are Georgian translations, containing some seventy-nine letters. [The 1971
edition of the Abbaye Saint Pierre de Solesmes translation includes letters translated
from the Georgian by B. Outtier.] One Sinaite manuscript is entitled: “Teachings
(Διδασκαλίαι) of the Blessed Barsanuphius and John” (Sinai 34), while another
(Sinai 35), dated 907, is entitled: “Questions and Answers” (Ἐρωταποκρίσεις). Cf.
G. Garitte, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, vol. 165, Subsidia 9
(Louvain: Peeters Publishers, 1956), 97 and 116–17.
10 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

the eleventh through the fourteenth centuries, as well as in libraries

of monasteries or universities in Paris, Oxford, Athens, Moscow,
Munich, Jerusalem, and Patmos. Some manuscripts contain only
a few letters; others preserve mere fragments. And while we have
no manuscripts from the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries, a
number of manuscripts exist from the eighteenth century.11
From the late eighteenth century, several translations appeared in
Moldavian,12 Slavonic,13 and Russian,14 albeit sometimes partial to
begin with, but complete by the end of the nineteenth century. Clearly,
the influence of the two Palestinian elders, while not necessarily
decisive, was nonetheless extensive through the centuries in both East

11
J. Grinaeus first published nine of the letters by John the Prophet in Basel (1569),
together with the works of Abba Dorotheus. In Paris (1715), B. Montfaucon
published the letters pertaining to Origenism. In Volume 86 (columns 892–901) of
Patrologia Graeca, published in Paris during the mid- to late-nineteenth century, J.-P.
Migne included Letters 600–4 dealing with Origen, Evagrius, and Didymus, while
Volume 88 (columns 1812–20) contains the letters addressed to Dorotheus of Gaza.
12
Neamț Monastery possesses one of the oldest manuscripts of Barsanuphius and
John. In the mid-eighteenth century, Paissy Velichkovsky sent Gregory of Neamț
to Mt. Athos to secure a copy of their Letters. Makarios of Corinth informed
Gregory of Neamț that two Athonite manuscripts were in existence, one in Vatopedi
Monastery and the other in the Skete of St. Anne, both of which were very corrupt—
an indication that they were regularly read in the monasteries. Makarios sent the
manuscript from St. Anne’s skete to Paissy for translation. In the nineteenth century,
Ignatii Brianchaninov (1807–67) and Theofan the Recluse (1815–94) recommended
the Letters as the finest spiritual reading, the latter including excerpts of the Letters
in his Philokalia and influencing the tradition of startzi.
13
The Moldavian and early Slavonic translations were directed by Paissy Velichkovsky
on the basis of an Athonite manuscript dated 1794. The reason for the delay in
translating the Letters of Barsanuphius and John—the texts are entirely unknown
from 988 to the Kievan period in the mid-thirteenth century—probably lies in the
controversy surrounding the two Palestinian elders, who for centuries were suspected
of monophysitism. Even after their names were cleared by Sophronius of Jerusalem
in the seventh century, their reputation remained tainted. In the fifteenth century,
Joseph of Volokolamsk (1440–515) and Nil Sorsky (1433–508) cite excerpts from
Barsanuphius but make no mention of John.
14
Vladimir Solovyev mentions the “two ancient hermits” Barsanuphius and John
in his Three Lectures on War, Progress, and the Antichrist (St. Petersburg, 1890),
123; the book first appeared in English in 1915 under the title War, Progress, and
the End of History (University of London Press. At 105). In a brief entry to the
Konversationslexikon of Brockhaus and Efron, vol. 6, 21f., Solovyev mentions
an edition of the Letters, together with the Life of Barsanuphius and John by
Nikodemus, on Mt. Athos in 1803, as well as a translation of the correspondence
published by the Moscow Academy in 1855, which he may have consulted.
 INTRODUCTION 11

and West. Perhaps one reason for this gradual impact and growing
interest was the sheer magnitude of the correspondence compared to
the more concise Apophthegmata of Egypt or Ladder of Sinai.
In my translation of the Letters of Barsanuphius and John for
the Fathers of the Church Patristic Series, published by the Catholic
University of America Press,15 I consulted both manuscript and
contemporary sources, including Bodleian Cromwell 18 (B) from
Oxford as well as Vatopedi 2 from Mt. Athos. I also benefitted from
the critical text adopted in the most recent French edition,16 the
partial English edition by Derwas Chitty,17 and the modern Greek
publication by the Monastery of St. John the Forerunner in Kareas,
Athens.18 The edition by Nikodemus of Mt. Athos—containing the
first complete edition of Letters of Barsanuphius and John based
on manuscripts at several Athonite monasteries and published in
Venice in 1816 just after Nikodemus’ death in 1809—was reprinted
by S. Schoinas in Volos in 1960.19

***

15
See n. 4 (above). This translation is the first complete English translation from the
original Greek. A partial translation by Seraphim Rose (1934–82) appeared in 1990,
along with a translation of the biography of the two Gaza elders by St. Nikodemus of
Mount Athos, but was based on the Russian edition of 1855. See Fr. Seraphim Rose,
Guidance Toward Spiritual Life: Answers to the Questions of Disciples (Platina, CA:
St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1990).
16
See Barsanuphe et Jean de Gaza, Correspondance, Critical text and notes by
François Neyt and Paula de Angelis-Noah, trans. by Lucien Regnault, 5 volumes
(Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 1997–2002). Sources Chrétiennes, volumes 426–7, 450–1,
and 468.
17
Chitty translated and published 124 letters in 1966, not long prior to his death in
1971. He compared Coislianus 124, Vatopedi 2, Nikodemus, and Sinaiticus 411S for
his critical edition. He had also prepared a draft translation of Letters 125–249. A
copy of this former exists in the library of St. Gregory’s House in Oxford, England.
See Barsanuphius and John: Questions and Answers in Patrologia Orientalis XXXI, 3
(Paris: Librairie de Paris, 1966), 445–616. See also the reprint in Saints Barsanuphius
and John: Questions and Answers (Blanco, TX: New Sarov Press, 1998).
18
Another Greek translation was published in Thessalonika by Byzantion Editions
in 1988–9.
19
Nikodemus’ text contains repetitions, errors, and lacunae partly corrected by Schoinas.
Chitty notes that St. Nikodemus was “engaged on a critical edition,” observing that,
in the early sixth century, for a brief period of at least eighteen years, the curtain of
monasticism rises on the remarkable community at Thawatha. Derwas Chitty, The
Desert a City: An Introduction to the Study of Egyptian and Palestinian Monasticism
under the Christian Empire (London and Oxford: Mowbrays, 1966), 132–3.
12 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

The vibrant and personal tone of the correspondence is arguably

what has always appealed to readers. This is why I have chosen
to “allow” the two elders to speak verbatim and at length in
this book, providing the reader with the license and liberty to
communicate directly with the elders by listening to their inspired
and inspirational words, which are unequivocally refreshing in the
monastic and spiritual tradition.
When Anglican priest and Oxford theologian Derwas Chitty
delivered the Birkbeck Lectures at Trinity College, Cambridge in
1959–60, the only printed edition of the Letters of Barsanuphius
and John in the original Greek was that prepared by St. Nikodemus
of Mt. Athos, who died before it was published in Venice in 1816. It
was Chitty who introduced Barsanuphius and John to the English-
speaking world. And it was his student, Kallistos Ware, who shared
this treasure with his students at Oxford.
This book is a humble expression of gratitude and respect to
Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia—a sincere affirmation of
admiration and modest dedication for introducing these unique
elders, whose uncommon and unparalleled wisdom merits more
than just academic consideration and scholarly examination. By
pursuing the extraordinary in the very ordinary and connecting
the solitary to the social through ingenious common-sense and
lighthearted astuteness, these two sixth-century elders of Thawatha
in Gaza demonstrate an uncanny way of peeling away the
accrued layers of a hardened soul as well as the obscure film of an
undiscerning mind to reveal the promise of wonder and potential of
beauty inside every human heart and every human person.
 PART ON E

The Desert
Blossoms
Setting the Scene
14
 1
Monasticism in Egypt
and Palestine

A Historical Framework

Palestine and Gaza

Palestine is divided into two distinct monastic regions: the first
is centered around the Holy City and incorporates the territory
around Jerusalem as far as the Dead Sea; the second lies in the
southern province around Gaza.
Monastics in Palestine were generally conscious of their biblical
roots owing to the historical significance of the region in the
development of Jewish and Christian Scriptures. Barsanuphius is
convinced that it is here that “God revealed the way of life through
the prophets and the apostles” (Letter 605). This is, after all, the
land where the prophets once wandered, the desert where Jesus
personally retreated in prayer, and the soil where Christianity was
first planted.1
Monastics of Palestine have a keen recollection of the martyrs
and confessors, who offered the ultimate ascetic sacrifice, beginning
with the death of Stephen in Acts 7. Barsanuphius delights in
drawing connections between the monk and the martyr: “To

1
See the comprehensive study of the monastic movement in Palestine during the
Byzantine period: John Binns, Ascetics and Ambassadors of Christ: The Monasteries
of Palestine, 314–631 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994).
16 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

renounce one’s own will is a sacrifice of blood. It signifies that one

has reached the point of laboring to death and of ignoring one’s
own will” (Letter 254).2
On account of its privileged status and strategic location—
geography, climate, and history—the region of Gaza, where
Barsanuphius and John would ultimately settle, proved a remarkable
place of welcome and embrace for Christian monasticism after
the fourth century. Its accessibility by sea and road, its proximity
to Egypt, Syria, and the Holy Land, but also its prominence in
Hellenistic and Roman times, rendered Gaza a significant and
suitable haven for emerging models of ascetic life in its spiritual and
intellectual expressions. Indeed, as a major commercial area from
biblical times, this southern coastal region would remain coveted
territory across centuries to our time.
Thus, in the southern parts of Palestine, Gaza soon begins to
enjoy its own proper history of monasticism, the origins of which
are recorded by Jerome and Epiphanius. Hilarion (292–372) lived
here for almost twenty years. Born in Thawatha, five miles south
of Gaza, he was schooled in Alexandria, where he encountered
Anthony the Great, the celebrated father of monasticism. Upon
returning home, Hilarion moved into a small cell near the port
of Maiouma where he received numerous visitors. Around 356—
coincidentally the year of Anthony’s death—he decided to spend
his final years in Cyprus in order to avoid the increasing number of
pilgrims traveling to Palestine.
It is in the same tradition and in the same region, not far off in
the desert, that a remarkable monastic community appears at the
beginning of the sixth century, centered around two elders living in
strict seclusion—Barsanuphius the Great and John the Prophet—
who quickly acquired a reputation as charismatic counselors.

The Sayings and the Letters

The Letters of Barsanuphius and John, which date to the first half
of the sixth century, frequently evoke and regularly quote from the

2
See Edward E. Malone, The Monk and the Martyr: The Monk as the Successor
of the Martyr (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1950; repr.
Literary Licensing, 2011).
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 17

wisdom of the Sayings of the Desert Fathers. There are at least eighty
direct references to the Apophthegmata, while numerous phrases
suggest them as the foundation of spiritual progress, “leading the
soul to spiritual satisfaction and humility” (Letter 547). Their
disciple, Dorotheus of Gaza, repeatedly cites the Sayings and is the
first writer to designate the Apophthegmata by the conventional
name that they have come down to us, namely, The Gerontikon (The
Book of the Old Men).3 Might Dorotheus be one of those actually
associated with or responsible for the collection of these sayings?
Beyond explicit and extensive similarities between Egyptian and
Palestinian practices and principles, the letters of Barsanuphius and
John—especially those addressed to Dorotheus of Gaza (Letters
252–338)—retain an element that gradually recedes from the
Sayings of the Desert Fathers, as these begin to be collated and
edited. The original, oral transmission of the Egyptian wisdom
invariably preserved the spontaneity of the advice and actions of
the desert fathers and mothers. However, during the transition
from a verbal culture to a written text, the sayings become more
static and readers inevitably lose sight of the personal element that
originally sparked and spurred these aphorisms.
More particularly, readers and listeners begin to misplace the
process and struggle that initially spawned and shaped these words.
What is “received” of course is the culmination or consummation
of wisdom, though without any insight into the various stages and
struggles that led to the final product. What is missing however is
the ongoing process—all the traces of contention, hesitation, and
limitation—that characterized the spiritual aspirant approaching
the desert sages. What is therefore sometimes misplaced is the
internal grind that initiates the informed support, the transpiring
conversation behind the transcribed correspondence. These letters
are the longer narrative that inherently sustains the personal
story. They make sense of the bad in light of the good, perpetually
grounding the experience and deepening the perspective. Ultimately,
the letters expose recipients and readers alike to a wider screen
picture that contains and simultaneously explains the adventure of
tribulation in the context of transformation.

3
See Dorotheus, Teachings 1,13 PG88.1633C in Sources Chrétiennes 92 (Paris: Les
Editions du Cerf, 1952).
18 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Briefly put, the correspondence of Barsanuphius and John

provides a personal and cultural framework for the Apophthegmata
of the desert elders. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers presents the
spiritual reality in the way it should be, rather than in the way it
is—with all its denial, doubt, and distress. More often than not,
the Sayings conceal the intense and interminable struggle that is
not always transparent in their brevity and conciseness. Whereas
the Letters of Barsanuphius and John allow us to witness each of
the painful phases as they unfold—almost in slow motion. What
might normally take place on a face-to-face level is recorded in
writing, with all of the mutuality and back-and-forth of a personal
relationship. Neither the authors of the letters nor the compiler of
the correspondence attempts to conceal the innate challenges and
tensions of the spiritual process. As the French translator of the
correspondence, Lucien Regnault, so eloquently, writes: “What the
Sayings of the Desert Fathers allows us to glimpse only in the form
of fleeting images, is here [in the Letters of Barsanuphius and John]
played out like a film before our very eyes.”4
The following exchange of letters is one among many examples
that highlight this spiritual progress and literary progression in
analyzing the intricacies and vagaries of the spiritual way:

Question from the same brother to the same Old Man: If a

brother does something insignificant, but I am afflicted by this
act on account of my own will, what should I do? Should I
keep silent and not give rest to my heart, or should I speak
to him with love and not remain troubled? Moreover, if the
matter afflicts others, and not just me, should I speak for the
sake of the others? Or would this appear as if I have merely
taken on a cause?
Response by John.  If the matter is not sinful but insignificant,
and you speak simply to give rest to your heart, then it is to
your defeat. For you were not able to endure it as a result
of your weakness. Just blame yourself and remain silent.
However, if the matter afflicts other brothers, then tell your

4
Cf. Barsanuphe et Jean de Gaza, 6. Jennifer Hevelone-Harper remarks: “The
‘sayings’ of the desert fathers found a new mode of expression with these anchorites.
The ‘words’ of Barsanuphius and John were given in the form of letters” (34).
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 19

Abbot; and whether he speaks personally or else tells you to

speak, you will be carefree. (Letter 293)
Question from the same person to the same Old Man:  If I speak
to the Abbot for the sake of the others, I suspect that the
brother will be troubled; so what should I do? Furthermore, if
he afflicts both the others and me, should I speak for the sake
of the others, or should I keep silent in order not to indulge
myself? If I suspect that he will not be grieved, should I also
speak for myself, or should I force myself against doing this?
Response by John. As far as the turmoil of the brother is
concerned, if you speak to the Abbot, then you have n ­ othing
to worry about. Whenever it is necessary to speak for the sake
of others, and you are worried about it, then speak for them.
As for yourself, always force yourself not to speak. (Letter
294)
Question from the same person to the same Old Man:  But my
thought tells me that if my brother is troubled against me, he
will become my enemy, thinking that I slandered him to the
Abbot.
Response by John.  This thought of yours is wicked; for it wants
to prevent you from correcting your brother. Therefore, do
not prevent yourself from speaking, but do so according
to God. Even sick people that need to be healed will speak
against their doctors; yet the latter do not care, knowing that
the same people will thank them afterward. (Letter 295)
Question from the same person to the same Old Man: If I
examine my thought and notice that it is not in fact for the
brother’s benefit that I wish to speak to the Abbot, but with
the purpose of slandering him, should I still speak or keep
silent?
Response by John. Advise your thought to speak according
to God and not for the sake of slander. If your thought is
conquered by criticism, then speak to your Abbot and confess
your criticism, so that both of you may be healed—the one
who was at fault as well as the one who was critical. (Letter
296)
Question from the same person to the same Old Man:  But if my
thought does not allow me to confess to the Abbot because I
would be speaking to him with the purpose of slandering the
brother, what should I do? Should I speak or not?
20 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Response.  Do not say anything to him, and the Lord will take
care of the matter. For it is not necessary for you to speak
when it harms your soul. God will take care of the brother’s
correction as he pleases. (Letter 297)

Other similar series of letters reveal the same gradation of reasoning

or graduation of deliberation: on prayer (Letters 438–47), good deeds
(Letters 401–13), spiritual thoughts (Letters 448–9), conversations
with friends (Letters 469–76), blessings at meals (Letters 716–19),
personal relationships (Letters 489–91), doctrinal issues (Letters
694–704), and almsgiving (Letters 617–36), as well as bad habits
(Letters 433–7), treatment of servants (653–7), legal issues (Letters
667–73), and even real estate negotiations (Letters 486–8).
Much like his predecessor Isaiah of Scetis and his successor
Dorotheus of Gaza, Barsanuphius displays certain characteristics
both in common with and in contrast to the desert dwellers of Egypt.
For instance, all three of them are balanced and non-polemical in
their disposition and counsel. They scarcely reveal any traits of
confessional bias and rift that plagued so much of Christendom
during this volatile period, preferring instead to remain cautiously
and consciously reticent on the numerous divisive and complex
doctrinal debates of their time.
In this regard, Barsanuphius and John are far less militant and far
more moderate than their sixth-century colleagues in Chalcedonian
and non-Chalcedonian circles alike.5 Moreover, nowhere in the
vast correspondence of Barsanuphius and John is there any clear
or explicit denunciation or defense of the Chalcedonian definition.
Their disciples are equally encouraged to abstain from participating
in such debates as well as from reproaching those who choose to
take sides.
Surprisingly, the elders even allow room for disputation of advice
received and for disagreement on opinions expressed (Letter 607).
In fact, Barsanuphius and John will sometimes offer diverging or
dissimilar advice: the former prefers his disciples to avoid excessive
theological reading (Letters 600–7), while the latter recommends
discernment in selecting theological books (Letters 600 and 604).

5
The Council of Chalcedon, convened in 451 and recognized as the Fourth
Ecumenical Council, defined two natures (divine and human) in the person of Jesus
Christ but resulted in a schism within Eastern Christianity.
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 21

Nonetheless, the teaching of the two elders should be neither

amalgamated nor conflated in any simplistic or sweeping manner;6
after all, Barsanuphius is convinced that his God is exactly the same
as the God of John (Letters 20 and 224).
It is no wonder, then, that while iconographic depictions of the
two Palestinian elders are generally uncommon, even virtually
nonexistent, an icon of the “great old man” graces the altar-cloth
in frescoes dating from the tenure of Patriarch Tarasios (784–806)
in the Great Church of the Holy Wisdom in Constantinople,
alongside monastic pioneers like Anthony of Egypt and Ephraim
the Syrian.7 This may also be why Theodore the Studite (759–826)
was subsequently anxious to defend the orthodoxy of Isaiah,
Barsanuphius, and Dorotheus.8 Certainly Barsanuphius himself is
clear about his priority and preference for monastics: it is to pray
for the salvation of the whole world, orthodox and nonorthodox,
pious and pagan alike:

There are three men, perfect in God, who have exceeded the
measure of humanity and received the authority to loose
and bind, to forgive and hold sins. These stand before the
shattered world, keeping the whole world from complete and

6
See for example François Neyt, “La formation au monastère de l’abbé Séridos à
Gaza,” in Christian Gaza in Late Antiquity, ed. Brouria Bitton-Ashkelony and Aryeh
Kofsky (Boston: Brill, 2004), 151–63; and Alexis Torrance, “Barsanuphius, John,
and Dorotheos on Scripture: Voices from the Desert in Sixth-Century Gaza,” in
What is the Bible? The Patristic Doctrine of Scripture, ed. Matthew Baker and Mark
Mourachian (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2016), 67–81.
7
From the tenth century, icons of Barsanuphius and John appear in Cyprus and
Meteora.
8
Even the Life of Barsanuphius and John by Nikodemus of Mt. Athos endeavors to
handle this problem by referring to two Barsanuphii and Dorotheii, one set being
heretical and the other orthodox. Barsanuphius chose to adopt the rhetoric of the
non-Chalcedonian party, while urging his disciples to follow a Chalcedonian bishop.
See the Testament of Theodore the Studite in PG88.1813–16 and PG99.1028. These
three were anathematized by Patriarch Sophronius of Jerusalem in a synodical letter
to Patriarch Sergius of Constantinople in 634: see PG87, iii.3192–3. The orthodoxy
of Barsanuphius was in question because of his reference in Letter 701 only to the
First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325), without however making any mention
of the Fourth Ecumenical Council in Chalcedon (451). The iconographic tradition,
however, is also particularly interesting in light of the fact that the two Old Men
permitted so few people to meet them in person.
22 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

sudden annihilation. Through their prayers, God combines his

chastisement with his mercy.
And it has been told to them, that God’s wrath will last a little
longer. Therefore, pray with them. For the prayers of these three
are joined at the entrance to the spiritual altar of the Father of
lights. They share in each other’s joy and gladness in heaven. And
when they turn once again toward the earth, they share in each
other’s mourning and weeping for the evils that occur and attract
his wrath. These three are John in Rome and Elias in Corinth,
and another in the region of Jerusalem.9 I believe that they will
achieve God’s great mercy. Yes, they will undoubtedly achieve it.
(Letter 569)

Is it possible that Barsanuphius was bold enough to imagine himself

as the third of these charismatic ascetics?

The Practice of Writing Letters

Stanley Stowers concludes his introductory chapters on letter
writing in antiquity with the following observation:

S­ ince monasticism began in Egypt, there are also a considerable

number of letters to and from abbots concerning the day-to-
day life of monastic communities. These date mostly from the
fifth century. Holy men are sometimes petitioned for prayer and
healing or approached as patrons in papyrus letters. The papyrus
letters help us to catch a sound from the voice of the common
Christian, which has been all but lost in the glory of the great
letter writers of the golden age.10

It is true that Christianity evolved from a movement based on

letter-writing. Twenty-one of the twenty-seven books of the New
Testament adopt the form of letters, the most obvious ones by

9
While somewhat implausible, the foreword to the Letters of Barsanuphius and John
(Volos: S. Schoinas, 1960) by Nikodemus suggests that Barsanuphius was the third.
10
S. K. Stowers, Letter Writing in Greco-Roman Antiquity (Philadelphia, PA:
Westminster Press, 1986), 47.­
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 23

Paul or his followers. The writings of the Apostolic Fathers, too,

are primarily letters of admonition and exhortation. In the fourth
and fifth centuries, letter writers include Athanasius of Alexandria,
Ambrose of Milan, Gregory Nazianzus, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory
of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, and Augustine of Hippo. Well over
2,000 and possibly up to 10,000 letters are attributed to Isidore of
Pelusium alone! And while all of the abovementioned documents
were composed as letters, they were generally intended for a wide
audience.
However, the letters of Barsanuphius and John are vastly
different, resembling personal communications or briefer rejoinders,
rather than formal or familial letters. The responses of the Gaza
elders certainly contain elements reminiscent of Greco-Roman
letter writing, particularly in their more exhortatory (paraenesis)
features though less so in their admonitory (epitimesis) aspects,11
but Barsanuphius and John do not seem to follow any textbook
of rhetoric or letter writing. As in Aristotle’s famous Protreptikos,
what matters most to them is not so much the expression of a
teaching but the embodiment of that tradition.
Of course many of the correspondents of the two “old men”
remain anonymous. The compiler of the correspondence appears
to enjoy ready access to the letters (especially the responses by the
two elders), but he likely did not possess all the questions (which
are often merely summarized) and may have been unaware of their
provenance. Moreover, while thanksgiving is a genuine form of
Hellenistic epistolary, Barsanuphius might well have adopted his
emphasis on this concept from Paul’s reference to thanksgiving
(1 Thes 5:18). The indeterminate distinction by Adolf Deissmann
between letters and epistles—where the former indicate private
communications (Stowers likens them to “a telephone call today”)
while the latter imply epistles intended for wider publication and
general readership12—may in fact be helpful in understanding the
genre of the correspondence by Barsanuphius and John.

11
See A. Malherbe, Moral Exhortation: A Greco-Roman Sourcebook (Philadelphia,
PA: Westminster Press, 1986); and R. C. Gregg, Consolation Philosophy (Cambridge,
MA: Philadelphia Patristic Foundation, 1975).
12
Stowers, Letter Writing, 16–20. Deissmann’s famous dictum was: “The letter is a
piece of life; the epistle is a product of literary art.” Cf. A. Deissmann, Light from the
Ancient East: The New Testament Illustrated by Recently Discovered Texts of the
Graeco-Roman World (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1927), 230.
24 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

The style of letter-writing represented by Barsanuphius and John

betrays a literary sensitivity and cultural exposure, perhaps even an
aristocratic and well-educated background. In this respect, Claudia
Rapp advances the role of the “holy man” by adding the specific
features of intercessory supplication and spiritual direction. The holy
man, she claims, is more than merely an arbiter or exemplar—the
role and model promoted by Peter Brown—a person whose power
depends on the perceived efficacy of his prayer and patronage.13
Nonetheless, the letters of the “great old man” and the “other old
man” remain unique in the history of letter writing. While earlier
documents principally emphasize the impact of the elder as mediatory
in—mostly—an upward direction, namely, as trustworthy intercessors
for people before God (Jas 5:16), the letters of Barsanuphius and
John primarily underline the influence of the elders as mediatory
in—mostly—a downward direction, namely, as compassionate
counselors of people for God (Gal 6:2). Therefore, just as Rapp
complements Brown’s interpretation of the holy man as arbiter and
exemplar through her emphasis on the holy man as intercessor and
supplicant, we should additionally insist on the distinctive feature
and gravity of the concepts of counselor and director in order to
appreciate the antique holy man more thoroughly.14
It seems, then, that the letters of Barsanuphius and John enjoy
a certain uniqueness within the epistolary literature of the early
Near East in late antiquity from both a literary and a spiritual
perspective. The two elders may not qualify as “holy men” by the
conventional, even prevailing criteria of scholarship relating to
hagiography. Moreover, their letters are neither primarily didactic15
nor predominantly intercessory or again exclusively interventional.

13
Claudia Rapp, “‘For Next to God, you are My Salvation:’ Reflections on the Rise
of the Holy Man in Late Antiquity,” in The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity and
the Middle Ages: Essays on the Contribution of Peter Brown, ed. James Howard-
Johnson and Paul Antony Hayward (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1999),
63–81. See the articles by Peter Brown, “The Saint as Exemplar,” in Representations
2 (Spring 1983), 1–25; and Peter Brown, “The Rise and Function of the Holy Man
in Late Antiquity,” The Journal of Roman Studies 61 (1971), 80–101.
14
Barsanuphius, too, makes such a distinction. In Letters 567–9, he distinguishes his
own function in instructing his disciples from those inspiring the world.
15
The Life of Antony may be a deliberate effort by Athanasius of Alexandria to
inform his contemporaries about the life and virtues of the desert elder, in the
manner of Gregory of Nyssa’s “Letter on the Life of Macrina” and, earlier, Jerome’s
Letter 108 on the life of Paula. See Rapp, “For Next to God,” 80–1.
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 25

They serve, rather, to prolong and promote the vividness and

spontaneity of the precious interpersonal contact, conversation,
and communication encountered in the fourth-century sayings
and setting of the desert fathers and mothers in Egypt. At the
same time, they provide an alternative form of spiritual authority
on the margins of Palestinian life to the more established form of
ecclesiastical authority in the sacred center of Jerusalem.

The Structure of the Letters

The Letters of the two “old men” clearly comprise the largest
collection from late antiquity, encompassing a private compendium
that was probably not intended for publication but only circulated
for spiritual edification. These were personal letters that were never
destined to be spread or shared.
The correspondence begins with fifty-four questions addressed
to and answers dictated by Barsanuphius, with the exception of
one letter conveyed by the “other old man” (Letter 3). The opening
letters are a series of queries communicated by John of Beersheba,
anxiously investigating his gradual transition to the eremitic life in
Thawatha. Toward the end of the first letter, Abbot Seridos expresses
nervousness about whether he can remember all that Barsanuphius
transmits in response to the opening question by John of Beersheba.
He regrets not recording the words of the Old Man by dictation.
Barsanuphius comforts him, assuring him that the Holy Spirit will
enable him to remember exactly what was said:

And I, Seridos, tell you something else wonderful. As the Old

Man said this, I thought to myself: “How can I remember these
things in order to write them down? Had the Old Man wanted,
I could have brought here ink and paper, heard his words one
by one, and then written them down.” Yet he knew what I was
thinking and his face shone like fire. So he said to me: “Go and
write; do not be afraid. Even if I tell you ten thousand words,
the Spirit of God will not let you write down even a single letter
whether too much or too little. Not because you so choose, but
because the Spirit is guiding your hand to write in a coherent
manner.” (Letter 1)
26 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

And so the correspondence proceeds, with Seridos now prepared

for whatever might ensue.
In all, depending on the internal division adopted in some of the
longer documents, the correspondence contains approximately 850
letters dictated by the two elders in response to a host of issues from
a very diverse group of individuals. Neither Barsanuphius nor John
spoke face-to-face with those who sought their guidance. Instead,
enquirers would submit their questions or concerns in writing,
and in due course they would receive a written reply from one—
or, occasionally, both—of the Old Men through their respective
secretaries in the nearby monastery.
Almost 400 letters (typically the longer ones) belong to
Barsanuphius, while around 450 letters (usually the shorter ones)
belong to John. Moreover, whereas the study and literature of spiritual
direction traditionally address the spiritual formation of monks,
Barsanuphius and John redress this imbalance by also engaging with
lay persons. The overall structure of the text is thus organized with
letters to monastics found in the early sections of the correspondence
(comprising around two-thirds of the document), followed by letters
to lay people (consisting of about one quarter of the compilation),
and concluding with letters to bishops (containing about fifty letters).
In general, the correspondence is not arranged chronologically,
with the exception of certain letters constituting a series—or
string—of related questions and answers. Preliminary efforts to
organize the letters in a systematic way—in order to ascertain or
apply a vague structure—usually occur in manuscripts as late as the
fourteenth century where the letters are divided into the following
rudimentary categories:

1 Letters 1–223: Responses to hermits about the way of

stillness
2 Letters 224–616: Responses to various brothers of the
community headed by Seridos, especially to questions
addressed by Dorotheus
3 Letters 617–848: Responses to lay people and other leaders
in church and society

The letters are sometimes starkly brief (Letter 437), at other times
markedly longer (Letter 256), almost to the point of constituting
individual treatises (Letter 604).
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 27

A more detailed subdivision of the letters might be as follows:

1–54 Correspondence with John of Beersheba

55–71 Letters to elders and hermits
72–123 Questions from Andrew, an elder who is ill
124–31 Letters to monk Theodore
132–251 Questions from brothers and priests
252–338 Correspondence with Dorotheus
339–98 Letters from various monks, including Dorotheus
399–570 Questions from various brothers and laypersons
571–99 Letters to Aelianos on succeeding Seridos
600–7 Questions about Origenism
608–787 Correspondence with laymen of various professions
788–848 Letters to bishops and other people in Gaza

In other words, the letters “call to center stage more or less all of
the main actors of the societas christiana”16 of the period. A glaring
exception to this picture is the absence of any letters from women.

Women: The Inconspicuous Factor

While there are no letters from women in the correspondence,
women are neither extraneous nor exceptional to the monastery
circles of Thawatha. Indeed, Barsanuphius is not at all exclusive in
his attitude toward women (Letter 61), at least by comparison with
contemporary standards elsewhere. For instance, unlike conventional
practices in other contemporary Palestinian monasteries or Western
monastic sources,17 the community at Thawatha welcomed female
visitors (Letter 595) for instruction and edification as well as to
provide donations or receive support.18

16
Cf. L. Perrone, “Monasticism as a Factor of Religious Interaction,” in Between
Personal and Institutional Religion, 91.
17
See Life of Euthymius, chap. 54 and Rule of Benedict, chap. 54.
18
On the Desert Mothers, see Laura Swan, The Forgotten Desert Mothers: Sayings,
Lives, and Stories of Early Christian Women (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2001). On
women in early monasticism, see Susanna Elm, “Virgins of God”: The Making of
Asceticism in Late Antiquity (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994).
28 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

The women would assemble in specially constructed and

consigned cells outside of the monastery walls. One reason for
admitting women on monastery grounds was because Barsanuphius
and John are disparaging of monks who abandon their spouses
or families, expecting them to support their more vulnerable
dependents. The two elders perceived the social responsibility
and financial accountability of those renouncing civilization for
solitude—with regard to regulation, distribution, or restitution of
property—particularly where children are involved. Such matters
were also of special concern to the Emperor Justinian as he reformed
civil legislation in the mid-sixth century.19
One letter deals explicitly with relationships of monks with
women visiting the monastery at Thawatha. Aelianos, the abbot
who succeeded Seridos in the administration of the community,
seeks Abba John’s advice on the proper procedure for dealing with
his own spouse and family that come to the monastery:

Question:  There are times when faithful women visit us, or else
mothers of the brothers, and we receive them in the outside
cell. That cell has windows opening up to the monastery;
should I converse with them through the window, or not?
Moreover, my elderly wife did not want to stay with her
nephews, and so she gave me all of her belongings. Do you
direct me to speak with her whenever she comes in order to
meet her financial needs? What do you think that should I do?
What should happen?
Response by John.  If there is any reason for these women to visit
you for God’s sake, not simply in order to see the place or for
their own pleasure, but specifically to hear the word of God
or to bring something here; if it is necessary to converse with
them, then do so but always guard your eyes. For: “Everyone
who looks at a woman with lust has already committed

19
See Rosa Maria Parrinello, “The Justinianean Legislation Regarding the Wives
of the Monks and Its Context: The Letters of Barsanuphius and John of Gaza,”
in Männlich und weiblich schuf Er sie. Studien zur Genderkonstruktion und
zum Eherecht in den Mittelmeerreligionen, ed. Matthias Morgenstern, Christian
Boudignon, and Christiane Tietz (Goettingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 2011),
193–204. See also B. Flusin, “L’essor du monachisme,” in J. M. Mayeur et al. (ed.),
Histoire du christianisme, vol. 3 (Paris: Les églises d’Orient et d’Occident, 1998),
545–608 [at 553].
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 29

adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28), while everything

that happens according to God will be protected by God. Do
not do this to please people or to seek praise, but out of a pure
heart (cf. 1 Tm 1:5), extending your thought toward God. If
it happens to be the mother of one of the brothers and she
comes here for some need, then speak with her in accordance
with the commandment that you have received. However, you
should not see her unless it is necessary. For her son is able to
inform her, while you can simply prepare whatever she needs,
not giving to her in a wasteful manner, but again only what
is necessary.
As for your elderly wife, for as long as she lives, you should
speak to her from time to time and meet her needs, whether
she wants to live in the city or in the nearby town. As for your
children, however, you should not accept to do their favors,
until they are settled in their lives. Direct them with godly
fear. Feed and dress them carefully in order to avoid both
prodigality and scorn, in order that they may not ask for more.
Examine their needs and rebuke them, saying: “Give regard
to yourselves; for you are no longer slaves but free people
(Cf. Gal 4:7). How fortunate you are to be carefree and enjoy
more rest than even the rich!” And, when your elderly wife
dies, give them their freedom as well as their share of property,
always with balance, whether here in the town or wherever
else you want. For there is no law regarding this. But if you
threaten them, they will become estranged from you, although
the property will still be counted as yours. (Letter 595)

Aelianos was still a layman when he was appointed abbot. So the

advice from Abba John is clear: take care of your wife, talk to
her, and meet with her; as for your children, continue to raise and
provide for them. Aelianos is not to be estranged from the family
that he renounced for the sake of a solitary life. After all, his family
is regarded as a microcosm of his community, while the monastery
is an extension of his wife and children.20 Ascetic renunciation was
never to be associated with social resignation. What a refreshing

Here the Gaza tradition echoes the advice of Basil of Caesarea, who encouraged
20

monastics to provide for their parents and siblings. See Longer Rules 32. See W. K.
Lowther Clarke, The Ascetic Works of Saint Basil (London: SPCK, 1925).
30 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

and inclusive conception of monasticism! How radically different

to the mainstream tradition through the ages and to this day!
Again, centering on the heart is never severed from contribution to
the community.
On another occasion, a lay pilgrim asks the “great old man”
whether he should leave his wife for the purpose of becoming a
monk. Barsanuphius replies unwaveringly and unequivocally:

Child, do not assume the responsibility of leaving her, because

otherwise you are transgressing the commandment of the
Apostle, who says: “Are you bound to a wife? Then, do not seek
to be free” (1 Cor 7:27). For if she sins and becomes a sinful
woman, the responsibility for that sin lies with you, since the
decision was not taken by mutual agreement (cf. 1 Cor 7:5) or
counsel. Simply leave the matter to God, and his loving-kindness
will do as he wills. (Letter 662)

It is clear to the two elders that, above and beyond any monastic
rule, there is always the Gospel law. Barsanuphius and John
recognize that the commandment to love must be applied without
discrimination and without exception to all men and women. Thus,
while no letters in this collection are actually dictated by women,
nonetheless the presence of women is palpable in the letters. And
it could not be otherwise since, much as in the desert of Egypt,
the virtues of hospitality and charity were never reserved for men,
especially in the monastery of Seridos that candidly encouraged
contact and communication with the wider, outside society.

Conversation and Communication

Notwithstanding any physical accessibility of the monastery to the
general public and the inconspicuous visibility of women in the
correspondence, all the letters are directly and distinctly to celibate
monastics or clergy and lay men. The recipients include monks from
the adjacent monastery of Abba Seridos and laypersons from nearby
Gaza, through to high-ranking political officials and ecclesiastical
leaders in more distant urban settings. There are bishops asking
about ordinations (Letter 815). There is one letter, or possibly
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 31

more, from Patriarch Peter of Jerusalem (Letter 821). Another letter

relates to “the Duke, who has recently converted to Christianity”
(Letter 834). Sometimes, letters simultaneously address both the
recipient and scribe (Letters 207 and 484).
As already noted, a monk from the nearby community originally
compiled the letters. This editor transcribed the correspondence,
introducing each letter and occasionally naming the correspondent,
while briefly delineating the context or purpose of the question
addressed to the elders. However, the correspondence also remains
somewhat incomplete: Dorotheus refers to a question that he
once addressed to John as well as to the specific response by John,
yet no such letter survives.21 Other letters begin with the phrase:
“This is the second”—and, on some occasions, “the third”—“time
that I write to you,” though there is no record of any preceding
correspondence. Sometimes the question is quoted in full; at other
times, it is summarized in brief. Regrettably, however, we are not
explicitly informed about the identity of the editor, though he
reveals that he was present when a visitor once speculated whether
Barsanuphius was real person or whether his cell was empty. On
that occasion, as we are told, the “great old man” came outside his
cell and, without uttering a word, washed the feet of the doubting
visitor in order to allay any skepticism and returned to his cell.22
Every detail of every question is considered worthwhile and
warranting of a response. John the Prophet reflects: “Brother,
in his responses to you, the [Great] Old Man left no question
unanswered” (Letter 306). The written means of communication
promoted and preferred by these remarkable elders clearly favors a
more comprehensive answer, while the dual ministry of the elders
facilitates a more complete response through the scribe (Letter
783). Sometimes, one advises the correspondent to consult a second
opinion (Letters 361 and 504) or to search for answers within
himself, rather than depending on others: “Do not seek answers
from anyone with regard to yourself, but rather create the answers
for yourself” (Letter 347b). At other times, the elders tender silence
as the only fitting and healing response (Letter 148). This alone is
hardly a suggestion or recommendation echoed too commonly in
monastic or hierarchal circles.

See Dorotheus of Gaza, Discourses II, PG88.1640.

21

See Letter 125. Letter 226 responds to someone suspecting the origin of the letters.
22
32 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

We should also remember that letters do not simply reflect

passive sources of information and instruction; above all, they
represent active exchanges of conversation and communication.
So they frequently reveal a picture of contemporary everyday life
overlooked or ignored in many literary sources. Indeed, no other
document from the early Christian era shows us in such vivid detail
how spiritual direction was understood and exercised in practice.
What might arguably have involved minimal editing, the Letters
reveal the actual voices of the inquirers and their respondents with
immediacy and intimacy, as well as with vividness and verve.
Inquirers came from all levels of society: not only from the
members of the community where Barsanuphius and John dwelt,
but also from those outside, bishops and monastics, clergy and
laity. The topics are highly varied. As we would expect, many of the
questions concern the life of prayer: for example, “Tell me, father,
about unceasing prayer” (Letter 87). Other questions address
concerns about physical illness: the elders, for instance, have to
assure a novice who cries out that he cannot “bear the affliction
of his illness” (Letter 613). Often the questions are specific and
practical: “How much should I eat?” (Letter 154); “If one enters
the church during the time of the Liturgy and leaves before the end,
is this a sin?” (Letter 736); “The locusts ravage my fields. If I drive
them away, my neighbors grow furious with me”—presumably
because the locusts then move on to their fields—“but if I leave
them, I suffer loss. What should I do?” (Letter 684).
Moreover, the letters are wide-ranging not only in regard to their
recipients, but also with reference to their circumstances. People
approach the elders to inquire about very ordinary, mundane
matters. As a result, their questions touch on such everyday
quandaries as the interpretation of dreams, the treatment of slaves,
or relations with non-Christians (Letters 686, 732–5, 776–7, 836,
and 821–2). They address slavery, debt, disease, and trade (Letters
648–9, 672–4, and 749–50). They even deal with burglary, murder,
and bribery (Letters 667–9, 671, and 785). Laypeople inquire about
illness and healing; in response, they are encouraged to consider
the additional importance of spiritual health (Letters 637–44,
753–5, and 778–81; see also Letters 72–123 to a monk in illness).
Other questions relate to legal and fiscal matters (Letters 667–72
and 749–56), family relations and daily chores (Letters 764–8),
marriage and death (Letters 646 and 676), property and charity
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 33

(Letters 617–20, 625–6, 629–35, 649), proper interaction and

appropriate boundaries between monks and laypersons (Letters
636, 681–2, 727–9, 736–42, and 751), and above all the practice of
ascetic discipline in the context of city life (Letters 764–74).
In all, the letters divulge a diverse community, with concerned
Christians seeking earnest guidance about daily life in sixth-century
Gaza. For their part, Barsanuphius and John are fully conscious
that they are facing new concerns and unprecedented challenges.
No longer are their disciples—ordained, monastic, or lay—able to
disregard or disdain their neighbors. In fact, the two elders prove
far more open in their appreciation of and advice on contacts with
non-Christians than many imperial authorities of the time.23 In this
regard, their counsel is modest, moderate, and mild (Letter 26).
Perhaps the two elders were themselves experienced in the secular
life before assuming a monastic life. In any case their seclusion
hardly denies them the possibility and opportunity of experiencing
and expressing compassion for the dilemmas of mundane exchange
and social entanglement.

­Rules and Regulations, Roles and

Responsibilities
These letters were never intended to constitute or compete with
any monastic rule. They differ tremendously from the Pachomian
Rule or The Rule of Benedict. They also bear no comparison or
correspondence to the Longer and Shorter Rules of Basil the Great,
which arguably come closest to the style of Barsanuphius and
John inasmuch as Basil was reacting to specific concerns addressed
by superiors of communities within his diocese.24 The letters of

23
After Justinian’s decree against pagans in 528–9, relations between Christian and
pagan grew tense and confused, sometimes violent. See F. R. Trombley, Hellenic
Religion and Christianization c. 370–529, 2 vols. (New York and Leiden: E.J. Brill,
1994), 267.
24
See A. Veilleux, The Life of Saint Pachomius and His Disciples (Kalamazoo, MI:
Cistercian Publications, 1980); The Rule of Benedict (Dublin, UK: Four Courts
Press, 1994); and M. Monica Wagner, St. Basil: Ascetical Works (Washington, DC:
Catholic University of America Press, 1962).
34 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Barsanuphius and John are far more subjective in style and intimate
in content. As the Prologue of the correspondence clearly asserts:

The same teachings are not suited to all alike … Therefore, we

must not receive as a general rule the words spoken in a loving
way to particular individuals for the sake of their weakness;
rather, we should immediately discern that the response was
surely addressed by the saints to the questioner in a personal way.

If anything, the letters pay very little if any attention to monastic

regulations,25 but focus and dwell instead on spiritual requirements
or presuppositions. They describe the entire spectrum of the spiritual
life, all the “ages” (ἡλικίαι) of the ascetic way (see Letter 1). These
stages are not accidental, however; they are developmental. And the
two elders are also able to detect various gradations within each
stage, discerning individual shades within each gradation, with a

FIGURE 1  Hermit cells in Palestine.

Letters 571–98 addressed to Aelianos, future abbot of the monastery of Abba

25

Seridos, provide insights into how a monastery should be organized and administered.
However, even in this case, the letters offer more spiritual direction than managerial
directives.
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 35

view to reconciling and integrating them all within each particular

person and within every specific context. So “the great old man”
will field speculative questions about scriptural interpretation and
allegory, whereas the “other old man” will confine his responses to
more pragmatic liturgical or devotional matters.
Around 100 questions are submitted by Dorotheus (Letters
252–338, and some others); over 70 of these responses are crafted
by John, while the rest are dictated by Barsanuphius. Dorotheus’
letters expose readers to a biographical and spiritual exposition
of the inner life of this exceptional novice and then monk, later
possibly even abbot of a monastery and author of several influential
treatises. For instance, we learn of his temptations (subtle and
sexual), his duties  (spiritual and medical), his obedience (as a
monk among fellow monks), his service in positions of authority
(responsible for a  younger monk, named Dositheus),26 as well
as his close relationship with our two elders. Dorotheus of Gaza
is undoubtedly the most prominent and renowned disciple of
Barsanuphius and John, in some ways better known than his own
spiritual masters.27
The most immediate and striking feature of the letters is without
doubt their spontaneity and freshness, as well as their astute
shrewdness and inimitable wit. Sometimes inspiring and uplifting, at
other times agonizing and painful, the advice proffered is regularly
lighthearted but unfailingly supportive and consistently receptive
because the elders always speak from the heart to the heart:

Let us not neglect to render thanks to God, like the one about
whom you once told the story, that he used to go and pray in
church in order that he might secure food for sustenance. But
when he met someone who said: “Have breakfast with me today,
and then you can go pray,” he replied: “I cannot go; for I am
supposed to be praying to God for food.” (Letter 6)

26
Letters 220–3 may be addressed to Dositheus, who was placed under the spiritual
direction of Dorotheus (Letters 66 and 78).
27
Possibly because the Jesuits, and the West in general, very early discovered his
writings, which they recommended to novices in preparation for entry into the
Society of Jesus. The letters to Dorotheus appear—at length, though not in full—in
Patrologia Graeca volume 88 (columns 1611–844).
36 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Another Christ-loving layperson asked the same Old Man: I

want to press some Jewish wine in my presser.28 Is this
considered a sin?
Response by John. If, when God rains, it rains in your field
but not in that of the Jew, then do not press his wine. But
if he is loving-kind to all and rains upon the just as well as
upon the unjust (cf. Mt 5:45), then why would you prefer
to be inhumane rather than compassionate; for he says: “Be
merciful, even as your Father in heaven is merciful” (Lk 6:36).
(Letter 686)

Another characteristic of the correspondence is the inimitable

humor of the two elders, which is inseparably combined with
their profound humility and a good measure of realism. If
Barsanuphius and John take themselves less seriously, it is because
they are neither obsessed with their asceticism nor preoccupied
with their virtue. They constantly recognize that frailty and failure
come with the territory of being human; God’s perspective differs
immeasurably.
Thus to a monk suffering from rheumatism and asking whether
this might derive from demonic temptation, Barsanuphius offers
unsentimental consolation: “Do not grieve, my beloved one.
For this is not of the demons, as you think, but it is merely a
draft from the outside” (Letter 78). To another monk wondering
whether he has the authority to advise his brother, the “great
old man” provides reassurance that, “if necessary, God can even
speak through the mouth of an ass (Nm 22:28)” (Letter 203). And
to a layman asking whether crossing himself with his left hand
on account soreness in his right hand would be disrespectful,
Barsanuphius responds almost tongue-in-cheek: “Whenever I
want to perform the sign of the cross on my right hand, I definitely
need to use my left hand!” (Letter 437). Finally, to a layperson
inquiring about the intricate subtleties of personal relationships,

28
Gaza wine was historically renowned for its taste. The sixth-century Roman
statesman and scholar Cassiodorus once praised the wine of his native Calabria by
boldly asserting that it rivaled the wine of Gaza. See Michael Press, “Sudden Change
or Gradual Transition,” The Tel Aviv Review of Books (Autumn 2020). https://www.
tarb.co.il/sudden-change-or-gradual-transition/ Accessed September 15, 2021. To
this day, the region is known for its vineyards, orchards, and olive groves.
 MONASTICISM IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE 37

Abba John offers advice condensed in a single word: “Just do

good (ἀγαθοποίησον)!” (Letter 679)
The elders are further distinguished by authenticity and originality.
Their correspondence is more than just a manual on the spiritual
life. Each of their letters is actually a personal provocation eliciting
a distinctive response to a specific problem. The writing is always
direct and simple, unpretentious and ordinary; the result is endlessly
informative and edifying, inspiring, and even extraordinary. In fact,
because the letters are written rather than spoken responses, they
weave every minute detail of each question into the response. In this
way, the correspondence clearly reflects a text of a particular time,
albeit with far-reaching influence on readers through the centuries.
And it clearly remains a text of a particular place, with far-reaching
implications on a variety of cultures, which may explain why we
hear so little about Barsanuphius and John beyond their generation
and outside the region.
Still, the personalities of the two elders are very conspicuous
in the correspondence and among their contemporaries.
Barsanuphius comes across as kind, understanding, and warm;
his language is clear, prayerful, and prophetic. The “great old
man” reveals a strong and supportive personality, undeterred
by crisis and unwavering in conviction. By contrast, John is less
direct, more guarded, and not as ardent; his language is concise,
precise, and conventional. The “other old man” reveals a sensitive
and sympathetic personality, often referring and deferring to
Barsanuphius as his mentor.
Moreover, the style and language of the correspondence are
very personal, profound, and powerful. While the correspondence
comprises 850 letters, in actual fact we should envisage it against
the setting of countless visitations to the two Old Men. While some
of the letters begin with the phrase: “Write to [so and so] … ”
(Letters 1, 4, 6, 8–9, 16, 22, 27, and 31), others replace the word
“write” with the word “tell [so and so] … ” (Letters 2–3, 7, 12–15,
19, 26–30, 39, 42, 47, and 54).
Finally, the tone of the letters is friendly and familiar, befitting
that between master and disciple (Letters 56, 62, 68–9, 72–4, 86,
90–3, 96–8, and 126). In fact, the correspondence is reminiscent
of the relationship between parent and child that forms the basis
of monastic life in fourth-century Egypt, where the words that
frequently instigated a conversation were: “Abba, speak a word to
38 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

me [about how I may be saved]” or “Abba, pray for me.”29 This very
approach is faithfully transplanted to Gaza:

A certain elderly Egyptian man … requested the prayer and

counsel of the Great Old Man.
[Barsanuphius responds:] As for what you ask, namely that I
pray for your sins, I also ask the same of you, that you should
pray for my sins. For it is said: “As you would that others do to
you, so also do unto them” (Mt 7:12; Lk 6:31). Now I, though
wretched and the least of all, do whatever I can for the sake of
him who says: “Pray for each other that you may be healed” (Jas
5:16) … Trust me, beloved one, that compelled by God’s love, I
transcend my boundaries in saying this to your love. Who am I,
the least of all? So I ask forgiveness. “Forgive my babbling for
the Lord’s sake, and pray for me.” (Letter 55)

See, for instance, Sayings, Anthony 16 and 19.

29
 ­2
Luminaries of Gaza
Prominent Personalities
and Identities

Two Extraordinary Elders

We do not know exactly when—or, indeed, exactly why—an
Egyptian monk named Barsanuphius1 enters the hilly region of
Thawatha (Letter 61) and chooses to live as a recluse in a local
cell. From this position, however, he offers counsel to a number of
ascetics, who gradually gather as the Old Man develops a remarkable
reputation for spiritual discernment and pastoral compassion. One
of these monks, Abba Seridos, who serves as personal attendant to
Barsanuphius, is at some point appointed abbot of a community
created specifically to cater for and administer the increasing number
of monks attracted to Barsanuphius as their mentor and guide.2
The monastery is actually located in Thawatha, near Gerara,
where the biblical patriarchs Abraham and Isaac once lived

1
The monastery of Seridos included a significant number of Egyptian monks (Letter
228), although the language spoken there was Greek. The name “Barsanuphius”
is the Latinized for of Βαρσανούφιος, a Hellenized form of a Coptic name, whose
meaning is unknown.
2
Some scholars argue that Seridos may already have directed a monastery in the
area, which was privileged—indeed, may even have competed with other monastic
centers—to lure Barsanuphius to the region.
40 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

(Gn 20; cf. Letter 257). It assumes the form of a loose community
with many cells, where monks enjoy varying degrees of enclosure
and independence. This monastery rapidly becomes a center of
interest and magnetism for many monastics and visitors during the
sixth century, largely due to the presence and prestige of the two Old
Men, but partly also due to the brotherhood’s far-reaching activities
and services, which included workshops (Letters 553–4), two guest-
houses (Letters 570, 595–6), the first recorded hospital in a monastic
context (Letters 327 and 548),3 and a large church (Letter 570).
In addition to these edifices, the monastery boasted sprawling
property and premises with ample space for the construction of
the cells inhabited by Barsanuphius and John. The abbot of the
monastery, Seridos, is the only person permitted to communicate
with Barsanuphius, acting as liaison and mediator for those
submitting questions in writing. Barsanuphius explains how, as his
personal ascetic rule, he has determined that he should not write by
his own hand, but only and always by way of Seridos:

Question.  A certain elderly Egyptian man came to dwell in the

monastery where the fathers were, and addressed a letter in
Egyptian to the Great Old Man (for he too was Egyptian),
requesting prayer and counsel for the benefit of his soul, and
asking whether it would be possible to meet him.
The holy Old Man wrote his response in Greek, as follows:  Since
I have promised myself not to write to anyone directly, but
only through the Abbot [Seridos], this is why I have not
written to you in Egyptian as you wrote to me, but was
compelled to tell him to write to you in Greek; for he does not
know Egyptian. If you rank me in your letters as your beloved
father in the Lord, who understands the labor and the needs
and the dangers of your soul, then if I am your father as you
write, I give you a commandment not to bother me about a
meeting. For I do not show favor to anyone in my life. Indeed,
if I open my door to you, then I open it to all; but if I do not

3
On hospitality for guests and care for the sick in the Monastery of Seridos, see
Hyung-Guen Choi, Between Ideals: Charity and the Letters of Barsanuphius and
John of Gaza (Macquarie Centre, NSW: Sydney College of Divinity Press, 2020),
chapters 5 and 6, 141–209.
 LUMINARIES OF GAZA 41

open my door to you, neither do I have to open it to anyone

else. (Letter 55)4

Certain aspects of the solitary lifestyle characteristic of Barsanuphius

and John are of course reminiscent of earlier models in Judean
monasticism, which is geographically very close and spiritually
very familiar to Barsanuphius. In the Life of Euthymius, Cyril
of Scythopolis describes how Euthymius (d. 473) sought a life of
solitude and silence but was also concerned about the welfare and
guidance of those who chose to live near him. Euthymius would,
therefore, organize his monks into a small community, and then
proceed to a more remote region, where—once again discovered by
other pious followers—he would repeat the process.5
Furthermore, the practice of Barsanuphius to relate only through
one person, as a measure of protecting his solitude, echoes another
precedent in the lifestyle of Abba Isaiah of Scetis, who regularly
preferred to communicate through Peter the Egyptian during his fifty
years of seclusion in the same region.6 However, Isaiah never quite
reached the same degree of exclusion or reclusion as Barsanuphius
and John; nor again did the method of contact and conversation
with his disciples constitute a central element of his own spiritual
ministry. Still, the fact that we encounter a similar form of lifestyle
in earlier monastic pioneers and ascetic authors leads us to believe
that this was not altogether exceptional and unfamiliar, at least in
the region of Gaza.
Subsequently, sometime between 525 and 527, a hermit by the
name of John comes to live beside Barsanuphius, who surrenders

4
Since Seridos did not know Coptic, he would record the words of Barsanuphius
in Greek. Seridos, it seems, was Greek, although he may have been Syrian. The
correspondence offers more biographical information about Seridos than about
the two elders (Letter 570). The concept of “opening the door” echoes the early
Desert Fathers: see Arsenius, Saying 8: “If I open my door to you, I open my door
to everyone.”
5
See E. Schwartz, ed., Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Euthymius (Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs
Verlag, 1939). Translated in R. M. Price, Cyril of Scythopolis: The Lives of the
Monks of Palestine (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1991).
6
The community of Seridos recommended the reading of Abba Isaiah to its monks
(see Letter 240), while Barsanuphius appears closely connected to the teaching of
Isaiah (Letters 98, 245, and 612). John the Prophet speaks about Abba Isaiah as if he
were very personally familiar with his community and practice (Letter 252).
42 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

his cell to him in order to adopt a newly constructed cell nearby.

Abba Barsanuphius becomes known—in the correspondence
and in posterity—as the “holy old man” or the “great old man,”
a Coptic phrase familiar among Egyptian circles and formerly
ascribed by Palladius to Anthony. Abba John is simply called the
“other old man” or the “prophet.” The two share the same way of
life and support one another’s ministry (Letters 224–5 and 571–
2). Emulating Barsanuphius, who is his model and mentor, John
procures the services of Dorotheus to be his disciple, attendant, and
mouthpiece over the next eighteen years.7
We know very little about the early years of Barsanuphius.
Letters 74 and 512 reveal that he was often ill, while Letter 258
admits the manifold and intense temptations experienced in his
youth. In Letter 13, he tells John of Beersheba:

If I were to write to you about the temptations that I have

endured—nevertheless I tell you that your ears could not bear it,
and perhaps neither the ears of anyone else in this time.

He is a wise and respected ascetic. He eats three loaves of bread

a week (Letters 72 and 97), although allegedly he does not have
to eat at all (Letter 78). He is respected for his humility (Letter
192), discernment (Letter 170), foresight (Letters 1, 27, 31, 54,
163, and 800), love (Letters 110 and 17), illumination (Letter 10),
and sharing his gifts (Letters 10, 111 and 212). He forgives sins
(Letters 212, 10, 145, 147, 235, and 166)8 and even assumes upon
himself the sins of others (Letters 59 and 235). He is known for
working miracles through prayer (Letters 1, 43, 47, 171, 174, 227,
510, and 581), but what characterizes him above all else is “the
gentleness that rests in his heart” (Letter 20) and the generosity that
characterizes his relationships. He is always ready to offer a word,

7
Dorotheus of Gaza would approach the door of John’s cell “as one would venerate
the precious cross.” See L. Regnault and J. de Préville, eds., “Dorotheus of Gaza:
Didascalia,” in Sources Chrétiennes 92 (Paris: Les Editions du Cerf, 1963), IV, 56,
240.
8
We are not certain as to whether Barsanuphius was ordained, although it is clear
that John was not (Letters 44 and 138). On forgiveness of sins in the East, especially
with regard to Symeon the New Theologian, see L. Petit, “Bibliographie,” Echos d’
Orient 3 (1900), 316–18.
 LUMINARIES OF GAZA 43

a prayer, a counsel, a morsel of bread, a glass of water, or a piece of

clothing as demanded by the situation at hand (Letters 1, 63, 72,
166, 173).
We know still less about the life of the “other old man,” John.
He is probably a Palestinian monk, since—unlike Barsanuphius—
there is nothing to indicate Egyptian provenance. What we do
know is that, while John stays for the most part in the shadow of
Barsanuphius as his disciple (Letter 130), Barsanuphius nonetheless
claims that John holds the same authority as his master:

With regard to the conduct of my child who is of a single

mind with me, that blessed and humbly obedient one who has
completely renounced all of his desires, even to the point of
death, what can I say? For the Lord said: “The one who has seen
me, has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9); and about the disciple he said:
“He is like his teacher” (Lk 6:40). “Let the one who has ears
listen” (Mt 11:15). (Letter 188)

Institution and Inspiration

The authority of Barsanuphius is more inspirational, responding to
principles of a spiritual nature. By comparison, John reflects more
an institutional approach, responding to matters of an ordinary
practical nature. Yet the two elders never compete against each
another; in fact, they seem to complement one other. Together,
they maintain an integrity of authority-in-charity, supporting one
another’s commitment and compassion. They recognize that they
share the same God (Letters 20 and 224) and the same virtue
(Letter 780).

Question.  If all of us are one (Jn 17:21)—the Old Man in God

and I in the Old Man—then I dare to say that, if he gave you
his word, I too give you mine through him. I know that I am
weak and the least; yet I cannot separate myself from the Old
Man. For he is compassionate on me so that the two of us are
one … (Letter 305)

­ he inspiration and influence of these elders is genuinely refreshing

T
and deeply fascinating. At a time when monastic life in the West is
44 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

becoming increasingly regulated and codified, adhering to Roman

legal norms and forms, Palestinian monasticism retains the flexibility
and fluidity of the earlier Egyptian ways reflected in the Sayings
of the Desert Fathers. Therefore, while the emphasis in Western
monasticism gradually focuses on the importance of discipline,
Eastern monasticism consistently highlights the importance of
discernment. Spiritual direction in the Christian East has invariably
been more personal, less institutional. In the West, one becomes
attached to a community or, in later centuries, to an order; in the
East, one always seeks out an elder or geron, an abba, or amma.
Indeed, the chief social role of monastic centers in the East is to
provide spiritual directors; the fundamental expectation upon
entering a monastery has always been to discover men or women
of prayer and holiness, rather than learned scholars or committed
missionaries.9
Curiously, the inaccessibility and invisibility of Barsanuphius and
John become the very reasons for their attraction and accessibility.
These elders function as alternative sources of authority, independent
of and beyond the civic and ecclesiastical leadership of the time. Of
course, the relationship between bishops and monks has never been
straightforward or smooth in the history of the church’s institutional
organization.10 Yet inasmuch as it was also never formally resolved,
it has resulted in a creative tension for the life of the church. In
some ways, then, there seems to be a progression—or succession—
from the authoritative influence of the “holy man” (Peter Brown)
through the formative instruction of the “mediator and master”
(Philip Rousseau) to the charismatic inspiration of the “old men” in

9
On spiritual direction in Gaza and Palestine, see Jennifer Hevelone-Harper,
Disciples of the Desert: Monks, Laity, and Spiritual Authority in Sixth-century
Gaza (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005). Cf. also Peter
Brown, Authority and the Sacred: Aspects of the Christianization of the Roman
World (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1995); John Chryssavgis, Soul
Mending: The Art of Spiritual Direction (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Press, 2000);
and Lorenzo Perrone, La Necessità del Consiglio: Studi sul Monachesimo di Gaza
(Abbazia del Praglia: Edizioni Scritti Monastici, 2021).
10
See Peter Brown, Power and Persuasion in Late Antiquity: Toward a Christian
Empire (Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 1992); Philip Rousseau,
“Ascetics as Mediators and as Teachers,” in The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity,
45–59; and George Demacopoulos, Five Models of Spiritual Direction in the Early
Church (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2007).
 LUMINARIES OF GAZA 45

Gaza, where we discover an alternative focus of power and almost

para-ecclesiastical form of leadership, orchestrating ecclesiastical
and civil affairs11 from the silence and solitude of their cells (Letters
788–839).
While themselves likely not ordained, the two elders are
nonetheless involved in matters of ordination (Letter 807).
Barsanuphius even grants John the specific charge and task of
directing bishops (Letters 788–9). In fact, it is not uncommon for
bishops to submit to the counsel of the Old Men (Letters 794–
801)—though not habitually, and not always enthusiastically. At
the same time, the elders normally refrain from publicly challenging
church hierarchy (Letter 792)—though not always, and not always
eagerly. In general, Barsanuphius and John intervene less directly in
episcopal matters in Gaza than their contemporary Sabas, whose
monks assume a militant stance against heresy in Jerusalem.12
Barsanuphius and John prefer to encourage lower clergy and
laity to exhaust the institutional process and system in order to
resolve problems and, above all, to trust in the sovereignty of God.
Their spiritual authority serves not to eliminate human authority
but to illuminate divine authority. Their role was not to impinge
on established institutional structures but to inspire individual
institutional leaders. This is why they are equally as comfortable
ordering secular leaders to stand up for the rights of the poor (Letters
823–30) as they are rebuking church leaders for not standing up to
secular governors (Letters 831–3).
As noted, the “other old man” bears the additional title of
“prophet,” a reflection and recognition of his exceptional spiritual
discernment (Letters 785–9). In a legend that is more hagiographical
than historical, Abba John even delays his death (Letter 224) at
the request of Abbot Aelianos, who succeeded Seridos as head of
the community. John remains alive for an additional two weeks in
order to respond to questions by Aelianos about the administration
and organization of the monastery.
The “other old man” also has the gifts of foresight (Letter 777)
and tears (Letter 565), of discernment (Letter 805) and miracles

11
See Bitton-Ashkelony and Kofsky, The Monastic School of Gaza (Leiden-Boston:
Brill, 2006), 85–8.
12
See E. Schwartz, ed., Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Sabas (Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs
Verlag, 1939), 125.
46 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

(Letter 781). Nonetheless, sensational miracles and exceptional

charismas are neither the most striking nor the most appealing
feature of these elders. While Peter Brown tends to emphasize
the more “extraordinary” characteristics of the Old Men,13
Barsanuphius and John are in fact far less “spectacular”—one
might even say “ordinary.” They defy what is sometimes criticized
by contemporary scholarship as the idealized or homogenized
hagiographical image of the late antique holy man. Thus, whereas
contemporary lives of the saints are full of miracles, spectacular
healing stories are almost entirely absent from the correspondence
of the two elders of Gaza.
There is, for example, little on fear of the supernatural or reliance
on the superstitious; the advice is realistic and down to earth. Often
it is expressed in brief and somewhat riddling phrases. “Forget
yourself and know yourself,” they say (Letter 112); “Let us weep in
order that we may laugh” (Letter 196); “Die completely, that you
may live completely” (Letter 37). For the two elders, it is up to the
recipient to work out the riddle and apply it to himself.
There is also little on theoretical mysticism or speculative
theology; the emphasis is on ascetic moderation. The objective is
reaching inward; the inner is far more important than the outer;
what goes on inside is what can influence and change what goes
on outside (see Letter 77). “Labor” and “violence” (Letters 239
and 340), along with “pain” (Letters 256 and 267) and “suffering”
(Letter 703), are inseparable from “bearing the cross” (Letters 45,
191, 243, and 519) and “restraining the will” (Letters 16, 121, 232,
and 243) in imitation of Christ Himself (Letters 20, 106, 150, 191,
and 239).
Barsanuphius and John can therefore write without evasion or
compromise, but at that the same time with profound compassion.
They are humane and generous. Avoiding extremes, they caution
against excessive asceticism and austerity in eating and fasting,
sleep and vigilance (Letters 146 and 570); instead, they insist,
“Always keep the middle way” (Letter 314). While conscious of the
authority that they have received from God, they display a sensitive
respect and responsibility for the freedom of others: “Do not force

See Peter Brown, The Body and Society: Men, Women, and Sexual Renunciation in
13

Early Christianity (New York: Columbia University Press, 1988), 213–40.

 LUMINARIES OF GAZA 47

the will,” they affirm in characteristic terms, “but only sow in

hope” (Letter 35). They do not offer elaborate rules, but echo the
paradigm of Paul (Rm 6:14): “Do not look for commands. I do not
want you to be under the law but under grace” (Letter 23). “It is
always beneficial to practice freedom,” they state (Letter 378); “the
two go together: the free will of the human being and the power of
God” (Letter 763).
Yet this respect and responsibility for the freedom of others
did not signify that the two Old Men were in any way distant or
indifferent. On the contrary, one of their favorite Scriptural texts
is Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens.” They regard the
spiritual father or mother not as a legislator, but par excellence as a
burden bearer, a companion, and a fellow-sufferer. “Hold my hand
and walk,” they write (Letter 31); “I have spread out my wings
over you and bear your burdens” (Letter 239). Again and again, in
moving terms, they emphasize how closely they feel involved in the
joys and sorrows of their disciples: “The Lord has bound your soul
to mine,” they affirm (Letter 164). “There is not a blink of the eye
or a moment that I do not have you in my mind and in my prayer”
(Letter 113). “I will never abandon you, even in the age to come”
(Letter 239).
At the same time, however, the two elders refuse to provide
wisdom on request, nor do they attempt to solve all problems
presented before them. Their purpose is to inspire rather than
impress; their aim is to exhort rather than excite. Most of the
time, their counsel is quite practical; they simply say: “Do what
you can; do whatever comes naturally” (Letter 302). And their
counsel is quite balanced: “Not wounding one’s neighbor, that is
the way of Christ” (Letter 26). Their counsel is never formalized
or merely conventional, but consistently situational and full of
compassion. They understand the weakness and vulnerability of
others, their secret pain and insecurity, yet they are also acutely
conscious of the greatness of human nature, of its boundless
possibilities. They seek to encourage and enable their spiritual
directees by gently guiding them on the way that they have
already envisioned or embarked, rather than discouraging them
by denouncing their actions or distracting them from their path:
“Simply do your best, and God will come to your assistance in
everything” (Letter 343)
48 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

The Age of the Old Men and their Letters

As far as dating the text itself, the correspondence contains certain
historical details that prove helpful. Letters 568–9 allude to a
plague that spread through the Roman Empire between 542 and
543. Letters 600–7 deal with the controversy over Origenism, the
first indications of which we know reach the monks of Palestine as
early as 514 and the final resolution of which takes place in 553 at
the Fifth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople. And Letter 821
refers to a decree, issued by Emperor Justinian in 528–9 regarding
pagans and schismatics. Therefore, with known dates spanning 514
to 543, the timeline within which the correspondence was most
likely transmitted is the early part of the sixth century.
There is an interesting legend that comes down to us in the
writings of Evagrius Scholasticus about the death of Barsanuphius.
In his Historia Ecclesiastica, Evagrius dedicates an entire chapter to
Barsanuphius, noting that at the time of his own writing—that is to
say around 593, some fifty years or so after Barsanuphius’ unknown
date of death—the “great old man” is still believed to be alive.
Although no one has actually seen the Old Man or even brought
him food in a very long time, popular opinion nonetheless maintains
that he has not died. When the patriarch of Jerusalem—presumably
Peter of Jerusalem (524–52), whom Letters 813–30 mention—
orders that the door of the cell be pried open, a consuming fire is
said to flash out of the cell, causing everyone present to flee.14 It was
a subtle reminder of the elder’s undiminished influence, long after he
was actually deceased. Barsanuphius never really died; he just further
retired from the world, retreating to a place of utter seclusion and
ultimate silence. He simply no longer dictated letters; or, as Bitton-
Ashkelony and Kofsky put it: “[H]e simply faded away”!15

14
See Evagrius, Historia Ecclesiastica IV, 33 in PG87, ii.2764.
15
Bitton-Ashkelony and Kofsky, The Monastic School of Gaza, 105. On the
monastery of Seridos in Gaza, see Yizhar Hirschfeld, “The Monasteries of Gaza:
An Archaeological Review,” in Christian Gaza in Late Antiquity, ed. B. Bitton-
Ashkelony and A. Kofsky (Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2004), 61–88 [at 76–7]. More recent
excavations have been conducted by the École Biblique on the site of a monastery in
the same area. See E. René-Hassoune Ayman, “Le monastère de St-Hilarion à Umm-
el-`Amr. Bande de Gaza,” Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-
Lettres (2004), 359–82. Also https://journals.openedition.org/syria/474?lang=fr.
Accessed September 15, 2021.
 LUMINARIES OF GAZA 49

We hear very little about Barsanuhpius and John in later years,

just as the testimony about the monastery of Seridos in subsequent
years is scant. We know, for example, that the monastery existed in
the seventh century. Indeed, there is little evidence of their influence
anywhere outside Gaza and Palestine during their lifetime. A late
twelfth-century text, Vita Barsanuphii, was composed by a priest
in Oria, near Brindisi in southern Italy; extracts of this biography
appear in the Acta Sanctorum.16 The Vita contains certain
hagiographical details, including the translation of the relics of
Barsanuphius to southern Italy in the ninth century. Local tradition
claims that the relics are still preserved in the cathedral of Oria,
where to this day two modern statues—one of them hovering
over the city as a patron and protector—and a mural attest to the
popularity of the saint, whose name is also popular as a Christian
name in the region. Barsanuphius is remembered on April 11 in
the West and on February 6 in the East. The Eastern Church also
commemorates Abbot Seridos on August 13, the same day devoted
to Dorotheus of Gaza.

Other Key Personalities

John of Beersheba and Abbot Seridos
­ he opening letters of the correspondence are questions directed
T
to Barsanuphius by John of Beersheba, a devout monk hailing
from the city of Beersheba in the nearby Negev desert. Were it not
for Letter 3 by the “other old man” to John of Beersheba, as well
as a reference in Letter 9 where Barsanuphius forwards greetings
from himself, Seridos, and “our brother John,” it would be very
tempting and unassuming to identify John the Prophet with John of
Beersheba. Another token of evidence against such a theory is found
in Letter 13, which indicates that Seridos is acquainted with “three
[distinct] individuals,” namely, Barsanuphius, John the Prophet, and
John of Beersheba.
Scholars have long held that John of Beersheba was a
distinguished ascetic, living in a local monastery—perhaps serving

See Chitty, The Desert a City, 140, and the introduction to the French edition in SC
16

426 (Paris: Les Editions du Cerf, 1997), 31–2.

50 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

as its abbot—or else as a hermit in a nearby cell. It is generally

assumed that John was well known in Beersheba as an anchorite,
later choosing to enter the community of Seridos under the spiritual
guidance of Barsanuphius, perhaps attracted there by the fluidity
and flexibility of the brotherhood overseen by Seridos. Barsanuphius
would sometimes communicate individually—albeit still through
Seridos—with a number of monks in the monastery (Letters 250
and 503).
That John was not originally a member of the Seridos community
is apparent from the opening question of our correspondence. From
the outset of their epistolary relationship, Barsanuphius speaks to
John with a tone of familiarity that hardly reflects a long-distance
exchange. It may be that John chose the Seridos community at
a mature age out of respect for and devotion to the “great old
man.” It was here that he gradually proved to be a gifted monk
of discernment and discipline—another confirmation that the
free spirit of the Barsanuphian network did not stifle individual
growth, but instead encouraged spiritual formation at a personal
rhythm and rate. It was inevitable that—upon attaining a certain
degree of spiritual maturity—a charismatic monk like John would
steadily exercise considerable authority and leadership within the
community.
However, John’s charismatic presence in the monastery rapidly
becomes a cause of tension with the abbot (Letters 17, 24, and
49). Seridos was probably appointed by Barsanuphius to lead the
community on the basis of his administrative skills rather than
any spiritual qualities. The spiritual authority enjoyed by Seridos
derived predominantly from his relationship with the “great old
man,” whom all of the brothers in the community and in the vicinity
universally revered.
So the correspondence describes the period through which
John adopts a life of stillness beside Barsanuphius, moving from
the monastery of Seridos to a cell beside the “great old man.” The
transition reflects the familiar pattern of Palestinian monasticism,
a movement within the community to a higher level of solitude
and seclusion. To begin with, Barsanuphius permits John of
Beersheba to assume a semi-eremitic life within the confines of
the monastery (Letter 32). With time, however, he permits him
to adopt a life of complete silence and stillness (Letter 36), even
delegating the responsibility of directing others (Letters 37–43). In
 LUMINARIES OF GAZA 51

the correspondence, Barsanuphius waits a period of time before

granting this authority to John (Letter 51), subsequently advising
him to meditate on the letters he has received (Letters 32, 36, and
49) during his early period as a member of the community of
Seridos.
It appears that the loose style of paternal direction promoted
by Barsanuphius in his letters and inside the nearby community
inevitably fostered tensions, albeit all too human, occasionally
arising from ambition or arrogance. Some letters therefore deal
with conflicts arising between elders and their disciples (Letter
503). Two poignant and painful instances of such difficulties affect
the entire community. In the first case, an elder mistreats a monk;
as a result, the younger monk decides to leave the monastery. When
approached on two separate occasions about whether the elder is
at fault or whether the other brothers should find the monk and
convince him to return, Barsanuphius displays an unwillingness to
take sides; he neither chooses to intervene nor again does he permit
others to interfere (Letters 489–91). Instead, he seems to admit and
even approve a degree of autonomy in the relationship between the
elder and the monk. He believes that when both individuals resolve
their pride, the relationship will also be reconciled.
On another occasion (Letter 504), Abba John is sufficiently
open-minded and progressive to recommend to one of the monks,
asking whether he would be permitted to consult an elder other
than his own, that he can do so even without informing his own
elder. John assures the young monk that, over time, this would only
lead him to discover the distinct gift of his relationship with his own
spiritual director. I will return to this instance later, in Chapter 4 on
spiritual direction.
What is important to highlight here is that, in all that he says
and does, Barsanuphius consistently portrays a distinct form of
leadership.17 Presented here for posterity, indeed in such a matter-of-

17
While apparently unique in their balance between spiritual and administrative
authority, as well as in their breadth of mutual and collaborative authority,
Barsanuphius and John may reflect a practice not unfamiliar to monasticism in the
region. See the Lives of John and Cyriacus by Cyril of Scythopolis, Lives. Kyrillos
Von Skythopolis, ed. E. Schwartz, TU 49/2 (Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs Verlag, 1939).
See A.McCray, “Between the Judean Desert and Gaza: Asceticism and the Monastic
Communities of Palestine in the Sixth Century,” LSU Doctoral Dissertations
5214  (2020), https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/5214. Accessed
September 15, 2021.
52 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

fact way, are the practical implications of an open-ended structure of

spiritual authority and spiritual direction. This flexible formation is
best described as an open process rather than a closed system because it
points to spiritual direction as a tentative and delicate exercise, always
very much “a work in progress.” It is a structure that heavily relies on
mutual honesty and spiritual transparency. Barsanuphius constantly
and persistently encourages the freedom of the brothers. If he chastises
a deacon rebelling against his abbot (Letter 239), this only indicates
the space and license that all of the brothers should enjoy in the
community. If on another occasion he criticizes a brother prematurely
seeking the external conditions of solitude (Letter 233), it is because
this opportunity was already partially available to all the monks within
the community.
This open process or overt structure does not, however, imply
that master and disciple are on equal footing. There are times when
Barsanuphius and John strictly recommend following the counsel
of only one spiritual elder (Letter 358). And those who approach
Barsanuphius and John certainly consider them to represent
exceptional models of authority and authenticity. The elders
themselves address their disciples with clarity, attending to every
detail of the disciples’ written questions and unspoken intentions.
Yet their openness is grounded in their ability to discern the value
and valor of the spiritual struggle, which they perceived not so
much as a way of achieving particular merits but of discerning the
presence of God in the tentative relationship between two mortals.
It was inevitable, then, that such an open-ended dynamic
would challenge the individual monks of the community, while at
the same time challenging the very process of spiritual authority.
The relationship between the Seridos and Barsanuphius, as
well as between Dorotheus and John, is undoubtedly far more
problematic than the partnership between Barsanuphius and
John. Even when some of the brothers express reservation, envy,
and hostility (Letters 226, 125, 231, and 235–40), Barsanuphius
would insist that the abbot is an integral part of a unique triangle
or spiritual triumvirate (Letters 132–7). In the unique community
at Thawatha, the inherent structure or reciprocal chain depends on
personal contact and communication on three levels: the monks of
the community à Abbot Seridos (and, to a degree, Dorotheus) à
as well as Barsanuphius and John. Seridos is a man committed to
obedience and a man endowed with authority, at once a disciple
 LUMINARIES OF GAZA 53

and an abbot. These roles are not in danger of conflict, so long as

the two supportive poles of the triarchic structure are maintained
(Letter 570).

Dorotheus of Gaza
John the Prophet, the “other old man,” is not the only example
of a gifted monk progressively promoted within the community.
Dorotheus of Gaza presents the very same dynamics and tensions as
John of Beersheba (Letter 248 and 286–8), except that the younger
Dorotheus is in the long term capable of forging a more fruitful
relationship with his abbot, Seridos. Indeed, Dorotheus is intimately
and idiosyncratically associated with all three of the key figures in
the community at Thawatha: Barsanuphius, John, and Seridos.
An aristocrat, both intelligent and well-educated, trained as a
lawyer but engaged by Barsanuphius as the director of the monastery
infirmary, Dorotheus is characterized by an unusual sensitivity in
relation to his brothers. It comes as no surprise, then, that Abbot
Seridos harnesses Dorotheus’s secular affluence and spiritual
influence to his advantage in the administration of the monastery.
For instance, with the financial assistance of Dorotheus’ brother,
Seridos establishes an infirmary inside the community and places
Dorotheus—who is experienced in medical training and nursing
skills—in charge of attending to the health of the brothers. From
this position of responsibility and authority, Dorotheus regularly
finds himself in direct consultation with the abbot. Subsequently,
Seridos appoints Dorotheus to one of the most noble and enviable
services within the monastery, namely the personal care of the
“other old man,” John the Prophet.
Much like the connection that John of Beersheba enjoyed with
Barsanuphius, Dorotheus had prior communication with the two
Old Men (Letters 252–4). However, as a result of his prosperous
upbringing in society as well as his privileged position in the
monastery, Dorotheus frequently becomes the target of envy and
hatred on the part of his brothers (Letters 286 and 313). So intense
is the emotional pressure that Dorotheus considers abandoning
his duties and leaving the monastery. Only the unfailing support
of the two elders eventually sustains him during this difficult
period (Letters 259 and 314). As in the case of John of Beersheba,
54 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Dorotheus’ own relationship with Abbot Seridos is occasionally

strained (Letter 288). Nevertheless, Seridos is able to recognize the
young monk’s gifts, elevating him to higher levels of responsibility
while entrusting other monks to his care.
Perhaps the relationship between Seridos and Dorotheus is
delicately balanced by the common task of both in serving as scribes
to the Old Men and in transmitting their directives to the rest of the
community. They are the only ones permitted to meet with or speak
directly to Barsanuphius and John. Dorotheus serves for nine years in
this capacity, until the deaths of Seridos and John (c. 543). Based on
the fact that Dorotheus frequently recalls John’s words by memory, it
may be argued that—unlike Seridos who merely serves as a scribe for
dictation, Dorotheus actually becomes a broker of relationships.18
Still, there is no reason to deny the equivalence in the functions of
Dorotheus and Seridos. After all, Seridos also records a great deal
from memory, even expressing apprehension about whether he will
remember the elder’s words with accuracy (Letter 2).
After the death of the two Old Men, Dorotheus leaves the
monastery—possibly to enjoy the quiet of solitude that he witnessed
in his renowned elders or else to found a new community near Gaza
based on the model of monasticism that he had experienced at
Thawatha. The likelihood of the second option is supported by the
sudden, almost total absence of Seridos’s community in subsequent
historical sources as well as by the full title of Dorotheus’s works:
“Discourses from our holy father Dorotheus to his disciples when
he withdrew from that of Abba Seridos and, with [the grace of]
God, founded his own monastery, after the death of Abba John
the Prophet and the complete silence of Barsanuphius.”19 Whether
addressing his disciples in solitude or in community, Dorotheus
and his writings represent the spiritual succession and historical
sequel of the community in Thawatha and the correspondence of
Barsanuphius and John.
Little or nothing is known with any degree of certainty about
Dorotheus’s life after his departure from the community of Seridos.
Outside of his spiritual writings, no other remainder or reminder

18
Cf. F. Neyt, Les lettres à Dorothée dans la correspondance de Barsanuphe et de
Jean de Gaza, Doctoral Dissertation, University of Louvain (1969), xlvii.
19
See Regnault and de Préville, ed. Dorothée de Gaza, 73 [English translation].
 LUMINARIES OF GAZA 55

survives: no physical or material relic, no knowledge or evidence

of a grave, and almost no information or recollection about the
monastic community that he founded. So could Dorotheus be
anonymously and silently present in the collection and preservation
of the letters of Barsanuphius and John? Is it coincidental that his
personal letters to the two old men are scattered throughout the
correspondence, sometimes preserved without any attribution?
There is surely validity to the hypothesis that Dorotheus is
the compiler of the correspondence. Seridos could not possibly
be just an editor, since many letters deal with events surrounding
his own death. Moreover, not only is Dorotheus the most famous
disciple of the two Old Men, but he is also the only well-known
disciple to survive the elders. Dorotheus would surely have had
access to the manuscripts of the letters, but he would also have
recalled the circumstances surrounding the questions in order to
fill any apparent gaps.20 Moreover, the absence of Dorotheus’s
name in some of the earlier manuscripts—coupled with Dorotheus’
motivation to exclude reference to his own name out of humility
for the sake of posterity—further suggest the likelihood of this
hypothesis.21
Several letters (Letters 570–99) present us with information
about the lives of John, Seridos, and Aelianos—the successor to
Seridos as abbot of the monastery. At some point between 543 and
544, the monastery undergoes a number of significant changes:
Abbot Seridos dies and the “other old man,” John, follows suit;
Barsanuphius himself enters a life of complete seclusion, thereafter
devoting his life to total silence in a sealed cell. This is the point at
which Dorotheus leaves the community.

20
See Dorotheus, Instruction 1, Sources Chrétiennes 92, 288 (PG88.1697). See also
John Moschus, Spiritual Meadow, ch. 166, PG87.3033. It has also been suggested
that, as Barsanuphius’ closest friend, John of Beersheba may be the editor of the
correspondence. However, while John of Beersheba is the recipient of around fifty
letters (all of them from Barsanuphius), Dorotheus is the recipient of almost 100
letters (addressed to him by both of the elders). It would, therefore, be reasonable
to conclude that, more than anyone else, Dorotheus was well acquainted with the
two elders and the letters addressed to their numerous visitors. See Hevelone-Harper,
Letters, 37.
21
Ibid., 91–7.
56 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Aelianos: The New Abbot

When Seridos and—just two weeks later (Letter 599)—John die
(c. 543), the delicate structure of authority and spiritual direction
in the community appears to collapse. The sense of continuity and
stability provided by Barsanuphius, John, and Seridos is replaced
by a sense of vulnerability and fragility. A series of twenty-nine
letters (571–99) describes the ensuing dramatic adjustments in the
monastery as administrative authority changes hands. For several
decades prior to this, Barsanuphius and John had directed the
community at Thawatha. Seridos left behind a will that included a
list of monks who might conceivably replace him. A layman (Letter
574) by the name of Aelianos is finally appointed, after first being
tonsured monk, ordained priest, and installed as abbot (Letter 575).
Aelianos is a wealthy man (Letter 571), himself also previously in
correspondence with the two Old Men about the possibility of
retiring to the monastery in the future.
Perhaps Aelianos was a good candidate because, as an outsider,
he was not enmeshed in the intense triangle of spiritual relations
that had shaped and sustained the community’s leadership up to
that point. We know that all other candidates proposed by the
brotherhood declined out of modesty (Letter 574), though possibly
also out of trepidation for the internal rivalries that such a role
innately fostered. But Aelianos faced the added burden of leading
a community now bereft of both Seridos the Abbot and John the
Prophet. He was moreover deprived of the inspired guidance of
Barsanuphius, who decided to withdraw into complete seclusion
soon after Seridos’s death.
Above all, however, the common denominator—the fatherly
figure of Barsanuphius, who for an entire generation had united
everyone inside and around the community—had suddenly
disappeared. The new abbot would strive to maintain the same
policy established by Seridos and John. But now there was a glaring
vacuum. The spiritual outlet and protection that Seridos enjoyed—
able at any time to defer to another, a higher authority that would
resolve difficult decisions and absorb divisive tensions—were no
longer at his disposal. Aelianos was not simply elected abbot; he
succeeded and inherited an entire network of authority. Now, one
person alone was obliged to exercise an authority and responsibility
 LUMINARIES OF GAZA 57

previously shared on all levels by three people. Perhaps this was

the invisible, albeit inherent weakness of the exceptional system at
Thawatha.
Brief note should be made here of the overall influence of John
the Prophet on Barsanuphius himself as well as on the entire
community. It may well be that John is actually Barsanuphius’ alter
ego.22 There is a possibility that the correspondence conceals John’s
role; instead it seeks to emphasize the supremacy of Barsanuphius
and the secondary, derivative, significance of John. Nonetheless, the
sudden departure of Barsanuphius—like the utter disappearance
of Seridos’s community from the sources—suggests the prospect
of John possessing a more central and influential role, both with
regard to the emergence of Barsanuphius in particular as well as
to the reputation of the community in general. This deference of
John to Barsanuphius parallels that of John the Baptist to Jesus
Christ (Mt 3:11)—an intimate form of humility that also reflects
the relationship between Timothy and Paul.
Certainly the distinctive characteristics of Barsanuphius imply
a shyer man, who may have been encouraged to surface from
his seclusion and silence by a more outgoing John, who early
recognized in him a man of profound discernment and exceptional
charisma. It is the more extroverted personality of John that handles
communications with the hierarchical and institutional world of
the time. After the death of Seridos, Barsanuphius continues to
communicate with letters, whether through Aelianos or some
other monk. Upon the demise of John, however, Barsanuphius
understandably returns to a life of seclusion and silence, one
with which he would have been more accustomed and which he
presumably preferred prior to John’s arrival at Thawatha.
Either way, these end-of-life developments affirm that
Barsanuphius and John brought out the best in each other (as well
as in others), resulting in a truly remarkable force—two elders,
pursuing the extraordinary in the very ordinary and drawing life-
changing associations between monastic seclusion and social
integration.

22
L. Regnault, Maîtres spirituels au désert de Gaza: Barsanuphe, Jean et Dorothée
(Sable-sur-Sarthe: Abbaye de Solesmes, 1967), 19.
 3
Fundamental Concepts
and Principles

Looking through a Window Frame

What did the world look like inside the community at Thawatha?
Or, more precisely, how do the two elders—and their neighboring
community—view the outside world in the nearby city of Gaza, the
Holy Land in the region surrounds them, and the universe around
the broader Mediterranean?
Before exploring some of the more definitive and foundational
teachings of Barsanuphius and John, it may be helpful to conduct a
panoramic survey of the historical pedigree, theological worldview,
and spiritual cornerstone that inspires and supports their mindset
and outlook.

Scripture and Sacraments

The Word of Life
The two elders cite profusely from the Hebrew and Christian
Scriptures; indeed, as with the writers of the New Testament,
Barsanuphius and John have access to the translation of the Seventy.
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 59

The Bible is their principal source and basis. In fact, they quote
from every single book of Scripture, including many of the deutero-
canonical texts, while spontaneously composing devotional prayers
based entirely on passages from the Old and New Testaments. In
this respect, their letters are like breathing concordances of written
Scripture. For them, the Gospel is the sacred and quintessential
vehicle for transmitting the monastic message.
Firmly rooted in the classical tradition of the Church Fathers,
particularly in the Alexandrian emphasis on the primacy of
the divine Word, Barsanuphius likes to adapt and incorporate
Scripture—both allegorically and spiritually—as he responds to
the particular needs of each individual. For him, as indeed for
the earlier monks in Scetis, the Word of God is always the word
of life. Unlike theological abstraction, which can be a source of
self-indulgence, the use of Scripture is considered a wellspring
of self-subsistence. It is not that contemplation in itself is
objectionable or unreliable; but scripture is always preferable to
speculation, while silence is clearly preferable to both scripture
and speculation (Letter 547).
The list of scriptural passages cited, either directly or indirectly,
in this sixth-century document is indeed impressive and inspiring.
The Book of Psalms has of course always been a favorite among
monastics through the ages, and the “great old man” has some
distinctive preferences. Moreover, he frequently quotes from the
Wisdom literature: especially from Job, Proverbs, and Sirach; he
also refers, though less frequently, to the Song of Songs and the
Wisdom of Solomon. Of the prophetic writers, Isaiah is cited most
extensively, followed by Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
The New Testament is overall afforded a place of priority.
Barsanuphius cites all four of the Gospels, particularly delighting
in the Sermon on the Mount. His predilection with Paul includes
the Letter to the Romans and the Letters to the Corinthians; above
all, however, he borrows heavily from the Letter to the Hebrews.
Another standard favorite in monastic circles is the Letter of James,
and Barsanuphius is no exception here. Finally, the general tone
pervading the correspondence is that of the heavenly kingdom, as
portrayed in the Book of Revelation.
So Barsanuphius knows the Scriptures very well. The Word of
God is what provides him with nourishment. He preaches—with
60 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

the authority of a spiritual master—through both experience and

explication. For the Gaza elders, the Word of God informs the
mind and transforms the heart. Their purpose is to provide moral
commentary and personal application. Some letters resemble
complete treatises with protracted strings—or sequences—of
scriptural passages reminiscent of Origen of Alexandria.
On the whole, their appreciation of the Bible is strikingly
refreshing. One letter (Letter 10) describes Christ as light,
shelter, way, power, crown, speed, master, and savior. Letter 31
recalls the great biblical figures: Joseph (for chastity), Moses
(for meekness), Noah (for poverty), Abraham (for humility), Job
(for endurance), Joshua (for courage), David (for submission of
passions), Solomon (for wisdom), Jonas (for risking all), Daniel
(for discernment), and so on. This is how Barsanuphius and John
may have acquired and assimilated the scriptures from Anthony
and the Egyptian elders.1
Perhaps more importantly, there is no clear line of demarcation
between the Word of God in scripture, the interpretive word of
a spiritual guide, and the distinctive application of this word
by the disciple. Barsanuphius appropriates and interiorizes
the Bible; this is what allows him to share it with others. It is
precisely the authoritative role of the biblical word that presents
Barsanuphius with a license to affirm the validity of his own
words while at the same time admitting the deficiency of his
own role:

Ruminate on my letters, and you will be saved. In them, you have

the Old and the New Testaments, if only you can understand.
Indeed, if you understand them, you will not need any other
book. (Letter 49)

I have written more than enough to you. These words are

sufficient to lead a person from the beginner’s stage to perfection.
Study and remember them so that you do not forget them. For
they contain an entire library. (Letter 32)

1
Cf. Athanasius, Life of Antony; and Apophthegmata Patrum, ed. J. Cl. Guy, in
Sources Chrétiennes 387 (Paris: Les Editions du Cerf, 1993), chap. 1, no. 23, 114–15.
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 61

The disciple should strive to remember the elder’s words about

scripture (Letters 20, 32, and 49):

Response from the same Great Old Man to the same person,
advising him continually to remember the things he wrote for his
benefit and for the support of his heart. Solomon said about his
parents: “They taught me and told me, let our word be established
in your heart” (Prv 4:4). So, then, I also say the same to you, brother.
Let my words be firmly established in your heart. And meditate
continually on everything I have written to you; just as God said
through the mouth of Moses: “Bind them on your right hand, and
they shall remain steadily before your eyes at all times; and study
them when you are asleep and awake, when you travel and sit at
home” (Dt 6:7–8). Demonstrate the same progress in the perfection
of your works, and my God will be with you to the ages. (Letter 11)

FIGURE 2  Icon of Sts Barsanuphius and John.

62 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

This illustrates how, when Barsanuphius dictates to—and through—

Abbot Seridos, a veritable ritual unfolds. Moreover, throughout this
process, the distinction becomes somewhat blurred between the
inspiration of the living book and the inspiration of a living elder.
After all, it is one and the same Spirit that breathes in both. This is
what accounts for Barsanuphius’ extraordinary humility, on the one
hand, since he is aware of his limitations; and, on the other hand,
it explains the striking boldness that calmly asserts his authority.
“You have sufficient divine food [in the letters] from me to last you
for a long time (Letter 17).” “Whoever drinks of the water” which
I send through my letters, “will never thirst to the age” (Jn 4:14)
(Letter 43).
In his letters, Barsanuphius—and it is normally the “great
old man” who responds to more delicate matters by offering
elaborate commentaries on Scripture—searches for deeper
spiritual meaning, discerning the face of Christ in the Bible. For
him, after all, it all makes sense “today,” “now” (Letter 167). This
is why “the Son of God became human for you” (Letter 199).
His typology is fundamentally Christocentric, centering primarily
on the Cross (see Letters 45–8, 62, 70, 106, 124–6, and 182).
The Crucifixion leads Barsanuphius to an intense sensitivity and
compassion for human frailty and mortality as well as to an acute
sense of hope and anticipation for the heavenly kingdom: “Who
does not know that we are in the final hour?” (Letter 36)
While clearly distinguished from and comparatively critical of
Origenism as an exegetical methodology,2 the interpretive style
of Barsanuphius is indebted to his Alexandrian predecessor with
regard to this emphasis on the kingdom, as well as to the Letter
to the Hebrews. After all, as I discuss below in Chapter 4 where
I explore his teaching on spiritual direction, the “great old man”
feels personally obligated to and responsible for his disciples, for
whom he will also be accountable on that final day of judgment:
“Here am I and the children whom God has given me (Is 8:18;
Heb 2:13)” (Letter 607).

2
See Letters 600–7. Letter 604 introduces a refreshing way of addressing theological
heresy, linking its transmission to the critical role of spiritual lineage and inferring
that it is the result of an interruption in the succession of spiritual leadership. The
softer approach to Origen in the correspondence reflects its composition before the
condemnation of Origenism in 543 and 553.
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 63

Life-giving Mysteries
Many monastic texts are curiously silent about the sacramental life
of the early hermits and communities. For instance, in his Life of
Antony, Athanasius—fourth-century Archbishop of Alexandria and
clearly concerned about the liturgical life of his district—provides
no explicit testimonial as to whether “the father of the monasticism”
ever received holy communion during his countless years in what he
called his “outer” and “inner” deserts. His contemporary Evagrius
of Pontus—a monk commonly considered “the theoretician of
monasticism”—makes little if any reference to the sacraments in
his influential treatises. And in his undisputable masterpiece of
monastic literature, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, John Climacus—
seventh-century hermit and abbot of the renowned monastery
on Mt. Sinai—mentions the sacrament of communion only in his
chapter on insensitivity and the sacrament of baptism only in his
chapter devoted to tears.3
Such a reticence about the sacraments obviously neither
constitutes an established rule nor implies that these authors in any
way undermine their significance or centrality for the ascetic life.
Indeed, even as prominent a pope of Rome as Gregory the Great
does not refer at all to the Eucharist in his famous Moralia. Perhaps
these authors take the sacraments for granted, or perhaps they do
not consider themselves obliged to spotlight them in their writings.
Whatever the case, there are many significant exceptions to this
rule of silence. For instance, in the early fifth century, Mark the
Monk emphasizes the sacrament of baptism as the quintessential
cornerstone for his entire teaching. And in the sixth century, our
own Barsanuphius and John undoubtedly stand out as brilliant
rarities and unique advocates of the sacramental life.
Several letters, then, refer to the importance of baptism into
the faith of the Nicaean Fathers (Letters 58 and 694), to salvation
deriving from baptism as deliverance from death to life (Letters
62 and 211), and to the baptism of heretics (Letters 820–2). A
number of letters refer to forgiveness through the prayer (Jas 5:16)
and power (Jn 20:23) of the saints, who can bind and loose sins

3
See, for instance, John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, trans. C. Luibheid
and N. Russell (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1982), Steps 18 and 7, respectively.
64 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

through the sacrament of confession (Letters 10, 107, 194, 220,

226, 233, 240, 277, 345, 359, 399, 404, 444, and 543), while they
cite holy unction as the sacrament of healing and reconciliation (Jas
5:14–15. See Letter 211).
Beyond this explicit mention of sacraments, other letters refer to
liturgical customs and rituals (Letters 4, 241, and 742), liturgical
cycles and offices (Letters 32, 50, 143, 169, 178, 209, 334, 427–8,
519, 739, 751, and 821), as well as participation in the sacrament
of the Eucharist itself (Letters 241, 334, 404, and 463–4), which
Barsanuphius describes as an “incorruptible sacrifice, offered
for the life of the world. The one who truly eats thereof is also
sacrificed and not dominated by spiritual corruption” (Letter
137b). A monk is to approach communion with fear of God, faith,
and love (Letters 170, 241, and 244), but also with humility and
without vainglory (Letters 742 and 821), in order to participate
without condemnation (Letters 170 and 570b) in the sacraments
of the church. Ever conscious of and compassionate toward human
frailty and everyday reality, the two elders are careful to explain
that, if a monk is unwell or incapacitated, he may even partake of
the sacred mysteries in his own cell rather than being obliged to
attend a church (Letter 212).

Overview and Worldview

Before exploring some of the central principles of the ascetic
teaching and spirituality of Barsanuphius and John, it may be
helpful to offer two parenthetical though fundamental comments on
their understanding of 1) the relationship between ascetic practice
and abstract theology, and 2) the distinction between monastic
life and secular life. These observations relate to commonplace
assumptions and misconceptions about monasticism through the
centuries.
First, it is often tempting to separate ascetic practice from abstract
theology, categorizing the former as the experience of saintly,
albeit manifestly less scholarly representatives of the mystical
way, and the latter as the expression of more intellectual, albeit
not necessarily less spiritual representatives of the contemplative
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 65

way. Certainly the two Palestinian elders encourage their disciples

to imitate the “ways” rather than merely iterating the “words” of
the patristic tradition (Letter 604). Still, it is hazardous to establish
priorities in the spiritual life, exalting seemingly more abstract
matters, while denigrating more practical activities. I am not sure
that Barsanuphius and John would feel comfortable advancing
any distinction between prayer and practice, or between asceticism
and theology; Barsanuphius speaks of the wisdom of silence.4 For
the two elders, work is inseparable from prayer, and work is not a
distraction from prayer (Letter 150).
Moreover, while the letters offer balanced and practical advice
about the spiritual life, they nonetheless contain remarkable nuances
and theological insights. For instance, Letters 600–7 deal with
doctrinal questions—especially related to Origen of Alexandria,
Evagrius of Pontus, and Didymus the Blind—posed by a monk in
the community. As a rule, however, whenever the elders respond to
such theological questions, it is primarily in benevolent deference to
queries from their disciples.

God does not demand these things [i.e., questioning doctrinal

matters] from us. Rather, he demands sanctification, purification,
silence, and humility. Nevertheless, since I do not want to leave
your thoughts unanswered, and I have been afflicted in my
prayers to God in order that He might assure me in regard to
this matter, I am constrained by this dilemma, yet choose instead
to endure affliction in myself in order to relieve you of your own
affliction … For you will not be asked about these matters on
that day [of judgement], as to why you do not understand them
or why you have not learned about them. (Letter 604)5

At the same time, while in most of their responses, Barsanuphius

and John normally describe the toilsome journey of the ascetic

4
See Letters 8–9, 22, 119, 163, 213, 247, 311, 565, and 582.
5
Doctrinal and ecclesiastical issues are also treated in the correspondence: general
issues (Letter 370), the Trinity (Letters 169 and 600), the Council of Nicaea (Letters
58 and 701), martyrdom (Letter 433), the Canons of the Church (Letter 170),
the teaching of St. John Chrysostom (Letter 464), deification (Letter 199), and
relationships of bishops vis-à-vis heretics (Letters 694–702, 733–5, 775, and 792).
66 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

struggle, they sometimes define—while at the same time being very

careful not to devalue—the mystical goal of the spiritual life and
sheer delight of arriving there:

Having arrived at this point, [the saints] attained to that degree

where there is no agitation or distraction, becoming all intellect,
all eye, all life, all light, all perfect, all god. They toiled, they were
magnified, they were glorified, they shone, they were perfected;
they lived, because first they died. Now they rejoice, and so they
make others rejoice, too. (Letter 207)

The second distinction that sometimes poses a false dilemma is

between the monastic life and the secular life. Under the umbrella
of monastic life, people typically include all the diverse practices of
discipline identified with those renouncing the world and assuming
the cross, following Christ in total obedience, to the point of death.
By the same token, under the classification of secular life, we
generally subsume all of the virtues to be acquired and vices to be
avoided by every Christian. Once again, the tendency is to imagine
that monasticism is somehow exceptional, beyond the ordinary
experience and expectation of other Christians. Yet Barsanuphius
and John refuse to distinguish between the way of the desert and the
way of the world. Most of their correspondence may be addressed
to a monastic audience, but a significant portion of it comprises
responses to laypersons asking personal questions and receiving
practical responses.
It is helpful here to recall the words of Basil of Caesarea, for
whom the life of monasticism is none other than “the way of the
Gospel.”6 In the spiritual life, there can be no sharp demarcation
between monastics and non-monastics; the monastic life is simply
the Christian life lived out in a particular way. The external
circumstances of the response to our vocation to wholeness and
holiness may vary, but the internal path is essentially one and
the same. Monks are baptized Christians who have discovered
alternative possibilities of imitating Christ; but Christians in the
world encounter the same challenges and have the same goals. The

6
Basil, Letter 207, 2 PG32.761.
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 67

benchmarks and impediments of monastics and lay Christians may

be distinct, but they are not different.
In fact, Barsanuphius and John scarcely distinguish between
monastics and lay people. In their letters, lay Christians ask about
the ascetic life, while questions posed by monastics relate to the
spiritual life. Each is called to do whatever one is doing, to be
whatever one is supposed to be, to “follow one’s particular ways”
(Letter 840). The only prerequisite for everyone is to “examine
one’s ways”—variously designated as an injunction to study
(μελέτησον), pay attention (πρόσεχε), search (ἐξέτασον), and on two
occasions in the same letter (838), grope in the darkness of one’s
heart (ψηλάφησον).
Barsanuphius makes it perfectly clear that he professes the
universality of God and espouses salvation through a God
addressed to all and achievable by all. The internal structure of the
correspondence provided by the editor suggests the same: it dedicates
the first section to hermits (Letters 1–223), devotes the next section
to monastics in community (Letters 224–616), and directs the final
section to bishops and laity in cities (Letters 617–850). Indeed, the
monastery of Seridos seems to be a unique institution combining and
adapting—within one and the same brotherhood—the three forms
of monastic life originating in early Egypt: the eremitic (adopted
by hermits or recluses), the semi-eremitic (observed in sketes or
groups of cells), and the cenobitic (found in larger monasteries
or communities).7 Monks could gradually progress from one (the
normal starting-point is the community) to another level, always
with the blessing of Barsanuphius, while simultaneously remaining
in the same setting (Letters 36, 121, and 239).

Mindset and Approach

The letters therefore reveal the mindset and outlook of the two
Old Men as they advise those seeking understanding and wisdom,
irrespective of whether they are monastic or secular Christians.
Often they aim to awaken their listeners from despondency or

7
See Bitton-Ashkelony and Kofsky, The Monastic School of Gaza, 5 and 225.
68 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

lift them from despair. At one point, surprisingly striking because

of its conventional and conversational style, the “other old man”
remarks: “Awaken the Jesus that lies asleep within” (Letter 182).
This is a striking example of the very ordinary language of the
letters revealing the extraordinary insight of the elders, who are
equally capable of penetrating the soul of the specific recipient as
well as the heart of the contemporary reader.
In this regard, the elders advise their disciples never to be
overwhelmed by, but always to welcome temptations:

­ ou should give glory to God for demonstrating the truth of

Y
Scripture. For it is said: “God is faithful, and he will not let you
be tested beyond your strength” (1 Cor 10:13). He allows you to
be tested according to your strength; while those who are great,
he tests according to their own strength with diverse temptations,
and they rejoice in this. For temptation brings us to progress; and
wherever there is good, there also temptation occurs. So do not
be afraid of temptations, but rejoice that they are leading you to
progress. Simply scorn them, and God will assist you and protect
you. (Letter 496)

The two Old Men offer strength and support. This is what they do,
and it is what they enjoin others to do as well:

What you should do is endure with thanksgiving whatever comes

your way and suffer with everyone in the community. In this way,
you are fulfilling the command of the Apostle (see 1 Cor 12:26):
namely, to grieve with the person who is grieving, in order to
comfort and console that person. That is what compassion is; and
it is a good thing to suffer with the weak in order to contribute
to their healing. Indeed, if a doctor is rewarded for caring for
patients, how much more so will you be rewarded when you
suffer as much as you can with your neighbor in everything?8
(Letter 315)

8
On healing in Palestinian literature, see Kyle Schenkewitz, Dorotheos of Gaza and
the Discourse of Healing in Gazan Monasticism (New York: Peter Lang Publishing,
2015).
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 69

And the elders are always positive: “Listen, my child, for every
passion there is a medicine, and for every sin there is proper
repentance” (Letter 226). They completely identify with their
spiritual children and fully empathize with their suffering:

If I could, I would fill these letters with tears and send them to
you, since you have afflicted yourself; this would have been of
greater benefit to you. (Letter 229)

­I have written to you as if to my own soul. (Letter 16)

Ten Spiritual Principles

With such a compassionate and encouraging approach, it is
easy to see why people flocked to the cells of Barsanuphius and
John. Receiving a response to an enquiry was attended by a full
immersion into their profound insight and wisdom: vigilance in
temptation, gratitude and joy, humility and love, and above all
prayer.
The following ten fundamental points or spiritual principles
serve as a window frame displaying the fundamental contours
of their worldview. By allowing the elders to speak in their own
words, my purpose here is to provide readers with a sense of
their openness and freshness, as well as the breadth and depth of
their instruction that inspired with numerous and heterogeneous
visitors.

1. Constant Vigilance
Pay attention to yourself with vigilance, that you may set God
before you at all times, that the words of the prophet may be
fulfilled: “I beheld the Lord ever before me; for he is on my right
hand, that I may not be shaken” (Ps 15:8). Stretch out your hands
with all your soul to the things that lie before you, and meditate
on this continually, that you may hear God’s voice saying to you:
“Behold, I am sending you my angel, to prepare the way that lies
before you” (Mt 11:10). (Letter 7)
70 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

We are always supposed to “make a new beginning,” say the two

Old Men.9 But this beginning is forged in light of the end. The
reason for vigilance is the unfading certainty of one’s impending
death, which should become the focus for one’s attentive life.

­ e vigilant, brother; for you are mortal and ephemeral. Do

B
not consent to lose eternal life for a fleeting moment. (Letter
256)

Pay attention to yourself, and expect your impending death.

Repeat to yourself the words of the blessed Arsenius: “Arsenius,
why did you leave the world?”10 (ibid.)

2. Unabating Temptation
The struggle against the passions is powerful and persistent, but it is
also productive and promising. Barsanuphius will often reply: “The
untempted is also untested” (Letters 248, 258, and 499). However,
the fact that one’s struggle to remain focused through constant
vigilance is unnatural in a world of distraction is highlighted by
the word “force”: “For the kingdom of heaven is taken by force”
(Mt 11:12).

Brother, “forcing oneself in all things” and humility brings one

to progress. Even the Apostle says this: “We are afflicted in every
way, but not crushed” (2 Cor 4:8) … This is why a person should
not hold to one’s own will but in everything blame oneself; then
that person will find the mercy of God. However, if the devil
fools someone into arrogantly presuming one has done well,
then everything that has been achieved is lost. Therefore, as you
do whatever you do, humbly say: “Lord, forgive me; for I have
burdened the Abbot, by casting on him my burden.” And the
Lord Jesus Christ will save you. (Letter 243)

9
This phrase—reflective of a peculiar Egyptian colloquialism—is henceforth
established in ascetic terminology. See Letters 55, 257, 266, 276, 493, 497, 500, 562,
614, and 788.
10
Arsenius 40, in Sayings.
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 71

The ascetic continually struggles against the “eight passions”

(Letter 44), or “seven nations”11 (Letter 209), in order to purify the
“five senses”12 (Letters 208 and 612). This is how to achieve results
in the spiritual life. The correspondence constantly emphasizes the
importance of harvesting the consequences to one’s actions: “You
shall know them by their works” (Mt 7:16) or fruits (cf. Letters 22,
23, 94, 238, 401, 405, 453, and 455).

3. Persistent Gratitude
The words “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thes 5:18)
constitute an order. (Letter 267)

Let us never lose our thanksgiving. (Letter 366)

Question.  How is it possible to give thanks to God worthily?

Response.  People who are frivolous forgive one another for the
slightest thing, and even relieve others of terrible affliction,
so that these confess their gratitude and proclaim to all the
benefit procured. How much more so, then, should we give
thanks, when we receive benefits from God in every way?
With what words can we ever sufficiently thank Him, who
above all else created us and offered us assistance against
our enemies by giving us prudence of heart, health of body,
light in the eyes, breath of life and especially a place for
repentance and the possibility of receiving his body and
blood for the forgiveness of our sins and establishment of
our heart? …

11
The concept of eight thoughts (sometimes condensed to seven passions, especially
in the West) derives from Evagrius of Pontus, who probably inherited it from the
desert fathers in Egypt and originally from Origen of Alexandria. Evagrius was the
first to order these thoughts in monastic theology. See On the Eight Thoughts, in
Evagrius of Pontus: The Greek Ascetic Corpus, trans. Robert E. Sinkewicz (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2003).
12
The concept of five spiritual senses is also derived from Evagrius, who in turn
again inherited it from Origen of Alexandria. See Karl Rahner, “The Doctrine of the
‘Spiritual Senses’ in Origen,” in Theological Investigations: Experience of the Spirit,
vol. 16 (New York: Seabury, repr. 1979), 81–103.
72 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Let us, therefore, thank Him as much as we can, with our

mouth and heart. He is so loving-kind toward us that he will
count and number us with the copper coins of that widow
(Mk 12:42). That is why sinners are obliged to give thanks;
because the righteous give more than thanks, even when they
are torn up and put to death, according to St. Paul, who says:
“Give thanks” (1 Thes 5:18) to God. (Letter 404)

We are called to offer thanks to God in all things (Letters 2, 6, 29,

45, 191, 201, 351, 384, 574, and 682), including illness (Letters
174, 182, 197, 211, and 515). Such gratitude comprises an act of
sacrifice, which can even intercede to God for us: “In all things
give thanks to God. For thanksgiving intercedes to God for our
weakness!” (Letter 214)

4. The Mark of Joy

One of the most definitive and delightful legacies of these Palestinian
elders is their emphasis on joy. The sense of hopefulness and
cheerfulness consistently opens and closes their correspondence
(Letters 10 and 848), while at least twenty responses convey a
sense of balance and equilibrium by stressing the need for light
and grace, along with hope and joy, in the spiritual life (Letters
220–3 and 569).
This teaching is an assurance by the elders that the light of the
kingdom overcomes any fear of the judgment. Moreover, the endless
joy of the spiritual life prevails over the temporary pain in life (Letter
115). Such joy stems from the conviction that God never abandons
us (Letter 77). Barsanuphius repeatedly exclaims: “Rejoice in the
Lord; rejoice in the Lord; rejoice in the Lord” (Letter 10). “Rejoice
in the Lord, brother; rejoice in the Lord, beloved; rejoice in the
Lord, fellow heir” (Letter 87). This threefold repetition is at the
heart of his message that true joy comes from above:

May the God of our Fathers bring you into this joy. For it
contains ineffable light, and it is brilliant and sweet. It does not
remember earthly nourishment, but reaches out only to what is
above, meditating with what is above, where Christ is seated at
the right hand of the Father. (Letter 98, Athens ms.)
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 73

However, despite the divine origin of joy, it is a state to which

everyone without exception should aspire: “May you rejoice in the
Lord when you have reached the goal, and when you are about
to reach it, as well as when you are still awaiting to reach it”
(Letter 137).

5. Applied Humility
Question to the Great Old Man: Tell me, father, what does
humility mean? …
Response by Barsanuphius.  Humility means regarding yourself
as “earth and ashes” (Gn 18:27) in deeds and not just in
words, and saying: “Who am I?” (2 Sm 7:18). “Who counts
me as anything?” “I have nothing to do with anyone.” (Letter
100)
Humility means not reckoning yourself as anything in
every situation, cutting off your own will in everything, and
calmly enduring whatever occurs from outside. This is true
humility, in which there is no room for vainglory. The person
who feels humble does not need to seek to speak humbly; it is
enough for that person to say: “Forgive me and pray for me.”
Nor is it necessary for that person to pursue humble matters
relating to oneself. For both of these create vainglory and
do not allow one to make progress. Nevertheless, when you
receive an order and consequently contradict this in practice,
then you are certainly led to progress. There are two kinds
of such disregard: one derives from within the heart, and
the other arises from injuries received from the outside. The
second is greater, namely the one that comes from the outside.
For the one that comes from the heart takes less labor than the
one that comes from people; whereas the latter creates more
pain in the heart. Guarding one’s own heart is compunction
of heart. (Letter 278)

Humility is a form of self-emptying that recalls and even resembles

death. The process of dying implies learning to prioritize and
sympathize. However, in order to learn something new, one needs
first to surrender and be emptied. Transformation involves a form
of dying, always however in the context of new life.
74 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

6. Not Reckoning Oneself as Anything

(τό ἀψήφιστον)
Be carefree from all things; then, you will have time for God. Die
to all people; for this is true exile. Moreover, retain the virtue
of not reckoning yourself as anything; in this way, you will find
your thought to be undisturbed. And do not consider yourself as
having achieved done anything good; thus, your reward will be
kept whole. (Letter 259)

You should keep your tongue from idle talk, your stomach from
pleasure, refrain from irritating your neighbor, remain modest,
do not reckon yourself as anything, love everyone, and always
have God in your intellect, always remembering the time when
you will appear before God’s countenance. Keep these things,
and your soil will yield a hundredfold (Mt 4:8) in terms of fruits
for God. (Letter 271)

Barsanuphius is specifically asked to explain this complex notion,

which is so central to his teaching.

Question to the Great Old Man:  Father, what does it mean not
to reckon oneself as anything?13
Response.  Brother, not reckoning oneself as anything means
not equating oneself with anyone and not saying anything
with regard to any good deed that you may have achieved.
(Letter 227)

He is of course hardly innovating here; in fact, he attributes the

concept to the desert fathers of Egypt:

­ e are called to strive for these things, for which our Fathers
W
also strove in the past, especially those around Abba Poemen
and the others with him who struggled in this way. This struggle
includes not reckoning oneself as anything, not assessing oneself
as something special, and simply regarding oneself as earth and

Dorotheus of Gaza develops this theme in his Spiritual Works, Letter 2.

13
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 75

ashes (Gn 18:27). By contrast, the struggle of those living in

the world involves regarding oneself as knowing everything,
causing oneself to puff up in arrogance, reckoning oneself
and assessing oneself in everything, and ultimately avoiding
humility. (Letter 604)

7. Pretense to Rights (τό δικαίωμα)

This is another virtue that the “great old man” is asked to explain
and whose origin he ascribes again to Egypt. It is defined as the
“pretense to rights”; it relates to the notion of self-justification and
reinforces the concept of personal responsibility.

Question.  What is the notion of pretense to rights?

Response.  The notion of pretense to rights is something that
does not contain arrogance, but rather contains the denial of
fault, in the way Adam and Eve and Cain and others sinned,
but later denied their sin in order to justify themselves.
(Letter 477)
The desire that comes from demons is what we call pretense
to rights and trust in oneself. Through these, one is entirely
taken captive [by sin]. (Letter 173)
Nothing that occurs with turmoil is good, but always
comes from the power of the devil through our pretense to
rights. (Letter 724)

Barsanuphius is clearly drawing here on his long experience and

spiritual engagement with the desert tradition, where a hermit
avoids blaming other people or difficult circumstances but always
assumes the burden of personal accountability. In the Sayings
of the Desert Fathers, “Abba Anthony said to Abba Poemen:
‘This is the great work of a person: always to take the blame for
one’s own sins before God and to expect temptation to the last
breath.’”14

Anthony 4, in Sayings.
14
76 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

8. Labor of Love (ascesis)

Barsanuphius and John recognize of course that all of our spiritual
discipline is the result of divine synergy; in this way, they are able to
reconcile an age-old conundrum of the ascetic tradition by offering
the following explanation of the mystery:

If a person inclines one’s heart toward good and invokes the

assistance of God, God will consider the good desire of that
person and bestow the power necessary for that person to
accomplish the task of asceticism. So the two move forward
together: the free will of the human being and the divine power
of God. (Letter 763)

Labor, therefore, is not laborious; the Greek term adopted by

Barsanuphius is ἒργον, which implies industriousness and creativity.
Certainly, the struggle will be difficult; after all, everyone resists
change, pain, passion, and especially death. Nevertheless, the result
is productive and constructive suffering; it is always a labor of and
for love:

Labor, brother, so that you may find all the more love and rest.
For before the boat reaches the harbor, it is beaten and tossed by
the waves and the storms. But once it reaches the harbor, it finds
itself in a state of great calm. (Letter 9)

No one can be saved from the passions and please God without
labor of heart. (Letter 256)

­ ay attention to yourself; for it is impossible to be saved without

P
labor. (Letter 240)

If the Old Men were to summarize what this labor of love entails,
here is what they would say:

Pay close attention to yourself, and struggle against your thoughts in

order not to be negligent, not to have vainglory, not to uphold your
will in anything, and not to receive the thoughts sown in you from
the right. Otherwise, you will suffer a great fall. And be assured that
wherever you go, from one side of this world to the other, you will
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 77

not benefit as much as you will in this place. Let the prayer of the
Fathers here be to you as an anchor is to a boat. Acquire discipline
and it will dispel the boldness that brings every evil …

Brother, without labor it is not possible to live; and without

struggle, no one can be crowned. Struggle to be saved by engaging
in spiritual battle and God will help you; for “he wants all people
to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth” (1  Tm 2:4).
May he have mercy on you, child, so that you may commit
yourself to work with longsuffering. (Letter 259)

Brother, unless your heart labors in everything in search of the

Lord, you cannot make any progress. If you spend time on
these matters, you will make progress. For it is said: “Be still”
(Ps  45:11), and so on. May the Lord grant you to understand
these things and to labor in them. (Letter 277)

9. “Bearing One Another’s Burdens”

The clearest evidence that one is genuinely laboring for love lies in
the fulfillment of the commandment to “bear one another’s burdens”
(Gal 6:2), which is nothing less than a reflection and imitation of
the example set by Christ (see Mt 11:28–30). This Pauline phrase
is repeatedly and regularly quoted in the correspondence15—
their favorite expression and most frequently cited passage from
Scripture. The Old Men themselves are profoundly aware that
they bear the burdens of their disciples—sometimes promising to
carry only half the burden,16 at other times up to two-thirds of the
burden,17 while on occasion even the entire burden!18

I admire your love, brother, but you do not understand the

affairs of love that are according to God … Yet if I say something
to someone beyond my measure, or beyond my power, I speak
moved by the love of Christ, knowing—as I said—that I am

15
See, for instance, Letters 94, 96, 104, 108, 123, 239, 243, 483, 575a, 579, and 604.
16
See Letters 70 and 72.
17
See Letter 73.
18
See Letters 73, 553, and 833.
78 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

nothing but a worthless slave. Since then you did not understand
what I told you, namely that I bear half your sins, I have made
you a partner with me. For I did not say to you: “I bear one
third,” leaving you to bear more and be burdened more than
I. And again, I said what I have said in order to banish self-
love; this is why I did not speak to you of bearing two thirds,
showing myself to be stronger than you; for such conduct would
be vainglory. And I did not say: “I bear the whole.” This belongs
to the perfect, to those who have become brothers of Christ, who
laid down His own life for our sake, and who loved those who
have loved us with perfect love in order to do this … However,
if you wish to cast on me the whole burden, then for the sake of
obedience I accept this too. Forgive me that great love leads me
to talking nonsense. (Letter 73)

10. Learning to Pray

Finally, if we were to consider the goal of the spiritual life, then
the vast correspondence of Barsanuphius and John might well be
condensed and crystallized into a single virtue, namely, the power
of prayer—indeed, the practice of unceasing prayer.

Question.  If I am chanting the psalms or find myself in the

company of other people so that my thought is afflicted, and
I say the name of God in my heart since I cannot do so with
my mouth, or even if I simply remember his name, is this not
enough to receive divine assistance?
Response by Barsanuphius.  If you are standing in the choir while
it is chanting the psalms or if you are in the company of other
people, and you are inspired to say the name of God, do not
suppose that because you are not saying it with your mouth
you are not in fact addressing God. Remember that he knows
people’s hearts; he pays attention to your heart. Therefore, go
ahead and repeat his name in your heart.
This is why Scripture says: “Shut your door and pray to your
Father who is in secret” (Mt 6:6). This means that we are
to shut the mouth and pray to him in the heart. When you
shut your mouth and invoke God’s name, or else pray to him
in your heart, you are actually fulfilling this Scripture. Even
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 79

if you do not mention his name in your heart, but simply

remember him therein—because this is more powerful than
merely uttering his name—this is sufficient for you to receive
divine assistance. (Letter 430)
Question.  Is it good for someone to meditate or pray constantly
in the heart, even if the tongue does not fully participate?
When this happens to me, my thought plunges deeply and I
feel burdened, so that I think I am seeing things or beholding
fantasies or even dwell on my dreams.
Response.  This belongs only to the perfect, who are able to direct
the intellect and keep it filled with fear of God, so that it does
not deviate and plunge to deep distraction or imagination.
However, one who is unable to enjoy godly vigilance at all
times grasps hold of oneself and connects the meditation to the
tongue as well. The same occurs with those swimming in the
ocean. Some are experienced ­swimmers and confidently dive
into the water, knowing that the sea cannot overwhelm those
who with good swimming skills. But someone inexperienced
in such skills, who feels the waters dragging him down and
is afraid of drowning, moves out of the sea to the shore.
And after regaining his breath a little, the same person might
again enter the deep water and continue the effort to become
competent in the skill of swimming so as to reach the level of
those who have mastered this skill. (Letter 431)

Such prayer is the activity of the monk at all times and in all
places (Letter 827):

Question.  When I sit down, either to read or do my handiwork,

and want to pray, I am not sure whether I should be sitting
or standing. The same happens even when I have my head
covered. Also, when I walk about and try to pray, my thought
compels me to turn to the east. What should I do?
Response.  Whether sitting down or walking about, whether
working or eating, or whatever else you happen to be doing,
even if you are performing your bodily need, whether you
turn to the east or to the west, do not hesitate to pray. For we
have been commanded to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17)
and, indeed, to do so in every place (1 Tm 2:8). Again, it is
written: “Prepare the way for the one who rides to the west;
80 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

his name is the Lord” (Ps 67:5), which indicates that God is

everywhere. And when you have your head covered, do not
stop praying. Simply make sure you are not doing this out of
contempt. (Letter 441)

The elders offer advice about how to pray without ceasing,

especially in difficult situations, but also when prayer appears to be
of no benefit. Moreover, with regard to “praying without ceasing”
(1 Thes 5:17), the elders recommend the use of the Jesus Prayer
(Letters 124 and 421).

Question.  How is it possible to pray unceasingly?

Response.  When you are alone, you should chant the Psalms
and pray with your mouth and heart. But when you are in
the marketplace or among others, you do not have to chant
Psalms with your mouth, but only with your mind. It is also
important to guard your eyes and lower them on account of
the distractions and snares of the enemies. (Letter 710. See
also Letter 182)
Question.  When I pray or chant the Psalms, I do not understand
the meaning of the words because of the hardness of my heart.
Of what benefit are they to me?
Response.  Even if you do not understand the meaning of the
words you chant, yet the demons understand, hear, and
tremble. So do not stop chanting the Psalms and praying; and
gradually, God will soften your hardness. (Letter 711)

The Jesus Prayer

One area where the Gaza elders inherited a precious legacy from
preceding generations, which they in turn transmitted as a living
tradition to succeeding generations is the Jesus Prayer—the short
formula probably conceived among monastic inhabitants of the
fourth-century Egyptian desert, cultivated in the spiritual teaching
of John Climacus, and culminated in the emphasis on unceasing
prayer established in the anthology of the Philokalia.19

See Chapter 8 on “Solitude, Silence, and Stillness.”

19
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 81

There is actually no clear and unambiguous mention of such a

technique of prayer, at least in the Greek tradition, until the late
thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries.20 Short prayers are mentioned
in the Sayings of the Desert Fathers: “Abba Poemen said that Abba
Paphnutius … had recourse to short prayers.”21 Yet while Nilus
emphasizes the invocation of the Name of Jesus, it is still peripheral in
the spiritual practice of the period. Barsanuphius and John continue
and expand the early desert tradition, citing the importance of short
prayers with particular reference to the Name of Jesus and unceasing
prayer.22 While commending short prayers—with or without explicit
invocation of “Jesus”—in general they attach paramount value to the
holy name. Even when not referring specifically to the Jesus Prayer,
their letters are replete with such remarks as:

Cry out to Jesus until your throat becomes hoarse: “Master, save
us; for we are perishing.” (Letter 148)

Learn what you have come here seeking. Run to Jesus, that you
may win him. (Letter 256)

Let us flee this fear and awaken the Jesus that lies asleep inside
us, saying: “Master, save us; for we are perishing.” (Letter 182)

However, there is one specific form of prayer, to which the Old

Men attach particular attention and significance—namely, the
remembrance of the divine name.23 Barsanuphius responds to a
question about the invocation of the name of God:

In addition to all this, we learn that unceasingly remembering

the name of God is like a medicine that dispels not only all the
passions but even the sinful act itself. For just as the doctor
recommends some medicine or perhaps a plaster for the wound

20
The standard form of the Jesus Prayer is first found in The Life of Abba Philemon, a
text about a monk in Egypt. While this document is difficult to date, it is perhaps more
or less contemporary with the Ladder of John Climacus in the mid-seventh century.
21
Cf. Apophth. Poemen 190 (ed. Guy, 30). Cf. also Apophth. Elias 7, PG65.184D-
185A and Macarius 19, PG65.269C.
22
Barsanuphius, Letter 446.
23
On the remembrance of God, see Bitton-Ashkelony and Kofsky, The Monastic
School of Gaza, 176–82.
82 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

of a patient, and this operates internally without the patient even

realizing how it happens, so also the name of God dispels all
the passions when invoked, without us even knowing how this
actually occurs. (Letter 424)

I­ n fact, Barsanuphius responds to a question about “captivity of the

intellect” by suggesting that one should never leave the intellect idle,
but constantly fill it with the repetition of God’s name:

This, too, is a form of captivity; for the enemy transfers the

intellect from one place to another. Instead, pinch yourself when
you notice this temptation arising; and reproach your intellect:
“Where are you going, wretched thing? Remember your future
torments, reserved for those who do or think these things.” Did
not Job make an inopportune offering for his children, declaring:
“Perhaps my children have sinned in their hearts against God” (Jb
1:5). So with these words, apply your intellect to the words of the
Psalms recited. If you notice this happening again, rebuke yourself;
and do this on a third occasion as well. Of course, if it persists,
remove your intellect from there. But do not leave it idle; think
about the judgement and eternal hell. And pray the holy name of
God, saying: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” (Letter 446)

In this context, Barsanuphius and John propose a series of diverse,

albeit standard scriptural texts that could be implemented during
prayer, thereby clearly acknowledging that several alternative forms
or formulas of prayer may be envisaged:

Question from the same brother to the same Old Man: “Is

it good for me to be occupied with the prayer “Lord Jesus
Christ, have mercy on me,” or should I repeat by heart certain
passages from sacred Scripture and recite the psalms?”
Response by John.  You should really do both: a little of one and
a little of the other. For it is written: “These you ought to have
practiced without neglecting the others.” (Letter 175)

Barsanuphius is in full agreement:

Response from the same Great Old Man to the same person,
when a brother even wanted to cut conversation with his own
 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES 83

attendant because he was told to be carefree when approaching

the city …

Tell the brother: Wait a little longer. For it is not time yet.
Indeed, I care for you more than you care for yourself; or
rather, it is God who really cares for you. Brother John, do not
be at all afraid of temptations that rise up to test you. For the
Lord will not abandon you to them. So whenever something
like this occurs, do not waste time investigating matters, but
cry out the name of Jesus, saying: “Jesus, help me,” and he
will surely hear you; for “he is near to all who call on him.”
Do not be faint-hearted, but run willingly and you shall win.
(Letter 268)

Invoke the holy name of God to assist you, saying: “Master Jesus,
protect me and help me in my weakness.” And be confident that
he will crush the arrow of the enemies. (Letter 659)

It is out of envy that the devil aroused this warfare within you. So
guard your eyes, and do not eat to the point of satiation. Drink
only a little wine, for the sake of the illness that you describe.
Acquire humility; for it shatters all the snares of the enemy. And
I, the least, will do whatever I can by praying to God, that he
might protect you from every temptation and guard you from
all evil. Neither surrender, brother, nor cast yourself into despair;
for this is the great joy of the devil. Just pray without ceasing,
saying: “Lord Jesus Christ, save me from dishonorable passions.”
And you will find mercy from God and thus receive strength
through the prayers of the saints. (Letter 255)

These matters may sometimes appear trivial or technical. Yet they

do not obscure—but rather serve to illuminate—the fact that an
incessant and repeated invocation, whatever form of short appeal
or entreaty it may assume, reflects the fundamental notion of prayer
as a person-to-person relationship. Prayer does not even need to be
articulated in linguistic structures and logical sentences: “We do not
know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit intercedes for us with
sighs too deep for words” (Rom 8.26). This is precisely what lies at
the heart of the timeless theory and practice of prayer found in the
two elders of Palestine.
84 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

A Wisdom Distilled
Throughout their correspondence, Barsanuphius and John
constantly stress vigilance and violence in the ascetic struggle,
discernment, and humility in one’s spiritual life, as well as gratitude
and gladness in daily activity. A comprehensive and succinct
summary of their teaching occurs in the following letter:

Labor to receive these with toil of heart, and God will grant them
to you continually; I am referring to warmth and prayer. For
forgetfulness makes these things vanish, while such forgetfulness
is caused by negligence. As for the protection of your senses,
every gift is granted with toil of heart. The gift of vigilance does
not allow evil thoughts to enter; but if they do enter, it does
not allow them to cause any damage. May God grant you to be
vigilant and alert. For the words “give thanks in all things” (1
Thes 5:18) constitute a command. Finally, searching your faults
in order to acquire forgiveness is also beneficial. (Letter 267)
 ­P ART TWO

The Desert
Beckons
Sitting by the Cell
86
 4
Spiritual Direction

Two Extraordinary Models

Guides on a Journey
If there is a distinct legacy bequeathed by the two Old Men of Gaza,
it is their exceptional, albeit unconventional model of spiritual
direction. In one of his letters, Abba John provides an intensive
introduction to spiritual guidance for the newly appointed Abbot
Aelianos:

When he heard this, he glorified God and said to the Old

Man:  “Father, since I am a beginner and know nothing, what
do you direct me to say to the brothers?”
Response.  Tell them the following: “The Lord Jesus Christ, who
cares for you, said: ‘I shall not leave you as orphans; I am
coming to you’ (Jn 14:18). Pay attention to yourselves with all
humility and love for God, and he shall bless you and become
your protection and direction.”
Also tell them this:  “Let no one conceal any thought, because the
joy of the [evil] spirits comes when we conceal our thoughts in
order that they might destroy our soul.”
Finally, if any of the brothers reveals his thoughts to you, say
the following to yourself: “Lord, everything that you have for
the salvation of the soul, grant it to me in order that I may
speak to the brother, and especially that I might speak your
word rather than my own.” Then, say whatever comes to you,
88 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

believing within yourself that this is not your own word; for
it is written: “Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the
very words of God.” (Letter 577)

But what exactly is the vocation or function of a spiritual director?

And how is spiritual direction exercised with insight and integrity?
In embarking on a journey, we often need a map of the landscape,
a detailed survey of the pathways that someone has previously
trodden in order to chart the contours of the territory. One thing is
very clear in the spiritual life. We all need someone, a spiritual guide
or special friend, before whom we can trustingly open up our heart,
soul, and mind—someone with compassion, someone in whom we
can rely with confidence.
The notion of spiritual direction by an experienced elder has been
underlined from the earliest times of the apostolic community and,
especially, from the first beginnings of monasticism. Deuteronomy
32:7 says: “Ask your father and he will tell you”; Proverbs 31:4
suggests: “Do everything with counsel.”1 Dorotheus, the spiritual
protégé of Barsanuphius and John, even composed a series of
spiritual instructions for monastics, conceding: “If it is my duty to
get something done, I prefer it to be done with my elder’s advice,
even if I do not agree with him, and even if I get it wrong, rather
than to be guided by my own opinion, even if it turns out right.”2
Centuries of institutionalism and clericalism in the history of
Christianity, followed by the “lay revolution” in patriarchal and

1
See also Sirach 32:19. The basic study on spiritual guidance remains that by
I. Hausherr, Spiritual Direction in the Early Christian East (Kalamazoo, MI:
Cistercian Studies, 1990). See also Chryssavgis, Soul Mending; Kallistos Ware, The
Inner Kingdom (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Press, 2000), esp. chap. 9, 127–51;
Graham Gould, The Desert Fathers on Monastic Community (Oxford: Clarendon
Press, 1993); Joseph Allen, Inner Way: Toward a Rebirth of Eastern Christian
Spiritual Direction (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1999); Richard
Valantassis, Spiritual Guides of the Third Century: A Semiotic Study of the Guide-
Disciple Relationship in Christianity, Neoplatonism, Hermetism, and Gnosticism
(Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1991); Daniel Caner, Wandering Begging Monks:
Spiritual Authority and the Promotion of Monasticism in Late Antiquity (Berkeley,
CA: University of California Press, 2002); and George Demacopoulos, Five Models
of Spiritual Direction in the Early Church (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre
Dame Press, 2007).
2
See Eric Wheeler, Dorotheos of Gaza: Discourses and Sayings (Kalamazoo, MI:
Cistercian Publications, 1977), 252.
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 89

progressive circles alike, has regretfully rendered the concept of

spiritual authority problematic, indeed a point of contention and
almost a position of disdain. Therefore, any discussion about
personal direction or mutual consultation may ring strange to
contemporary readers, but they were commonplace in early
Christian communities, where a spiritual father (abba) or mother
(amma) was an inspired and enlightened elder, capable of guiding
others in the intricate ways of the mystical life and advising people
on complex challenges of everyday life.
Perhaps surprisingly for most, monastic teaching and tradition
suggest that a spiritual guide does not have to be a priest. In
fact, the spiritual elder illustrates the two fundamental levels on
which the church exists and functions: the hierarchal and the
spiritual, the outward and the inward, the institutional and the
inspirational,  ultimately the organizational on the one hand and
the charismatic on the other. In this sense, a geron (Greek), starets
(Russian), or abba/amma (Coptic) exists alongside the apostles
and martyrs. Though not necessarily ordained a presbyter through
the episcopal laying-on of hands, the spiritual father or mother is
nevertheless a prophetic figure who receives his or her charisma
directly from God. There is no formal act of appointment; on the
contrary, it is the disciples who point to the elder as a spiritual
authority and authenticity. There is no evidence, for example, that
either Barsanuphius or John was an ordained priest. Yet they remain
two of the most distinguished and definitive elders of Eastern
Christian monasticism. Moreover, the questions and answers that
constitute their remarkable correspondence demonstrate—with a
depth and clarity unparalleled in so many other classical sources—
the quintessential principles and fundamental practice of spiritual
direction through the ages.3
Of course, these two Palestinian monks already have behind
them centuries of tradition and experience pertaining to the
institution and implementation of spiritual direction. As we have
already seen in Chapter  1, Palestinian monasticism represents a

3
Foreshadowing Dorotheus of Gaza, Abba John writes: “Doing something with
counsel is always a lesser wrong; whereas doing something alone brings double
trouble” (Letter 324). See also Letters 535, 551, and 693. See also Hevelone-Harper,
Disciples of the Desert, 79–105.
90 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

link between the ground-breaking pioneering movements of early-

fourth century Egypt (embodied by the desert fathers and mothers)
and the subsequent reformative developments of late-seventh
century Byzantium (with Maximus the Confessor and Theodore the
Studite). Indeed, monastic life flourishes in Palestine until 638, when
Jerusalem fell to the Muslim Arabs and the centers of monasticism
shift to Asia Minor and the West.
So Barsanuphius and John understand well “the science” of
spiritual direction (Letter 256). They assume that, from beginning
to end, all people are intimately, intricately, and inextricably
interconnected. We all depend on one another for nourishment,
encouragement, and maturity. What happens to one of us affects all
of us. For them, Paul’s vision of “one body with many members”
(1 Cor 12:12–31) indicates that such oneness is not optional and
that wholeness or healing is contingent on the ability to share and
receive counseling, to forgive and be forgiven, ultimately to “bear
one another’s burdens” (Gal 6:2). Thus, the two Old Men can state
without reservation:

­ ehold, this is the way of salvation. If it pleases you, walk it;

B
and God will offer you a hand of assistance. If it does not please
you, then it is up to you. For every person who desires also has
authority over oneself. However, if you release this authority to
another person, then you are carefree, and the other person bears
your care. So choose what you want. (Letter 237)

Ways of Spiritual Direction

The Discipline of Obedience
The basic premise of spiritual direction is of course obedience—a
foundational principle often misconstrued and misapplied in
practice. Obedience is the way in which the community bonds and
holds together. “Doing everything on the order of the Abbot and not
according to one’s own will is a sign of communality and equality
with the brothers in the monastery” (Letter 250). The ascetic
struggle may be arduous, but the spiritual journey is not supposed
to be solitudinous. Obedience and submission, seeking counsel and
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 91

cutting off one’s will, are part and parcel of the spiritual way that a
person should not undertake alone.

Obedience cuts off the will, but without toil no one can acquire
obedience. If you are sitting for the sake of obedience and not
for bodily comfort, then this is not your will, nor are you sitting
passionately but instead you are pleasing God. If you are sitting
in order to receive pleasure from comfort, then you are not
pleasing God. (Letter 249)

In this perspective, then, obedience is one of the most critical

elements of asceticism, a crucial aspect of lifting the cross, and an
indispensable tool for the monastic. Simply put, “a monk should
not hold onto his own will at all in anything.”

Question.  Should I cut off my will and conform to the Abbot

in matters only which are good or even moderate, or else
also in matters where it appears that God’s commandment
is almost being transgressed? And if his order happens to be
beyond my ability, should I be relieved of it so as not to be
overcome by sorrow and turmoil? Moreover, what happens
if someone asks me to mediate about his problem with the
Abbot but I refrain from doing so in order that it does not
bring me honor because I might reckon within myself that I
am something?
Response.  Brother, one who wishes to be a monk should not hold
onto his own will at all in anything. Christ Himself taught us
this when He said: “I have come into the world not to do my
own will” (Jn 6:38). For someone who wants to do one thing
and be relieved of another is either trying to manifest oneself
as more discerning than the one who gave the order, or else is
being mocked by the demons.
Therefore, you must obey in everything, even if the matter
appears to be sinful. For your Abbot who gave the order will
bear the judgement, since he is responsible and accountable
for you (Heb 13:17). If the order seems to be too heavy for
you to carry out, then tell him and leave the matter to his
discretion. If those who gave you the order are your brothers,
and you see that the matter will bring you harm or else lies
beyond your ability, again ask your Abbot and do whatever
92 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

he tells you. For if you want to discern matters yourself, you

will bring afflictions upon yourself.
Confide everything to your Abbot and do whatever he
discerns. For he knows what he must do and how he must
care for your soul. Then you may be at rest, believing that
whatever he tells you is according to God and will bring
neither sorrow nor turmoil. “Every good tree brings forth
good fruit” (Mt 7:17).
As for asking your Abbot about other people, if this is
necessary, then do it as if fulfilling a commandment which
you have heard and must carry out. For if your Abbot asks
you to sit at the entrance-gate and tells you: “Report to me
about every movement,” will you decide on your own what to
do, or will you carry out the order of your Abbot? Therefore,
whether your Abbot tells you to report to him or not about
your brothers, you bear no responsibility in this regard.
(Letter 288)

In fact, one of the most striking elements in the teaching of

Barsanuphius and John is the conviction that they bear responsibility
for their disciples before God.

Question.  Request from the same brother to the same Great Old
Man, that he might bear his sins.
Response.  Brother, although you are asking of me something
that is beyond me, nevertheless I shall show you the limits
of love, namely that it forces itself to move even beyond
its own limits. Behold, I admire you as a person, and so I
assume responsibility for you and bear you. Nevertheless,
I do so on this condition, that you also bear the keeping
of my words and commandments; for they will bring you
salvation. In this way, you shall live without reproach.
(Letter 270)

As already observed, the unique three-way relationship among

Barsanuphius, John, and Seridos offers the local community a
safety net allowing open expression and transparent exchange. All
three elders perceive spiritual direction less as a gift for resolving
some problem and more as a path leading the disciple to discover
a solution. Obedience and spiritual direction work only when the
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 93

relationship between elder and disciple is a two-way street, fostering

a mutual and reciprocal relationship of faith and love. When
obedience is balanced by prayer and trust, the spiritual relationship
avoids disruption and distortion.
This is why Barsanuphius and John emphasize the importance of
prayer in the absence of spiritual direction (see Letters 365–6 and
390). At the same time, however, they are careful not to interfere
in or impose themselves on the spiritual development of their
correspondents; they simply provide “counsel without compulsion”
(Letter 368). In this regard, the spiritual director is more identified
with than authoritative over the spiritual disciple: “The Lord has
bound your soul to mine, saying: ‘Do not leave him.’ Therefore, it is
not for me to teach you, but rather to learn from you” (Letter 164;
see also Letter 553).
Barsanuphius and John are no ordinary spiritual directors; they
perceive spiritual direction as an extraordinary opportunity to
impart as well as to increase wisdom. They are prepared to apply
the root definition of obedience—in both Greek (ypakoē, from akoē
[whence “acoustics”]) and Latin (oboedire, from audire [whence
“audio”])—quite literally as an invitation to listen more closely and
more attentively.

The Spiritual Guide

There are examples in the lives of the saints when God illumines their
life and intervenes directly; but for most of us, divine inspiration
and intervention occur through other people (Letter 50), who serve
as “advocates before the king” (Letter 139). For Barsanuphius and
John, as for the entire Christian East, that is where a spiritual elder
or guide comes in:

He guides you toward the light; so do not seek the darkness. He

guides you in the straight way; do not seek the way of falsehood.
He guides you to the truth; do not deviate toward deceit. He
guides you to peace; do not seek combat. He guides you to
joy; do not run toward sorrow. He guides you to humility; do
not turn to pride. He guides you to righteousness; do not seek
injustice. He guides you to bear insults and injuries that come
your way; do not seek praise or vainglory. He guides you to
94 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

mortification; do not seek rest … He guides you to eternal life.

(Letter 137b)4

­ uch of the Western approach to counseling that we are familiar

M
with is—to adopt Jungian terminology—rooted in the animus,
focused on consciousness. However, the “great old man” is
quite uncomplimentary of “laborious investigation or excessive
analysis” (Letter 39). The Eastern approach admits more of the
anima, involving a more diffused awareness. And in this process,
the spiritual guide recognizes “the specific weakness of particular
individuals,” “addresses the response in a personal manner,” and
“provides appropriate nourishment and remedy for various ages
and stages” (“Prologue”; see also Letters 16–17). An experienced
guide knows that there are multiple “letters” in the spiritual alphabet
(Letter 98), many “stages” in the spiritual life, several “rungs” on
the spiritual ladder:

We should not desire at once to set our foot on the highest rung
of all before placing it on the first rung of the ladder. (Letter 160)

Otherwise, the collateral damage will prove mutually disastrous:

I am astonished at how some people, who have spent many

years in school, are yet still learning the alphabet and syllables,
when they really ought by now to be accomplished teachers. I
am likewise astonished at how those who have spent much time
in the monastic life, and ought to be able to discern the deeper
thoughts of others, are nevertheless still subjected to the warfare
of novices. You ought to be guiding into the straight way those
who have gone astray, as if you were perfected; however, instead
of bearing the burdens of the weak, you burden them to the
point of drowning out of sorrow. (Letter 98)

4
If the language of this chapter appears exclusive to men, it reflects the reality that
spiritual guidance is often restricted to men in the Eastern Christian tradition.
Nevertheless, it is helpful to remember that men and women alike can offer
spiritual direction. The sacrament of engendering spiritual disciples transcends
gender distinctions. In the Egyptian desert, as in ensuing centuries, women too offer
spiritual direction, a reminder that in the realm of freedom, “there is no male or
female” (Gal 3:28).
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 95

The spiritual guide should be “righteous” (Letter 139), endowed

“with the authority to bind and loose, to forgive and retain sins,
standing before the world, protecting it from annihilation  …
and attracting God’s mercy” (Letter 569). This charisma is what
enables the spiritual guide to “forgive like God” (Letter 358),
to “forgive sins from birth” (Letter 115), to “forgive the past
allowing the disciple to assume responsibility for the future”
(Letter 229), and even to “bestow a pledge for the salvation of the
soul” (Letter 274).
Moreover, the spiritual guide should be humble (Letters 70 and
788) and honest (Letter 17), gentle (Letter 789) and joyful (Letters
10 and 87).

You counted me as a great man and yourself as the brother of

such a man. Do you not know that we are all children of Adam’s
transgression (Rm 5:14), that we are all earth and ashes? (Gn
18:27). (Letter 348)

Brother, you are blessed if you are utterly conscious of your

sins  … Part of repentance is becoming conscious of one’s sins
and requesting assistance from the elders. (Letter 498)

If a person wants to bend a tree or a vine, then he bends them

carefully so they do not break. However, if a person pulls it
forcefully, it immediately snaps. (Letter 25)

These three things contain our entire salvation: Always rejoicing

paves the way of righteousness; but no one can truly rejoice
unless one’s life is righteous. Praying unceasingly is the aversion
of every evil; for it allows no room for the devil to act against us.
Finally, giving thanks in all circumstances is clear proof of our
love for Christ. If joy and prayer regulate our life, then we shall
give thanks to the Lord. (Letter 848)

­ s a result, then, the spiritual director is balanced (Letter 77) and

A
positive:

It is not so much saying or proclaiming something with our

lips that constitutes faith; rather, perfect faith is revealed in the
healing itself. Therefore, if you believe that you have been healed,
96 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

then walk and do not stumble. You have been healed; so do not
limp. You have been healed; so do not carry any spot of leprosy.
You have been healed; so show that your issue of blood has
ceased. (Letter 59)

Rules and Roles

One thing is clear: The spiritual guide does not simply impose rules
or enforce roles. While he may admonish and instruct, he does not
prescribe directives but becomes a living model. “Be their example,
not their legislator,” advises Abba Poemen in the Egyptian desert.5
Barsanuphius, too, is well aware that “people’s rules” can sometimes
“prove worthless” (Letter 23). The aim of the guide is to “become a
model beneficial to all, neither criticizing nor condemning, but only
counseling others as genuine brothers” (Letter 21).
Coincidentally or not, around the same period that Benedict
of Nursia is founding a monastery in Monte Cassino outside
of Rome and composing his influential Rule, Barsanuphius
and John are exercising their vocation as spiritual directors
in Thawatha outside of Jerusalem. This means that, at a time
when Western monasticism appears to tighten restrictions on
individual judgment and regulations on monastic activities,
Eastern monasticism is exercising greater tolerance for personal
discernment and flexibility.
This is why Barsanuphius and John are hesitant to institute or
impose regulations. The only rule is that there are no rules. “Do
not conceive in your heart that I have given you a rule; it is not
a rule but a friendly opinion” (Letter 160). Barsanuphius claims
“never to have placed a bond on anyone, including himself” (Letter
51). He is merely a friend offering fresh perspectives, not a master
establishing harsh stipulations: “I have not bound you, brother,
nor have I offered you a commandment but only an opinion.
Therefore, do as you please” (Letter 56). “Do not believe in your
heart that I have given you a command. It is not a command, but
the opinion of a brother. The way is open before us” (Letter 64;
see also Letter 92).

Poemen 174, Sayings.

5
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 97

John, too, distinguishes between “instruction” and “indulgence”

(Letter 547), between counsel and command:

Simple advice according to God is one thing, but a command

is another. Advice is counsel without compulsion, revealing
the straight way of life; a command, on the other hand, is an
inviolable bond. (Letter 368)

Paradoxically, then, as John professes, the purpose of spiritual

direction is independence, not dependence: “Wherever there is no
command, it is always beneficial to practice freedom” (Letter 378).
For “God created human beings free in order that we may be able
to incline toward good” (Letter 763).
Everything on the spiritual journey is an indication and reinforcement
of our freedom, not a suggestion or reminder of our frailty. Change
can only come through love, not by force; it can never be impelled or
imposed. Change is always personal; and it comes with patience. As
Abba Barsanuphius reminds Abbot Seridos: “If you milk the cow, it
will produce butter; but if you press hard on the teat, it will produce
blood (Prv. 30.33)” (Letter 25). This means that the spiritual director
simply points to the light; the spiritual director should never block the
light or steal the limelight. There must always be sufficient space in
spiritual direction—enough room for freshness and forgiveness. The
objective is always to lighten (not lade) any burden, to enlighten (not
darken) the journey, to comfort (not crush) the disciple.
Of course, the spiritual guide remains a source of immense
authority—a figure of power and prayer, of influence and
intercession.6 While John is “obliged to speak freely, he nevertheless
speaks with godly fear” (Letter 503). And the reason the two elders
prefer to give opinions rather than mandates is because they are
profoundly conscious of their own limitations!

I­t is very beneficial for us to recognize that there still remains

within us that human factor, that we may come to know our

6
Peter Brown, Society and the Holy in Late Antiquity (London: Faber and Faber,
1982), 103–52 [here at 121]. See Rapp, “‘For Next to God, You Are My Salvation’”,
63–81. Also Alexis Torrance, “Standing in the Breach: The Significance and Function
of the Saints in the Letters of Barsanuphius and John of Gaza,” Journal of Early
Christian Studies 17.3 (2009), 459–73.
98 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

limitations, namely where we actually are, and be humbled in

order to receive the grace of the humble. (Letter 811)

Know at least where you are and what power you have.
(Letter 92)

Fully conscious of their own limitations, Barsanuphius and John

are able to show understanding and compassion for the weaknesses
of others. Fully aware that they are filled with human passions, they
can communicate a word of healing to all those who approach. This
self-awareness and self-knowledge—beyond other qualifications,
spiritual (like fasting and prayer) or social (like education or
maturity)—is what renders them eminently prepared and qualified
to guide others.
Above all, however, the two elders prefer complete silence (Letters
36 and 69). Barsanuphius declares: “I do not want to become
anyone’s spiritual elder or teacher. I have the Apostle offering me
reproof: ‘You, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself?’
(Rom 2:21)” (Letter 66). The spiritual guide always examines
the deeper motivation—“the slightest motion” (Letter 22) “and
emotion” (Letter 21)—behind every instruction (Letter 21). John
asks: “How can someone who does not construct one’s own cell
construct that of another?” (Letter 233)
In all situations, the spiritual guide is a mentor and tutor,
“exceedingly forbearing and caring” (Letter 24), “showing no
favoritism to anyone” (Letter 55), “adopting his children with
genuine love” (Letter 573): “If I am your father and teacher, how
can I be angry? For a father is compassionate, having no wrath
at all. And a teacher is long-suffering, foreign to indignation. But
as for requesting a rule, you are going around in endless circles”
(Letter 23). “For a father weeps for the soul of his child more than
for his own soul” (Letter 600):

Since we are using words spoken according to God and not

according to mortals, allow me to repeat the words of his servant
Moses: “Either lead my spiritual son, who is writing to me, to
eternal life with me, or else wipe me also from your book” (Ex
32:32). May I not be permitted to see the face of Jacob the father
of Joseph unless I have Benjamin with me (Gen 44:34). I believe
in his holy name, that he will not refuse my request. For the joy
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 99

of the Holy Trinity and of the holy angels is the salvation of

those being saved. Therefore, I shall not cease praying to God
until he grants me the joy of your salvation. (Letter 790)

“Hold My Hand and Walk” (Letter 31)

Mindful of the rungs comprising the spiritual ladder but above all
conscious of his own limitations as a human being, the spiritual
guide ultimately seeks a level of solidarity and identity with the
disciple. In the Tales of the Hasidim, Rabbi Zusya observes: “I
climbed down all the rungs until I was with the sinner and bound
the root of my soul to the root of his.”7 This priority and principle
of sharing is a distinct master-theme in the letters of Basranuphius
and John: “Your holiness should suffer excessively with those who
are afflicted” (Letter 844).
In approaching a spiritual elder, one is essentially saying: “Give
me your hand for the sake of love, and draw me toward God;
for through you he will save me” (Letter 63). And the spiritual
guide responds: “I have spread my wings over you in order to
bear your burdens … Now you are like a person sitting under
the shade of a tree” (Letter 239). Quoting his favorite scriptural
passage (Gal 6:2), Barsanuphius contends: “There is no other
settlement of our salvation than ‘bearing one another’s burdens’”
(Letter 104).
One reason for the need to share is that most of us are harsher
critics of ourselves, striking the most painful blows against
ourselves at just the time when we most require tolerance and
compassion—virtues that characterize Arsenius and Macarius
in Egypt but also Barsanuphius and John in Gaza. People need
others because often the wounds themselves are too deep to admit;
sometimes the evil is too painful to confront alone. This is precisely
why directives and dictates assume a back seat to sharing and
love: “Leave these behind and follow my words; I shall bear your
burden” (Letter 553). The sole inspiration and justification for a

7
Martin Buber, ed., The Tales of the Hasidim: The Early Masters (New York:
Schoken Books, 1968), 242.
100 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

relationship between elder and disciple is love, which transcends

all barriers and overcomes all deficiencies:

Although you ask of me something that is beyond me, nevertheless

I shall show you the limits of love, namely that it forces itself
to move even beyond its own limits. Behold, I admire you as a
person, and I assume responsibility for you and bear you. But on
one condition, that you also bear the keeping of my words and
commandments; for these bring you salvation. In this way, you
shall live without reproach. (Letter 270)

The concept of “bearing one another’s burdens” is by no means

exclusive to Gaza.8 Grounded on the “model” (Letter 61) of the good
shepherd, who “lays down his life for his neighbor” (Jn 10:11), and
the Pauline conviction that “when one member suffers, all members
suffer with it” (1 Cor 12:26), the conviction is that “we who are strong
ought to bear the failings of the weak” (Rm 15:1). This sharing in
suffering and bearing of burdens is fundamental to the worldview of
Dostoevsky, for whom assuming responsibility for all people suggests
no longer criticizing or controlling others but instead acknowledging
the dignity of all. Rowan Williams draws a connection between
Paul’s “bearing one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6.2) and Dostoevsky’s
variations of “being liable for everyone,” “being responsible for
everyone,” and “being guilty for everyone.”9 “Responsibility is a
bracketing and quieting of the self’s agenda for the sake of another
voice”10—eventually and ultimately, the voice of every person, but
initially and immediately, the voice of one’s spiritual guide.
So delicate and intricate is this responsibility and relationship
in Barsanuphius and John that the spiritual guide may bear partial
responsibility for the disciple, assuming liability for “one third”
(Letter 73) or “one half” of the burden11:

Since you did not understand what I told you, namely that I bear
half your sins, I made you my partner. For I did not say to you: “I

8
See Bitton-Ashkelony and Kofsky, The Monastic School of Gaza, 145–56.
9
Rowan Williams, Dostoevsky: Language, Faith, and Fiction (Waco, TX: Baylor
University Press, 2011), 168.
10
Op. cit., 171–2.
11
See Sayings, Abba Lot 2: “I will carry half of your fault with you.”
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 101

bear one third,” leaving you to bear more and be burdened more
than I. And I said this in order to banish self-love; this is why I
did not speak to you about bearing two thirds, suggesting that
I am stronger than you; for such conduct would be vainglory.
Nor again did I say: “I bear the whole.” For this belongs to the
perfect … If we are brothers, let us share equally in our Father’s
property. (Letter 73)

At other times, the spiritual guide may accept responsibility for “the
greater portion” (Letter 39) or even more:

If you wish to place on me the entire burden, for the sake of

obedience I will accept this, too. Forgive me that great love leads
me to speak nonsense. (Letter 73)

Since I am obliged to offer you whatever I have, I say to you: “I

will respond on your behalf to the loving God in regard to all
your sins.” (Letter 231)

The “great old man” goes so far as to indicate that he would “bear
the writ against the disciple” on the day of judgment and “never
abandon the disciple even in the age to come” (Letter 239)!

“Work with Me a Little” (Letter 239)

There is, of course, also an obligation on the part of the disciple,
who must contribute to the relationship or partnership:

Do not be negligent in your obligation to labor a little

yourself. For those who desire imperial grants, though they
may have many superiors mediating for them, yet they must
also endure affliction and peril at sea, undertaking journeys
and labors until they achieve them. Therefore, you too should
likewise contribute a little labor in order to find great mercy.
(Letter 198)

Work with me and sweat a little. (Letter 199)

102 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

What is astonishing is that the advice of the elders is not radical but
reasonable, not rigid but moderate:

No one ever says to another person: I bear your concern, and

then remains without any concern; otherwise, one is found to be
an impostor. Instead, the brother whose burden is being carried
must also contribute some small effort and do his best with
vigilance to keep the commandments of his elders. If he should
fall, then he should rise up. Moreover, I trust in God that, even if
he is caught out once and strives to rise up again, then he will not
become accustomed [to falling] at all, nor will he be negligent.
Instead, God will quickly lead him to the degree of nobility, to
the degree of maturity. (Letter 268)

So the disciple is invited to “walk with the elder” (Letter 63), to

“endure rather than elude the struggle” (Letter 563), to persist in
rather than resist the journey:

It is a good thing not to leave a place at the time of struggle.”

(Letter 563)

You should care about nothing else except the direction of your
journey. (Letter 38)

Pay attention to where you are and where you want to go.
(Letter 49)

Ask nothing else of God or through his servants beyond assistance

and patience. (Letter 90)

A beginner’s goal is as follows: to walk in great humility, without

asking: “What is this?” or “What is that”? (Letter 92)

The more one strains forward, there is no stopping, but one

always considers oneself as lacking something, and therefore is
continually making progress. (Letter 410)

This is the true way. Outside of this, there is no other way. Let
the one who wants run! Let the one who wants run! Let the one
who wants run! (Letter 450)
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 103

Along this journey, as already intimated, one is never alone. The

spiritual guide always accompanies the disciple. The two may not
be quite “on the same footing” (Letter 469) but they invariably
travel the same path: “I speak to you as to my soul-mates, desiring
to travel the way that we have walked” (Letter 192). In fact, unless
accompanied from beginning to end by a guide, “one will never
reach the intended city” (Letter 126). Because obedience is not
perceived as yielding to coercion or domination, it is a manifestation
of solidarity and community. It is a circular movement, a reciprocal
exchange that proceeds both ways—to and from the elder but also
from and to the disciple.
The process of mutual consultation is a great leveler, an ultimate
equalizer, a common denominator. Convinced that “a brother
assisted by a brother resembles a city fortified with ramparts”
(Prov 18:19), Barsanuphius emphasizes: “The Fathers have said:
‘Obedience for obedience’” (Letter 144).12 Doing everything at the
instruction of the elder rather than according to a personal whim
is the sign of communality and equality in the monastery (see
Letter 250). Simply put, no spiritual guide can subjectively declare
himself a spiritual authority or illumined oracle; by contrast, he is
part of an ages-long tradition, a charismatic “succession,”13 and a
“pedigree”14 of authority.

Engraving the Will of God

Many early ascetic texts highlight the submission of the will to the
spiritual guide, but Barsanuphius and John distinctly stress that the
will must be surrendered in order increasingly and eventually to be
strengthened. Needless to say, this is an arduous and costly procedure:

To renounce one’s own will is a sacrifice of blood. It means that

one has reached the point of laboring to death and of ignoring
one’s own will. The phrase “we have left everything and followed
you” (Mt 19:27, Lk 18:28) is about perfection; it is not about
property or money, but about thoughts and desires. (Letter 254)

12
Also Abba Mius 1, Sayings.
13
Alongside the institutional or apostolic succession or pedigree.
14
Coined by Chitty, The Desert a City, 67–8.
104 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

The process is as paradoxical as it is profound:

Show complete estrangement to acquire complete intimacy; shun

adoption to receive adoption; surrender your will to perform
your will; put yourself to death to give yourself life; forget
yourself and know yourself. (Letter 112)

Transition in your thought from this vain world to the other

age. Leave behind the worldly, and seek the heavenly. Abandon
the corruptible, and you shall discover the incorruptible. In your
mind, flee from the temporary, and you shall reach the eternal.
Die completely, that you may live completely. (Letter 37)

For the two elders, the will must be sharpened to conform to the
will of God: “Cutting off one’s own will is precisely what spiritual
progress is all about. It implies cutting off one’s will in all things and
doing the will of the saints” (Letter 380). “Engrave the will of God
in your heart” (Letter 331).
Russian Orthodox writer, Fyodor Dostoevsky, reflects on the
role of such an elder, as he experienced this in Ambrose of Optina:

What is such an elder? An elder is one who takes your soul,

your will, into his soul and his will. When you choose an elder
you renounce your own will and yield it to him in complete
submission, complete self-negation. This novitiate, this terrible
school of abnegation, is undertaken voluntarily, in the hope of
self-conquest, of self-mastery, in order after a life of obedience,
to attain to perfect freedom, that is from self; to escape the lot of
those who have lived their whole life without finding their true
selves in themselves.15

For Barsanuphius and John, the art of spiritual direction connects—

or nails—the will to the cross:

“Denying oneself and taking up the cross” means cutting off

one’s will in everything. (Letter 257)

See The Brothers Karamazov, trans. R. Pevear and L. Volokhonsky (New York:
15

Vintage Classics, 1991), 27.

 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 105

I­f you do not want to walk with a limp, take up the rod of the
cross, set your hand firmly on it, and die to yourself. Then, you
will no longer walk with a limp; for a dead person does not walk
with a limp. (Letter 61)

One is called to this kind of liberation by way of the margins of self-

renunciation, in the paradox of self-subjection to a spiritual elder.
“Those who seek to save their life will lose it, and those who lose
their life will preserve it” (Lk 17:33). Leaving the city in search of
the desert is the initial step in learning to lose, which is in turn the
preliminary step in learning to love.16 But surrendering one’s self is
no comfortable or convenient task. The ascetic may often choose
to go to extremes, but this is because of the extremity of the fallen
condition—a liminal state requiring limitless steps.
Holding on to the cross provides a sense of stability. Part of
why we require spiritual direction is because we live our lives like
a thermometer (Letters 204 and 483), with our temperament rising
or sinking contingent on the actions of others:

Instead, love those who test you. For I very often loved those
who tested me. If we are prudent, it is such people who bring us
to progress. (Letter 21)

If we regard all people as one, and all days as equal, then God is
truly with us. If we love those who hate us, insult us, abuse us,
despise us, harm us and cause us grief in the same way as we love
those who love us, praise us, benefit us and refresh us, then truly
God is with us. The sign that a person has reached this degree is
that one always has God within. (Letter 137b)

Trials and temptations invariably involve the will and are

inevitable (Letter 248), perhaps even desirable (Letter 21); we
must be grateful for the opportunity they afford us in our struggle
for progress: “Temptation brings us to progress; and wherever
there is good, there also temptation occurs. So do not be afraid
of temptations, but rejoice that they lead you to progress”

For a modern interpretation of the “interior” or “interiorized” desert, see Paul

16

Evdokimov, The Struggle with God (Glen Rock, NJ: Paulist Press, 1966), esp. 111–30.
106 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

(Letter  496). The aim is not to resist them but to become like
living fire! “Then, burning with this fire, you will always desire to
be a companion, co-citizen, and co-heir of the saints, who have
acquired the things ‘that no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the
human heart conceived, of what God has prepared for those who
love him’” (1 Cor 2:9) (Letter 130).

Grounded in Love
“Identify unconditionally with those who suffer. This is the task
of a spiritual father and teacher” (Letter 844). Such, then, is the
vocation of the spiritual guide: to demonstrate a sense of intimate
compassion with those are wounded by passion, and to do so
“with pain of heart, with even greater love, and with copious tears”
(Letter 57). Without this, one gains nothing from spiritual direction
but a feeling of guilt. We should not consider spiritual direction
in terms of remorse, but in terms of reconciliation, restoration,
and reintegration. Grounded in love, spiritual direction exceeds
anything that can ever be expressed through words: “If I could fill
these letters with tears and send them to you, since you have suffered
so much, it would have been of greater benefit to you” (Letter 229).
Devoid of love, however, spiritual direction is no longer creative
but destructive. Without love, spiritual guides cannot offer hope or
healing.
The fact that the letters of Barsanuphius and John capture and
crystallize their words for eternity is a supplementary element
of their primary sensitivity in spiritual direction. Words matter;
they contain power; they must be selected with consideration and
compassion. And spelling out one’s advice in longhand—dictating
a response of instruction and direction—is yet another means of
abstaining from imposition or insensitivity and protecting the
disciple: “The trouble is that we do not pay close enough attention
to what we say” (Letter 95).
The spiritual guide cares deeply and loves … divinely:

­ s God knows, there is not a blink of the eye or a moment in

A
time that I do not have you in my mind and my prayer. And if I
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 107

love you so much, then the God who created you loves you still
more. (Letter 113)

I have told you all these things so you may learn that I shall
not cease praying for you until God brings you, with me, to the
heavenly gates. (Letter 645)

For Jesus is the mediator, who presents [us] before the entrance
gates. (Letter 153)

A Second Opinion
What is particularly refreshing about the letters of the two Old Men
is, as previously noted, the triangular structure of their spiritual
network. For them, spiritual direction is not a unilateral expression
of authority or a unidirectional course of advice. It is not a one-
way road, but an open-ended conversation, informed and enriched
by director and disciple alike. There is no circumvention of any
institutional or spiritual hierarchy here, but only an insight into
the elaborate ramifications of forgiveness and reconciliation. This
reciprocity and mutuality are foremost in their concept of spiritual
direction, offering disappointed and disgruntled disciples a way out
any arising impasse, the possibility of appeal on reaching a deadlock.
This is interaction at its best, healing at its most authentic. The
unusual and unparalleled form of spiritual direction offered in consort
and in collaboration by the two elders provides a safety net or escape
that releases the pressure and relieves the tension that commonly
accumulates in any close-knit hierarchal community. It also permits
the uninterrupted flow of communication and confession from the
disciple, while at the same time preserving reliability and security for
the disciple. Here is how Abba John perceives it:

If all of us are one—both the [Great] Old Man in God and I in

the Old Man—then I dare say that, if he gave you his word, I too
give you mine through him. I know that I am inadequate and
insignificant; yet I cannot separate myself from the Old Man. For he
is compassionate to me so that the two of us are one. (Letter 305)
108 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

The two elders regard spiritual direction not so much as a solution

to some specific problem of a disciple, but rather as the path leading
to a solution generated by the disciple:

If you are unable to ask your elder about something, you should
pray three times about it. Afterward, you should observe where
your heart inclines, even very slightly, and act accordingly. For
this assurance becomes quite clear and apparent to the heart.
(Letter 365)

They are also well aware that their system is open to abuse:

You should always ask the person you trust, knowing that
he will bear your thoughts; trust in him as if in God. As for
consulting another person about the same thought, this is
a result of faithlessness and temptation. For if you believe
that God has spoken through his saint, then why should
you test  God by posing the same question to someone else?
(Letter 361)

­ owever, Barsanuphius and John are convinced that the “open-

H
ended” or “three-dimensional” system of spiritual direction is far
less susceptible to abuse than the “one-sided” or “two-dimensional”
approach in the traditional practice. So they work very hard to
complement and complete each other:

Someone asked Abba John about a certain matter. And after

receiving a response, he addressed the same question to Abba
Barsanuphius, without telling him that he had already asked the
Other Old Man about this.
The Old Man responded in this way: “Do as you were told by
brother John.”
Again, sometime afterwards, it happened that the same
brother asked Abba John about something and, having heard
the response, directed the same question to Abba Barsanuphius.
However, the Great Old Man replied as follows: “From now on,
one response is sufficient for you. For the God of Barsanuphius
and John is one.” So that brother never again approached the
two Old Men with the same question, being content with the
response of the one. (Letter 224)
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 109

One specific letter sheds further light on the concept of spiritual

direction as implemented by the two elders. The “other old man” is
asked about a situation where a disciple considers consulting another
elder because he feels that his own elder is incapable of providing
the necessary counsel. The disciple therefore asks whether he is
obliged to reveal to his elder that he will be approaching someone
else. The question cuts to the core of the open spiritual direction
practiced by Barsanuphius and John: If I think that my spiritual
guide is unqualified to assist me in a particular problem, can I turn
to someone else? And do I have to inform my spiritual guide that
I am doing so? The response by Abba John is straightforward and
striking, even shocking:

If you know that your abba will benefit the soul, you should
confide in him, saying: “I have these thoughts; what do you think
I should do?” The elder, like someone with an ill child who hurries
to take it to a doctor—in fact, even spends all of his income to
care for his child—will gladly take his disciple to someone with
the gift of healing, or else send him to find another elder. If you
know that the elder cannot endure this, then you should not say
anything but simply look for an opportunity, when God will
provide an occasion, to ask another spiritual elder about your
thoughts, entreating him not to inform your own elder because
this would lead him to the passion of envy. (Letter 504)

It is remarkable that, not only does John consent to the request

about consulting someone else, but he also concedes that it may
even be beneficial to withhold this information from his own elder.
Barsanuphius and John are clear about one thing: There is only
one thing worse than a spiritual disciple persuaded that any advice
received is magical or mystical, and that is a spiritual director
presuming that his advice is irrefutable and infallible!
Lest, however, we jump too swiftly to any conclusion, that this
response somehow enables exploitation of a spiritual relationship,
Abba John promptly adds:

This of course will create great affliction because one is asking

another elder while not being scandalized at one’s own elder
for not possessing a particular gift; for not all gifts are given to
everyone. Nevertheless, if one searches carefully, one will in fact
110 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

discover that one’s own elder has another gift.17 For the gifts of the
Spirit are diverse and distributed variously among people, to one
in such a manner while to another in a different manner. Finally,
if you do not find the opportunity to ask someone else, then you
should be patient, praying to God for assistance. (Letter 504)

It is noteworthy that Abba John is not intimidated by the question

because he knows all too well that the purpose of all spiritual
direction is ultimately to acknowledge and affirm the unique talent
of each person, from whom we can learn and grow. The art of
spiritual direction eventually contributes to the circle of community
and is conducive to all of us in “bearing one other’s burdens.”

­“Do Your Best” (Letter 343)

We often tend to highlight the extraordinary qualities and learned
wisdom of early—or modern, for that matter—spiritual guides.
Yet Barsanuphius and John are not spectacular gurus; they are
not eccentric miracle-workers; they are not extreme ascetics or
charismatic visionaries; they do not profess either expertise or
experience. In fact, they avoid all the excessive quirks and austere
idiosyncrasies personified by Peter Brown’s diviner, magician, and
exorcist.18 Most of the time, they are simply trying to deflate fantasy
and diminish drama; the bulk of their emphasis is placed on common
sense. Abba Barsanuphius advises against making mountains out of
molehills—in his words, “a camel out of a gnat, or a rock out of a
pebble” (Letter 16). And Abba John quotes the desert fathers: “If
you see a younger monk rising up to heaven through his own will,
hold his foot and pull him back down” (Letter 693).
Ironically, that is precisely what renders the two elders
extraordinary—that they are in fact ordinary advisers, providing
simple teaching and steadfast encouragement to people in their
daily struggle. They neither pretend to have nor presume to supply

Emphasis mine.
17

Brown, “The Rise and Function of the Holy Man,” 80–101. Reprinted with
18

additional notes in Brown, Society and the Holy in Late Antiquity, 103–52. [Here
at 121–6].
 SPIRITUAL DIRECTION 111

answers on tap to spiritual challenges; they do not even profess to

have solutions to every problem. They simply offer the assurance of
God’s abiding love and persistent mercy:

My brother and soul-mate Andrew, do not grow weary. For

God has not forsaken you; nor will he forsake you. This is the
Master’s promise. (Letter 105)

Therefore, do not be sad. For God has not forgotten you but
cares for you as a true child, not as an illegal child. (Letter 106)

In fact, their confidence lies not so much in any foresight or

foreknowledge about the ways of the heart as it does in their far-
sightedness and firm knowledge of what happens to the heart when
it is loved by God. The journey may be tenuous and the struggle
uncomfortable, but if we recognize that God loves us, there is
nothing to worry about, nothing to be anxious about:

You should believe that everything that happens from God

will have a good end; do not be anxious about anything else.
(Letter 576)

You are blessed if you are completely conscious of your sins …

So do not relax, but do not collapse. (Letter 498)

Simply do your best, and God will come to your assistance in

everything. (Letter 343)

Such is the fundamental conviction of Barsanuphius and John;

and it is the essential key to their appreciation and application
of spiritual direction: that by receiving forgiveness, we learn to
forgive. Accepting divine compassion is what allows us the space
to be grateful, generous, and in the end forgiving. It enables us to
experience someone else’s predicament, to understand someone
else’s experiences and challenges. By being loved, we learn how to
love. By embracing our darkness and weaknesses, we enlighten the
hearts and lighten the burdens of others.
If Barsanuphius and John are filled with joy (Letters 10, 137, and
459) and thanksgiving (Letters 267, 366, and 404), it is because
they are convinced about God’s love, confident that God never
112 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

abandons us—whoever we are and wherever we happen to be on

the spiritual journey: “Pray also for me; for my slackening leads me
to many evils. Nevertheless, I do not despair; for I have a merciful
God” (Letter 512). This humility and humor transmit the assurance
that “alone, it [may be] impossible; but with God all things are
possible” (Mt 19:26).

­ o not grieve; for the mercy of God is nearby. I greet you in the
D
Lord; be healthy, you cry-baby. (Letter 514)

This degree of joy enables us to give thanks for ordinary things

without resentment, objection, or bitterness. When we have a wider
perspective of life—a panoramic 30,000-foot view—joy becomes
unconditional, independent, and undemanding. Then it is no longer
contingent on more possessions or better circumstances. Nothing
changes externally, but only internally. It is joy and thanks simply
because we live and breathe; it is joy and thanks simply because!
 ­5
Fasting and Feasting

Sustained by God in the Wilderness

It’s Not about the Food1

On the one hand, the heart of the ascetic discipline frequently
seems like it pertains to a profound spiritual struggle in the face
of vice or in pursuit of virtue, but so often relates to the proper
approach to ordinary routines and everyday activities—like eating
and drinking. On the other hand, the most mundane exercises and
material actions are filled with spiritual significance and mystical
meaning—like eating and drinking. Nevertheless, in this remarkable
correspondence, Abba John affirms the apostolic injunction that the
kingdom of heaven is not about food:

Advise them in all humility with the words of the Apostle:

“Those who eat must not despise those who do not eat; … and
those who do not eat should not pass judgement on those who
eat” (Rom 14:3–6). Both those who eat and those who do not eat
are honorable in God’s eyes; for each of them acts according to
God’s glory. In brief, each person should do what is necessary out

1
From the title of a book on eating disorders: see Carol Emery Normandi and
Laurelee Roark, It’s Not About the Food (New York: Grosset/Putnam, 1998).
114 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

of love for God, saying: “I am weak and unable to do otherwise;

please be compassionate with me.” As the Apostle said: “The
kingdom of heaven is neither food nor drink, but love and purity
of heart” (Rom 14:17, 1 Tm 1:5). (Letter 584)2

And elsewhere, the same elder counsels: “Do not abstain [from
food] altogether, but struggle instead against your thought” (Letter
162).
For many people today, food has become an enemy; but early
monastic literature considered a different kind of enemy. In our
age, we have demonized food in vain search for material comfort,
emotional coping, and physical competence; today, the struggle
against savory temptation gets waged in the fitness club or the
weight loss program, not in the heart or the mind. In former
centuries, however, food was the source of a more dangerous
nuance or spiritual distraction. Gluttony was once a consequence
of self-adoration or disrespect for God.3 Today we perceive it as an
aspect of self-admiration or disrespect for one’s self. Despite a more
secular approach to life, it is surprising that our relationship with
food still readily translates into a language about God and the devil,
or else about sin and repentance: We speak of overeating as “being
wrong,” of rich foods as “tempting” or “sinfully delicious,” and of
delight in food as creating “guilt” or causing “remorse.”
After all, so much of the world’s population goes hungry each
day. Thus, no matter what the period or purpose, the struggle to
control eating and limit consumption is always intense. Adhering to
the Pauline approach (Phil. 4:5 and 1 Cor. 9:25), Evagrius of Pontus
advised monks to maintain a sparse and moderate diet.4 The sixth-
century elders of Gaza attest to this permanent and persistent war
waged against the vice of gluttony:

When the passion of gluttony tempts you, struggle as much as

possible not to give the body all that it requires … Once you

2
See also Letter 607.
3
For a socio-cultural approach to temptation, see S. M. Lyman, The Seven Deadly
Sins: Society and Evil (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1978).
4
Evagrius, On the Eight Thoughts: Gluttony I, 14. See David Brakke (trans.),
Evagrius of Pontus, Antirrhetikos: A Monastic Handbook for Combating Demons
(Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2009), 56.
 FASTING AND FEASTING 115

FIGURE 3  First edition of Barsanuphius and John (Venice).

have triumphed over the temptation with the grace of God, then
you may acquire whatever you need. (Letter 502)

Struggle against gluttony as much as you can, and the Lord will
assist you to understand and do whatever is beneficial for you.
(Letter 328)

­ ne who consumes many types of foods during meals is

O
gluttonous. Whereas one who eats daily from only one food not
only lacks greed, but in time also develops distaste for that food.
(Letter 85)
116 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

It seems that, over the centuries, the notion of gluttony has

generally evolved along with ideas about the body and food, about
the individual and society, as well as about health and holiness.
Still, whether one praises or condemns this seductive sin, it remains
a mirror wherein we ultimately see a clear reflection of ourselves
and our fears, our passions and prejudices, our darkest dreams
and deepest desires. Indeed, our contemporary fascination with
gluttony—along with our struggle to suppress or subdue it—
discloses as much about our spiritual aspirations as it does about
our never-ending attempts to define human nature.
Our struggle with food is, in the final analysis, an inherently
metaphysical matter; if, according to the German philosopher and
anthropologist Ludwig Feuerbach (1804–72), “we are what we
eat,”5 then what we believe about eating reveals our perception
about who we are and what we want to become, about the hunger
of our body and—above and beyond all else—the yearning of our
soul. Whether fasting or feasting, food is ultimately a reflection of
our passions and priorities.
So it is helpful to focus on the struggle to understand or overcome
gluttony by first looking in the mirror, then confronting our desires,
and eventually making honest choices about our behavior. Only
then will we be sufficiently empty and thirsty to be filled with God’s
love and in humility to make the right choices according to his will.
It is only after the fast that we will truly delight in the feast of grace
and love.

The Face of Gluttony

But what does gluttony look like? After all, as Orson Wells puts it:
“Gluttony is not a secret vice!” Moreover, gluttony does not have a
single target; for Abba John: “The measure of gluttony applies not
only to matters [related to food], but also to speech, sleep, dress,
and all the senses. Each of these likewise has its own degree of
abstinence” (Letter 155). In this regard, one can speak of various
forms of a “visible” and “tangible” gluttony: there are the more
apparent vices of overeating (the gluttony of filling our stomach);

5
Feuerbach, Sämtliche Werke, vol. 10 (Leipzig, 1846–1866), 5.
 FASTING AND FEASTING 117

there is the vice of compulsive activity (the gluttony of filling our

time); and there is the vice of collecting trinkets and gadgets (the
gluttony of filling our space). Each of these faces of gluttony reflects
a means of meeting certain needs or filling certain voids. Ultimately,
they indicate ways of avoiding an encounter or experience with
our most vital cravings, which can only be quenched by “the living
water of eternal life” (Jn 4:14).
In the second century, Clement of Alexandria warned against
excessive food on both medical and moral grounds.6 For Clement,
gluttons “are shipwrecked on pastries, honeycakes, and desserts!”7
Yet perhaps the most comprehensive definition of gluttony is offered
by John Chrysostom’s deacon, Evagrius of Pontus, who maintained
a strict ascetic regimen of abstinence in the desert of Egypt:

Gluttony is the mother of lust, nourishment of evil thoughts,

laziness of fasting, obstacle to asceticism, terror to moral purpose,
imagination of food, sketcher of seasoning, an unrestrained
horse, unbridled frenzy, receptacle of disease, envy of health,
obstruction of bodily passages, groaning of bowels, extremity of
anger, ally of craving, pollution of the intellect, weakness of the
body, difficulty in sleep, and gloom of death.8

It comes as no surprise, then, that—in this, as in so many other

details of the ascetic life, in the wake of Evagrius—Barsanuphius
and John place gluttony at the pinnacle of their list of vices (Letter
137b).
One conventional reason for the importance of vigilance and
struggle against this vice is the allegation that gluttony generally
weakens human morals, paving the way for other, more serious
temptations. In some ways, gluttony is more than just a cause of sin;
it is, in fact, the “original” sin! It is what led to the “fall of Adam”
in the garden of Eden. In the fourteenth century, Geoffrey Chaucer

6
Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis II, 2. See https://www.newadvent.org/
fathers/02102.htm
7
Ibid., II, i, 3–4.
8
Evagrius Ponticus, The Praktikos & Chapters on Prayer, trans. John Eudes
Bamberger (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1981), 17f. See Teresa Shaw,
The Burden of the Flesh: Fasting and Sexuality in Early Christianity (Minneapolis,
MN: Fortress Press, 1998).
118 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

summarized this in verse: “Oh gluttony, full of cursedness/Cause

of our original ruin/Root of our damnation.”9 However, gluttony
is surely incidental, if not accidental, to Adam and Eve’s sin. To
interpret original sin as the vice of gluttony is plainly to miss the
point of the Genesis story; had Adam and Eve truly been gluttons,
they would have consumed all the apples!
Plato wrote in the Timaeus that gluttony could serve as
a distraction—a word that literally implies “hindering” or
“hampering” (dis-, δυσ-) our “traction”—from elevated concerns.10
And Philo, Plato’s Jewish admirer in first-century Alexandria,
regarded gluttony as the main stumbling block on the way to
holiness, a veritable obsession and consequently the principal
cause of lasciviousness. For Philo, the ideal ascetic community is
both vegetarian and celibate.11 In the third century, Tertullian even
suggested an intimate connection between gluttony and lust, which
in the following century Jerome visually promoted for posterity in
his ascetic propaganda: “These two are so closely united that, had
there been any possibility of separating them at all, the genitals
would not have been affixed to the belly.”12
As we might expect, the connection between gluttony and lust or
greed has all but disappeared in the modern psyche, which dismisses
it as a remnant of medieval narrow-mindedness. However, Abba
Barsanuphius is clear about the connection: “Since I am unable to
keep silent, let me make a suggestion. If you do not eat for the sake
of pleasure but for the sake of the body’s weakness, God will not
condemn you. For we monitor food to avoid excessive eating and
bodily arousal” (Letter 510). In his Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis
describes the “chief use of [excess in food] as a kind of artillery
preparation for attacks on chastity.”13 In fact, Dante’s Inferno
consigns gluttons to the third circle of hell, a lower region and more

9
See Geoffrey Chaucer, Prologue to “The Pardoner’s Tale,” in The Canterbury Tales,
ed. Helen Cooper (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996), sections  210 through
300, 260–77.
10
Plato, Timaeus, 72.
11
Philo, On the Contemplative Life, 34–5.
12
Tertullian, De Ieiunio adversus Psychicos I, 1–2; Jerome, Letters 54, 9; see also
Augustine, Confessions X, 31 (43–4).
13
C. S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters (San Francisco, CA: Harper, 2001 [repr. 1942]);
“Letter 17.”
 FASTING AND FEASTING 119

hideous fate than that reserved for the lustful, inasmuch as gluttons
choose to worship themselves,14 while the lustful at least fix their
adoration on each other.
So it appears that, of all the vices, gluttony arguably enjoys the
most intriguing history, regarded as a supreme form of idolatry
and the most extreme form of materialism. Indeed, from biblical
times, the principal objection to gluttony is that it turns attention
from “heavenly things” (where the mind should be) to “earthly
things” (which the mind should avoid), thereby becoming a
substitute for God. In the stern warning of Paul to the Christians
in Philippi: “Their god is their stomach” (Phil 3:18–19; see also
Rom 16:17).

­The Power of Choice: Looking at the

Menu
The problem, of course, does not normally lie in food itself; it is
commonly the inordinate desire or passion for food—the intense and
involved longing that comes between the soul and God, distracting
us from love for and devotion to God. The desire and the distraction
alike derive from the potency and potential of human choice, from
the divine gift of will, created as we are “in the image and likeness
of God” (Gn 1:26). For all the vehemence of early monastic debates
about free will and its relationship to divine grace, no one doubted
that the glutton too had a choice when it came to what, when, and
how much to eat:

Question.  “What happens when I am unsure who is actually

scandalized by my desire to eat? What should I do?” Response
by John. You are able to test and see whether he is scandalized
or not. For instance, if you need to eat, do not say: “Give
me some food.” Rather, say: “I see that I am hungry for one
reason or another.” When he hears this, he will reveal himself;
and in this way, you will learn his disposition, as to whether
or not he is scandalized. (Letter 377)

Dante, Inferno, Canto 6, Circle 3.

14
120 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

The issue was not so much the fact that the monk ate; it was that
the monk made wrong choices. Indeed, a monk may be obliged to
eat when it is a question of “cutting off his own will.”15 Abba John
assures us that no food is harmful unless consumed with passion:

If God sanctified and purified everything so the faithful might

partake of everything, then one should receive whatever is
offered with thanksgiving and without discrimination. Indeed,
holy and pure things do not harm anyone, unless one’s conscience
or one’s suspicion believes that one is being harmed. For such a
person is in fact hesitant in faith, which is why passion abounds
within. Therefore, if one believes in the one who came to heal
every sickness and every weakness among his people, then that
same person is able to heal not only bodily illness, but also
the inner self. However, if one is in doubt, then one should
avoid harmful foods, condemning oneself for not being able
to tolerate them and for being overcome in thought, not being
found to be with sure faith. This is how one is guarded from
consuming food with passion, which is harmful for both soul
and body. (Letter 526)

Early monastic literature is more concerned about what the monk

chose than what the monk chewed. Indeed, for Abba John, desire is
the propulsion of choice and the compulsion of gluttony:

A brother asked the same Old Man:  Father, what is the difference
between eating food according to one’s desire, and eating it
according to one’s [natural] condition?
Response by John. Eating according to one’s desire is longing
to consume food, not for the body’s need but for gluttony’s
sake. For example, if you see that your condition takes to
herbs rather than to pulse, not for the sake of desire but for
its lightness, this is where the difference lies. Moreover, certain
conditions tolerate sweet things, others tolerate salty things,
and others demand bitter things; and this is neither passion
nor desire nor gluttony. However, to long for or crave after
something, in spite of its heavy nature, is called desire, which

Letter 528.
15
 FASTING AND FEASTING 121

is the servant of gluttony.16 So be careful when the passion of

gluttony overcomes you and masters your thought. However,
if you resist, making moderate use of your food for your need,
then this is not considered gluttony. (Letter 161)

It appears that all the ancient sages frown upon the excesses of gluttony.17
Many of them describe their relationship with food as a ferocious,
lifelong battle for choice and control. Gluttony is not always—or not
only—about too much food; it is usually—and ultimately—about
wrong choices and placing our choices above the needs of others and
the will of God. As a battle for power, then, gluttony can undoubtedly
lead to evil; in fact, it is the source of countless evils. Even God foresaw
this in contemplating the creation of Adam.
So, for the elders of Gaza, just as for the entire desert tradition,
gluttony must be cut off at the very root! Abba Barsanuphius writes:

As far as cutting off the root of the passions … this occurs by

cutting off one’s own will as much as possible and by afflicting
the senses in order to keep them disciplined, so that they may not
be wrongly exercised. This is how you should cut off the root of
these things and of everything else. (Letter 462)

The Way of Renunciation: Shedding and

Surrendering
Abba John reiterates the admonition for vigilance against gluttony:
“Great vigilance is required … If [captivity] leads your intellect to
gluttony, you should reign it back to asceticism” (Letter 86). Such
caution has a long history in monastic literature. It was gluttony’s
misfortune that the codifying of virtues and vices coincided with the
flowering of monasticism, which discerned the treacherous deceit of

16
Emphasis mine.
17
See Veronika Grimm, From Feasting to Fasting, the Evolution of a Sin: Attitudes to
Food in Late Antiquity (London: Routledge, 1995). See also R. D. Chatham, Fasting:
A Biblical-Historical Study (South Plainfield, NJ: Bridge Publishing, 1987). For a
fascinating analysis of gluttony, see Francine Prose, Gluttony (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2003).
122 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

this particular temptation.18 For John Climacus, gluttony and lust

occupy the middle—in other words, the very heart and soul—of the
ladder of divine ascent.19 Monastics believed that gluttony had a
language of its own, its own peculiar grammar, and vocabulary. Yet
it was a discourse frequently heard in complicated and conflicting
ways, which require careful unraveling to discern the language of
holiness.
And in the syntax of asceticism, the first rule is renunciation.
Anyone remotely familiar with the way of the ascetics knows
that the first step of the ladder is renunciation. Withdrawal or
renunciation—“despising the world and all that is in it”—is the
fundamental and essential method employed by Anthony of Egypt
for the sake of remembering “always to keep the fear of God
before [his] eyes.”20 In the desert, everything is about detachment;
everything is about letting go. Silence is surrendering the security or
justification provided by words, fasting is renouncing dependence
on or attachment to earthly resources, and spiritual direction is
about life no longer revolving around oneself but instead including
others.
There are of course many stages of renunciation, just as there are
multiple steps on the spiritual ladder. Perhaps we should imagine
renunciation not so much as the first stage, but as a series of stages
of refinement. There are a number of successive renunciations and
refinements that one undergoes in the desert. One of the more
tangible forms of renunciation or refinement is the struggle against
gluttony. Renunciation resembles the constant shedding of coats of
skin (Gn. 3:21), which sharpens or refines our senses, until “our
inner vision becomes keen.”21 When we learn what to let go of, we
concomitantly learn what is worth holding on to.

Abba Zosimas said: “In time, through neglect, we lose even the
little fervor that we suppose we have in ascetic renunciation. We
become attached to useless, insignificant and entirely worthless

18
For an extreme example, see R. Bell, Holy Anorexia (Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1985).
19
John Climacus, Steps 14 “On Gluttony” and 15 “On Lust” in the thirty steps of
the Ladder.
20
Anthony 33, Sayings.
21
Doulas 1, Sayings.
 FASTING AND FEASTING 123

matters, substituting them for the love of God and neighbor,

appropriating material things as if they were our own or as if we
did not receive them from God. ‘What do you have that you did
not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were
not a gift?’” (1 Cor 4:7)22

The first step or principle of renunciation is progressively learning

to relinquish or gradually becoming detached:

Question.  Since every food contains natural sweetness, is this

harmful to the person who consumes it?
Response by John.  God our Master created sweetness in every
food, and there is no harm in eating of this with thanksgiving
(1 Tm 4:4). However, one should always guard against
attachment; for this is what harms the soul. (Letter 773)

That is precisely how it must be in the spiritual way: We are

obliged to surrender what we think we want in order to acquire
something greater that we truly need. It is a painful, albeit crucial
process of bidding farewell to certain objects or particular habits
in order to learn what could be and what really matters. In order
to gain a new perspective, one inevitably has to shed or die to
the old ways. “We have ignored the Apostle Paul, who says: ‘Put
away all anger, wrangling and slander, along with all malice’
(Eph 4:31), and I would add gluttony to this list … in order to
become pure from filthy, righteous from sinful, and alive from
dead” (Letter 604).

The Way of Moderation: Ascetic

Refinement
As already noted, gluttony can assume different forms: overeating
can be otherwise expressed as overspeaking, overreacting, over-
judging, overacting, over-succeeding, overconsuming … We can
“binge” with words and not just food! We can “consume” with our

Zosimas, Reflections X, c.
22
124 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

emotions and not just sweets! We can “swallow” other people’s basic
need for survival and not just our fair share of sustenance.
The ascetic response to gluttony is ultimately a way of authentic
liberation and communion. Someone who struggles against
gluttony is ultimately free, uncontrolled by abusive attitudes,
uncompelled by compulsive ways. The ascetic is characterized by
self-control, self-restraint, and the ability to say “no” or “enough.”
The goal of asceticism is moderation, not repression. Asceticism
aims at refinement, abstinence, and surrender—not detachment,
disengagement, or destruction. Aristotle did not dare to reject
indulgence unilaterally; instead, he counseled moderation in
everything, including eating and drinking.23
Ascetic refinement therefore includes recognizing the positive
attributes of food. The Gaza elders are not obsessive either about
or against food; indeed, tasty food is a good thing. Food is “a gift
from God,”24 while preparing food should be done competently
and carefully.25 In fact, food is sacred, and eating should be a slow,
intentional process. We should sit down to meals with gratitude
and grace because we can actually discern and discover God in
food. Some Church Fathers even identify food with Christ, the
divine manna provided in the desert (Jn 6:31); in the words of John
Chrysostom, “the bread of God comes down from heaven and gives
life to the world.”26 Jesus performs the miracle of the loaves and
fishes that feeds a hungry throng, and clearly states that it is not
what goes into the mouth that defiles us, but every word that comes
out of it (Mt 15:11):

Response by the Great Old Man to a brother, when the thought

was sown within that not abstaining from food prevented him
from reaching what was promised.

23
Aristostle, Nicomachean Ethics, trans. D. Ross (New York: Oxford University
Press, 1998), 29.
24
Letter 338.
25
Letter 489.
26
John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John, echoed in Chrysostom, “Prayer
of the Prothesis” in the Divine Liturgy. See Ephrem Lash, (transl.), The Divine Liturgy
of Our Father among the Saints John Chrysostom (Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire:
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, 2011), 1–15.
 FASTING AND FEASTING 125

It is not because I wish to abolish abstinence and the monastic

discipline that I am always telling your love to exercise the needs
of your body as necessary—far be it for me! Rather, I am saying
that if, after God, the inner work does not assist us, then one
is laboring in vain on the outward self.27 For that is why the
Lord said: “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a
person, but what comes out of the mouth defiles” (Mt 15:11).
Indeed, inner work with labor of heart generates purity, which
engenders true stillness of heart, which in turn brings humility,
rendering a person the dwelling-place of God … That person
becomes a God-bearer, or even a god, according to the one who
told us: “I have said, you are gods, all children of the Most High”
(Ps 81:6, Jn 10:34). Therefore, do not let the thought, or rather
the evil one, trouble you, that bodily foods supposedly prevent
you from attaining to those promises.28 No; for they are holy,
and evil cannot issue from good, but only from those things that
come from the mouth. The things, then, that come from inside
the heart (Mt 15:18–19) are the ones that prevent and hinder a
person from arriving swiftly at the promises that lie before us.
(Letter 119)

What matters still more than what goes into the stomach is
retaining the focus of the heart on the divine, which is possible only
through balanced and disciplined diet. For Barsanuphius and John,
the key always lies in moderation:

For a healthy person … wishing to exercise abstinence, one cup

of wine each day is sufficient, and no more. However, if one
is frequently ill, then one should take two full cups. The same
applies to cooked food: one should eat only one bowl and not
worry about anything else. As for how the Fathers adopted
a very strict diet, they found that their bodies were obedient.
Therefore, those who controlled themselves well and with
discernment were able to conform their routine to their body.
(Letter 159)

Cf. Arsenius 9, Sayings.

27

Emphasis mine.
28
126 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Moderation is especially significant and pertinent in cases of

illness.29 And here the Gaza elders reveal incomparable discernment
and compassion:

The same person was relieved of his illness and asked the Old
Man: Father, when I eat, I am heavily weighed down. Then, I
am unable to fast; for my body feels weak and I sweat a great
deal …
Response by Barsanuphius. Brother, I greet you in the Lord,
praying that he might strengthen you and grant you patience.
However, you must learn that this warfare comes from the devil,
who weighs you down with food in order to make you relax. For
he also tempted me over a long period, weighing down heavily
on me, even making me vomit night after night. However, I began
to eat just a little food, and then he changed his tactic. Whenever
I approached to eat, just as I placed a bite in my mouth, he would
make me vomit. So I began to eat every two days, in order that
I might grow accustomed to the food, but that too became his
tactic. Nonetheless, with the grace of God, through patience
and thanksgiving, my temptation has ceased. I had become so
weak that I cannot even describe it to you; yet I did not give
up but struggled until the Lord gave me strength (2 Tm 4:17).
Brother, when I was ill, that is what I did. So pay closer attention
to yourself and God will have mercy on you. For there is only
one that is envious of you, and “the Lord has annihilated him”
(2 Thes 2:8). (Letter 512)

For Abba John, there is also a distinction between eating “according

to one’s natural condition” (“for the body’s need”) and eating
“according to one’s personal desire” (“for gluttony’s sake”). In all
things, John advises temperance: “Be careful when the passion of
gluttony overcomes you and masters your thought … However, if
you make moderate use of your food for the sake of your need, then
this is not considered gluttony” (Letter 161).

29
On the nature and meaning of illness, particularly as this plays out in the process
of spiritual direction, see Andrew Crisp, Thorns in the Flesh: Illness and Sanctity in
Late Ancient Christianity (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013),
esp. 138–65.
 FASTING AND FEASTING 127

This means that the criterion of moderation lies in consuming

“a little less,” always stopping relatively short of satiety, which
in itself is ultimately an indicator of craving a little more. Abba
Barsanuphius says: “Abstinence means getting up from the table
with a little less (hunger and thirst), as the elders ordained for those
who have not yet achieved progress” (Letter 154).30 Abba John
concurs, adding remarks that echo the precision of a “weight-loss”
or “12-step” plan and allowing for seasonal or climatic variations:

The Fathers say about the measure of abstinence that it means

always consuming a little less, whether in regard to food or
drink; namely, one should not fill the stomach with one or the
other. Furthermore, one ought to calculate the food cooked and
the wine consumed. In winter, one does not drink as much; and
so the “little less” should be calculated accordingly. The same
applies to food. (Letter 155)

One should avoid only harmful foods. If a certain food happens

to be neither harmful nor beneficial, then one should not eat
to the point of satiation but only a little.31 For if one eats even
beneficial food to the point of satiation, then one is harmed.
(Letter 530)

Extending the Table

It’s Not about You
It sometimes appears that gluttony is a private matter, entailing
personal or private sin. In fact, however, it is a broader or social
sin—against others and against God. It is the diametrical opposite
of sharing with others and dependence on God. Indeed, we may
consider gluttony a substitute for intimacy and love.32 So the cure
for gluttony involves refining one’s own senses and becoming

30
See also Abba Isaiah, Ascetic Discourse 4.
31
Emphases mine.
32
For a contemporary psychological discussion of this, see G. Roth, When Food Is Love:
Exploring the Relationship between Eating and Intimacy (New York: Plume, 1991).
128 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

more sensitive to others. Hence the copious rules in the Letters of

Barsanuphius and John about how to approach a table or sit down
at a meal:

Question to Abba John.  Father, What happens when the passion

is not there beforehand but is suggested at mealtime? What
should I do? Should I abstain from food or not?
Response.  Do not abstain altogether, but struggle against your
thought, remembering that food is eventually reduced to a
foul smell and is of no profit, as well as that we are condemned
when we eat while others entirely abstain. If the thought …
masters you, so that you are unable to eat in orderly manner,
then cut off the food. But if others are seated beside you, in
order to prevent them from noticing anything, eat a little at a
time. Of course, if you should happen to be hungry, fill your
need with bread or some other food that does not tempt you.
(Letter 162)33

This introduces a firm social argument against gluttony—namely

the fact that, for most people, gluttony involves eating more than
we need in the full knowledge that millions of others with whom we
share the earth’s resources are starving. It also demonstrates how
gluttony is the result of much deeper—often far less “visible”—
vices, such as greed and pride, which hardly seem to trouble most of
those preoccupied with consumption or distribution of food. This,
too, may be a direct consequence of gluttony; it may be that other
senses are numbed by the focus on oneself and one’s own needs.
Responding to the needs of others by means of food and drink is a
cardinal and critical monastic virtue.34
Abba John practically foreshadows “Tiffany’s Table Manners”35
when he addresses the extraordinary effect of an ordinary etiquette
for eating:

When you see your thought taking pleasure in a particular food

and driving you to anticipate others, or else taking pleasure in

33
For more dietary rules, see also Letters 132, 151–2, 157–9, and 166. My emphasis.
34
See Letter 459.
35
See Walter Hoving, Tiffany’s Table Manners for Teenagers, Fiftieth Anniversary
Edition (New York: Random House Books, 1989).
 FASTING AND FEASTING 129

attracting this food before you, remember that this is gluttony.

So pay attention to yourself in order not to perform its will, and
do your best to refrain from partaking eagerly,36 albeit in orderly
manner. Try instead to push the food before those seated beside
you. It is not necessary, as I have told you, to refuse altogether to
partake of food on the grounds of gluttony, but be very careful
not to eat in disorderly fashion.
Even apart from gluttony, the Fathers write that we should
not stretch our hands before others at the table;37 for this is
inappropriate and alien to common manners. However, when
the food set before us is such that it is unclear what the portion
of each happens to be, but instead everyone is supposed to share
it with others, then it is not improper to do so, although again
we should do so in orderly fashion in order not to fall into
gluttony and condemnation. Another sign of gluttony is when
one desires food before the appropriate time, which must not
be done without good reason. In all things, rather, we should
invoke the help of God, and he will come to our assistance.
(Letter 163)

This other dimension or dimension of the “other” in gluttony—

the factor of being sensitive to others and to God—ultimately
inaugurates the perspective of the kingdom, an eschatological
element personified by monastics as prophets of the age to come.
The “great old man” observes:

As for the ages spoken of in Ecclesiastes, you should know that

one’s entire life is called an age … If you want to learn how
ignorant and superficial people distort Scripture by allegorizing
according to the devil’s teaching, the Apostle says: “Food is
meant for the stomach, and the stomach for food, but God will
destroy both the one and the other.”38 He is speaking here of

36
For Thomas Aquinas, other ways of committing gluttony include praepropere
(eating too soon) and ardente (eating too eagerly), as well as laute (eating too
expensively), nimis (eating too much), and studiose (eating too daintily).
37
Abba Isaiah, Ascetic Discourse, 3.
38
1 Cor 6:13.
130 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

gluttony, indifference, and prodigality; so God did not abolish

food and the stomach from the saints. For the Apostle who said
this knew well that he was speaking about the passions, which
the Lord abolished from himself and from those like him. Thus
he began by saying: “We are no worse off if we do not eat, and
no better off if we do.”39 Nevertheless, the meaning of these
words is as follows. It is in the future age that God said that
human beings would be equal to angels,40 neither eating nor
drinking, nor again desiring anything else.41 And, of course,
nothing is impossible with God.42 For he demonstrated this
through Moses, who lived this way for forty days and nights.43
The one who did this for Moses is also able to do the same
for anyone else, for all the years of eternity. And if someone
should rave, saying that Moses nevertheless ate afterward, we
were also given a partial example of what will happen in the
future, as well as of the resurrection, through our Savior, who
resurrected other dead people through the Apostles as well.
All of this demonstrates that there will be a resurrection. Even
if the Apostles died afterward, we should still not doubt the
resurrection. Furthermore, it is said: “One does not live by
bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of
God.”44 How can you object to this, unless you distort it, too,
like the rest of the Scriptures? (Letter 607)

In all, then, the spiritual struggle against material gluttony is positive

and creative, not negative: it looks to service and compassion, not
selfishness; to detachment and sacrifice, not denial; to renunciation
and reconciliation, not escape. “Without asceticism, none of us is
authentically human.”45

39
1 Cor 8:8.
40
Cf. Lk 20:36.
41
Cf. Mt 22:30.
42
Lk 1:37.
43
Cf. Ex 24:18. Emphasis mine.
44
Mt 4:4.
45
See K. Ware, “The Way of the Ascetics: Negative or Affirmative,” in Asceticism, ed.
Vincent Wimbush and Richard Valantasis (New York, NY: Oxford University Press,
1995), 13. Also Panagiotis Nellas, Deification in Christ: Orthodox Perspectives on
the Nature of the Human Person (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press,
1987), 180f.
 FASTING AND FEASTING 131

Sharing the Feast

Centuries of misunderstanding and abuse have regrettably tainted
the concept of asceticism, identifying it either with individualism
and escapism or else equally toward idealism and angelism. All of
these detrimental tendencies verge on the point of disincarnation,
promulgating scorn, and contempt for the material world. However,
at least in its more authentic expression, asceticism is genuinely a
way of intimacy and tenderness, a way of integrating the senses,
soul, and society. In this respect, asceticism is essentially a social
discipline. No person should ever practice in a way that insults
the Creator. It is no wonder that after years of harsh labor and
sparse living, the early desert fathers and mothers emerged in their
relationships as charming and compassionate, accessible, and
tranquil.
One example of such asceticism endures in the discipline of
fasting. To this day, Orthodox Christians fast from all dairy and
meat products for almost half the year, as if in an effort to reconcile
one half of the year with the other, to integrate secular time into
the time of the kingdom. To fast is not to deny the world, but in
fact to affirm the world, together with the body and all creation.
It is to recall that humanity cannot “live by bread alone” (Mt 4:4)
and to acknowledge that “the earth, and all the fullness thereof, is
the Lord’s” (Ps 23:1). Fasting is what connects and consolidates the
individual with the rest of society and the world. It is the bond of
community.
Like every other ascetic discipline, to fast is to learn to give,
and not simply to give up. As another act of “letting go,” it is not
an act of deprecation, but an offering of gratitude. It is a way of
breaking down barriers between myself and my neighbor as well
as between myself and my world. In a word, to fast is to love. It is
leaving something for others and moving away from what I want
to what the world needs. It is liberation from greed, control, and
compulsion. Fasting is valuing everything for itself, and not simply
for myself.
Thus the aim of asceticism is to regain a sense of wonder, to be
filled with an overflowing feast of goodness and of godliness. It
is seeing all things in God and God in all things. And here ascesis
encounters and engages theosis as the vision and taste of God. The
132 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

most divine experience is to discover the wonder of God in the

beauty of the world and to discern the boundlessness of grace in the
limitations of the whole of creation.
The biblical image of this struggle is the scene of Jacob wrestling
with the angel of God in Genesis 32:24–30. The image is much
more than a fight that results in a wound or “hollow” caused by the
angel’s blows. It also results in blessing: a new name (from Jacob to
Israel) and ultimately the vision of God “face to face.” It is in fact
a model of “the struggle with God,”46 a symbol of intense embrace
and impassioned love. The hollow is not a symbol of defeat. It
represents the empty space—a puncture or hole—that only God can
fill or fulfill. Everything we do is a reflection of this love, whether its
fulfillment or its failure. The struggle is definitely daunting, but the
reward is undeniably fulfilling: “If we love one another, God abides
in us and His love is perfected in us” (1 Jn 4:12).
By contrast, gluttony numbs the senses. If we want to see and
taste and hear and smell and touch, then we require abstinence.
Asceticism demands that we pay attention to the strings of the heart
and the stirrings of the body. It requires being silent in order to
listen, moving slowly and gently, recognizing the needs of the body
and respecting the hunger of the soul. Gluttony dulls and deadens
the body. If we want to have a life, if we want to learn why we are
alive, if we want to love and be truly alive, if we want any sense
of meaning and purpose in life, then we must let go of all that we
depend on and cling to, all that weighs and holds us down. We have
to put down the fork, say no to food, and stop eating aimlessly.
Precisely because the answer does not lie in food.
Paradoxically, gluttony provokes hunger. Maybe we have to
starve before we can reach deep inside to discover the resources we
had all along. This will lead to a life abounding with grace—a life
full of “holy hunger”47 and holy desire, far stronger than any craving
for food; a life where we are no longer constantly kidnapped by
lower desires, by a hunger for lesser gods; a life where our passions
are neither eliminated nor extinguished, but transformed from glory

46
Title of a book by Evdokimov, The Struggle with God. The French original literally
translates as: Stages of the Spiritual Life.
47
See Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Holy Hunger: A Woman’s Journey from Food Addiction
to Spiritual Fulfilment (New York, NY: Knopf, 1998).
 FASTING AND FEASTING 133

to glory (2 Cor 3:18) until we share in the feast of the kingdom.

Abba Barsanuphius urges: “Fill your stove-pot with spiritual foods,
such as humility, obedience, faith, hope, and love” (Letter 227). And
the “great old man” also assures us that “divine food … lasts a
long time” (Letter 17). Ultimately, as Abba John explains, hunger
that reflects humility is the only method whereby we can reach “the
degree … of requiring little food”:

You oblige me to speak about things beyond my limits, but I fear

that I may be condemned in speaking about the achievements
of others. For it is written: “My bones cling to my skin”
(Ps  101:5–6), namely that all of a person’s bones become one;
this refers to all human thoughts that become one according
to God. Afterward the bones cleave to the flesh; that is to say,
the flesh becomes spiritual and follows godly thoughts. Then
the joy of the Spirit comes to the heart, feeding the soul and
fattening the body, while strengthening both alike.48 So the body
is neither weak nor despondent. For Jesus becomes the mediator,
presenting that person before the entrance gates, where “grief
and sorrow and sighing are no more” (Is 51:11) … What brings
a person to this degree is perfect humility. (Letter 153)­

For the connection between heart and body, cf. Macarian Homilies XV, 20.
48
 ­6
Mourning and Tears
The Way of Brokenness
and Imperfection

Springs of Living Water

Of all the classical texts of Christian spirituality without exception, Step
Seven “On Mourning” in the seventh-century Ladder of Divine Ascent
of John Climacus extolls tears as one of the more tangible and visible
ways of repentance. In tenth-century Constantinople, Symeon the New
Theologian would press this doctrine to the point of dogma, claiming
that tears are indispensable in the spiritual and sacramental life.1
The phenomenon of tears might be described as “native” to
Christianity and clearly played a dominant role in the ascetical and
mystical experience. The early monastic tradition in fact served as
a cradle for this treasure bequeathed to Christianity by Jesus, who
“blessed those who mourn” (Mt 5:4) in his Sermon on the Mount.2

1
Discourses IV, 10. See Symeon the New Theologian: The Discourses, transl. C. J. De
Catanzaro (New York: Paulist Press, 1980), 80–1.
2
The fullest treatment of the subject of tears is by I. Hausherr, Penthos: The Doctrine
of Compunction in the Christian East (Kalamazoo MI: Cistercian Publications,
1982). On tears in ascetic spirituality, see Kallistos Ware, “Introduction,” in
John Climacus: Ladder of Divine Ascent, Classics of Western Spirituality, trans.
C. Luibheid and N. Russell (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1982), 20–7. See also
Kimberley Christine Patton and John Stratton Hawley, eds., Holy Tears: Weeping in
the Religious Imagination (Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2005).
 MOURNING AND TEARS 135

The development of tears proceeds from the New Testament

through the Egyptian desert tradition to the Palestinian elders
and the Sinaite school, with John Climacus and Symeon the New
Theologian standing out as the greatest witnesses in later centuries.
While not unknown in the Western tradition, especially in writers
like John Cassian—who undoubtedly learned about the “deep
waters of the heart” while living among the early desert fathers of
Egypt—the East accorded tears special priority, perhaps on account
of the emphasis there on the heart as a vessel of the Spirit. Once
more, a seemingly everyday experience of grieving and shedding
tears becomes charged with extraordinary insight and intensity in
the spiritual life.
Tears and mourning are in fact so intertwined with and integral
to one another that both are a living spring that feeds spiritual
growth. We read that the “other old man,” John, never took holy
communion without shedding tears (Letter 570)—echoing earlier
desert fathers, such as Arsenius of Scetis in the preceding century,
but also foreshadowing later monastic writers, such as Abba Isaac
the Syrian in the following century and notably Symeon the New
Theologian in the tenth century.3
Both Old Men share the emphasis on tears, but Barsanuphius is
careful to distinguish the manifestation of tears from any negative
expression of guilt that looks backward. The “great old man”
describes tears as a positive expression of longing and desire for a
grace that was lost, yet which still lies ahead:

One who is conscious of what was lost will weep for it. Moreover,
one who sincerely desires something will endure many travels
and trials, in the hope of achieving what is desired. (Letter 400)

Question.  If one acquires these gifts through mourning, as you

have said, then how can I safeguard this mourning when I
move in and out among people, attending to chores and serving
others? And does mourning of the heart exist without tears?
Response by John.  It is not tears that cause mourning, but rather
mourning that causes tears. Someone who is among people
can acquire mourning if that person cuts off one’s own will
and does not pay attention to the faults of others. For it is

3
Discourses IV, 1. See Symeon the New Theologian, 70–1.
136 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

from mourning that the thoughts are gathered; and when they
are gathered, they too give birth to godly sorrow (λύπη), and
sorrow gives rise to tears. (Letter 285)

The process of gathering one’s thoughts requires discernment in

mourning and tears:

Question.  A brother asked the Great Old Man: Tell me, father,
whether the compunction (κατάνυξις) that I think that I
possess is genuine and whether I should live here on my own.
Also, pray for me because I am troubled by bodily warfare.
­Response by Barsanuphius.  Brother, your weeping and
compunction are not genuine now, but they come and go.
For genuine weeping, which comes with compunction,
becomes like a servant submitted to us without separation;
and the person who possesses this does not experience any
spiritual warfare. It even wipes away one’s former faults and
washes away all blemishes. Moreover, in the name of God, it
continually protects the person who acquires it. Indeed, it also
expels laughter and distraction, while maintaining mourning
unceasingly. For it resembles a large shield that deters all the
fiery arrows of the devil. A person who possesses this receives
absolutely no combat, whether that person is with others or
with prostitutes; that gift always stays with us and fights for us.
Therefore, I have demonstrated for you the sign of weakness
and of courage. Do not think that God could not relieve you
from battle; he could have done so, especially for the saints
praying for you. Nevertheless, because he loves you, God
wants you to be tested through many battles and trials in order
to arrive at the degree of good repute. You cannot reach this
point unless you keep all that I have decreed in my letters—
teacher of vainglory such as I am. Apply yourself now, child, as
I said, and I believe that you will make progress in Christ. Do
not be afraid. May the Lord be with you. (Letter 461)

Tears are a useful platform for gaining insight into the spiritual world
and worldview of the Palestinian elders. They are the clearest signs of
the uncontainable divine grace contained in the fragile human body.
In this respect, mourning and tears are prized virtues in the
letters, described as “accompanying” every aspect of ascetic life
 MOURNING AND TEARS 137

(Letter 165). They are so closely identified and integrated with the
monastic life that Abba John refers to monks as “those who mourn”
(Letter 618). Weeping is a course of renunciation and surrender,
which further implies that it is closely associated with the very
first steps of monastic life and incorporated into every stage of the
ascetic life. Tears therefore are regenerative and restorative, while
weeping adumbrates a silent albeit painful method of healing the
wounds of the heart:

As for the wounds, wash them away … with tears. For tears
wash away every stain. (Letter 148)

Weeping cleanses a person from sins, but it comes with toil,

along with great effort and patience, as well as by remembering
the fearful judgement and the eternal shame, as well as by
renouncing oneself. (Letter 257)

Such words may resound negatively or harshly to contemporary

ears. The suggestion is that, by initially surrendering life, we can
eventually rediscover ourselves. In struggling against what we
are not, we are striving to know what we truly are. Because we
frequently tend to forget who and what we are. The tragedy is not
that we imagine we are more than we actually are, but that we
tolerate being less than God calls us to be. Pride is not the ultimate
error; forgetfulness of our origin and destiny is the ultimate sin.
That is what leads to hardness of heart and pride, which are the
polar opposite and utter banishment of mournfulness: “Hard-
heartedness and pride drive tears away from you. Remove these
and tears will swell” (Letter 512). Indeed, the more “hardened the
heart,” the “greater also the mourning” (Letter 552), though in the
end, as we shall see, only grace can “purify the fountain of tears for
the flowing of spiritual water … if the fountain of your heart’s tears
has dried up” (Letter 18).
No wonder, then, that the two Old Men emphasize remembrance
of death and judgement; these are, after all, another dimension to
remembrance of God. Feeling comfortable with death is a way
of embracing mortality. So often, however, we endeavor to cheat
death, instinctively seeking to avoid or escape mortality. We refuse
to face change and pain. Instead we search for ways to sidestep
them—financially, technologically, medically, or emotionally. By
138 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

contrast, Barsanuphius and John are convinced that this life is a

time of mourning and weeping. We are to shut the door of the cell,
even as—indeed, especially when—we experience moments of panic
or powerlessness.

Our time is given us to examine our passions, as well as to weep

and mourn for them. (Letter 603. See also Letter 260)

So be humble before God, weeping for your sins and mourning

over your passions. (Letter 607)

One who regards oneself as sinful should mourn over one’s sins,
and do nothing else. (Letter 699)

And there, in the cell, we are to wait and weep. Otherwise, if we

do not first shut the door of the cell, then the door of the kingdom
will also be closed to us, just as it was for the foolish virgins in the
gospel parable (Letter 37).

To sit in one’s cell means to remember one’s sins and to weep and
mourn for them, as well as to remain vigilant so that the intellect
is not taken captive, but rather to struggle—even when it is taken
captive—to return it to its proper place. (Letter 172)

­ et us not waste our little time in distractions, brother, but let

L
us acquire mourning filled with tears, so that we may be blessed
with those who mourn. (Letter 125)

Just as mourning is continual, so too tears are literal—visible

and tangible, not imaginary or figurative. Barsanuphius speaks of
“drowning the soul many times and with much sorrow” (Letter 48).
There is a clear and intricate method to this technique: “We
know the results of tears; for the experience of Peter’s mourning
has taught us” (Letter 532). Unless “one pays close attention” and
remains vigilant, then “one may completely deviate from the way
of mourning” (Letter 459). Describing tears as a “way” is of course
directly reminiscent of the desert tradition in Egypt:

Abba Poemen said: “Weeping is the way that the Scriptures and
the Fathers give us, when they say: ‘Weep!’ Truly, there is no
 MOURNING AND TEARS 139

other way than this.” He also said: “It is impossible not to weep,
whether voluntarily or when compelled through suffering.”4

But alas, it seems that we lose sight of this “way” early on and
misplace our innate ability to grieve. So we must gradually relearn
and painfully reacquire this time-honored phenomenon.

Variations on a Theme
Godly Sorrow: An Overture to Joy
Beyond the abovementioned grounds for emphasizing the way of
tears, there is a deeper reason why tears are primary, even primal
in the spiritual life. For Barsanuphius and John, there is no stage
beyond the knowledge of imperfection. Perfection is reserved for
God, not for us; imperfection is ours to acknowledge and know,
never to forego or forget. Abba John writes:

I­t is written: “The righteous fall seven times a day, and rise
up again” (Prv. 24.16). Rising up again means the righteous
person is struggling. And anyone struggling acts exactly like
this: falling and rising again, until one sees what will happen
later. (Letter 454)

Why, then, do the Gaza elders describe life as perpetual weeping?

In the Palestinian desert, the gospel injunction to “be perfect, as
your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48) is a genuine vision of
realism. It does not remain a vague fantasy of romanticism. But the
source and object of tears is the light of the resurrection that shines
beyond the cross, transforming sorrow into joy. The bitterness of
tears is sweetened through repentance; tears of fear blossom into
tears of love.5 There is a link between the shedding of human tears
and the shining of divine grace. Tears are at once sweet and sad, the
foretaste of crucifixion and the anticipation of resurrection.

4
Poemen 119, Sayings. See also Arsenius 41, Sayings.
5
See Alexis Torrance, Repentance in Late Antiquity: Eastern Asceticism and the
Framing of the Christian Life, c. 400–650 ce (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press,
2013), esp. chapter 5.
140 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

In this perspective, light and dark complement one another; gain and
loss coincide; grace and grief coexist. It is here that the positive or “joyful”
dimension of mourning unfolds. The concept of cheerful mourning
is dialectical: repentance is a balance of perdition and resurrection,
of despair and hope, of death and life. Sadly we appear to have lost
the capacity to balance joy and sorrow. But Barsanuphius is deeply
conscious of this overture of joy. In Letter 196, the “great old man”
responds to a question about how to secure the “inviolable treasure”
and “impregnable tower” of the heavenly kingdom: “Let us weep in
order to laugh (Lk 6:21),” he responds, adding: “Let us be sorrowful
in order to rejoice. Let us mourn in order to be comforted” (Mt 5:5).
The “other old man” offers a definition of “godly sorrow” intimately
connected to “modest joyfulness” and foreshadowing the concept of
“joyful sorrow”6 coined in the next generation by John Climacus:

Mourning is godly sorrow (2 Cor 7:10), which is produced

by repentance. The characteristics of repentance are fasting,
psalmody, prayer, and the study of God’s words. Cheerfulness
is joyfulness, which appears in the words and on the faces of
those who possess it with modesty. Therefore, let the heart have
mourning, while the face and the words should have modest
joyfulness. In this way, both can be held together. (Letter 730)

The concept of sorrow mingled with joy reflects the simultaneous

experience of Gethsemane and Tabor, of Holy Friday and Easter
Sunday condensed: “dying, and behold living … sorrowful,
yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor 6:9–10). The Palestinian elders epitomize
the entire evangelical and patristic teaching, where joy (chara) and
grace (charis) share a common root and reason—etymologically,
theologically, and spiritually. Ordinary, everyday life becomes an
overture to the extraordinary experience of the kingdom.

Silent Tears: Progress through Imperfection

At first glance, the emphasis on brokenness and tears, or on
mourning and repentance, may leave a negative impression. After
all, so many letters deal with vices to be avoided and passions to

6
Title of Step 7 of the Ladder of Divine Ascent.
 MOURNING AND TEARS 141

be conquered. Yet the initial impression is somewhat misleading

because the balance between the negative and the positive goes
far deeper than any superficial calculation or observation. This is
because Barsanuphius and John are not afraid of the darker aspects
of human nature. They do not regard them merely as temporary
stages, but instead recognize in them the transcendence of human
finality and mortality. Like their predecessors in the Egyptian desert,
they welcome sin and failure as the ultimate opportunity for divine
grace and strength “perfected in weakness” (2 Cor 1:9). Their
grounded communication with those who approach them each day
provides the elders with a realistic experience of and appreciation for
the sacredness of the very ordinary. While geographically detached
from broader society and literally invisible to daily pilgrims, the
two Old Men demonstrate a delicate responsiveness and discerning
respect for the challenges that their visitors encounter in their
personal and social circumstances.
In this way, the silence of tears issues in an eloquent reflection
of the “unseen” lifestyle of our Palestinian elders, whom no one
sees and with whom no one speaks. Perhaps it is more important
to shed tears than to define them. So few comprehend that tears of
brokenness, as symbols of imperfection, are in fact the sole way of
spiritual progress. Our two elders have little to say about deification;
they prefer to record the obstacles along the way to holiness, the
gradual stages, and painful steps of the spiritual journey. They
know that this alone is what lies within our reach and reality. They
are convinced that a single, silent tear can advance us further in the
spiritual way than numerous, “loud” ascetic achievements.
At the same time, however, while the concept or theology of
deification may not be explicit in Barsanuphius and John, the tradition
and teaching of transformation lies at the very core of their logic and
letters. The “great old man” writes: “The Son of God became human
for you; you, too, should become a god for him” (Letter 199). In this
regard, the Gaza elders echo the maxim of Athanasius that “God
became human in order that we may become divine.”7 The emphasis
is always on searching the depths of the soul (Letter 603), rather
than researching the intricacies of the mind (Letter 604).

7
Athanasius of Alexandria, On the Divine Incarnation, chapter 54 (Crestwood, NY:
St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1982). See PG25.192.
142 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

The silence of tears is precisely such a way of interiority, a radical

way of exploring the inaccessible cellars of the heart. Through
sorrow, we learn by undergoing, not just by understanding. The
connection between tears and silence is all-important because
even words can be a way of affirming our existence or justifying
our emotions and actions. The more compelled we feel to assert
ourselves, the less peaceful we actually are with ourselves and
others. Silence is a way of relinquishing self-justification. Through
tears, we abandon infantile images of God and give in to the living
image of God. We confess personal powerlessness and profess
divine powerfulness. Tears confirm our readiness to surrender—to
allow our life to fall apart in the dark night of the soul, to renounce
our old ways in expectation of new life.
When we admit hopelessness and desperation, recognizing that
we have “hit rock bottom” in our relationships, whether with
people or with God, we also discover the compassion of a God who
voluntarily assumed the vulnerability of the cross. One would not
seek divine healing unless one had to in order to survive, until one
were prepared to admit there was no other way out the impasse.
Our hearts are the dwelling place of God, but they are made of
glass and are ever so fragile. And tears manifest this brokenness and
woundedness.
God enters the open wound—the broken window or tender tear-
drop—of our heart, bringing healing to the soul and the world,
not to comfort but to identify with us out of infinite and healing
compassion. God understands, having undergone the fragility and
vulnerability of assuming child-likeness and death on a cross. Such
sensitivity or susceptibility is the only professed way to holiness.
The more profound our personal misery, the more abundant God’s
eternal mercy; the deeper the abyss of human corruption, the greater
the grace of heavenly compassion; the more involved our exposure
to the suffering of the cross, the more intense our experience of the
light of resurrection.
Barsanuphius and John reveal remarkably subtle insight into “the
mysterious land of tears.”8 Their teaching on tears is a theology of
depth, revealing the fragility of life and reflecting a spirituality of
imperfection. For them, as for the inhabitants of the early Egyptian

8
From Antoine de Saint Exupéry, The Little Prince VII (San Diego, CA: Harvest
Books, 2000), 34–5.
 MOURNING AND TEARS 143

desert, life is a continual balance of tensions. To wait is to weep,

and to weep is to be humble. But such waiting is the surest way
of achieving grace. By waiting, one learns to accept oneself and to
embrace one’s life. And patience is critical because the onset of tears
is gradual, drop by drop. Deprivation, too, is a token of restitution.
God gives and God takes: but the giving and taking—as well as the
period itself of withholding—are all part of the way of tears. Tears
signal the fullness of life, with all its sorrows and joys. And tears of
joy come at the end, not the beginning, of a long struggle.

Compunction: Touched by an Angel

Genuine weeping is not initiated or pursued by human effort; it is
a spontaneous reaction, a gratuitous response. Marking the tension
and transition between being and becoming, spiritual tears flow
without physical contraction of facial muscles; instead, they are
a consequence of divine grace. Abba John instructs a monk that
“guarding the compunction of the heart” requires hard work (Letter
278), while Abba Barsanuphius informs another monk that it derives
from “constant vigilance” (Letter 428). Both of them are convinced
that compunction is a gift from above, whereby a monk is “touched”
by God (Letter 128). The phenomenon is delightfully illustrated by
the thirteenth-century French tale about “Le chevalier au Barizel,”
once ordered to fill a barrel with water. The knight enthusiastically
travels all over the world to fulfill this task, yet the water always
passes through the barrel. Seeing that his efforts achieve nothing, he
weeps, and one teardrop is sufficient to fill the barrel.
As a gift, tears testify to a divine visitation; John Climacus
explains that “the Lord has arrived as an uninvited guest,”9 and
Symeon the New Theologian speaks of “the anticipated divine
guest.”10 For Barsanuphius, this visitation may even occur while
simply reading, alone or in church:

When you happen to be reading, and you see compunction in

your heart, read as much as you can. Do the same whenever you
recite the Psalms. (Letter 87)

Step 7 “On Mourning,” in Ladder, 139.

9

Symeon, Catechetical Orations 2, 211–12, see C.J. de Catanzaro ed., Symeon the
10

New Theologian: Discourses (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1980), 47–59.

144 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

When your thought is at peace, and you observe that you are
receiving compunction from a brother’s recital of the Psalms,
take advantage of this. (Letter 445)

Or else, it may result from advice offered by someone, as in the case

of “a brother that was moved to compunction on hearing these
words and therefore left edified” (Letter 762).
The notion of “compunction” is clearly distinguished from the
concepts of “weeping” (Letter 343) and “mourning” (Letter 461).
Compunction may be “genuine” (Letter 394) or “godly” (Letter
393); but it may also “occur through the action of the devil unto
greater condemnation” (Letter 394). Abba John notes:

As for the coming and going of your present mourning, which is

not genuine, this happens because we become relaxed and then
again add fervor to the thought. When the warmth remains,
compunction becomes great and permanent, while genuine
mourning also follows suit. About this, you must certainly be
sure to press yourself so that it may come to you. (Letter 462)

The two elders struggle to articulate what is essentially an

inexpressible reality, an ecstatic experience. How can anyone
describe with accuracy the effect of grace, of being “touched” by
God (Letter 394)? How can anyone communicate with adequacy
the impact of a divine wound, of the soul smitten by God’s love?
Barsanuphius and John speak in terms of the heart (kardia, Letter
444)—or the intellect (nous, Letter 445)—as being pierced by grace.
“Compunction will truly come to you, and God will protect you from
all evil” (Letter 237). “When you feel this kind of compunction”
(Letter 486), you are never “overcome by excessive sorrow … [but]
assume humility and gratitude instead of ingratitude” (Letter 490).
“Genuine compunction of heart should accompany every thought”
(Letter 136). It should accompany every action, whether standing
or sitting (Letter 509). And it should accompany every moment of
prayer (Letter 411), day and night (Letter 442).
“Touched” or “pricked” in this way, the heart is flooded with tears,
which emerge when words become insufficient or exhausted. They
leave behind conventional human language that seems gratuitous
or superfluous. More pertinently, tears transform and consecrate all
words, creating a new language, another way of communication.
 MOURNING AND TEARS 145

They provide a sense of faithfulness in relationships. They reveal

a dimension of interiority and intensity. They represent the way
of spontaneity and authenticity. They become our true voice, our
mother tongue.

Nourished by the Spirit

In the end, as already noted, tears are less about “doing” and
more about “being.” They result from a process of “travailing
in childbirth until Christ is formed inside us” (Gal 4:19). Where
human tears abound, divine grace flourishes. Such divine visitation
through compunction, where new light breaks into the heart,
implies genuine transformation. Through tears, we receive the light
of Christ; we are illumined. Through tears, we receive the life of the
Spirit; we are inspired.
Tears enable the heart to discern and distinguish between the
presence and the absence of God. We can weep only for someone
or something that we actually know, and not merely imagine.
Knowledge through tears is the sole criterion for spiritual progress.
The degree of this knowledge is what measures virtue and sin, not
any accumulated merits or faults. When the knowledge of God—
whether his presence or his absence—assumes greater significance
than any particular virtue or vice, then the outer person becomes
attuned to the inner person. Then the bitter and murky roots of the
heart are embraced as part and parcel of the sweet and fragrant
flowers on the surface. Then one knows that “the kingdom of God
lies within” (Lk 17:21) and tears flow like the surprise of new life,
marking the dawn of new light.
Nothing external can ever measure, predict, or exhaust us. We are
always a work in progress, forever the same and yet ever developing
and changing. This is why we can gain—or lose—paradise in any
given detail, at any fleeting moment. Like their predecessors in the
desert of Egypt, Barsanuphius and John are well aware that the lost
can be found, the sick healed, the dead brought to life. That is their
pledge to those who approach for comfort and counsel. Changes
are real; in the history of spirituality, they are called conversions.
A loss can become a triumph in seed, a curse can be a blessing in
disguise, a “people in darkness can see the great light” (Mt 4:16).
146 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Such vulnerability and transparency, the result of being crushed so

lightly and delightfully by God—or so profoundly and painfully by
life—inevitably render the heart more spontaneous and responsive.
It also seals the heart with the distinctive mark of holiness. If the two
Old Men do not intellectually develop the concept itself, nonetheless
they do actually flesh out the course of deification (theosis); in their
eyes, deification is no less, and no more, than falling down and
getting back up, starting anew. If our eyes enjoy the vision of God
(as the mystery of becoming divine), then it is because our tears
can express the beauty of humanity (as the mystery of being truly
human). And tears are the ultimate and most intimate companions
along the way toward deification.
In this perspective, the silence of tears reflects a surrender to new
patterns of learning and living, a softening of the soul and clarity
of the mind. As with so much else in the letters of Barsanuphius
and John, their emphasis on the gift of tears is a testimony, not
a teaching. Their letters reveal extraordinarily subtle insights
into the complexity of tears and their significance for spiritual
life. Mourning should accompany everything we do and say.
Barsanuphius counsels: “Embrace mourning with all your heart;
for it is an associate of every good work” (Letter 256). Life means
continually balancing tensions, perpetually standing beneath the
cross. This was the conviction passed down over generations from
Egypt to Palestine: that tears bring us to rebirth and the whole
world to healing.
In the words of Abba John: “Tears become like bread, so that
one begins to be fed by the Spirit” (Letter 152). They signify true
homecoming. Through tears, we can enter the treasury of the heart.
And when we allow our heart to be broken, when we allow life
as we know it to fall apart, we are free to be reborn and—quite
simply—to be more and more. The ultimate form of renunciation in
the ascetic life is letting go of life. What is far more important than
learning to live is learning to die.
 ­7
Discernment
and Compassion
The Way of Awareness
and Authenticity

A Preliminary Caveat
If there is a specific and distinct quality for which Barsanuphius
and John acquired unique and unequivocal reputation among their
contemporaries and successors, it is undoubtedly discernment. For
the two Old Men, the essence of the spiritual life “is all about …
discernment” (Letter 713). The two elders do not simply emphasize
or elaborate on discernment in their communications as in their
correspondence; they actually exemplify and epitomize this gift in
their experiences and exchanges. In fact, the principle and practice
of discernment are in all likelihood the very reason why sixth-
century Palestinian spirituality was originally discovered and for a
long time became more popular in the West than in the East; it was
without question what captivated the Jesuits when they came across
the spiritual discourses of Dorotheus of Gaza.1 The way in which
the two extraordinary elders approach and apply the notion of
discernment provides exceptional intuition into the perception and

1
See Chitty, The Desert a City, 140.
148 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

practice of what is frequently—both faithfully and fraudulently—

promulgated as the function of spiritual direction.
People have conventionally identified discernment with specific
people and specific places. One of the questions posed to Abba John
pertains to the action one should take in the case where “there are
no elders in a particular region in order for one to seek the advice of
those who are truly capable of discernment. Should one perhaps …
depart to another region where there are people more qualified
in discernment?” In response, John quips: “Yes, one should do
precisely that, but then make sure you comply with whatever they
say” (Letter 539). Clearly one’s spiritual life is perceived as being
in jeopardy without some discerning oversight. But how can one be
sure that someone possesses this rare gift in the first place?
In one letter, Barsanuphius admits—and is aware that others,
too, acknowledge—that he is personally endowed with this unusual
capacity: “If you hold me to be a discerning person, as someone
who knows according to God that which occurs, then you would
trust that no one should dare to deviate from my word without my
knowledge” (Letter 226). This is a bold assertion and one often
claimed by ordained clergy of all levels and lay monastics through

FIGURE 4  Vatopedi manuscript, Letters 241–243.

 DISCERNMENT AND COMPASSION 149

the centuries. The truth is that we increasingly and desperately need

the gift of discernment in a world that grows progressively dark.
Spiritual discernment can provide protection and direction at a time
when everyone seemingly has a “viral” or “virtual” opinion about
everything—often without discretion, consideration, or verification.
What is frequently missing from churches and confessionals is a
genuine sense of discernment understood not as a moralistic or
prognostic instrument, but as a spiritual means of penetration or
method of interpretation—as a way, that is, of leading people out of
a lack of spiritual perception or impasse, enabling them to perceive
the world with a different lens, ultimately through the eyes of God.
But how easily they talk about discernment, they who have
never in fact known discernment! We live in an age where too many
professing to be spiritual authorities and directors rarely consider
their own integrity, but primarily their institutional ordination or
charismatic reputation. Yet a religious leader should never speak
from a position of prerogative or privilege; a spiritual director
should always speak from a position of parity—better still, of
humility. Metropolitan Anthony Bloom (1914–2003) once said in
a sermon: “The church ought to be as powerless as God.” There is
no telling the damage one can do in the church when one mistakes
one’s will to discern or intention to do good with the authority
to distinguish and do what one judges to be right.2 To paraphrase
Pliny the Younger: “Everyone is prejudiced in favor of one’s own
powers of discernment.”3

Lineage of Discernment
S­o where did the gift of discernment originate and how did it
develop? What are the criteria by which one authoritatively
exercises and authentically expresses it? And how should we discern
discernment itself?

2
See Hannah Hunt, “Uses and Abuses of Spiritual Authority in the Writings of
St. Symeon the New Theologian,” in The Philokalia: A Classic Text of Orthodox
Spirituality, ed. Brock Bingaman and Bradley Nassif (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2012), 203–15.
3
Pliny, “Panegyric in Praise of Trajan,” in Masterpieces of Eloquence, ed. M. W.
Hazeltine and others (New York: Collier, 1905).
150 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Whether conceived as discernment of spirits in the conscience

of the church through the conscience of an individual and the
conscience of a community (which is, in fact, the most common
interpretation in the apostolic and post-apostolic period), or
comprehended as discrimination between courses of action,
whether elaborated as insight into personal thoughts, or foresight
into prospective actions (which is the most prominent application
in the rise and reform of monasticism across the ages), discernment
is arguably the most vital and valuable spiritual capacity in Eastern
and Western traditions alike.
The apostolic period perceived discernment as a gift offered
to the community, not a skill enjoyed by an isolated individual.
Paul’s 1 Corinthians is a letter addressed to the entire church. This
is especially evident among the Antiochene exegetes, including
John Chrysostom and Theodoret of Cyrus.4 Indeed, whereas Latin
authors of the first Christian millennium—following the examples
of Pelagius and Ambrosiaster in the late-fourth and early-fifth
centuries—focus their attention on discernment among particular
clergy rather than within the whole church, Christian commentators
in the East repeat or reflect Chrysostom and Theodoret until at least
the eleventh century.
It was Origen of Alexandria who introduced the theology
of discernment as an integral part of spiritual methodology in
general.5 Monastic writers then systematically articulated this as
an intrinsic part of ascetic discipline, beginning with Athanasius in
his Life of Antony: “Everyone marveled at the gift, which the Lord
had given to Anthony for the discerning the spirits.”6 Athanasius’s
biography of the legendary “father of monasticism” arguably treats
discernment of spirits more thoroughly than any other example of

4
See John Chrysostom, Homiliae in epistolam primam ad Corinthios 29 (PG61.240)
and Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretationes in Pauli epistolas at 1 Cor. 12:10
(PG82.325). On discernment in Scripture and late antiquity, see Antony Rich,
Discernment in the Desert Fathers: Diakrisis in the Life and Thought of Early
Egyptian Monasticism (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2007), esp. 1–38.
5
M. Viller and K. Rahner, Aszese und Mystik in der Väterzeit: Ein Abriss (Freiburg:
Herder, 1939), 75.
6
Athanasius’ term in the Life for “gift” is charis, chap. 44; elsewhere (chaps. 22, 38,
88), it is charisma diakriseos pneumatön. See the Greek text on discernment in Life
of Anthony, in PG26.837–976.
 DISCERNMENT AND COMPASSION 151

patristic literature, while the enormous influence of the Life makes

the impact of discernment all the more significant in the tradition. In
line with subsequent Eastern exegesis, the Life of Anthony always
refers to discernment of spirits as gift or grace. Needless to say, it
was after thirty-five years of ascetic rigor that Anthony assumed the
audacity to speak of discernment.7
A shift transpires with regard to the interpretation of discernment
in the Historia monachorum in Aegypto (History of the Monks of
Egypt), composed by an anonymous author around the year 400.
Discernment becomes the fruit of monastic discipline. For instance,
in the chapter on Pityrion, a third-generation beneficiary of Anthony,
the author directly associates discernment with the struggle against
demons and victory over passions: “Pityrion especially spoke about
discernment of spirits, teaching his disciples about certain demons
accompanying our passions … and adding that, whoever wishes
to drive out the demons, must first conquer the passions.”8 Like
Anthony, Pityrion assumes that the term “spirits” refers to evil spirits,
although these are no longer the external demons of the desert;
they are now the internal passions of the heart. Drawing on desert
wisdom, Evagrius of Pontus philosophically weaves the biblical
and ascetic traditions into a primarily theoretical or philosophical
proposition, while John Cassian systematically expounds the
predominantly practical and anecdotal aspects of discernment.
This pragmatic or realistic language is nowhere more evident than
in the Sayings of the Desert Fathers, where the phrase “discernment
of spirits” is entirely absent, while the term “discernment” (diakrisis
and its cognates) prevails in conventional lists of virtues and
qualities.9 The Sayings describe discernment as a virtue or weapon,
but also as an experience or insight—the capacity to see beyond
rigid prescriptions and rigorous practices. Discernment is the power
to comprehend the spirit of the rule rather than the letter of the law;
in this sense, it always functions in connection with compassion
and charity.

7
Athanasius, Life, chaps. 22, 38, and 44.
8
Pityrion (15), 2–3, in A.-J. Festugière, Historia monachorum in Aegypto: Edition
critique du texte grec et traduction annotée, Subsidia Hagiographica 53 (Brussels:
Société des Bollandistes, 1971), 110. Translation mine.
9
Fr. Dingjan, “La discrétion dans les apophtegmes des Pères,” Angelicum 39 (1962),
406 n. 13.
152 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

Diadochus of Photice, a disciple of Evagrius, perhaps comes closest

to composing a formal treatise on discernment in the middle of the
fifth century. His most renowned work is entitled One Hundred
Gnostic Chapters or A Hundred Chapters on Spiritual Perfection,
but in some manuscripts, the treatise bears the title Practical Chapters
on Knowledge and Spiritual Discernment. Instead of presenting
discernment as a fundamental or stereotypical monastic virtue or
ascetic achievement,10 Diadochus offers a perceptive analysis of
discernment as a mystical faculty or spiritual sense.
In the seventh century, John Climacus devotes one of the longest
“steps” (Step 26) in his Ladder of Divine Ascent to discernment,
which he regards as intimately related to the human discipline
of asceticism, albeit inseparably connected to the divine gift of
grace.11 The Sinaite abbot even constructs an elementary sequence
or hierarchy—a sort of ladder within the ladder—for his diverse
definitions of discernment; in so doing, he provides a unique
perspective and unprecedented premise for this quality: “From
humility comes discernment … from discernment comes insight,
and from insight comes foresight.”12

Discerning Ways
Safeguarding the Gift
Echoing their scriptural roots and adhering to their monastic
predecessors, Barsanuphius and John advocate and advance the
dual nature of discernment as both given and gained, as accepted
and acquired. On the one hand, they perceive discernment as a rare
gift for some; on the other, they promote it as a mandatory virtue
for all (Letters 518, 621–2, 647, and 681).
The “great old man” believes that a person can reach discernment
only “with God’s assistance” (Letter 646). It may take concentrated

10
Monastic virtue or ascetic achievement is how the Conferences of John Cassian
and the Rule of Benedict of Nursia describe discernment (discretio) during roughly
the same period. See Joseph Lienhard, “On ‘Discernment of Spirits’ in the Early
Church,” Theological Studies 41, 3 (1980), 505–29.
11
See also Anthony of Egypt 8, in Sayings, and John Cassian, Conferences 1.23 and 2.4.
12
John Climacus, Step 4 “On Obedience,” in Ladder, 114.
 DISCERNMENT AND COMPASSION 153

effort and prolonged prayer—“sometimes one may spend … entire

days” in the process (Letter 522)—to determine whether one’s
actions align with godly discernment. Abba Poemen “sat quietly
alone, discerning his thoughts for hours.”13 And on receiving the
gift of discernment, Barsanuphius advises: “Let us guard this grace
with gratitude; and let us not become like swine, unable to discern
precious pearls” (Letter 647). He believes that “those who have
spent a long time in the monastic life … ought to be able to discern
the deeper thoughts of others” (Letter 98). Thus he prayed to God
to heal Abbot Seridos, whom “he regarded as a genuine son” from
childhood illness, while praying that the abbot himself might be
granted the gift of discernment:

So he entreated God to grant [Seridos] the gift of discernment;

once this was acquired, he was able to direct souls to life with
the grace from above, as well as to heal the afflicted, bring the
healing medicine of the word of the Spirit, and reward those who
struggle with peace. (Letter 570c)

Barsanuphius advises Theodore that a mature monk can

distinguish between two or even three thoughts at the same time—
between “proper” and “crooked” thoughts (Letter 265), as well
as between instinctive, irregular, and aberrant thoughts—in order
to “detach the thorns and prickles, thereby seizing the grapes
that strengthen and gladden the heart” (Letter 124). He describes
discernment as an intuitive antenna or invisible receiver, capable
of recognizing and reflecting “warmth and cold” in one’s inward
thoughts and outward actions (Letter 154). As a result, one learns
to distinguish “whether things are right or wrong” (Letter 17),
good or bad (Letters 7 and 546), calm or turbulent (Letter 474),
ultimately “discovering with certainty that in the alleged good that
comes from the devil, there may no trace of good at all, but only
vainglory or turmoil or something similar” (Letter 405).
The “other old man” again adopts a more practical approach,
persistently underlining that “we [actually] require discernment”
(Letter 518). In fact, “everyone requires discernment” (Letter 22),
he writes, while for any wrongdoing, “one should always blame

Poemen 32, Sayings.

13
154 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

oneself for lack of discernment” (Letter 624): “One should always

do everything with discernment. Knowing one’s limits is genuine
discernment. Doing anything beyond one’s measure, whether
almsgiving or anything else, is absence of discernment” (Letter
621).14 His advice is simple and sensible: “If it is something good,
do it; if it is not, then do not do it. However, in order that the good
may not be done with turmoil, examine the governing thought and
discern how this is arising” (Letter 478).
Where the two elders clearly and categorically concur is on the
inseparable link between discernment and humility, two virtues
often cited together in a single breath. Indeed, discernment they
expressly define as the absolute antithesis of conceit of trust in
oneself.15 Whether discernment is a gift or feat, humility—the
virtue of deferring to and lowering oneself before everyone and
everything—is what ultimately enables us to rise above trivial
circumstance and petty conduct in order to behold the divine
mystery in all people and all things.
In this context, the elders again underline the importance of
moderation and discretion, recommending the middle or royal
way: “This is the way of the Fathers” (Letter 212), they say: “If you
endeavor to exceed your measures, then learn this: that you shall
lose even what you have. Travel neither too far in one direction,
nor too far in the other, but always keep to the middle way” (Letter
314).16 Furthermore, the two Old Men highlight the importance
of integrity and prudence for the proper exercise of discernment:
“‘Every rotten tree produces rotten fruits.’ By contrast, prudence
leads to discernment. As I have told you previously, retain the
integrity of a dove with prudence; for all of its thoughts are good
and beneficial. ‘Every good tree produces good fruits’” (Letter
238).
As an expression of stability and maturity, however, a person
should not take discernment for granted (Letters 288, 318, and
570c). Abba John cautions a monk: “For the time being, you are
unable to discern these things, because your heart is still easily
transformed” (Letter 644). Not everyone is “capable of discerning

14
Emphases mine.
15
See Abba John, Letters 333 and 503, and Abba Barsanuphius, Letters 416 and 604.
16
On the middle way as moderation, see Letters 79, 158–9, and 621.
 DISCERNMENT AND COMPASSION 155

matters in godly manner” (Letter 714). If integrity and prudence

reflect the way that leads to discernment (Letter 238), discernment
resembles the door that opens up to further gifts, such as wisdom
and knowledge, strength and support.17 Above all, discernment
informs the advice that monastics offer to others, acting as an
assurance about “whether the teachings of their elders are mingled
with their own teachings … or whether they need to be assured
by God through supplication and prayer about their truth” (Letter
604). Simply put, there is no other mechanism for testing the
authenticity of our actions or the authority of our elders.

Situational Ethics
Discernment is always positive and constructive, serving as “an
emollient of the soul, an authentic balm.”18 However, for this to
transpire, discernment must involve extraordinary awareness of
intention (πρόθεσις)19 and disposition (προαίρεσις).20 Barsanuphius and
John transcend any rigid code of scripted or prescriptive ethics (with
sometimes inhumane consequences) and teach a more compassionate
situational or occasional ethos (with no established formulas and few
binding directives, where the individual assumes responsibility for his
or her actions). Spiritual discernment signifies that spiritual direction
is never abstract but always specific, never general or generalized but
always particular and personal. Simply put, each of us is different; we
cannot tar everyone with the same brush:

There are sacks of a certain kind, and there are sacks of another.
One sack might hold a single measure of corn, while another
might hold three. If someone tries to force the sack that holds a
single measure to hold up to three measures, it will not be able to
contain the corn. The same applies here. We cannot put all people
on an equal footing; for one person may speak without bringing
any harm, while another is unable to do this. (Letter 469)

17
See Letter 360.
18
Stelios Ramfos, Like a Pelican in the Wilderness: Reflections on the Sayings of the
Desert Fathers (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2000), 218.
19
See Letters 1, 60, 239, 453–5, 472, 493, 611–13, 648, and 720.
20
See Letters 17, 70, 462, and 646.
156 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

This is precisely why there can never be any hard rule of discipline
or penance. The letters are replete with examples of rigorous as
well as relaxed approaches to shortcomings and failures. Different
people require different responses and remedies—healing actions
measured by astute discernment—in order to soothe or mitigate
a particular condition in context. No spiritual advisor should
apply any intervention arbitrarily or impose one indiscriminately.
Ascetic discipline offers creativity, value, and meaning to life; it is
a framework of living that permits flexibility, a school of learning
that life is more than just a sterilized technique of universal healing
and salvation but involves the messy business of reconciliation with
oneself, one’s neighbor, and God.
Therefore, discernment is inherently liberating; it is never
legalistic. In fact, it dispels any notion of abstract morality or
sanctioned cure. It is often easier, albeit always riskier, to prescribe
simplistic formulas; it is often convenient, but always precarious,
to follow superficial slogans, such as moralism or puritanism,
traditionalism or nationalism. Discernment dictates that answers
provided at any given moment and for any given individual may
differ drastically from answers in alternative situations and for
different persons. Hence the author of the “Prologue” (possibly
Dorotheus of Gaza) reminds the reader that:

[­The two Old Men] responded to questions bearing in mind

the weakness in the thoughts of those inquiring, discreetly
condescending to their level that they might not fall into despair,
just as we see in the Lives of the Old Men. So we must not
receive as a general rule the words spoken in a loving way to
specific individuals for their particular need; instead, we should
immediately discern that the saints addressed their response in a
sure and concrete way to those who approached them.

It also behooves us, however, to recall that longing for personal

healing does not revolve around what today we might consider an
awareness of or attention to individuality—the modern fascination
with free choice or individual rights. The early desert tradition
was overall dismissive of any concept of self-will or self-help; it
consistently promoted dependence on God and deference to others.
For Barsanuphius and John, the exercise of choice in the conventional,
 DISCERNMENT AND COMPASSION 157

contemporary sense has less to do with what is personal and relates

more to what is egotistical. Abba John recognizes that:

we should ask such freedom of people that are not in fact

scandalized by it; for not everyone is edified in the same way.
Someone who possesses discernment will be edified and rejoice;
another who lacks discernment may be scandalized. (Letter 376)

Attentiveness to Detail
Determining that people are on disparate levels mandates adopting
different standards in spiritual relationships. Not only do people
differ from one another (Letter 157), but the circumstances within
one and the same person will vary from time to time (Letter 842).
This is where conscience, coupled with humility, plays an important
role in the correspondence:

So long as the deed does not match the conscience, then it is not
genuine but ironically just a demonic illusion. (Letter 275)

You are beginning to walk the right and truthful way, when God
leads you to consider yourself as beneath all creatures. (Letter 276)

The etymology of the term “con-science” (συν-είδησις) implies

a concurrence of multiple aspects and a coincidence of manifold
factors, each of them intricately interconnected and yet inseparably
interdependent. It is a knowledge far more intuitive than analytical,
a knowledge that invites and involves the subconscious, conscious,
and supraconscious levels.
Discernment may of course pertain to things “yet to come” (Letter
459), enabling one to perceive the reason or rationale behind an
occurrence (Letter 459), or else to prepare one about what to say in
a given situation (Letter 690). However, it is not always a charisma
related to foresight; it frequently finds confirmation in hindsight
(Letter 475). Moreover, it sometimes gets reduced to a procedure of
diagnosis—the detection of spiritual disease or the determination of
psychological dysfunction. The Gaza elders are less interested in what
leads to or legitimizes specific circumstances or actions. They are
158 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

more concerned about what limits or liberates us in our relationship

with God and others. In this respect, they suggest that one of the
most apparent ways by which access to holiness and wholeness
occurs is through awareness and attentiveness. The technique entails
intense and vigilant watchfulness—a process of self-awareness and
self-examination. Failure to notice or observe what is going inside or
around us transpires when our vision is clouded by self-absorption.
So discernment is the first step of clarity in vision. Nevertheless, it
is insufficient, even inappropriate, if it comes at the expense of love.
I must learn to distinguish between what is good or bad for me, but
what is right or wrong for me cannot be measured regardless of its
consequences for others. The aim is always to discover wholeness, but
at no cost to others; put differently, the aim is to experience healing as
communion, where my relationship with “our Father in heaven” (Mt
6:9) reflects my love for all others “on earth as in heaven” (Mt 6:10)
Ultimately, discernment interacts at every moment and every
turn of life as we search for the will of God with every challenge,
every change, and every context. Discernment endows value and
validity to the most intimate details of life and the most intricate
subtleties of the spiritual life in the effort to relate the inner heart
to the outer world.

The Discerning Disciple

Discernment is a foundational intuition of spiritual formation, a
fundamental instrument of spiritual direction. So the spiritual guide
must penetrate the depths and secrets of the disciple’s heart—beneath
superficial compromises and beyond artificial conventions that
mask deeper intentions and difficult emotions—to reveal his or her
authentic personality without disguise or disgust. And along this
journey, insight and oversight dovetail where the discernment of the
director encounters the discernment of the disciple. It is there that
the fruit of unconditional supervision comes face-to-face with the
fruit of unremitting surrender, where the relationship between elder
and disciple becomes the mystery that generates conversation and
communication in community.
By encouraging their disciples to search beyond apparent solutions
lurking within the comfort of rules and complacency of regulations,
 DISCERNMENT AND COMPASSION 159

Barsanuphius and John sustain the dimension of community and

communion in the practice of discernment as well as an unprecedented
collaborative ministry in the exercise of direction.21 The aim is to
promote community, not to surrender to authority:

Leave aside human rules and listen to him, who says: “The one
who endures to the end will be saved” (Mt 10:22 and 24:13; Mk
13:13). Therefore, if one does not endure, one will not enter into
eternal life. So do not look for a command. I do not want you
to be “under law, but under grace” (Mt 10:22 and Mk 13:13).
For it is said: “The law is not laid down for the righteous” (Rom
6:14). (Letter 23)

By urging their disciples to search more deeply and more diligently

for meaningful answers—within themselves and despite any “first
response” therapy (Letter 504)—the two Old Men cultivate the soil
of the soul in a more wholesome manner that gives depth to every
detail and every deed, every encounter and every experience. In the
sacrament of spiritual discernment and spiritual direction, their
letters bring to life the words of modern Greek poet Yannis Ritsos:
“Every word is a doorway/to a meeting, one often cancelled,/but
that’s when a word is true:/when it insists on the meeting.”22
Thus discernment becomes both a way of guarding oneself and
of guiding others. The ascetic pays close attention to the meditations
of the heart and movements of the body in order to mature in
charity and compassion. Such discernment implies vigilance over
intentions and actions by sitting in one’s cell without distraction or
delusion. When the eye of the soul is illumined and transformed,
discernment becomes a light23 that guides24 and enables others to
perceive the way and will of God.25 But lack of discernment implies
“blindness,”26 whereby not only are we unable to distinguish

21
See Hevelone-Harper, Disciples of the Desert, 384.
22
Yannis Ritsos, “The Meaning of Simplicity,” in Parentheses, 1946–47 in Repetitions,
Testimonies, Parentheses, trans. Edmund Keeley (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University
Press, 1991), 125.
23
Diadochus, Century, 6.
24
Barsanuphius, Letter 173.
25
Macarian Homilies 4.1 and 6.3.
26
John Climacus, Step 26, Ladder, 230.
160 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

between good and evil, but—more importantly—we also fail to

differentiate between sinner and sin.27
Discernment further implies recognition of the proper time and
proper place to act with resolve or abstain with restraint. Echoing
Ecclesiastes 3:1, Abba John speaks of “a time and a place” for
the opportunity to determine the origin of one’s thoughts: “You
should determine an appropriate time for this, whether morning
or evening, to discern your thoughts about what happened
during that night or day” (Letter 395). Presuming too much or
assuming too little—putting one’s foot in one’s mouth!—is part
and parcel of lack of discernment. To adopt an image suggested
by Barsanuphius in Letter 160 and subsequently stressed by John
Climacus, moving too quickly is like trying to climb the entire
ladder in a single stride: “We cannot place one foot on the first
rung of the ladder and immediately expect to set the other foot
on the top rung.”28 Discernment is thereby linked to kairos29—an
awareness of the appointed or appropriate moment of action or
inaction, counsel or silence, intervention or interference—where
discernment becomes the priority to cultivate and nurture the
freedom of the other.
“One who possesses discernment understands how and whence
this occurs. We are required to do our best and no more” (Letter
503). The relationship with a spiritual elder is therefore a model,
not an idol, and this relationship is a starting-point, never an end in
itself. It is a microcosm of our relationship with God and the world,
neither reducing nor replacing, but instead governing and guiding
all relationships.

Advice and Judgment

As we have already seen, Barsanuphius and John often parallel
discernment with prudence (Letter 158), with being soft as a
dove (Letter 238). But in the Sayings, Abba Poemen also likens

27
Syncletica 13, in Sayings; and Barsanuphius, Letter 453.
28
John Climacus, Step 14 On Gluttony, in Ladder, 166.
29
See Isidore of Pelusium, Letter 1.258; Basil of Caesarea, Shorter Rules 261; and
Evagrius of Pontus, Praktikos 15.
 DISCERNMENT AND COMPASSION 161

discernment to the sharpness of an axe.30 More than mere judgment

(κρίσις), discernment involves slicing through (διά-κρισις) to the
heart of the matter and piercing with precision (Letter 476) to what
really matters. A person of judgment places things in their proper
perspective, whereas a person of discernment perceives things in
their broader perspective, placing God at the center of reality. The
prefix διά in discernment (dia-krisis)—a preposition that signifies
“through” but also signals “penetration through and through”—
adds a third, a different, and divine dimension to discernment that
penetrates the heart and rises above the very superficial or purely
moral dilemma between good and evil.
Discernment as διά-κρισις denotes perception, precision, and
penetration. Discernment as διά-κρισις entails a forthrightness
(Letter 40) that cuts through the chaff and breaks through the façade
of evil. Discernment as διά-κρισις abolishes a false and mechanical
adherence to religious rules and rigid regulations. Discernment as
διά-κρισις eliminates political idle-talk and nonsense, especially in
religious circles. Discernment as διά-κρισις exceeds the cosmetic
and fraudulent: by repudiating the darkness of deceit and radiating
the light of truth, discernment discloses a deeper yearning for
authenticity (Letter 288)—beyond the superficial and duplicitous.
Transparency and authenticity, however, do not imply arrogance
or audacity. In fact, for the two Old Men, authentic discernment
is a quintessential aspect of silence and solitude31—the ultimate
confirmation of being and living in accordance with the image and
likeness of God. This means that discernment may sometimes have
more to do with what one actually does not say or does not do. It
articulates what Ritsos describes above as “the silence [that] remains
on its knees.” If John Climacus is right to claim that “discernment
is—and is recognized to be—a solid understanding of the will of God
in all times, in all places, in all things; and occurs only among those
who are pure in heart, in body, and in speech,”32 then we should
respect others more often with our silence and resignation, rather
than by rushing to educate or legislate—the perennial temptation of
every Christian believer and arguably every spiritual director.

30
Poemen 52, Sayings.
31
See J. Guillet, G. Bardy, et al., Discernment of Spirits (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical
Press, 1970).
32
John Climacus, Step 26 “On Discernment,” Ladder, 229.
162 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

What becomes problematic is when there is too much of us and

too little of God in spiritual discernment and spiritual direction.
Henri Nouwen writes of “a ministry of absence,”33 where the
suspension of words is sometimes more effective and supportive
than any presumed information or instruction. Spiritual directors
are often impatient to school, itching to correct, swift to impugn.
They forget how the discipline of silence is a vital part of discernment
for everyone. Authentic discernment recognizes the cause of error
and source of wrongdoing within—rather than outside—oneself.
This explains the transparent dimension of asceticism, whereby
we learn to become what we are called to be instead of manifesting
what we want others to see. That is why one should always refrain
from judgment. An example highlighted in the correspondence is
whether one should eat more when another eats less (Letter 546).
It is not up to us to criticize or condemn, say the elders; “if one eats
only once a day but does so with lack of discernment, then of what
benefit is this?” (Letter 503). A spiritual guide recognizes how to
discern between action and accident, between something that occurs
out of negligence or out of necessity, between an act that arises from
ignorance or provides occasion for instruction (Letter 521).
In this context, discernment becomes on the one hand a way
of integrating the spiritual life, while on the other hand a way of
penetrating the mysteries of divine compassion. Darkness is not
always the absence of light; sometimes it may indicate a stage of
growth. If we are honest with ourselves and with God, then we will
admit that the spiritual life is by and large a series of movements
between shadows, learning to “see in a mirror dimly” (1 Cor 13:12).
Sometimes it may be imperative to walk in uncertainty, to tread
an uncomfortable or inconvenient path, in order to reclaim the
freedom with which God has endowed us. Sometimes we discern
and discover the goal in the midst of struggle and suffering, rather
than in the serenity or satisfaction of success. Sometimes we may
not experience the grace of resurrection unless or until we endure
the disgrace of the cross. Sometimes discernment means recognizing
the spiritual way in the desolate interlude between Good Friday and
Easter Sunday.

See Henri Nouwen, The Living Reminder: Service in Prayer in Memory of Jesus
33

Christ (San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 2009).

 DISCERNMENT AND COMPASSION 163

In this perspective, discernment stands on the border between

the mind and the heart, while at the same time serving as a
bridge that connects our lives to others. When our interior life
is at odds with our external conduct, the spiritual and emotional
consequences are devastating, both for ourselves and others,
as well as for our social and natural environment. This raises
the importance of compassion in the practice of discernment;
that is what lies behind the quintessential precept of the Gaza
elders inferred from Paul’s exhortation to “bear one another’s
burdens” (Gal 6:2). The spiritual guide is capable of discerning
and distinguishing the particular needs of a disciple without
comparison or competition.
Equipped with such discernment, the spiritual elder may not
always wait for a person to open up, but will occasionally assume the
initiative of revealing many thoughts of which the disciple may still
be unaware. As people visit Barsanuphius and John at Thawatha,
the two Old Men frequently address their challenges before they
even arrive or record them in writing! There are other times when
the response of the elders is not immediately conspicuous and
sometimes sounds or seems irrelevant to the pilgrims. Yet because
their response relies on and reveals the spirit of discernment, it is
the appropriate answer at the appropriate time, acknowledging the
intention and motivation of the visitor.
Thus discernment functions as a kind of spiritual plumb line,
preserving a critical balance and distinguishing between far more
than simply good and bad (Letters 17, 37, 478, and 546); there
may be times when what is apparently right actually proves
wrong (Letter 411). At the same time, discernment recognizes the
difference between truth and untruth (Letters 469 and 604), natural
and unnatural (Letter 154), undeviating and devious (Letter 265),
self-sufficiency and security (Letter 621), or freedom and humility
in obedience (Letters 258, 333, 376, 416, and 503). Discernment of
truth is the proof of authenticity and transparency:

I­f you want to discern matters, you will attract afflictions.

Confide everything to your abbot and do whatever he discerns as
best. For he knows what to do and how to care for your soul …
Someone who wants to do one thing and be relieved of another
is either trying to reveal oneself as more discerning than the one
giving the order, or else being ridiculed by demons … If those
164 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

giving an order are brothers, and you think that this is harmful
or beyond your ability, just ask your abbot and do whatever he
tells you. (Letter 288)

Always balancing one’s body, heart, and mind in moderation and

judiciousness, discernment serves as the antidote to duplicity, where
directness is always superior to deceit.34

Treading Lightly
Discernment implies discipline, but first and foremost it involves
self-discipline (Letter 159). For the two Old Men, it is a tool for
monks to “govern themselves” (Letter 318), to “control their own
body” (Letter 524). In the case of Abbot Seridos, it is a gift that
enables him to “carry out his spiritual ministry and endure the
administration” of the community (Letter 570c).
There can be no self-righteousness in discernment, no
entitlement in authority, and no complacency in power. This is
why Barsanuphius emphasizes that we have no individual rights
(τό δικαίωμα), no dispensation or authorization (τό ἀψήφιστον) to
control or constrain others. No one deservingly holds any position
of power; we are all ordained by God’s grace to serve by God’s
mercy. None can claim to be qualified for what we are or do—even,
and especially, through the gift of ordination. We have all achieved
what we are and have with the help of others—above all, with
the grace of God. We are all in positions by election or selection,
by coincidence or inheritance—even if we claim or condone some
authority over others. And that is precisely where damage occurs—
for without discernment, we will only hurt rather than help.
­There is ultimately a sense of sacred surrender and spiritual
subtlety to the way of discernment—a humble deference and holy
sensitivity to the movements and motivations of others (Letters 395,
493, 503, and 646). Behind every expression of sin lies discomfort
and pain; even the most extreme example of sin conceals and

Barsanuphius is clear about this: “Speaking in riddles is self-serving and lacking in

34

discernment” (Letter 40).

 DISCERNMENT AND COMPASSION 165

represses a lack of security, affection, and acceptance. We should not

reduce sin to moral transgression; it conceals insecurity, alienation,
and isolation.
It is vital, then, to look beneath the superficial or ordinary. The
spiritual director can see beyond any surface distorted or perverted
to the beauty that is forgivable and lovable. And along the way,
nothing is meaningless or lost; everything is a vital stage along
a broken road. If we do not tread lightly and carefully, we risk
trampling people’s desires and dreams. Stepping gently and softly
is at the heart of the gift of discernment. There can be no room for
arbitrary imposition, no justification for assertive control, and no
excuse for abrupt rejoinder (Letter 258). In the words of Aldous
Huxley in “Island”:

Learn to do everything lightly …

Just lightly let things happen …
Lightly, lightly –
it’s the best advice ever given me …
Nothing ponderous or portentous …
And … no theology, no metaphysics …
You must walk ever so lightly.
 ­8
Solitude, Silence,
and Stillness

Subtle Variances of the Soul

Introduction
Echoes from the Desert
A privileged historical status and strategic geographical setting
primordially set apart the Gaza region for a distinctive heritage
combining continuity and creativity in its monastic practice and
development. Its remoteness and accessibility would render it a
unique haven for remarkable and intense expressions of the subtle
variances of the soul, as well as refreshing and influential examples
of solitude, silence, and stillness.
These inner workings of the heart and external methods of
prayer converge and culminate in the practice of “prayer of the
heart” and “prayer of the intellect” compiled in the eighteenth-
century anthology of the Philokalia,1 edited by the same Nikodemus
who produced the correspondence of Barsanuphius and John. Yet
they neither emerge nor exist in a vacuum; in fact, they disclose an

1
Philokalia: The Complete Text. English translation by Kallistos Ware, G. E. H.
Palmer, and Philip Sherrard (London: Faber and Faber, 1979–95). First four volumes
available; fifth and final volume forthcoming (2022). Translated from the 3rd Greek
edition (Athens: Astir Editions, 1957–63).
 SOLITUDE, SILENCE, AND STILLNESS 167

extensive development over many centuries of monastic formation

and theological formulation. Thus fourteenth-century hesychasm2
is not simply the result of a few exceptional ambassadors, such as
Gregory of Sinai (c. 1260–346) or Gregory Palamas (1296–359);
hesychasm is an organic extension and succession of countless
unknown hermits and writers, many of whose lives and lines are
not even recorded in the Philokalia.3

A Monastic Lifestyle
­ s we have repeatedly noted, Barsanuphius and John themselves
A
are a continuation and, in many ways, an incarnation of principles
treasured in the early Egyptian desert. The “great old man” is
expressly shaped by the Evagrian notion—so central and vital
to the spiritual worldview of the Philokalia—that the monk was
“apart-from all and yet a part-of all.”4 By not opening his door
to the elderly Egyptian monk requesting to see him (in Letter 55),
Barsanuphius is in fact leaving the door open to everyone!
So it is hardly surprising that the two Old Men experience
and encourage a life combining a balance of solitude, silence, and
stillness:

You should live in stillness for five days of the week and be in the
company of your brothers for the other two days. And if your
sitting in solitude is indeed according to God—that is to say if
you come to know what you want from sitting in your cell—then
you will not fall into the hands of the demon of vainglory. For
a person who knows what he has come to do in a particular
city, desires that alone and will not divert his heart elsewhere,
otherwise he will fail in his objective. (Letter 211)

2
Hesychasm signifies the tradition of mystical silence or contemplative prayer in
Eastern Orthodox Christianity. See J. Meyendorff, Byzantine Hesychasm: Historical,
Theological, and Social Problems (London: Variorum Reprints, 1974).
3
The editors of the English translation of the Philokalia recognize this in their
introduction to Volume 1: “Hesychasm … is far more than a local historical
movement dating to the later Byzantine centuries. On the contrary, it denotes the
whole spiritual tradition going back to the earliest times and delineated in the
Philokalia.” “Introduction,” in Philokalia, vol. 1, 14–15.
4
Evagrius, “On Prayer,” 124, in Philokalia, vol. 1, 69.
168 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

What, then, is the objective of the soul in solitude, silence, and

stillness? What are the subtle spiritual variations of the soul in
monastic seclusion and community?

The Way of the Soul

Knowing Oneself
The mystical classics acknowledge that there is a blurred line of
differentiation between the virtues of solitude, silence, and stillness:

Some of the fathers have called this practice stillness of the heart,
others attentiveness, others the guarding of the heart, others
watchfulness and rebuttal, others again the investigation of
thoughts and the guarding of the intellect. But all of them alike
worked the soil of their own heart, and in this way fed on the
divine manna.5

And while Barsanuphius and John draw subtle distinctions between

solitude,6 silence,7 and stillness,8 underlying all three is the singular
importance of taking time to examine the various aspects of the soul.
What holds them together is the understanding that comes from
self-awareness. In fact, self-knowledge is the heart of solitude, the
basis of silence, and the center of stillness. Through self-knowledge
we reach the heart of communion—an intimate relationship with
others and ultimately with God.
In our age of instant communication and immediate gratification,
we seem to know far less about ourselves and the motives behind
our actions than any other subject. Somewhere on the long trail
between childhood and adulthood, many of us lose touch with the
vital skills that permit us to know ourselves. Part of the problem

5
See Symeon the New Theologian, “The Three Methods of Prayer,” in Philokalia,
vol. 4, 71.
6
Here translating the terms kata monas (κατά μόνας), kat’ idian (κατ’ ἰδίαν), kathisma
(κάθισμα), and kellion (κελλίον).
7
Here translating the terms sige (σιγή) or sigan (σιγᾶν), siope (σιωπή) or siopan
(σιωπᾶν).
8
Here translating the terms hesychia (ἡσυχία) or hesychazein (ἡσυχάζειν).
 SOLITUDE, SILENCE, AND STILLNESS 169

may be that we set impossible goals for ourselves, which only the
angels can meet. The spirituality of the desert taught the Gaza elders
that perfection is for God alone; we mortals are called neither to
forego nor to forget our imperfection. Liberated from any tyranny
of perfection, the disciples of the desert are free to be and live as
children of a loving God. The fragility and vulnerability of life itself
is what ultimately reveals the priority of confronting and embracing
our inner desires and personal weaknesses.
Barsanuphius and John can certainly fathom the way of the soul
as it struggles to know itself and understand the wiles of temptation
that detract or distract from prayer. At the same time, the two Old
Men are aware that, while there are as many ways of knowing
ourselves as there are human beings, the differences among us are
in fact very slight. Moreover, they recognize that specific rules and
spiritual regulations will determine the depth of solitude, silence,
and stillness. Often our lives are complicated by countless rules
or copious regulations, which lead only to stress and anxiety. As a
result, we are burned out and afraid to be alone, unwilling to love;
we are unable to listen to a voice that is deep within ourselves yet
larger than ourselves.
Barsanuphius and John therefore propose simple and practical
ways of grasping these truths by “sitting in the cell” (Letter 172),
practicing silence during conversation (Letters 470 and 481), and
“beginning to practice stillness” (Letter 211). The spiritual life is
a radical and revolutionary technique that helps us to break bad
habits and establish new ones in their place: “To cut off one’s own
will while sitting in the cell is to despise fleshly comfort in all things”
(Letter 173).
Barsanuphius adopts the image of constructing a house to
describe this formidable struggle (Letters 52, 71, 207, and 535)
and considerable effort (Letter 41) for transformation through the
practice of solitude, silence, and stillness:

If you wish to construct your home, first prepare the material

and all other necessary things. Then, it is up to the professional
builder to come and build the house. The necessary building
materials for such a construction include firm faith for the
building of walls, luminous wooden windows that allow in the
sunlight to brighten the house, so that there is no darkness inside.
These wooden windows are the five senses … Furthermore,
170 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

you need a roof to cover the house … The roof is symbolical

of divine love, “which never ends” (1 Cor 13:8) … Finally, the
house requires a door, which allows the homeowner to enter and
to be protected. When I speak of a door, brother, you should
understand the spiritual door, namely the Son of God9 who says:
“I am the door” (Jn 10:9). (Letter 208)

In the house of the soul, the elementary quality of solitude is

undistracted self-knowledge, awareness of one’s passions, and
practice of vigilance. The ensuing quality of silence is self-control
and self-denial by listening to others and obeying the will of
God. And the essential quality of stillness comes when the soul—
unencumbered with passions, distractions, and attachments—
reaches the goal of true intimacy with and love for God and others.
Solitude, silence, and stillness are the shadows that accentuate the
ultimate illumination. When these three qualities coexist, the ascetic
journey enables us to discover the depth of the soul and to take it
with us wherever we go: “When you arrive at the point of stillness,
then you shall find rest with grace, wherever you may happen to
withdraw” (Letter 789).

Solitude: The Door to the Soul

Solitude—or, as Niketas Stethatos calls it, “taking up one’s abode
in the desert”—is what allows us the time and the space to become
alert to others and ourselves.10 The entire spectrum of writers in
the Philokalia is in agreement. For Peter of Damascus, solitude is
the quintessential form of discipline, “consisting … of living a life
without distraction, far from all worldly care … removing ourselves
from human society and instead having only one concern.”11 For

9
While Barsanuphius and John do not explicitly refer to the invocation of “the
name of Jesus” (cf. Niketas Stethatos, “On the Inner Nature of Things,” 97, in
Philokalia, vol. 4, 136; Gregory of Sinai, “On Stillness,” in Philokalia, vol. 4, 263–
74; and Kallistos/Ignatios Xanthopouloi, “Century 22 and 49,” in Philokalia, vol. 5,
[forthcoming]), they do refer to “invoking” (Letter 427) and “saying” (Letter 430)
“the name of God” (Letters 103, 417, and 424). See the section on the Jesus Prayer
in Chapter 3 (above).
10
Stethatos, “On the Practice of the Virtues,” 75, in Philokalia, vol. 4, 98.
11
Peter of Damascus, “The Seven Forms of Bodily Discipline,” in Philokalia, vol. 3, 89.
 SOLITUDE, SILENCE, AND STILLNESS 171

Gregory Palamas, lack of solitude “shatters that single-pointed

concentration of the intellect, which constitutes the inward and true
monk.”12 This is why Nilus the Ascetic commends solitude “[as] the
mother of wisdom.”13
For Barsanuphius and John, solitude is a fundamental prerequisite
for spiritual progress (see Letter 616). This is why, to a monk inquiring
whether he should accept money in order to feed the poor, Abba John
is revolutionary, virtually uncharitable: you are to avoid this “even
if you see someone dying in front of your very cell” (Letter 619)!
This is because both elders appreciate how easily love and service
can serve as excuses to avoid the inner enterprise of transformation.
They recognize that even prayer can be a pretext to circumvent the
difficult work of solitude and silence (see Letter 739). The “other old
man” explains: “As far as almsgiving goes, not everyone can bear the
application of this virtue, but only those who have reached stillness
through mourning for their own sins” (Letter 618).
Unfortunately, we tend to confuse self-knowledge with self-
absorption. However in reality, self-knowledge leads away from
self-absorption toward a sense of “forgetting oneself.”

Show complete hatred to acquire complete love; show complete

estrangement to acquire complete intimacy; abhor adoption to
receive adoption; surrender your will to perform your will; cut
yourself away and bind yourself; put yourself to death in order
to give yourself life; forget yourself and know yourself. Then,
behold, you will have the works of a solitary. (Letter 112)

Whereas we routinely encourage the need for knowing and

loving others, we rarely reward knowing ourselves in solitude.
Barsanuphius reiterates the stark conviction of Abba Alonius: “I
and God are alone in this world” (Letter 346).14 And he adds:
“Being alone and laboring a little is of more benefit to you than
being with others” (Letter 359).
The truth is we are never less alone than when we are alone: “You
are not alone in your struggle … For many others are struggling

12
Gregory Palamas, “To the Most Reverend Nun Xenia,” 1, in Philokalia, vol. 4, 293.
13
Nilus the Ascetic, “Ascetic Discourse,” in Philokalia, vol. 1, 231.
14
Alonius 1, Sayings, 30.
172 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

with you in prayer” (Col 4:12) (Letter 832).15 Knowing why we

do what we do facilitates the awareness of why other people also
do what they do, and in the end the acceptance of other people as
they are (see Letter 316). In the end, narcissism is not too much self
but insufficient true self. Self-absorbed people suffer from too little
rather than too much self. The antidote to self-centeredness is self-
awareness. This is why Gregory of Sinai believes that “nothing so
fills the heart with compunction and humbles the soul as solitude
embraced with self-awareness.”16
The trouble is that we seek intimacy by facing in the wrong
direction. Instead of looking inward for consolation, we turn
outward toward others. In this regard, the isolation of solitude
serves as a necessary preliminary step to intimacy and communion.
“When you are alone in your cell, examine your heart, and you
will discover whence this hardness [toward your brother] came to
you” (Letter 614). Intimacy begins from within; it reflects the inner
landscape of the soul. It is the solid ground from which we can
reach out to others, even God. According to an apocryphal saying
attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas: “When you make
the two one, and make the inside like the outside, and the outside
like the inside, and the upper side like the underneath … then the
kingdom is at hand.”17
Solitude, then, is the great stabilizer—it is like a secret compass in
our relationship with God, others, and ourselves. For Barsanuphius
and John, it helps us distinguish between genuine concern and
“people-pleasing” (anthropareskeia, ἀνθρωπαρέσκεια); the latter
one strictly avoids (see, e.g., Letters 260–1 and 824–5). Solitude
leads to silence, which is equivalent to “restraining of one’s heart
from giving and taking (Phil 4:14), from people-pleasing and other
such things” (Letter 314). Solitude is about being, and not simply
doing. It renders the soul attentive: receptive and susceptive to
grace. “Do not despair at the labor [of being alone], and you shall

15
Letter 141 adds that the grace of God is always present; Letter 248 notes that the
prayer of our spiritual director accompanies us; and Letter 832 observes that we also
have the communion of saints with us!
16
Gregory of Sinai, “On Commandments and Doctrines,” 104, in Philokalia, vol. 4,
235.
17
Saying 22. See Thomas O. Lambdin, trans., The Gospel of Thomas (Amazon Digital
Services, 2010). See also the translation by Marvin W. Meyer, The Nag Hammadi
Scriptures: Revised and Updated Translation (San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 2009).
 SOLITUDE, SILENCE, AND STILLNESS 173

find humility … If you are humbled, you will receive grace; and if
you receive grace, it will assist you” (Letter 359).
Solitude also smashes the graven image of prayer as “not
working” when we do not receive what we want. Prayer does not
want; it simply wonders and humbly waits. The two Old Men are
adamant that when God answers prayer, it is almost always in ways
that we least expect. “God will arrange the matter in a way that
you do not know” (Letter 359). In fact, answered prayer provides
ways that deflate—perhaps even destroy—self-reliance that seeks
immediate attainment of pre-meditated goals. In this regard, solitude
is hardly reducible to selfishness; it actually dissolves any hint of self-
centeredness—it is what Barsanuphius and John call “not reckoning
oneself as anything” (τό ἀψήφιστον): “Be carefree from all things;
then you will have time for God. Die to all people; this is true exile.
Moreover, retain the virtue of not reckoning yourself as anything;
then you will find your thought undisturbed” (Letter 259).
So the two Old Men constantly maintain a delicate balance
between the gloomy devil of instant vainglory (see Letter 204) and
the blue sea of prolonged despair:

When a person descends to humility, that person discovers

progress. Remaining in your cell only renders you useless if you
remain without affliction. When we are carefree prematurely,
the enemy prepares turmoil instead of tranquility in order to
bring us to the point of saying: “I wish I had never been born!”
(Letter 692)

This is why they recommend retaining a sense of balance, “not

moving to one or another extreme, but instead journeying in the
middle way” (Letter 314).
Needless to say, progress in solitude takes toil and time. The
transformation is not sudden; we do not magically become new
people, our old faults forgotten. We can never run from who we are.
We can never escape our temptations and passions: temper, vanity,
fear, envy, delusion, or arrogance. The “great old man” advises
“never to enter the cell on the pretext of cowardice, but only at the
proper time” (Letter 434). And the “other old man” adds: “When
you come to silence through ascetic struggle, then it is good. But
when this is not the way that you come to it, but rather keep silent
from fear of turmoil, then it is harmful” (Letter 481). This level of
174 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

personal integrity comes from intense self-knowledge that comes

through silence. Ultimately, the degree to which we acknowledge
and accept others will be checked by the degree that we understand
and tolerate ourselves.
In the solitude of the cell, through temptation and tension, the
ascetic becomes painfully aware of what is lacking. It is in the cell
that the ascetic is haunted by absence of love and yearns for depth of
communion. The cell symbolizes the safe haven of the soul, which one
never leaves and where one can always willingly return to discover
and acknowledge more and more of the authentic self, irrespective
of how painful or agonizing an ordeal this may be. Such a discovery
eventually becomes a fountain of healing. Embracing solitude in
the loneliness of the cell—and, by extension, in the solitude of the
soul—means knowing what one thinks, understanding how one
behaves, and finally accepting what others do without the need to
defend oneself. It is assuming responsibility without the least trace
of self-justification. It is the source of authentic vulnerability and
openness.
In such vulnerability or openness, solitude connects with the
Cross of Christ (see Letter 185). Abba John writes: “That is when
one reaches silence, [precisely] when one bears the Cross” (Letters
314 and 320).18 People who have been pushed—whether by
personal suffering, difficult circumstance, or misplaced choice—to
breaking point frequently possess a richness of vision less apparent
in those without any experience of conflict. The reality of conflict
as a constant and crucial part of life may be difficult to accept, but
how we experience tension and ambivalence deeply affects how we
accept ourselves and others. The truth is that we discern God in the
very midst of tensions and trials.
Solitude reminds us that the soul is not a conflict-free zone where
we can evade or ignore the perils of the world and temptations of
the soul: “In the cell, we feel pain and compunction. What prevents
compunction from coming to you is your own will. If a person
does not cut off one’s own will, then the heart does not feel pain”
(Letter 237). Solitude inaugurates the practice of ignoring one’s
own will—of listening to the will of God and of others. No wonder

See also Abba Isaiah of Scetis, Ascetic Discourse 13, in J. Chryssavgis and R. P.
18

Penkett, Abba Isaiah of Scetis: Ascetic Discourses (Kalamazoo MI: Cistercian

Publications, 2002), 105–9.­
 SOLITUDE, SILENCE, AND STILLNESS 175

that the Gaza elders underline the need to “rejoice in the Lord,
rejoice in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord” (Letter 10) in and despite
all circumstances. For while “we cannot be without affliction … we
have been commanded to ‘give thanks in all circumstances’ (1 Thes
5:18)” (Letter 96). It is here that solitude converges with service,
and the cell opens up to the world

Silence: The Way to the Soul

If solitude endows us with the quality of attention and sensitivity
to our motives, self-awareness imparts the art of attentiveness and
listening to others—it is knowing who we are in relation to others.
That is the power of silence. And it is why the Philokalia underlines
the importance of always using few words. St. Theodore the Ascetic
is clear on this:

Expel from yourself the spirit of talkativeness. For in it lurk

the most dreadful passions: lying, loose speech, absurd chatter,
buffoonery, obscenity. To put the matter succinctly, “through
talkativeness, you will not escape sin” (Prv 10:19), whereas a silent
person “is a throne of perceptiveness” (Prv 12:33). Moreover, the
Lord said that we must give account for every idle word (Mt
12:36). So silence is most necessary and very profitable.19

Physical contact and verbal communication are as connected

with intimacy and love as silence is. In solitude, the space between
ourselves is important; in silence, the space between our words
becomes equally important. Solitude marks the connection between
cell and community, as well as the correlation between loneliness
and liturgy. This is why “when you pray, go inside your room, shut
the door, and pray to your Father in secret; and your Father who
sees in secret will reward you” (Mt 6:6).
Silent space is always necessary; “silence is always more admirable”
(Letter 36), “always better” (Letter 697), “glorious above all else”
(Letter 469), “good in every case” (Letter 283), and “more necessary
and more beneficial than everything” (Letter 314). In response to
someone asking for prayers, Barsanuphius writes: “Do not compel

Theodore the Ascetic, “A Century of Spiritual Texts,” in Philokalia, vol. 2, 31.

19
176 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

me to speak when I desire to venerate stillness and silence” (Letter

69). The same truth resonates in the Philokalia: “Silence is more
valuable than speech.”20 Because silence is capable of conveying and
communicating far more than any written or spoken word, Jane
Brox, a modern student of the social history of silence, eloquently
articulates the same wisdom as Barsanuphius and John:

Silence can seem like a luxury. Or the fraught world has labeled
it that way. But from what I know of it, I would argue that
silence is as necessary as the constitutionally guaranteed freedom
of speech that we so carefully guard and endlessly ponder, for it
affirms the meaning of speech even as it provides a path to inner
life, to beauty and observation and appreciation. It presents the
opportunity for a true reckoning with the self, with external
obligation, and with power.21

The “great old man” claims that silence is actually a divine

command, a quality demanded by God (Letter 603). He would
never say the same of inward stillness, which he considers a gift,
an attribute received from above (Letter 94). Silence provides
the latitude and capacity to listen to and soak up what another
person is trying to say. Far more than merely an acoustic absence,
it is retaining a sense of wonder before another person—like the
draw of breath as we gasp in wonder. This is because we bring to
relationships the same self that we are (or perhaps are not) in touch
with who we are when we are alone. So the two Old Men harshly
rebuke those who complain about losing the spiritual gifts attained
in solitude—including the gift of silence—when they happen to be
with other people (Letter 268).
Silence, moreover, is a skill whereby we acknowledge that what
is going on in someone else’s world matters. Otherwise, the river
of connection between “me” and “you” renders the force of my
own desires and prejudices more “conscious” in my mind and in
my  heart. As a result, I create my own version of you, with little
if any chance of real contact or palpable connection. However

See Elias the Presbyter, “A Gnomic Anthology I,” in Philokalia, vol. 3, 34.
20

Jane Brox, Silence: A Social History of One of the Least Understood Elements of
21

Our Lives (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019), 254.

 SOLITUDE, SILENCE, AND STILLNESS 177

through silence we discover that—to invert the rumination of

naturalist John Muir—“going in … is really going out.”22

Another Christ-loving layperson asked the same Old Man

(John):  Sometimes, I am in conversation with someone, and
suddenly my thought is distracted, so that I feel alone and
ultimately forget what that person has just said. Not because
my intellect is transferred somewhere else, but because it is
simply beside [My note: full of?] itself …
Response.  This is a diabolical temptation … However, if one
candidly reveals this to the other person in conversation,
saying: “Forgive me; for I was distracted by the devil,” then
the devil is put to shame and the temptation ceases. After that,
you may continue the conversation with vigilance. (Letter 692)

These elders recognize that, where there is an impoverished self,

there is invariably an endangered relationship. Silence is the criterion
of truthfulness, integrity, and balance. For Elias the Presbyter in the
Philokalia, “a sense of the right moment and a sense of proportion
go hand-in-hand with intelligent silence. Truth is the banquet of all
the three together.”23 Similarly for the two Old Men, “neither being
bold in silence nor despising silence in times of distraction: this is
truly the middle way” (Letter 315).
There is, however, a fundamental paradox here. Barsanuphius
and John are well aware that to achieve self-knowledge, we need to
trust at least one other person:

From this you may learn whether you are living like the others in
the monastic community; by not doing anything of your own will,
eating neither alone nor with the brothers, but doing whatever
you have been ordered without any discussion. (Letter 250)

Doing something through the abbot is always a lesser wrong …

However, doing something alone brings double warfare, not
only from the heart but also from other people. (Letter 324, also
Letter 173)

22
See Linnie Marsh Wolfe, John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John
Muir (Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 1938 [repr. 1979]), 439.
23
Elias the Presbyter, “A Gnomic Anthology,” I, in Philokalia, vol. 3, 37.
178 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

­ bedience is essentially an act of listening carefully; it is the art

O
of paying close (hyp-akoe) attention.24 Mark the Ascetic alludes to
the dangers of extreme isolation when one “relies on one’s own
judgement with no one else as witness.”25 Barsanuphius concurs
that “when you hasten to do something on your own, the results
is from the devil” (Letter 93). In brief, the basic advice is almost
reminiscent of good “prep school” education: “It is never good to
speak before being asked” (Letter 698). But the goal is never to
restrain or repress the will; it is always to strengthen and stabilize
it: “Feel neither arrogant if your words are accepted, nor grieved
if your words are rejected” (Letters 698 and 738). Obedience is
the measure of authentic solitude and silence: “If you wish to learn
whether you are harmed or benefit by staying on your own, then
take this as a sign. If you are staying there as a result of obedience,
you can be certain that you are benefiting” (Letter 248).
What is more, the fine balance between isolation and intimacy is
extremely difficult to sustain without a spiritual director. Through
someone else’s belief in ourselves, we begin confidently—by the act
of confiding and confessing—to rediscover the solid ground within
us. Sharing our thoughts and temptations openly with at least one
other person enables us to become familiar with the desires or
conflicts that drive our behavior. Being prepared to listen to and
accept the reality of our nature and ourselves renders us more
aware of—and eventually more caring toward—other people.
Barsanuphius and John frequently cite Galatians 6:2 precisely
because bearing—or sharing—responsibility for “the burdens
of others” is critical to maturing spiritually. Assuming and
acknowledging responsibility for the consequences of one’s thoughts
and actions never imply blaming others, whom therefore we
perceive as less threatening: “To come to perfect silence, one must
first endure insults from other people, as well as despise, dishonor
and hurt … so that our labor may not be in vain” (cf. 1 Thes 3:5)
(Letter 185). Silence is the alphabet in the language of tolerance and
love. Because under the steamroller of words, intimacy sometimes
gets crushed. However, silence allows us to broaden and deepen our
relationship with others.

24
On the close link between obedience (hypakoe) and silence or stillness (hesychia),
see Peter of Damascus, in Philokalia, vol. 3, 103–8.
25
Mark the Ascetic, “Letter to Nicholas the Solitary,” in Philokalia, vol. 1, 158.
 SOLITUDE, SILENCE, AND STILLNESS 179

While the “great old man” always prefers silence, the “other old
man” loves conversation: “My babbling does not allow me to keep
silent without replying; for I have an uncontrolled tongue” (Letter
211). Indeed, Abba John claims: “Since we have not yet reached
the point of treading the way of the perfect, on account of our
weakness, we should in fact speak” (Letter 469). And elsewhere he
observes:

As for the silence, of which the Fathers speak, you have no clue
what this is about. In fact, not many people know at all. For this
kind of silence is not a matter of shutting one’s mouth. There
may be someone who speaks tens of thousands of words that are
useful; and this is reckoned as silence. There may be another who
speaks just a single idle word, and this is reckoned as trampling
the Savior’s teachings. (Letter 554)26

The balance between solitude and society is a distinctive feature of

the neighboring monastery, where Barsanuphius’s scribe, Seridos,
served as abbot. There, as we have seen, cells opened up to windows
allowing for didactic conversation and instruction; monks were
encouraged to support visitors, including lay persons and family
relatives—“not in order to please people or to seek praise, but out
of purity of heart” (Letter 595).
Finally, it would be an oversight not to mention that Abba John
is the first to coin the phrase “non-silence” (to asiopeton or to me
siopan), where one may be silent but fails to manifest one’s thoughts
honestly and thus remains unhealed (Letter 320). This implies that
both silence and speaking can be counterfeit. Although not discussed
in the letters, the silence of shutting out another person can inflict
deep pain. To adopt the contemporary vernacular, giving someone
the “silent treatment” is hard-hearted and insensitive. When we
disconnect our theology from others or else do not relate to the
wider community, then it is a false language, miscommunication.
And Barsanuphius and John have little tolerance for spiritual chatter
(cf. Letter 36) that renders God small and manageable. They do not
offer a manual of reproofs or recipes, with homilies for healing
or formulas for salvation. Seductive as the “quick-fix” may be, the

See also Poemen 27, Sayings.

26
180 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

two Old Men know that human beings are unpredictable, far too
complex for such an approach to bear long-term benefits. Beware
the person who always has the answer!
The fine balance between isolation and intimacy is ultimately
impossible to attain without divine grace. Authentic silence is
ultimately a reflection of the fellowship of the Holy Trinity: “If you
prepare your house [of silence] in this way … [the Son of God] will
come with the blessed Father and the Holy Spirit, and they will
make a home within you [Jn 14:23], teaching you what stillness
is and illuminating your heart with ineffable joy” (Letter 208). It
is not coincidental that the word for Spirit—in both Hebrew and
Greek—implies silent breath, like the wind we neither see nor hear
(Jn 3:8), though we know it refreshes and restores us. In the end,
prayer is not about diffuseness of expression or amplification of
sound. Sometimes, prayer can be futile or ineffective when we fail
to reach out softly or silently enough.

Stillness: Where God Dwells

Solitude and silence finally issue in the mystery of stillness; indeed,
they are “the foundation of stillness.”27 For Gregory of Sinai, stillness
is so “eloquent”28 that anyone who wishes to plumb the mysteries
should “cleave to stillness.”29 For Abba Philemon, “the only path
leading to heaven is complete stillness.”30 And for Niketas Stethatos,
it is “the upper room,”31 “the knowledge of divine mysteries … the
abyss of divine intellections, the rapture of the intellect, intercourse
with God, unsleeping watchfulness, spiritual prayer … solidarity
and union with God.”32

27
See Gregory of Sinai, “On Commandments and Doctrines 99,” in Philokalia, vol.
4, 233.
28
Gregory of Sinai, “On Stillness,” 15, in Philokalia, vol. 4, 274.
29
Gregory of Sinai, “On Commandments and Doctrines,” 127, in Philokalia, vol. 4,
246.
30
See “A Discourse on Abba Philemon,” in Philokalia, vol. 2, 349. It is in this
“Discourse” that the phrase “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me”
first appears.
31
Niketas Stethatos, “On the Inner Nature of Things,” 66, in Philokalia, vol. 4, 126.
32
Stethatos, “On the Inner Nature of Things,” 64, in Philokalia, vol. 4, 125. See also
Gregory of Sinai, “On Stillness,” in Philokalia, vol. 4, 266, where Gregory explicitly
quotes Barsanuphius.
 SOLITUDE, SILENCE, AND STILLNESS 181

Stillness is the moment when we realize that God is the ground

of our being (see Jer 10:10), “the solid rock of our foundation”
(Letter 345), before whom we are no longer afraid of “being frail”
or “being nothing”—what our two Old Men call to apsepheston
(Letters 227, 259, 271, and 604). Abba John says: “Wherever
there is stillness … there also God dwells” (Letter 454). Abba
Barsanuphius claims that stillness is a spiritual gift bestowed by
God “in its proper time” (Letter 208). It is a gift conferred when the
self completely surrenders to God.
Stillness points to the source and center of authentic living, of
living in the present. There is no need to dwell on the past or obsess
about the future. All attention converges on the immediate present,
which allows us to appreciate the ordinary moment every day. It
enables us to be more focused or engaged, less distracted or scattered.
Diving inside this inner core we discover a calming, transforming
experience, which can be tapped whenever we are overcome by
helplessness or barrenness. Again, the externals do not change, but
the filter or lens through which we see and respond to the world
changes. We still observe the ordinary, but everything appears
extraordinary—undistorted by our disposition or predisposition, in
a color and perspective that reflect the dimension of another world.
From this angle, stillness is closely related to death. It reflects an
expectation of the age to come. Be vigilant, Barsanuphius advises:
“Pay attention to yourself and expect your impending death”
(Letter 256). “The cell is a cemetery … It is a place of rest … a
sanctuary that contains the dwelling-place of God” (Letter 142)!
Stillness can almost feel like death, death to oneself (Letter 55), but
it can also resemble the slow, silent growth of living roots sprawling
deep beneath the earth. Barsanuphius likens “perfect stillness”
(Letter 6) to “the arrival of a ship in a harbor, where it no longer
fears dangers, distress, or the onset of winds” (Letters 8–9).
There is nothing simplistic or sluggish about the cultivation
of stillness. Living life to the full comes only when we face the
ultimate questions, including meaninglessness and death.33 How
we address or avoid these concerns has profound consequences
on our experience of solitude, silence, and stillness. Which is why

On the connection between prayer and death, see Symeon the New Theologian,
33

“Practical and Theological Texts,” 87, in Philokalia, vol. 4, 43.

182 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

remembrance of death is a crucial monastic virtue, a daily and

tangible reminder of weakness and imperfection. If we want to
come out of life seasoned and polished, we need only think of death;
there is hardly an outward sense of perfection in nursing homes and
hospices. Remembrance of death allows brokenness to be revealed
in truth so that the lie of illusory flawlessness may split wide open
and healing can begin.
Nevertheless, stillness is hardly scary; it is profoundly sacred.
It closely teams with a desire for “life in abundance” (Jn 10:10),
beyond “mere survival.” Most of us tend to deny the connection
between death and stillness by entering a whirl of activity that
renders death inconceivable, even improbable. Stillness is like
waiting respectfully and reverently. It is a renewing sense of
anticipation, an overture to heavenly resurrection. In the state of
sacred stillness, we know we are fully alive, not dead; we are aware
of having needs and temptations, as well as of being able to face
and embrace these without turning elsewhere. In stillness we are
not empty; we are not alone; we are not afraid. “In stillness, [we]
know that God is” (Ps 46:11).
Finally, stillness introduces an apophatic element to the nature of
intimacy and love. In the Ladder of Divine Ascent, John Climacus
reveals that, upon reaching the top rung, one rests in the presence of
God’s love. Thalassius the Libyan also closely associates “stillness
and intense longing for God.”34 In fact, for Niketas Stethatos, silence
and stillness are even greater than love.35
Through stillness, then, comes the refreshing suggestion of loving
God and others by “not knowing” them. Because if we are fixed to
our preconceptions about God or fears of people, we may never
enjoy perfect stillness (see Letters 6 and 496). When we think that
we “know” someone, we have already shut our eyes to that person’s
constant process of change and growth. The fact is that we limit
ourselves when we root others in their past instead of rejoicing in
their potential.
In the isolation of solitude, we can risk being who we genuinely
are; in the echo of silence, we begin facing other people as they are;
and in the intimacy of stillness, we embrace the other person in their
entirety, in their eternal dimension—beyond what we could ever

See Thalassius, “Second Century,” in Philokalia, vol. 2, 314.

34

See Stethatos, “On the Inner Nature of Things,” 75–7, in Philokalia, vol. 4, 128–9.
35
 SOLITUDE, SILENCE, AND STILLNESS 183

comprehend, beyond what we would tolerate, or beyond what we

might expect to profit. “Solitude,” writes Sherry Turkle,

reinforces a secure sense of self, and with that, the capacity for
empathy. Then, conversation with others provides rich material
for self-reflection. Just as alone we prepare to talk together,
together we learn how to engage in more productive solitude.36

An Extraordinary Legacy
Solitude, silence, and stillness are qualities that present us with
subtle, yet significant variances of the wonders of the soul and the
wounds of the heart. Barsanuphius and John offer us an alternative
perspective of this world, not an occasion to escape the reality of
this world. And this fresh perspective we may experience in the
simple pastime of reading a book or completing a crossword, as
in the standard pleasure of daily exercise or walking a dog, and
especially in an intentional moment of retreat or regeneration. The
most ardent expression of mystical union might be embedded in
the busiest of daily lives and blandest of unassuming routines. We
can elevate the very ordinary to the extraordinary, while the very
personal can converge with the social:

Whether you are sitting down or walking about, whether you

are working or eating, or whatever else you are doing … do not
hesitate to pray. (Letter 441)

In defining the three stages of the solitary life, the two Old Men
underline that solitude, silence, and stillness relate to every detail,
to “every aspect and conduct and concern” of life (Letter 52). This
is why they advise that “we should be with others as if not being
with them” (Letter 173). This is also the inspiration behind a poem
entitled “Sitting on the Fence” by Michael Leunig: “‘Come sit down
beside me’/I said to myself/And, although it doesn’t make sense/I

Sherry Turkle, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age (New
36

York: Penguin Press, 2015), 10.

184 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

held my own hand/As a small sign of trust/And together I sat [alone]

on the fence.”37
After the death of Abba John, Barsanuphius moved back into
his friend’s—originally his own—cell and remained there in total
seclusion until his death. According to a legend preserved in the
Historia Ecclesiastica of Evagrius Scholasticus, at the time of
Evagrius’s writing (c. 593), some fifty years after Barsanuphius’s
presumed death, the “great old man” was believed to be still alive.
When the Patriarch of Jerusalem ordered the cell door opened, a
consuming fire flashed from the cell.38 It appears that the silence
of Barsanuphius was stronger than death itself. It certainly proved
influential for generations of subsequent monastics and laity
interested to this day in the way of prayer and silence.

37
Permission courtesy of poet: “Sitting on the Fence” copyright Michael Leunig,
1972.
38
See Evagrius, Historia Ecclesiastica IV, 33, in PG 87,ii.2764.
 Conclusion

­ rom my initial introduction to the world of Barsanuphius and

F
John during studies in Oxford, through my intensive research into
their letters that I translated on sabbatical in Princeton, to the
inspirational motivation that I have drawn from their wisdom for
my scholarship and ministry, the two Old Men of sixth-century Gaza
have been a source of captivation, conversation, and consolation
over the course of many years. The distinct aroma of their sincerity
and maturity, along with the refreshing grace of openness and
freedom in the stifling institutionalism of academic and religious
circles alike, constantly recalls me to the deeper aspiration of both
education and ordination.
Above and beyond any scholarly eminence or spiritual
consequence, Barsanuphius and John advance a palpable concept
of the heavenly, while acknowledging the fragile sacredness of
the human. The profound compassion and gentle refinement that
emerge from their letters are surprising, even breathtaking. At the
same time, their insightful judgment and gracious tenderness reflect
a personal and profound experience of divine charity as well as a
unique and unparalleled exposure to human experience.
So when they write of ultimate truths and essential values, the
reader recognizes that they speak with authority and authenticity
about “what they have heard with their ears, what they have seen
with their eyes, what they have looked upon and touched with their
hands concerning the word of life” (1 Jn 1:1). Clarity and originality
resonate in the letters of these elders from Gaza, beyond and despite
historical remoteness or cultural isolation. In addressing perennial
challenges of the soul with precision and perception, the generosity
of their Christian instruction and spiritual direction transcends time
186 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

and space, cutting directly across centuries and civilizations. The

result kindles a process of growth both in the recipient of their time
and reader of today (see Letter 449).
In their letters, the grace of God is always with us (cf. Mt.
28:20) and the saints of old continue to be relevant. Their wisdom,
as historian Peter Brown has noted, is “searching yet infinitely
flexible, unfolding with quiet generosity, letter by letter, situation by
situation, to embrace an entire world of troubled persons—monks,
clergy and laity—throwing its fine net  also over us moderns.”1
Their words resonate with the deepest recesses of the heart; their
responses radiate a calming effect on the soul. By respecting the
precariousness and vulnerability of human nature, they reveal the
magnitude and magnificence of divine grace.
It should come as no surprise, then, that Barsanuphius and John
avoid “taking sides” in theological controversies of their time. For
them, creed and confession are more than just concise and formal
tenets, authorized and authoritative teachings; orthodoxy and heresy
were not simply matters to be balanced or extremes to be reconciled. At
the same time, however, it would be a mistake to dismiss these hermits
as something less than theologians, as inferior to more impressive or
intellectual thinkers of the past.2 For Barsanuphius and John, doctrine
and dogma are perennial stories of salvation, not merely lists of beliefs
or articles of faith. Religious convictions and principles translate into
moral standards and disciplines. Theology and ethics are two sides
of one and the same coin. Orthodoxy is not so much a profession
of correct ideology, but the practice of a living tradition where “the
Word assumes flesh” (Jn 1:14). It is, moreover, discerned less in the
precision of the letter than in the imprecision of life.
In this perspective, acceptance or rejection of the Council of
Chalcedon is not really a matter of political dissent or division.3

1
Peter Brown, endorsement of John Chryssavgis, Letters from the Desert:
Barsanuphius and John, Popular Patristics Series (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s
Seminary Press, 2003).
2
For example, Fr. Georges Florovsky infers this when he distinguishes between
“Eastern Fathers” or “Byzantine Fathers” (implying theologians) and “Ascetic and
Spiritual Fathers” (inferring monastics). See Richard Haugh, ed., The Collected
Works of Georges Florovsky (Belmont, MA: Nordland, 1974–89), esp. volumes 7–9
vis-à-vis volume 10.
3
See John Meyendorff, Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions: The Church 450–680
AD, The Church in History, vol. 2 (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary, 1989).
 CONCLUSION 187

Indeed, acknowledging the conciliar definition about two natures

in Christ—united “without confusion and without change, without
division and without separation”4—is not primarily a question of
doctrinal confession or personal conviction. It is first and foremost
an accurate formulation in theological vocabulary of an empirical
acquaintance with a mystical experience conveyed through spiritual
direction to those inquiring about how doctrine issues into life and
practice.
And within this process, every mundane detail and every ordinary
facet matter to the two Old Men, who pay careful attention to trivial,
even tangential aspects contained in the hundreds of letters that
they receive. They omit nothing whatsoever from their responses to
these letters, even if this means a lengthy, digressive communication
by the scribe. This is why people open their hearts to them.
What is at stake is far more than “sweating the small stuff.”5 It
is a reminder that, while details should not overwhelm or consume
us, they are frequently indicators of our spiritual predicament. This
is why Barsanuphius and John take the time to respond to minor,
seemingly mundane details of questions that they receive. After all,
it is difficult to rush a reply dictated verbatim to a scribe. There
will inevitably be repetition and correction, attention to particulars
and cognizance of predicaments. Dictation the old-fashioned style
is a comprehensive and effective way of letting your correspondents
know that the person dictating notices and acknowledges them. It is
an elementary, albeit palpable way of learning and loving.
This is why the letters of Barsanuphius and John are always
carefully constructed, never hastily conveyed. A single person garners
the undivided attention of the elders as they respond to questions.
And a single issue or set of issues is the exclusive objective of their
written responses. The most unique individual in the world and the
most vital question of the moment gets recorded in an unremarkable
document scratched out directly from the two Old Men by their
trusted scribes. The ordinary candor of their communications
accounts for their extraordinary influence. It also explains their far-
reaching consequence for the highest echelons of church and society,
as well as for readers through the centuries to our day.

4
T. Herbert Bindley, ed., The Oecumenical Documents of the Faith (London:
Methuen and Co., 1899), 225.
5
Title of a book by Richard Carlson (New York: Hyperion, 1997).
188 THE LETTERS OF BARSANUPHIUS AND JOHN

But there is another iconoclastic aspect of these letters. In a world

precariously enchanted by exceptional charisma, Barsanuphius
and John speak straightforward, forthright truths—unpretentious
in their style and unembellished in their substance. Illusion and
delusion have no place in their spiritual counsel. Their aim is not
to impress; it is to inspire and instruct, to encourage and educate.
There are certain characteristics that belong to universal spiritual
teachers—wherever and whenever they live. Barsanuphius and John
are exceptional examples of holiness and openness because they
pay attention to specific human beings in specific contexts—not to
institutions, structures, or positions. In their relationships, they are
not hopeless sentimentalists but utter realists. They never justify or
rationalize evil; yet, they also never despair or surrender in the face
of sin. Their spiritual paradigm is always rooted in love and respect,
in the recognition that to be perfectly human is to be imperfect and
that to become a saint is to embrace everyone as repentant sinners.
Ultimately these remarkable elders maintain a spiritual balance—
never pretending that the path to holiness is easy but ever pursuing
the extraordinary in the very ordinary of reality and frailty in
life, while at the same time promoting connections between the
individual and the community. Their matter-of-fact wit and down-
to-earth wisdom demonstrate an uncompromising application
of the Gospel precepts, endowing their advice with eternal value
and universal validity. In this sense, their experience becomes the
experience of the whole world—the vocation to follow the way
of Christ “without wounding one’s neighbor” (Letter 26) but by
“bearing one another’s burden’s” (Gal 6:2, Letter 96).
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barsanuphius and John

Choi, Hyung-Guen, Between Ideals and Reality: Charity and the Letters
of Barsanuphius and John of Gaza, Macquarie Center, NSW: Sydney
College of Divinity Press, 2020.
Chryssavgis, John, The Correspondence of Barsanuphius and John, with
Translation, Introduction, Notes and Complete Indices, Washington,
DC: Catholic University Press, 2006–7 [2 volumes].
­Hevelone Harper, Jennifer, Disciples of the Desert: Monks, Laity, and
Spiritual Authority in Sixth-Century Gaza, Baltimore, MD: Johns
Hopkins University Press, 2005.
Perrone, Loroenzo, La Necessità del Consiglio: Studi sul Monachesimo di
Gaza, Abbazia del Praglia: Edizioni Scritti Monastici, 2021.

The Desert Fathers and Mothers

Brown, Peter, The Body and Society: Men, Women and Sexual
Renunciation in Early Christianity, New York: Columbia University
Press, 1988.
Harmless, William, Desert Christians: An Introduction to the Literature
of Early Monasticism, New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Swan, Laura, The Forgotten Desert Mothers: Sayings, Lives and Stories of
Early Christian Women, New York: Paulist Press, 2001.
Vivian, Tim, The Sayings and Stories of the Desert Fathers and Mothers,
vol. 1, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2021.
Ward, Benedicta, ed., The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical
Collection, London: Mowbrays, 1975.
Wortley, John, Give Me a Word: The Alphabetical Sayings of the Desert
Fathers, Yonkers, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2014.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book has been brewing for almost two decades ever since I
translated the 850 extraordinary letters of Barsanuphius and John
while on sabbatical at Princeton. Numerous interruptions in my
life and work—some painful, others joyful—as well as a gnawing
suspicion that I could never do justice to these exceptional elders,
delayed the completion of a manuscript with any semblance of
integrity.
Along the way, however, I owe a debt of gratitude to all those
who made this publication possible, including:

• my teacher and mentor, Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware), who

introduced me to the letters and provided the foreword to
this book;
• friends who contributed comments on the manuscript,
including Professors Peter Brown, Columba Stewart, John
Behr, and especially Tim Vivian, whose extensive knowledge
and insightful grasp of the early monastic tradition provided
unequivocal inspiration and improvement;
• Abbot Ephraim of the Vatopedi Patriarchal Monastery on
Mt. Athos for permission to publish from their original
manuscript of Barsanuphius and John, Sister Eugeniki of
the Annunciation of the Theotokos Monastery at Oinousses
for the handpainted icon of Sts Barsanuphius and John, and
Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh for the cover of the Venice
edition of Barsanuphius and John;
• academic circles and religious communities in the United
States, the UK, and Australia, who invited me to address
conferences and retreats on the two Old Men;
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 191

• my faithful editor, Marilyn Rouvelas, who has persistently

demonstrated more confidence in my work than I ever
would, tirelessly and selflessly pouring over editorial and
other details;
• and my publisher, Anna Turton, who eventually tipped the
balance by encouraging me to submit the manuscript to
T&T Clark.
 INDEX

advice x–xii, 3–5, 16–17, 20, 24, 107, 110, 118, 131, 150, 158–9,
28–30, 33, 35, 37–40, 43, 164, 168, 175–9, 188
45–7, 52, 65, 80, 88–90, 93–4, compassion xi, 1, 5–8, 24, 33, 36,
96–7, 102, 106–7, 109, 124, 39, 43, 46–7, 62–4, 68–9, 88,
144–5, 148, 154–5, 160, 165, 98–9, 106–7, 111–14, 126,
178, 188 130–1, 142, 151, 155, 159,
Aelianos 27–59, 34, 45, 55–7, 87 162–3, 185
angel 69, 99, 130–2, 143–5, 169 compunction 73, 136, 143–5,
ascesis 17–18, 52, 66, 70–6, 84, 172–4
90, 102–5, 110–17, 122–34, crucifixion (and cross) 11, 36, 42,
138, 151–3, 162, 169–73 46, 62, 66, 91, 104–5, 139,
attentiveness 70, 93, 157–8, 168, 142, 146, 162, 174
172, 175
authenticity 5, 37, 52, 89, 107, desert (and wilderness) x, 1–4,
124, 130–1, 145, 147–63, 174, 6–7, 14–16, 30, 49, 63, 66,
178–81, 185 80, 94, 105, 122–4, 143, 151,
authority xi, 6, 21, 25, 35–6, 169–70
43–5, 50–3, 56, 60–2, 89–90, desert fathers (and mothers) x,
95–7, 103, 107, 149, 155, 159, 2–7, 15–21, 25, 30, 44, 71,
164, 185 74–5, 80–2, 89, 94, 121, 131,
awareness (self-awareness) 94, 98, 135, 138, 141, 145, 151, 156,
155–60, 168–75 167–9, 189
discernment 4–5, 8, 20, 39, 42–5,
Barsanuphius the Great (and John 50, 57, 60, 84, 96, 125–6, 136,
the Prophet) 4–9 147–65
bearing (one another’s burdens) doctrine xi, 46, 64–6, 134, 141–2,
xii, 47, 77–8, 90, 94, 99–100, 150, 165, 179, 186–7
110–11, 163, 178 Dorotheus of Gaza 10, 17–18,
Bible 15, 58–62, 68, 77–8, 82, 20–1, 26–7, 31, 35, 42, 49,
129–30, 138, 150 52–5, 74, 88–9, 147, 156

Chalcedon (Council of) 4, 20–1, ­evil (spirits) 22, 70, 75, 77, 83–4,
186 96, 99, 112, 114, 117, 121,
community 2, 11, 16, 26–33, 39–41, 125–6, 129, 136, 144, 151,
44–5, 50–8, 67–8, 88, 90–2, 103, 153, 160–1, 173, 177–8, 188
 INDEX 193

fast xi, 8, 35, 46, 98, 116–17, 122, Paul 3, 23, 47, 57, 59, 72, 77, 90,
126, 131, 140 100, 114, 119, 123, 150, 163
food 8, 35, 48, 62, 113–33 prayer x, xii, 5, 8, 15, 20–4, 32,
forgiveness 5–7, 38, 42, 63, 71, 38, 40–7, 59, 63–5, 69, 77–84,
84, 97, 107, 111 93–8, 106, 140, 144, 153–5,
166–75, 180–1, 184
gluttony 114–30, 160
gratitude 69, 71–2, 84, 124, 131, reckoning (not reckoning oneself)
144, 153 73–5, 173, 176
renunciation 29, 46, 105, 121–3,
humility 5, 17, 36, 42, 55–7, 64–5, 130, 137, 146
69–70, 73–5, 83–4, 87, 93, resurrection 130, 139–42, 162,
102, 112–16, 125, 133, 144, 182
149, 152–4, 157, 163, 173
sacraments 58, 63–4, 94, 134, 159
imperfection 139–42, 169, 182 Seridos (Abbot) 25–30, 39–41, 45,
48–57, 67, 92, 97, 153, 164,
Jesus Prayer 80–1, 170 179
John of Beersheba 25, 27, 42, 49–55 silence 2, 31, 41, 45, 48, 50, 54–9,
John Climacus 63, 80, 122, 134–5, 63–5, 98, 122, 141–3, 146,
14–43, 152, 159–61, 182 160–2, 166–84
John the Prophet (and solitude 1, 28, 41, 45, 50–4, 161,
Barsanuphius the Great) 4–9 166–83
joy xii, 22, 47, 69, 72–3, 93–5, sorrow xii, 47, 91–4, 133, 136–44
98–9, 111–12, 133, 139–40, spiritual direction x, 3, 6–7, 24,
143, 180 26, 32–5, 44, 51–2, 56, 62,
judgment 4, 7, 62, 72, 96, 101, 87–112, 122, 126, 148–9,
160–2, 185 154–5, 158–9, 162, 172, 185–7
stillness 26, 50, 125, 166–71, 173,
knowledge (self-knowledge) xii, 2, 176–8, 180–3
98, 111, 139, 145, 148, 155–7,
168, 170–1, 174, 177, 180 tears 45, 63, 69, 106, 134–46,
169, 173
love 18, 30, 38, 42, 64, 69, temptation 5, 35–6, 42, 68–72, 75,
74–7, 87, 92–101, 105–7, 111, 82–126, 161–78
114–16, 119, 123, 125, 127, thanksgiving 23, 68, 71–2, 111,
131–3, 136, 139, 144, 158, 120, 123, 126
169–71, 174–9, 182, 188 Thawatha 11–12, 16, 25–7, 39,
52–8, 96, 163
moderation xi, 46, 123–7, 154,
164 ­vigilance xi, 46, 69–70, 79, 84,
mourning 22, 134–40, 144–6 102, 117, 121, 143, 159, 170,
177
Origen 10, 27, 48, 60, 62, 66, 71,
150 women 27–8, 30, 94
194
195
196