Glossary

Theological and spiritual terms used in this book, with short definitions and back-links to every occurrence.

contemplation

Direct apprehension of divine reality, distinguished by the Fathers from rational knowledge (γνῶσις) and conceptual reasoning; the highest degree of prayer in the hesychast tradition.

Occurs in: 3. Purity of Heart and Purification From Spiritual Numbness (3.7.5, 3.7.8, 3.7.15, 3.7.18, 3.9.2); 11. On the Jesus Prayer and the Formation of a Prayerful Habit (11.4.2); 19. On Acquiring the Jesus Prayer (19.11.1); 34. On Slothfulness in Prayer and Instruction in Noetic Prayer (34.8.1); 54. On Prayer Made and Given (54.5.4); 73. On Prostrations, the Reading of Psalms, and Prayer of the Heart (73.4.2).

fear of God

Reverent awe before God’s holiness; in patristic usage, the disposition that opens the heart to grace, distinct from servile dread.

Occurs in: 1. On the Jesus Prayer and Interior Prayer (1.8.2); 14. On Prayer as the Work of All Christians (14.8.4); 19. On Acquiring the Jesus Prayer (19.18.1); 53. On the Remembrance of Death and the Guarding of the Intellect (53.5.8); 63. On Prayer Without Images and Attention of the Heart (63.4.10); 64. On the Essence of Prayer and the Feeling of Contrition (64.4.5, 64.4.6); 66. On the Remembrance of God and Prayer of the Heart (66.5.5); 67. Establishment in Noetic Prayer and the Struggle Against Distraction (67.6.10, 67.8.1, 67.8.9); 68. On the Remembrance of God and the Fear of God (68.4.4, 68.9.2, 68.10.2, 68.10.4); 90. On the Prayer Rule and Unceasing Prayer (90.8.5, 90.18.5); 109. On Sobriety, Noetic Prayer, and Patience (109.8.3); 113. On Noetic Prayer for Laymen (113.3.31, 113.3.32, 113.3.34, 113.3.37, 113.4.24).

Jesus Prayer

The short prayer ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner’, repeated continuously as a means of cultivating ceaseless inner prayer; central to Eastern Orthodox hesychast practice.

noetic prayer

Prayer of the nous (the spiritual intellect), held in the heart in unceasing remembrance of God. The Greek nous is not ‘mind’ in the modern sense but the deepest faculty of spiritual perception.

Occurs in: Introduction (3); 1. On the Jesus Prayer and Interior Prayer (1.8.3, 1.9.6, 1.10.1, 1.10.4, 1.11.2); 8. On the Jesus Prayer and Noetic Activity (8.5.11, 8.5.25, 8.5.27, 8.5.31, 8.8.1, 8.9.4); 16. On Spiritual Coldness in the Practice of Prayer (16.5.3); 17. On the Perfection of Noetic Prayer (17.4.1); 31. On the Prayer of the Intellect and Heart to God (31.5.1); 32. On Feeling Toward God in Prayer (32.4.1); 34. On Slothfulness in Prayer and Instruction in Noetic Prayer (34.3.4, 34.4.6, 34.4.12); 41. On Guarding Against Self-Love and Angry Words (41.3.11); 50. On the Imagelessness of Noetic Prayer (50.2.5, 50.2.7); 61. On the Jesus Prayer and Living Communion With the Lord (61.4.8); 78. On Prayer and the Interior Fire (78.9.5, 78.10.1); 81. On the Work of Salvation and the Jesus Prayer (81.6.1); 86. On Brief Prayers and Noetic Prayer (86.10.1); 88. On the Jesus Prayer: Vocal, Noetic, and Prayer of the Heart (88.6.2, 88.6.3, 88.6.7); 90. On the Prayer Rule and Unceasing Prayer (90.7.6, 90.7.7); 93. On the Difference Between Noetic Prayer Among the Latins and Among Us (93.12.3); 98. Noetic Prayer and the Technique of the Jesus Prayer (98.3.5, 98.3.6, 98.3.8, 98.3.9); 105. On Learning Noetic Prayer (105.5.1); 108. On the Essence of Prayer and Its Forms (108.10.1, 108.10.14); 109. On Sobriety, Noetic Prayer, and Patience (109.5.4, 109.5.5, 109.6.1, 109.7.3); 111. On Surrendering Yourself to God and Unceasing Prayer (111.4.24); 113. On Noetic Prayer for Laymen (113.3.1, 113.3.2, 113.3.3, 113.3.8, 113.3.13, 113.3.14, 113.3.15, 113.3.35, 113.3.44).

prayer rule

A daily structured set of prayers observed at fixed times, both from established liturgical texts and from personal prayer; a central theme in Theophan’s correspondence.

Occurs in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.3.5); 7. On Prayer as the First Work of Christian Life (7.11.9, 7.21.1); 13. On Unceasing Prayer and the Ordering of Our Affairs (13.4.5); 26. On Prayer Rule and Progress in Prayer (26.4.1); 32. On Feeling Toward God in Prayer (32.4.8); 33. On Prayer Rule and Ascesis (33.5.4); 34. On Slothfulness in Prayer and Instruction in Noetic Prayer (34.7.1); 42. On Overcoming Slothfulness Toward Prayer (42.5.2); 109. On Sobriety, Noetic Prayer, and Patience (109.12.6).

Psalter

The book of Psalms, central to monastic and lay daily prayer in the Eastern tradition; read through in full each week in the monastic typikon.

Occurs in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.4.6, 2.4.8); 8. On the Jesus Prayer and Noetic Activity (8.8.4); 36. On Short Little Prayers and Humility (36.3.4); 51. On the Jesus Prayer and the Preservation of Interior Warmth (51.9.7); 72. On Attentive Prayer and Images in Prayer (72.4.1, 72.4.2, 72.4.3); 90. On the Prayer Rule and Unceasing Prayer (90.14.1).

remembrance of death

The constant awareness of one’s mortality cultivated as a spiritual discipline; in Orthodox ascetic theology, paired with the remembrance of God as a foundation of inner life (cf. John Climacus, Ladder, Step 6).

Occurs in: 1. On the Jesus Prayer and Interior Prayer (1.8.2); 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.6.2); 64. On the Essence of Prayer and the Feeling of Contrition (64.7.2); 67. Establishment in Noetic Prayer and the Struggle Against Distraction (67.5.11); 68. On the Remembrance of God and the Fear of God (68.4.3); 75. On Errors in the Practice of the Jesus Prayer (75.6.2).

remembrance of God

Continuous awareness of God’s presence cultivated by all forms of inner prayer.

Occurs in: 1. On the Jesus Prayer and Interior Prayer (1.6.1, 1.6.2, 1.8.1); 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.6.2); 8. On the Jesus Prayer and Noetic Activity (8.5.23); 11. On the Jesus Prayer and the Formation of a Prayerful Habit (11.16.1, 11.21.1, 11.24.2); 14. On Prayer as the Work of All Christians (14.8.14); 17. On the Perfection of Noetic Prayer (17.9.2); 60. On the Remembrance of God and the Jesus Prayer (60.5.2); 61. On the Jesus Prayer and Living Communion With the Lord (61.5.1); 66. On the Remembrance of God and Prayer of the Heart (66.5.5); 67. Establishment in Noetic Prayer and the Struggle Against Distraction (67.5.11); 68. On the Remembrance of God and the Fear of God (68.4.3); 73. On Prostrations, the Reading of Psalms, and Prayer of the Heart (73.6.2); 74. On Receiving Penitents and the Struggle Against the Passions (74.6.10); 75. On Errors in the Practice of the Jesus Prayer (75.6.2); 76. Errors in the Practice of the Jesus Prayer (76.6.2); 77. On the Jesus Prayer and Its True Fruit (77.3.5); 89. On the Essence of the Jesus Prayer and the Grace of God (89.4.2); 105. On Learning Noetic Prayer (105.10.2); 106. On the Power of Prayer and Spiritual Disposition (106.6.1).

Sacraments

The Holy Mysteries of the Church: Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick; channels of grace that unite the believer to Christ and his Body.

Occurs in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.12.6, 2.12.10); 11. On the Jesus Prayer and the Formation of a Prayerful Habit (11.4.2); 51. On the Jesus Prayer and the Preservation of Interior Warmth (51.9.4); 78. On Prayer and the Interior Fire (78.8.4); 80. On Prayer From the Heart and its Gift (80.4.2); 107. On Attention in Prayer and the Spirit of the Labor of Prayer (107.12.12).

Theotokos

Greek ‘God-bearer’; the title of the Virgin Mary affirmed at the Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus (431), asserting that the one she bore is truly God incarnate.

Occurs in: 7. On Prayer as the First Work of Christian Life (7.20.5); 46. On Warmth of Prayer and Spiritual Coldness (46.4.9); 112. On Unceasing Prayer and the Order of the Day (112.3.3, 112.4.1, 112.5.6).

warmth of heart

The interior fervour that arises in the heart during prayer; in the Russian ascetic tradition, regarded as a natural fruit of inner attention rather than a sign of grace in itself.

Occurs in: 1. On the Jesus Prayer and Interior Prayer (1.8.2); 14. On Prayer as the Work of All Christians (14.8.21); 22. On the Warmth of the Heart and Attention to Thoughts (22.3.2).

watchfulness

Sober vigilance over one’s thoughts; a precondition for noetic prayer and a fundamental discipline of the hesychast tradition.

Occurs in: 8. On the Jesus Prayer and Noetic Activity (8.5.11); 38. On Reciting Prayers With Little Prayers and Sobriety (38.4.11, 38.4.13); 109. On Sobriety, Noetic Prayer, and Patience (109.5.6, 109.7.1, 109.9.2).