Persons and Places

Persons and places mentioned in this book, with short notes and back-links to every occurrence.

Persons

St Antony the Great

Egyptian desert father (c. 251–356), founder of monastic eremitism. Feast day 17 January.

Mentioned in: 1. On the Jesus Prayer and Interior Prayer (1.11.1).

St Basil the Great

Cappadocian Father (c. 330–379), Archbishop of Caesarea, monastic legislator and theologian; one of the Three Hierarchs. Author of the Longer and Shorter Rules and the Liturgy bearing his name. Feast day 1 January.

Mentioned in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.14.1); 13. On Unceasing Prayer and the Ordering of Our Affairs (13.4.16); 43. On Unceasing Prayer and the Dedication of Works to God (43.4.5); 97. On the Jesus Prayer and Its Technique of Practice (97.7.2).

David

King of Israel (c. 1010–970 BC), traditional author of the Psalms; a central figure of Old Testament typology in patristic exegesis.

Mentioned in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.7.12); 67. Establishment in Noetic Prayer and the Struggle Against Distraction (67.16.4); 113. On Noetic Prayer for Laymen (113.3.45).

St Dimitry of Rostov

Metropolitan of Rostov (1651–1709), compiler of the great Slavonic menologion (Chetyi-Minei, Lives of the Saints in twelve volumes) and author of liturgical dramas and theological works. Canonised 1757. Feast day 21 September.

Mentioned in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.14.1); 113. On Noetic Prayer for Laymen (113.3.18).

St Ignatius of Antioch

Bishop of Antioch and Apostolic Father (c. 35–c. 108), martyred in Rome; author of seven letters written en route to martyrdom, foundational texts on the Eucharist, episcopacy, and Christian unity. Also known as Theophoros (the God-bearer). Feast day 17 October (West) / 29 January (East).

Mentioned in: 14. On Prayer as the Work of All Christians (14.13.18); 53. On the Remembrance of Death and the Guarding of the Intellect (53.4.3); 74. On Receiving Penitents and the Struggle Against the Passions (74.8.1); 83. On the Writings of Hierarch Ignatius and Spiritual Delusion in Prayer (83.4.1); 107. On Attention in Prayer and the Spirit of the Labor of Prayer (107.7.10).

Jesus Christ

The incarnate Son of God, second Person of the Holy Trinity; his name forms the centre of the Jesus Prayer and of all Orthodox spiritual life.

Mentioned in: 1. On the Jesus Prayer and Interior Prayer (1.3.1); 4. On Spiritual Guidance and Relations With Those of Other Faiths (4.13.1); 7. On Prayer as the First Work of Christian Life (7.18.2); 8. On the Jesus Prayer and Noetic Activity (8.5.23, 8.5.30); 19. On Acquiring the Jesus Prayer (19.7.2); 25. On the Warmth of the Heart and the Jesus Prayer (25.4.3); 26. On Prayer Rule and Progress in Prayer (26.4.7, 26.5.4); 27. On Prayer and Patience in Afflictions (27.5.1); 50. On the Imagelessness of Noetic Prayer (50.2.12); 57. On Self-Condemnation and Salvation in the Lord (57.3.8); 61. On the Jesus Prayer and Living Communion With the Lord (61.3.8, 61.3.9, 61.4.8); 75. On Errors in the Practice of the Jesus Prayer (75.5.1); 84. On the Jesus Prayer and its True Practice (84.5.4); 88. On the Jesus Prayer: Vocal, Noetic, and Prayer of the Heart (88.3.4); 90. On the Prayer Rule and Unceasing Prayer (90.10.6); 102. On the Warming of the Heart in Prayer (102.6.3); 107. On Attention in Prayer and the Spirit of the Labor of Prayer (107.9.1); 109. On Sobriety, Noetic Prayer, and Patience (109.6.1); 111. On Surrendering Yourself to God and Unceasing Prayer (111.4.14).

St John Chrysostom

Archbishop of Constantinople (c. 347–407), one of the most prolific homilists of the early Church; one of the Three Hierarchs. Exiled twice for challenging imperial corruption; died in exile. Feast day 13 November.

Mentioned in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.14.1); 5. On the Prayer Rule and Its Fruits (5.4.2); 16. On Spiritual Coldness in the Practice of Prayer (16.7.1); 27. On Prayer and Patience in Afflictions (27.4.1); 28. On Prayer Rule and Short Prayers (28.6.1, 28.6.3); 32. On Feeling Toward God in Prayer (32.4.11); 34. On Slothfulness in Prayer and Instruction in Noetic Prayer (34.5.1); 40. On Prayer, Patience, and Humility (40.4.4); 81. On the Work of Salvation and the Jesus Prayer (81.5.4); 82. On the Prayer of Novices (82.4.4); 86. On Brief Prayers and Noetic Prayer (86.6.3); 109. On Sobriety, Noetic Prayer, and Patience (109.12.4).

St John Climacus

Abbot of Sinai (c. 579–649), author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent, the standard manual of monastic ascesis in the Eastern Church. Feast day 30 March.

Mentioned in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.3.9); 11. On the Jesus Prayer and the Formation of a Prayerful Habit (11.21.2); 14. On Prayer as the Work of All Christians (14.9.26); 41. On Guarding Against Self-Love and Angry Words (41.4.7).

St Macarius the Great

Egyptian desert father (c. 300–391), abbot of Scetis; attributed author of the Homilies on the heart and spiritual fire central to the hesychast tradition. Feast day 19 January.

Mentioned in: 32. On Feeling Toward God in Prayer (32.4.18).

St Paisius Velichkovsky

Ukrainian-born monk (1722–1794), abbot of Neamț Monastery in Moldavia; compiler and translator of the Philokalia into Slavonic (the Dobrotolubiye), transmitting hesychast spirituality to the Slavic world. Feast day 15 November.

Mentioned in: 4. On Spiritual Guidance and Relations With Those of Other Faiths (4.7.3); 53. On the Remembrance of Death and the Guarding of the Intellect (53.4.4); 82. On the Prayer of Novices (82.10.4).

Solomon

King of Israel (c. 970–931 BC); traditional author of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs.

Mentioned in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.16.2).

St Symeon the New Theologian

Byzantine monk and mystic (949–1022), abbot of St Mamas in Constantinople; one of only three teachers honoured with the title ‘Theologian’ in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. His Hymns of Divine Love and Catecheses are primary texts of the hesychast tradition. Feast day 12 March.

Mentioned in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.15.7); 35. On the Jesus Prayer in the Church (35.4.19); 66. On the Remembrance of God and Prayer of the Heart (66.7.1); 71. On Beginning Spiritual Prayer and the Contrite Spirit (71.9.3); 72. On Attentive Prayer and Images in Prayer (72.7.1).

St Theophan the Recluse

Russian bishop and spiritual writer (1815–1894), bishop of Tambov and then Vladimir before withdrawing to strict reclusion at Vyshen Monastery in 1866. Prolific author of letters, ascetic treatises, and homilies; translated the Philokalia into Russian. Canonised 1988. Feast day 10 January.

Mentioned in: Introduction (1).

St Tikhon of Zadonsk

Russian bishop and ascetic writer (1724–1783), Bishop of Voronezh; retired to Zadonsk Monastery in 1769, devoting himself to prayer, writing, and works of mercy. A formative spiritual influence on Theophan the Recluse and on Dostoyevsky’s Elder Zosima. Canonised 1861. Feast day 13 August.

Mentioned in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.14.1); 3. Purity of Heart and Purification From Spiritual Numbness (3.11.7); 6. On Prayer That Proceeds From the Heart (6.12.2); 26. On Prayer Rule and Progress in Prayer (26.4.8).

Places

Kiev

Capital of Kievan Rus’ and historic centre of East Slavic Christianity; home of the Kiev Caves Lavra and the Metropolitan seat of the Russian Orthodox Church before the see moved to Moscow.

Mentioned in: 1. On the Jesus Prayer and Interior Prayer (1.6.3); 67. Establishment in Noetic Prayer and the Struggle Against Distraction (67.8.5).

Moscow

Capital of the Russian state from the 15th century; seat of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; spiritual and administrative centre of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Mentioned in: 2. On the Prayer Rule and Attention (2.15.7, 2.15.8); 15. Entrusting Everything to the Lord and Keeping Prayer (15.5.3); 38. On Reciting Prayers With Little Prayers and Sobriety (38.4.1).