The Philokalia is a collection of spiritual writings by Orthodox monks and saints from the fourth through fifteenth centuries. Think of it as a library of texts on prayer, inner watchfulness, and growing closer to God.
Two Greek monks compiled it in 1782: St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth. They gathered these ancient texts on Mount Athos and published them together under a title that means “love of the beautiful” or “love of what’s good.” They weren’t writing new material. They were collecting wisdom that had been passed down for centuries, much of it from monks living in the deserts of Egypt and Palestine or on Mount Athos itself.
Who’s in It?
The authors span over a thousand years. You’ll find St. Antony the Great from the Egyptian desert. St. Maximus the Confessor, one of the Church’s greatest theologians. St. John Climacus, who wrote The Ladder of Divine Ascent. St. Symeon the New Theologian. St. Isaac the Syrian. St. Gregory of Sinai. And many others whose names you might not recognize but whose writings have shaped Orthodox spiritual life for generations.
These weren’t armchair theologians. Most lived as monks in harsh conditions, spending decades learning to pray without ceasing and guard their hearts from distraction. What they wrote came from experience, not theory.
What’s Actually in There?
The Greek original runs five volumes. The English translation by Palmer, Sherrard, and Metropolitan Kallistos Ware covers four volumes and over a thousand pages. It’s not light reading.
The texts focus on something called hesychasm, which is the practice of inner stillness. The word comes from hesychia, meaning quietness or stillness. But it’s not about sitting in a quiet room. It’s about learning to still your mind and heart so you can actually pray instead of just thinking about praying while your brain runs through your grocery list and that argument you had last week.
A lot of the Philokalia deals with nepsis, which means watchfulness. The idea is that you need to guard your heart and mind the way a sentry guards a gate. Thoughts come at you all day. Some are fine. Others lead you away from God. The fathers in the Philokalia teach you how to recognize the difference and what to do about it.
You’ll also find extensive teaching on the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This short prayer, repeated throughout the day, is central to Orthodox spiritual life. The Philokalia explains why it works and how to practice it.
Who’s It For?
Here’s where people get confused. The Philokalia was originally written by monks for monks. Some of it assumes you’re living in a desert cave with nothing to do but pray. That’s not most of us in Southeast Texas.
But the principles apply to everyone. You don’t need to be a monk to learn watchfulness or to pray the Jesus Prayer while you’re driving to work or waiting for the shift change. The challenge is adapting monastic wisdom to life in the world without watering it down or, on the other hand, trying to be a desert father while working rotating shifts at the refinery.
That’s why you shouldn’t just pick up the Philokalia and start reading on your own. It’s dense. It assumes knowledge you might not have yet. And some of the advice needs interpretation for people who aren’t monastics. Talk to your priest first. He can guide you to the right texts and help you understand them in the context of your actual life.
Why Does It Matter?
The Philokalia had a huge impact on Orthodox spiritual life when it was published. It sparked a renewal of hesychastic prayer across the Orthodox world. St. Paisius Velichkovsky translated it into Slavonic, which made it accessible to Russian and Romanian Christians. It influenced The Way of a Pilgrim, that famous little book about a Russian peasant learning the Jesus Prayer.
For us today, it’s a window into the Church’s living tradition of prayer. We’re not making up new spiritualities or importing techniques from other religions. We’re drawing from the same well Christians have drawn from for centuries.
The goal of everything in the Philokalia is theosis, becoming united with God by grace. Not just knowing about God or believing the right things about God, but actually communing with Him. That’s what we’re being saved into. That’s what the spiritual life is for.
If you’re curious about the Philokalia, start small. Ask your priest which texts might be helpful for where you are right now. Maybe read some of St. Maximus the Confessor’s shorter pieces or St. Hesychios on watchfulness. And remember that reading about prayer isn’t the same as praying. The fathers wrote these texts to help you actually do it.
