Description
The Way of a Pilgrim is a classic text that evokes the traditions and interior life of Eastern Orthodox spirituality. Written by an anonymous Russian Christian, the original manuscript came into the hands of a monk on Greece’s Mount Athos in the nineteenth century and was first published in 1884.
The book follows the author as he travels through mid-nineteenth century Russia and Siberia, visiting monasteries and shrines of the saints in order to “pray without ceasing.” His journey leads him to a staret, a Russian spiritual master who teaches him the spiritual discipline known as the Jesus Prayer – an uninterrupted mantra-like invocation of the name of Jesus. Combined with its companion volume, The Pilgrim Continues His Way and featuring a forward by Huston Smith, this extraordinary tale unveils the soul of Eastern Christianity. Translated from the original Russian by Reginald M. French. “A profound and beautiful example of a journey toward – rather than away from – [the] self.” – Minneapolis TribuneAn essential addition to the HarperCollins Spiritual Classics series, The Way of a Pilgrim is combined in one volume with its companion work, The Pilgrim Continues His Way. Translated from the original Russian by Reginald M. French and with an introduction by Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions, The Way of a Pilgrim is the chronicle of an anonymous nineteenth century Russian Christian’s travels and spiritual inquiries. Eye-opening and extraordinary, The Way of a Pilgrim offers a one-of-a-kind portrait of the traditions and interior life of Russian Orthodox spirituality and practice.