Home Mystic Elder Paisios and Saint Isaac the Syrian, “who was treated very unfairly. Saint Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh Saint Isaac the Syrian of Creation

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Elder Paisios and Saint Isaac the Syrian, “who was treated very unfairly. Saint Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh Saint Isaac the Syrian of Creation

Isaac the Syrian was canonized not only by his Church of the East, but also by the ancient Eastern Orthodox churches, as well as the Orthodox Church, being chronologically one of the last saints simultaneously revered in all these denominations. He left many works in the Syriac language: about courts, deanery, about divine hiding places and about spiritual administration, known as the monastic rule. The content of all his teachings is an analysis of various states of righteousness and sinfulness and methods of Christian correction and self-improvement.

Memorial Day in the Orthodox Church is January 28 (February 10). Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh and Isaac the Syrian of Spolet (April 12 (25)) should not be confused.

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About the life of Rev. Very little is known about Isaac the Syrian. From the few sources that have survived to this day, it is only clear that together with his brother he entered the monastery of Mar Matthaya near Nineveh. The brothers were distinguished by their scholarship and high ascetic lifestyle, and they were offered leadership of the monastery. Rev. Isaac, not wanting this and striving for silence, left the monastery and went into seclusion. His brother repeatedly urged him to return to the monastery, but the monk did not agree. However, when the glory of the holy life of St. Isaac spread everywhere, he was elevated to the episcopal see of the city of Nineveh; The ordination was performed by the Catholicos-Patriarch of the East Givargis I (659-680) in the Beit Abe monastery. Seeing the rude morals of the inhabitants of this city, the monk felt that he was unable to correct them, and, moreover, he yearned for the silence of the hermit’s life. All this weighed heavily on the holy husband, and he, leaving the bishopric, retired to the Skete desert (Rabban-Shabor monastery). Here he lived until his death, achieving high spiritual perfection. It is also known that at the end of his life the monk became blind due to excessive crying, and his disciples wrote down his instructions for him.

Rev.'s legacy Isaac the Syrian, translation problems

After the death of St. Isaac the Syrian, from the beginning of the 8th to the beginning of the 18th century, nothing was known about him in Europe except his name and writings. Only in 1719 was a biography of the saint, compiled by an anonymous Arab author, published in Rome. In 1896, information about St. Isaac was further expanded. The French scientist-soteriologist Abbot Chabot (French Chabot) published the work of the 8th century Syrian historian Jesuden, Bishop of Basra, where information about the Monk Isaac the Syrian is found.

St. Isaac was, apparently, one of the most prolific writers. According to the Syrian writer of the early 14th century, Ebed-Iezu, “St. Isaac of Nineveh compiled seven volumes on the guidance of the spirit, on the Divine mysteries, on judgments and on decency (politia).” Daniel Tubanita, Bishop of Beth-Garme, according to the same Ebed-Iezu, “wrote the resolution of the divine fifth volume of St. Isaac of Nineveh." What kind of “volumes” Abed-Iezu speaks of is unknown, and, apparently, not all of them have reached us. In 1909, the printed Syriac text of the works of St. Isaac under the title: “Mar Isaacus Ninivita de perfectione religiosa, quam edidit P. Bedjan.” Here, judging by the title, there are 107 words, or chapters, but the publisher says that this is only “the first part of the work of St. Isaac”, that he could publish both the 2nd and 3rd volumes of this work, if only he could compare the manuscripts he had with other parallel ones. And the publisher is very sorry that he cannot do this and publish these new volumes, he regrets it because there are “many beautiful pages.”

Four books of works by St. have come down to us in Arabic translation. Isaac, and in the first book there are 28 words, in the 2nd - 45 words, in the 3rd - 44 words, in the 4th - 5, in total, that means 122 words (according to other sources, 133 teachings have been preserved in the Arabic translation , under the title “Monastic Rule”, and a letter to Simeon the Stylite). In the Greek translation, only 86 words and 4 messages have reached us (according to other sources, 99 of his teachings are known in the Syriac original and in the Greek translation), and even less in the Latin.

The Greek translation of the works of St. Isaac was published in Leipzig by Hieromonk Nikifor Theotokis, later Bishop of Astrakhan, on behalf of Patriarch Ephraim of Jerusalem.

This translation was originally made by the monks of the Lavra of St. Savva, Abraham and Patricius, probably in the 9th century, and was not done satisfactorily in all respects. Besides the fact that it is incomplete - since it lacks 41 words compared to the Arabic translation, and even more compared to the Syriac original - it also has other shortcomings. Chabot, who compared it with Syrian manuscripts, has this to say about it:

“The first feature of the Greek translation is the omission of difficult passages, and since Isaac the Syrian is one of the most difficult Syriac writers, there are many such omissions; the second feature is that the translation often does not follow the meaning of the author.” Although the translation tries to be literal, according to Chabot, the distortion of the meaning comes partly from an inept choice of the meanings of Syriac words, and partly from literalism itself: the Syriac language, like other eastern languages, very different in its construction from European languages, does not lend itself to literal translation on them.

Latin translation of the works of St. Isaac, “de contemptu mundi”, placed by Min in his patrolology, is completely incomplete, its 53 chapters are equal to only 23 words of Greek. The translation language, according to Shabot, is darker than Greek, and the translator often confuses phrases.

The printed Slavic translation belongs to Elder Paisius Velichkovsky and was published with notes to it by Optina Pustyn in 1854. It is an almost exact copy from the Greek edition, only some additions and word order are taken from one Greek manuscript and older Slavic translations.

Russian translation of the works of St. Isaac appeared first in Christian Readings for the 1820s. It was based on the Greek edition of Nikephoros Theotokis, but only 30 words were translated. In the city, a complete Russian translation from the Greek language, made by the Moscow Theological Academy, was published. The translation of 30 words in “Christian Reading” is quite successful and literary, but sometimes free; The MDA translation is more literal, but darker.

Modern translation by Rev. Isaac into Russian was written by Abbot Hilarion (Alfeev) from the Syriac language and touches on the newfound Volume II of his works, the manuscript of which was found in 1983 in the Oxford library (while “Ascetic Words” is a translation of Volume I). In 1998, the publishing house of the Conception Monastery, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', published this book entitled “Reverend Isaac the Syrian. About Divine mysteries and spiritual life." Volume II contains 41 “Conversations”. The 3rd conversation has 400 chapters and makes up almost half of the work in volume, the so-called “Gnostic chapters” (or “Chapters on knowledge”). However, Hilarion's book includes only a small fragment of the 3rd "Conversations". The author explains this by saying that he does not decide “to fully translate this Conversation until there is a critical edition of its text (there is only an Italian translation).”

Theology Rev. Isaac the Syrian

Rev. Isaac the Syrian and Orthodox ascetics

Creations of Rev. Isaac has always enjoyed and continues to enjoy enormous respect among Orthodox ascetics of faith and piety.

Notes

Literature

Bumazhnov, Dm. A world beautiful in its weakness: St. Isaac the Syrian on the Fall of Adam and the imperfection of the world based on an unpublished text Centuria 4.89 // Symbol No. 61 (Syriaca - Arabica - Iranica). - Paris - Moscow, 2012. - pp. 177-194.
Ganstrem E. E., Tikhomirov N. B. Works of Isaac the Syrian in Slavic-Russian writing // Bulletin of Church History. - 2007. - No. 1(5). - pp. 134-197.
Hilarion (Alfeev). The spiritual world of St. Isaac the Syrian
Hilarion (Alfeev). Isaac the Syrian // Orthodox Encyclopedia. - M.: Church-scientific center Orthodox encyclopedia, 2011. - T. XXVI. - pp. 695-731. - 752 s. - 39,000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-89572-048-6.
Isaac the Syrian // Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia. Volume 5. Petrograd edition. Supplement to the spiritual magazine “Strannik” for 1904.
Mar Isaac of Nineveh (Reverend Isaac the Syrian). The path of the monk’s ascent: First collection (treatises I-VI) / General. ed. and lane from Syriac, Arabic, Greek A. V. Muravyova. - M.: Publishing house. House YASK, 2016. - 584 p.
Creations like the saints of our father Abba Isaac the Syrian, an ascetic and hermit, who was the bishop of the Christ-loving city of Nenevia. Words of asceticism. - 3rd ed. - Sergiev Posad: Type. Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 1911. - XI + 534 p.

	Isaac Sirin in Wikiquote
	Isaac Sirin on Wikimedia Commons

Apostolic Men
and apologists

Barnabas Apostle†61 Clement Roman†97 or 99 or 101 Ignatius Antioch†107 Codratus of Athens†no earlier than 130 Aristides of Athens Polycarp Smyrna†156 Papias of Hierapolis †155 or 165 Ariston Pellsky†OK. 160 Justin Philosopher†165 Tatian†OK. 180 Theophilus of Antioch not earlier than 180-181 Athenagoras of Athens†c. 190 Meliton Sardian†ca. 190 Irenaeus Lionsky†202 Marcus Minutius Felix†OK. 210 Clement of Alexandria†OK. 215
Didache(end of the 1st - beginning of the 2nd century) Shepherd of Herma(2nd century) Message to Diognetus(approx. 130)

Greek patristics

Origen†OK. 254 Dionysius Alexandrian†265 Gregory Neo-Caesarean†ca. 275 Pavel Samosatsky(er)†ok. 275 Lucian Antioch†312 Methodius Olympian†312 Eustathius Antioch†337 or 346

ISAAC SIRIN, Bishop of Nineveh (2nd half of the 7th century) - Christian mystical writer. According to the testimony of the East Syrian historian of the 9th century. Ishoden, Bishop of Basra, was born in Qatar on the shores of the Persian Gulf. He belonged to the Church of the East, later known as the “Nestorian” (although it had no historical connection with Nestorius). He was ordained Bishop of Nineveh by the Catholicos of the Church of the East Givargis (660–680), but after five months in the bishopric he “renounced the bishopric” and went to Mount Matut (Khuzistan province in modern Iran). He spent the last years of his life in the monastery of Rabban Shabur, engaged in literary activities. A West Syrian source (undatable) clarifies that in old age Isaac became blind and was called the “second Didymus” (after Didymus the Blind).

The literary heritage of Isaac the Syrian consists of many ascetic words written in Syriac. A significant part of them was at the turn of the 8th–9th centuries. translated into Greek by the monks of the Palestinian Lavra of St. Savva the Sanctified by Abraham and Patricius. From the Greek, the writings of Isaac were translated into Georgian (10th century), Slavic (before the 14th century) and Latin (15th century), from Latin - into Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, French and Italian (15–16th century). ). In 1983, Oxford professor Sebastian Brock discovered the 2nd volume of the works of St. Isaac, previously considered lost. It consists of 41 chapters (of which the third is in turn subdivided into 400 “Chapters on Knowledge”). The original text of chapters 4–41 was published by S. Brock in 1995. In 1998, a Russian translation of chapters 1–2 and 4–41 appeared under the title “On Divine Mysteries and Spiritual Life.”

The theme of God's love is central to Isaac's theological work, the leitmotif of all his works. Out of love, God created the Universe, out of love he constantly takes care of it and every living creature. God loves the righteous and sinners, angels and demons, friends of truth and enemies of truth equally. In God’s love there is no “more” or “less”, no “earlier” or “later”: He does not prefer anyone, He does not reject anyone. God does not repay evil; the idea of retribution is absolutely alien to Him; if God punishes a person, it is for a good purpose. God's love for man does not diminish as a result of the latter's sins. The mercy of God immeasurably exceeds any human concept of His justice or fairness: “Just as a grain of sand does not balance a large amount of gold, so the demands of God’s justice do not maintain balance in comparison with the mercy of God. The sins of all flesh are like a handful of sand thrown into the great sea in comparison with the Providence and mercy of God. And just as a source abounding in water is not blocked by a handful of dust, so the mercy of the Creator is not defeated by the vices of creatures” (“Ascetic Words”, translated from Greek by S.S. Sobolevsky, Sergiev Posad, 1911, pp. 419–420).

According to Isaac the Syrian, man should strive to achieve an all-encompassing, god-like love for all people and for all creation. Isaac owns the famous words about the “merciful heart,” through which a person becomes like God: “And what is a merciful heart?.. The burning of a person’s heart is about all creation, about people, about birds, about animals, about demons and about every creature. When remembering them and looking at them, a person’s eyes shed tears from the great and strong pity that envelops the heart. And because of his great patience, his heart is diminished, and it cannot bear, or hear, or see any harm or small sorrow endured by the creature. And therefore, for the dumb, and for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm him, he offers prayer every hour with tears, so that they may be preserved and purified; and also prays for the nature of reptiles with great pity, which is aroused in his heart until he becomes like God in this” (ibid., p. 206).

Another characteristic theme is that of loneliness and silence. The latter presupposes not only the external silence of the lips, but also the internal “silence” of the mind. To achieve silence, a hermit needs to limit his circle of contacts, and in some cases even refuse to meet people, which, however, does not lead to a depletion of love for other people. On the contrary, as a result of refusing to communicate with people, a person acquires love for God; the latter gives rise to a fiery love for people in him. Love for people, born in the soul of a hermit due to refusal to communicate with them, is the highest form of love: Isaac calls it “enlightened love” for humanity. This is supernatural, sacrificial love that makes a person like God.

Among other ascetic and mystical themes of Isaac are repentance and tears, temptations and abandonment by God, humility and withdrawal from the world, struggle with passions, “purity of mind” and “spiritual prayer”, contemplation and insight, mystical “amazement” (ecstasy) and “ intoxication" with the love of God. Isaac's writings contain many recommendations regarding prayer: he talks about external forms of prayer, about prayer before the Cross, about prayer reading, about night vigil, about prayer in one's own words and prayer for peace.

A characteristic feature of Isaac's eschatology, which brings him closer to Gregory of Nyssa , is the belief in universal salvation, expressed in Conversations 39 and 40 from the 2nd volume. Moreover, the starting point for him is not the logical necessity of restoring all created being to its original state, but the love of God, which has no limits, which surpasses any idea of \u200b\u200bretribution and retribution. According to Isaac, it is blasphemous to think that God does anything out of revenge or retribution. Even worse is to think that God allows people to sin in this present life in order to eternally punish them in the next century. In fact, God “wants all people to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:4). For the purpose of saving humanity, He established death as a transition to eternal life. Gehenna (hell) was also established by God for the sake of saving people - those who in earthly life have not reached the level of perfection that is necessary to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. According to Isaac, “most people will enter the Kingdom of Heaven without the experience of Gehenna.” For those who died in sin, without repentance, who stained their lives with numerous vices, short-term torment in Gehenna is necessary so that, having been cleansed from the filth of vice, they too can enter the Kingdom of God. The writings of Isaac the Syrian enjoyed enormous popularity both in the Orthodox East and in the Catholic West, especially in monastic circles. Since the 14th century. Isaac the Syrian becomes one of the most widely known spiritual writers in Rus'. In the 19th century Isaac's works were read by I.V. Kireevsky and F.M. Dostoevsky; the latter used many of the ideas of Isaac the Syrian when creating the image of Elder Zosima in the novel The Brothers Karamazov.

Essays:

2. Isaac of Nineveh (Isaac the Syrian), The Second Part, ch. IV–XLI, ed., introd. by Sebastian Brock. "Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium" 554 (Scriptores syri 224), Louvain, 1995;

3. in Russian trans.: Ascetic words, trans. from Greek S. Sobolevsky, Sergiev Posad, 1911;

4. On divine mysteries and spiritual life, trans. from Syriac, preface. Hieromonk Hilarion (Alfeev), M., 1998;

5. On spiritual perfection [Words 19, 20, 21, 55], trans. from the Syrian hieromonk Hilarion (Alfeev). – “Church and Time”, 1999, No. 4 (7), p. 179–191;

6. Word 76, trans. S.S. Averintseva. – In the collection: From the shores of the Bosphorus to the shores of the Euphrates. Anthology. M., 1994.

Literature:

1. Chetverukhin I.N.., priest. Information about St. Isaac the Syrian and his writings. – In the book: Like the saints of our father Abba Isaac the Syrian Words of asceticism. Sergiev Posad, 1911, p. III–XII;

2. Brock S. Christology of the Church of the East. – In the book: Bulletin of ancient history. M., 1995, p. 39–53;

3. Hilarion(Alfeev), hieromonk. The world of Isaac the Syrian. M., 1998;

4. It's him. The works of St. Isaac the Syrian in Greek and Russian translations: afterword to the publication of newly discovered texts. – “Church and Time”, 1998, No. 4 (7), p. 146–178;

5. Chabot J.-B. De sancti Isaaci Ninevitae vita, scriptis et doctrina. P., 1892;

6. Khalife-Nachem E. Isaac de Ninive. – “Dictionnaire de spiritualité” 7 (1971), coll. 2041–2054;

7. [MillerD.]. Translator's Introduction, Epilogue. – The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian. Boston (Mass.), 1984, p. 481–515;

8. Bettioli P. Avec la charité comme but: Dieu et création dans la méditation d’Isaac de Ninive. – Irénikon 63 (1990), p. 323–345;

9. Idem. Introduction. – Isacco di Ninive, Discorsi spirituali. Bose, 1985, p. 9–44;

10. Brock S. Some Uses of the Term theory in the Writing of Isaac of Nineveh. – “Parole de L’Orient” 20, 1995, p. 407–419;

11. Ποποβιτις, Ἡ γνωσεολογία τοῦ ’αγίου Ἰσαάκ τοῦ Σύρου. "Θεολογία" 38 (1967), ρ. 206–225, 386–407.

Hieromonk Hilarion (Alfeev)

The Monk Isaac the Syrian, Bishop of Nineveh, lived in the 7th century. Together with his brother he entered the monastery of Mar Matthew. The brothers were distinguished by their scholarship and high ascetic lifestyle, and they were offered leadership of the monastery. The Monk Isaac, not wanting this and striving for silence, left the monastery and went into seclusion. His brother more than once urged him to return to the monastery, but the monk did not agree. However, when the fame of the holy life of the Monk Isaac spread everywhere, he was elevated to the episcopal see of the city of Nineveh. Seeing the rude morals of the inhabitants of this city, the monk felt that he was unable to correct them, and, moreover, he yearned for the silence of the hermit’s life. All this weighed heavily on the holy husband, and he, leaving the bishopric, retired to the hermitage desert. Here he lived until his death, achieving high spiritual perfection.

After the death of St. Isaac the Syrian, from the beginning of the 8th to the beginning of the 18th century, nothing was known about him in Europe except his name and writings. Only in 1719 was a biography of the saint, compiled by an anonymous Arab author, published in Rome. In 1896, information about St. Isaac was further expanded. The French soteriologist Abbot Chabot published the work of the 8th century Syrian historian Jesuden, Bishop of Basra, which contains information about the Monk Isaac the Syrian.

Biography

About earthly life Rev. Very little is known about Isaac the Syrian. From the few sources that have survived to this day, it is only clear that together with his brother he entered the monastery of Mar Matthew near Nineveh. The brothers were distinguished by their scholarship and high ascetic lifestyle, and they were offered leadership of the monastery. Rev. Isaac, not wanting this and striving for silence, left the monastery and went into seclusion. His brother repeatedly urged him to return to the monastery, but the monk did not agree. However, when the glory of the holy life of St. Isaac's life spread everywhere, he was elevated to the episcopal see of the city of Nineveh, having been consecrated in the Beth-Abe monastery by Patriarch George. Seeing the rude morals of the inhabitants of this city, the monk felt that he was unable to correct them, and, moreover, he yearned for the silence of the hermit’s life. All this weighed heavily on the holy husband, and he, leaving the bishopric, retired to the Hermitage Hermitage (Rabban-Shabor Monastery). Here he lived until his death, achieving high spiritual perfection. It is also known that at the end of his life the monk became blind, and his disciples wrote down his instructions for him.

Rev.'s legacy Isaac the Syrian, translation problems

Isaac the Syrian (miniature 1802)

After the death of St. Isaac the Syrian, from the beginning of the 8th to the beginning of the 18th century, nothing was known about him in Europe except his name and writings. Only in 1719 was a biography of the saint, compiled by an anonymous Arab author, published in Rome. In 1896, information about St. Isaac was further expanded. French scientist-soteriologist Abbot Chabot (French. Chabot) published the work of the 8th century Syrian historian Jesuden, Bishop of Basra, which contains information about the Monk Isaac the Syrian.

St. Isaac was, apparently, one of the most prolific writers. According to the Syrian writer of the early 14th century, Ebed-Ieshu, “St. Isaac of Nineveh compiled seven volumes on the guidance of the spirit, on the Divine mysteries, on judgments and on decency (politia).” Daniel Tubanita, Bishop of Beth-Garme, according to the same Ebed-Iezu, “wrote the resolution of the divine fifth volume of St. Isaac of Nineveh." What kind of “volumes” Abed-Iezu speaks of is unknown, and, apparently, not all of them have reached us. In 1909, the printed Syriac text of the works of St. Isaac under the title: “Mar Isaacus Ninivita de perfectione religiosa, quam edidit P. Bedjan.” Here, judging by the title, there are 107 words, or chapters, but the publisher says that this is only “the first part of the work of St. Isaac”, that he could publish both the 2nd and 3rd volumes of this work, if only he could compare the manuscripts he had with other parallel ones. And the publisher is very sorry that he cannot do this and publish these new volumes, he regrets it because there are “many beautiful pages.”

The Greek translation of the works of St. Isaac was published in Leipzig by Hieromonk Nikifor Theotokis, later Bishop of Astrakhan, on behalf of Patriarch Ephraim of Jerusalem.

This translation was originally made by the monks of the Lavra of St. Savva, Abraham and Patricius, probably in the 9th century, and was not made satisfactorily in all respects. Besides the fact that it is incomplete - since it lacks 41 words compared to the Arabic translation, and even more compared to the Syriac original - it also has other shortcomings. Chabot, who compared it with Syrian manuscripts, has this to say about it:

“The first feature of the Greek translation is the omission of difficult passages, and since Isaac the Syrian is one of the most difficult Syriac writers, there are many such omissions; the second feature is that the translation often does not follow the meaning of the author.” Although the translation tries to be literal, according to Chabot, the distortion of meaning comes partly from an inept choice of the meanings of Syriac words, and partly from literalism itself: the Syriac language, like other eastern languages, very different in its construction from European languages, does not lend itself to literal translation on them.

Latin translation of the works of St. Isaac, “de contemptu mundi”, placed by Migne in his patrolology, is completely incomplete, its 53 chapters are equal to only 23 words of Greek. The translation language, according to Shabot, is darker than Greek, and the translator often confuses phrases.

The printed Slavic translation belongs to Elder Paisius Velichkovsky and was published with notes to it by Optina Hermitage in 1854. It is an almost exact copy from the Greek edition, only some additions and word order are taken from one Greek manuscript and older Slavic translations.

Russian translation of the works of St. Isaac appeared first in Christian Reading for the 1820s. It was made from the Greek edition of Nikephoros Theotokis, but only 30 words were translated. In the city, a complete Russian translation from the Greek language, made by the Moscow Theological Academy, was published. The translation of 30 words in “Christian Reading” is quite successful and literary, but sometimes free; The MDA translation is more literal, but darker. In 1998, the publishing house of the Conception Monastery, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', published a translation from the Syriac language by Abbot Hilarion (Alfeev), containing 41 “conversations” (chapters).

Theology Rev. Isaac the Syrian

The Monk Isaac was an ascetic, a hermit who lived in the mountains, but his writings have a universal purpose. They are addressed not only to hermits, but also to city dwellers, not only to monks, but to all believers in Christ. He spoke a lot about the last stages of spiritual achievement, about the limits of the spiritual path, about contemplation. But reading the “Ascetic Words” brings blessed consolation and inspires every Christian to deeds. In his mystical experiences, Saint Isaac is very similar to such ascetic contemplatives as St. Simeon the New Theologian, Rev. Maxim the Confessor, Rev. Macarius the Great. These holy fathers spoke a lot about the ultimate goal of ascetic deeds, about the deification of man, about the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. One of the constant themes of the theology of the holy fathers is the theme of prayerful contemplation of God. According to other views, the influence of such so-called works can be traced in the works of St. Isaac. Nestorian authors like Theodore of Mopsuestia and Diodorus of Tarsus. Christology of St. Isaac the Syrian is in question, and his canonization by both the Assyrian and Orthodox churches is an ecclesiological incident and has been repeatedly discussed without a definite result.

Rev. Isaac the Syrian and Orthodox ascetics

Creations of Rev. Isaac has always enjoyed and continues to enjoy enormous respect among Orthodox ascetics of faith and piety. Rev. Peter of Damascus, a 12th-century writer, makes abundant use of the writings of St. Isaac the Syrian and constantly refers to him. Rev. Nicephorus the Solitary, who escaped on Mount Athos in the 14th century, in his essay “On Sobriety and Guarding the Heart,” makes an excerpt from the works of St. Isaac the Syrian. Famous Russian saint - Rev. Nilus of Sorsky, in his “Charter on Living in the Skete,” constantly cites the thoughts of St. Isaac on various issues of spiritual and moral life. Bishop Theophan the Recluse of Vyshensky even composed a prayer for St. Isaac the Syrian. Here she is:

“Reverend Father Isaac! Pray to God for us and with your prayer illuminate our minds to understand the lofty contemplations with which your words are filled, and moreover, bring up or introduce into the secret places of prayer, the production, degrees and strength of which are so depicted by your teachings, so that, inspired by it, we can freely mother-in-law through the commandments of the Lord, unswervingly, bypassing the obstacles encountered along the way and overcoming the enemies who arm themselves against us.”

Teaching

God's Love and Eternal Torment

According to the Orthodox Saint Isaac the Syrian, God never ceases to love people. “However, everyone who has made a choice in favor of evil voluntarily deprives himself of God’s mercy. Love, which for the righteous in heaven is a source of bliss and consolation, for sinners in hell becomes a source of torment, because they recognize themselves as not participating in it. .

“The sinner is not able to imagine the grace of his resurrection. Where is Gehenna that could make us sad? Where is the torment that frightens us in various ways and conquers the joy of His love? And what is Gehenna before the grace of His resurrection, when He will raise us from hell, cause this corruptible to be clothed with incorruptibility, and raise up those who fell into hell in glory?... There is a reward for sinners, and instead of rewarding the righteous, He rewards them with resurrection; and instead of the corruption of bodies that have trampled upon His law, He clothes them with the perfect glory of incorruptibility. This mercy is to resurrect us after we have sinned, higher than mercy is to bring us into being when we did not exist.”

Affairs

“Reward is not for virtue and not for labor for it, but for the humility that is born from them.”

Notes

Literature

Complete Orthodox theological encyclopedic dictionary. In two volumes. St. Petersburg: publishing house P. P. Soikin, 1913. [Reprint: London: Variorum reprints, 1971. SBN 902089 08 0.]
Creations like our holy father Abba Isaac the Syrian, ascetic and hermit, who was the bishop of the Christ-loving city of Neneveh. Ascetic words. - Sergiev Posad: Printing house of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 1911 (3rd ed.). - P. III-XI., 1-534

Moral and ascetic views of St. Isaac the Syrian. Thesis work of Tobolsk Theological Seminary graduate K. Gavrilovsky.
Archbishop Hilarion (Alfeev) The spiritual world of St. Isaac the Syrian

Ganstrem E. E., Tikhomirov N. B. Works of Isaac the Syrian in Slavic-Russian writing // Bulletin of Church History. 2007. No. 1(5). pp. 134-197.

Categories:

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Church Fathers
Church leaders of the 7th century
Christian theologians
Syrian writers

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See what “Isaac the Syrian” is in other dictionaries:

ISAAC SIRIN- [Isaac of Nineveh; sir. , ], Greek ᾿Ισαὰκ ὁ Σύρος] (no earlier than the middle of the 6th century, Bet Qatrayeh (Qatar) no later than the 1st half of the 8th century, Khuzestan), St. (mem. January 28), bishop. Nineveh, Father of the Church, author of ascetic works. Life Biographical information about... Orthodox Encyclopedia

ISAAC SIRIN- ISAAC SIRIN, Bishop of Nineveh (2nd half of the 7th century) Christian writer and mystic. According to the testimony of the East Syrian historian of the 9th century. Ishoden, Bishop of Basra, was born in Qatar on the shores of the Persian Gulf. Belonged to the Church of the East,... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

ISAAC SIRIN- (Isaac of Nineveh) (d. late 7th century) Christian writer, hermit monk, father of the Church. In 661 he was bishop of Nineveh, then retired to the monastery of Rabban Shabor. His writings (in Syriac) on the themes of asceticism and mystical self-deepening... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Isaac the Syrian- Isaac of Nineveh (? late 7th century), Christian writer, hermit monk, father of the Church. In 661 the bishop of Nineveh then retired to a monastery. Rabban Shabor. His works (in Syriac) on the themes of asceticism and mystical self-deepening received... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Isaac the Syrian- Isa ak Sirin... Russian spelling dictionary

Isaac the Syrian- St., ascetic of the church, born. and lived in the 8th century, having taken monastic vows. Mar Matthew, led a strictly ascetic life in the desert, but at the request of the citizens of Nineveh he became their bishop, being ordained into a monastery. Beth Abe Patriarch. Georgiy. Through… … Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary

Isaac the Syrian (Sirian)- Christian ascetic and writer of the 7th century, one of the church fathers... Dictionary of literary types

Sirin (disambiguation)- Sirin: Sirin is a maiden bird, a character from Slavic mythology. Sirin is the pseudonym of Vladimir Nabokov. Sirin (ChGK team) Volgograd team for “What? Where? When?". Captain Roman Merzlyakov. Sirin (publishing house) Moscow publishing house. Sirin ... Wikipedia

Isaac (name)- Isaac (יִצְחָק) Hebrew Gender: male. Etymological meaning: “the one who will laugh” Patronymic: Isaakovich Isaakovna Other forms: Isaac, Ishak ... Wikipedia

Isaac (Syrian)- Icon depicting Isaac the Syrian Isaac the Syrian (Syrianin, Syrian) Nineveh great Christian ascetic writer, lived in Syria in the 7th century. Saint, whose memory is celebrated on April 12 (April 25, new style). He left many essays on... ... Wikipedia

, who extremely revered this saint and was worried that modern theologians ranked him among.

One day the Elder was sitting on a stone ledge near the Stavronikita monastery and talking with pilgrims. One of the pilgrims, a graduate of the Faculty of Theology, argued that Abba Isaac the Syrian was a Nestorian, and repeated - unfortunately for himself - the well-known Western view on this issue.

Elder Paisios tried to convince the theologian that Abba Isaac the Syrian was not only Orthodox, but also a Saint, and that his ascetic words were filled with much Grace and power. But the Elder’s attempts were in vain - the “theologian” stubbornly stood his ground. The elder went to his kaliva sad and plunged into prayer.

When he walked away from the monastery just a little and reached the place where a large plane tree grows, in his own words, “one event happened” to him, which he did not want to describe in detail. According to one of the testimonies, the Elder had a vision: he saw the face of the Reverend Fathers passing in front of him. One of the Reverends stopped in front of the Elder and said to him: “I am . I am very, very Orthodox. Indeed, in the area where I was a bishop, the Nestorian heresy was widespread, but I fought against it.” We are unable to confirm the truth of this vision or reject it. In any case, there is no doubt that the event that happened to the Elder was supernatural. This event clearly and clearly informed the Elder about the Orthodoxy and holiness of Abba Isaac.

The book of the Monk Isaac lay at the head of the Elder’s bed. He read this book constantly, and for six years it was his only spiritual reading. He read one phrase from this book and repeated it in his mind all day long, “working” with it deeply and actively, in his own words, just as “ruminants chew the cud.” As a blessing to those who came, the Elder distributed excerpts from the words of Saint Isaac, wanting to encourage people to read his works. The elder believed that “studying the ascetic works of Abba Isaac is of great benefit, because it makes it possible to understand the deepest meaning of life, and if a person who believes in God has small or large complexes of any kind, it helps him get rid of them. The book of Abba Isaac contains many spiritual “vitamins”, thanks to which this reading changes the soul.”

In the copy of the book of Abba Isaac that the Elder read, under the iconographic image of the Saint, where he holds a pen in his hands, Elder Paisios signed: “Abba, give me your pen so that I can underline all the words in your book.” That is, the Elder wanted to say that this book has such great dignity that it is worth emphasizing every word in it.

The elder not only read the words of Abba Isaac, but also felt great reverence for him and especially revered him as a Saint. On the small altar of the temple of his cell “Panaguda” one of the few icons placed there was the icon of St. Isaac the Syrian. Out of love and reverence for the Reverend, the Elder gave his name to one of the monks, whom he tonsured into the great schema. The Elder celebrated the memory of St. Isaac on September 28. He himself established that on this day all the fathers of his circle should perform a common All-Night Vigil. At one of these vigils, the Elder was seen in the Tabor Light, exalted and changed.

Before the fathers began to celebrate the memory of the Saint on September 28, the Elder signed in the Menaion on January 28 (on this day the memory of the Venerable Isaac the Syrian is celebrated together with the memory of the Venerable Ephraim the Syrian) the following words: “The 28th day of the same month is the memory of our venerable father Ephraim the Syrian. and Isaac the Great Hesychast, who was treated very unfairly.”