Books about Climacus from Amazon.com

The Ladder of Divine Ascent was the most widely used handbook of the ascetic life in the ancient Greek Church. Popular among both lay and monastics, it was translated into Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, Old Slavonic, and many modern languages It was written while the author (who received his surname from this book) was abbot of the monastery of Catherine on Mount Sinai. As reflected in the title, the ascetical life is portrayed as a ladder which each aspirant must ascend, each step being a virtue to be acquired, or a vice to be surrendered. Its thirty steps reflect the hidden life of Christ himself. This work had a fundamental influence in the particularly the Hesychastic, Jesus Prayer, or Prayer of the Heart movement. Pierre Pourrat in his History of Christian Spirituality calls John Climacus the "most important ascetical theologian of the East, at this epoch, who enjoyed a great reputation and exercised and important influence on future centuries.".
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This contemporary look at the seventh-century classic The Ladder of Divine Ascent brilliantly illuminates the enduring relevance of centuries-old spiritual concepts.

In The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Saint John Climacus described the thirty steps all seekers must take on the path to spiritual fulfillment. In Soul Provider, Edward L. Beck brings a fresh, modern sensibility to this classic work of Christian literature and its ideas, explaining how they relate to our lives today.

Using real-life stories and experiences and incorporating all of the major religious traditions, Beck shows how the thirty steps lead to a deeper understanding of the ideas that guide our journeys, provide for our souls, and draw us closer to God. Beginning each chapter with an illustrative anecdote, Beck explains the significance of each of the steps, discussing its importance in Christian tradition and offering thoughtful, inspiring ways to incorporate it into present-day spiritual journeys.

Soul Provider explores the connections between “old” spiritual notions and spirituality as it is practiced and expressed in modern culture. As Beck deftly weaves the past and the present, he reveals the true path to the limitless love we all desire.

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A layman's guide to "The Ladder of Divine Ascent". In the sixth century, a monk named John wrote a book outlining the stages of the spiritual life. He based his entire work on the image of a ladder of thirty rungs, stretching from earth to heaven. Each rung described a step in the pursuit of virtue and the spiritual life. Since it was first written, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" has been an essential part of the formation of Orthodox monastics, and a mainstay of Orthodox ascetic spirituality. But it is not just for monastics.

This book is written to help those in a non-monastic setting understand how to apply "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" to their lives. Each chapter contains many direct quotes from St. John's writings, in addition to commentary on St. John's words. This book, therefore, should be used as a primer to the Ladder--as a helpful tool for ascending the spiritual heights..
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"This book attempts to unlock the Climacus section of Kierkegaard's pseudonymous literature by way of a sustained analysis of the key concepts discussed in the works: existence and the ethical, truth and subjectivity, indirect communication, guilt and suffering, irony and humor, reason and paradox, faith and history. The perspective is sympathetic, yet critical, and Kierkengaard's issues are considered in relation to contemporary philosophical themes and arguments." by Philosopher's Index

"The reason this book is such a delight to read is the consummate skill with which the explication of these themes is carried out. On the one hand, even for those like this reviewer, who have been reading and writing about Kierkegaard for years, Evans has fresh insight and illuminating interpretations of the themes he discusses and their relations to each other, not occasionally but with remarkable regularity. On the other hand, he writes with a lucidity and simplicity which make this volume an ideal companion for those turning to the Fragments and Postscript for the first time." by Merold Westphal, FAITH & PHILOSOPHY

"A student would find this work a valuable introduction to major emphases that Climacus shares with Kierkegaard...But the work's greatest value may be its clear and authoritative exposition of the Postscript on the nature of religion in relation to Christianity...Recommended for libraries at all levels." by CHOICE

"This book is an invaluable companion for anyone who wishes to delve into these highly technical, philosophical works of Kierkegaard." by Thomas C. Anderson, THE MODERN SCHOOLMAN

"Evan's book is one of the members of a very small class of books that could be called 'the best in English,' a class, perhaps, with only four or five members." by Robert L. Perkins, KIERKGAARD NEWSLETTER.
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Johannes Climacus is a novel, as well as a work of philosophy, which tells the tale of what befalls young Johannes Climacus as he decides to become a philosopher At first he is in awe of the great thinkers, especially Hegel and Hegelians, and sets out to follow their philosophical example by exploring the maxim "Everything must be doubted." The more he examines this idea, however, the more he realizes how deluded his philosophical heroes are. Johannes Climacus demonstrates that philosophy can be humorous and entertaining as well as conceptually rigorous.

Born in 1813, Sren Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian thinker who was a forerunner of existentialism-he concerned himself with the utter isolation of the individual and the mysterious uncertainty of existence. His best known works include Fear and Trembling and Concluding Unscientific Postscript. Kierkegaard died in 1855..
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