Tonight is the first event for the new book, and I've spent most of the afternoon at home with curlers in my hair and cucumber circles on the eyes...
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This book was written about a Russian Orthodox priest in a death camp, and reportedly, a Buddhist organization placed 10,000 copies in U.S. prisons. So you don't have to be Orthodox to enjoy it. The stories about Fr. Arseny's experiences, and the lives of others whom he touched, are astonishing, and told with a lean, almost laconic style. A fascinating personal history of Russian life in WWII and under Stalin, as well as about Russian prison life. It's also a good introduction to the experience of Orthodox spirituality for people who might never go to a church, but who wonder, "so how do these people think and view the world?" The humility, clarity of thought, devoted service and courage of Fr. Arseny made him a person you can't help but love. The book was written by his spiritual children, based on their remembrances of him and how their encounters with him changed their lives. Some of the content involves the miraculous, all of it involves deep understanding of the human condition. This is not black-and-white melodrama. There are many "good guys" but very few TRULY "bad guys" in this book.
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Father Arseny, 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father: Being the Narratives Compiled by the Servant of God Alexander Concerning His Spiri
petermead1, February 11, 2007
This book was written about a Russian Orthodox priest in a death camp, and reportedly, a Buddhist organization placed 10,000 copies in U.S. prisons. So you don't have to be Orthodox to enjoy it. The stories about Fr. Arseny's experiences, and the lives of others whom he touched, are astonishing, and told with a lean, almost laconic style. A fascinating personal history of Russian life in WWII and under Stalin, as well as about Russian prison life. It's also a good introduction to the experience of Orthodox spirituality for people who might never go to a church, but who wonder, "so how do these people think and view the world?" The humility, clarity of thought, devoted service and courage of Fr. Arseny made him a person you can't help but love. The book was written by his spiritual children, based on their remembrances of him and how their encounters with him changed their lives. Some of the content involves the miraculous, all of it involves deep understanding of the human condition. This is not black-and-white melodrama. There are many "good guys" but very few TRULY "bad guys" in this book.(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)