Spiritual Counsels Volume V: Passions and Virtues

This fifth and final volume in the collected teaching of Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos deals with passions (self-love, pride, judging, envy, anger, etc.) and virtues (humility, love, spiritual nobility, gratitude, simplicity, etc.). Written in the ‘question/answer’ format of previous volumes, these pages make the wisdom of this Orthodox Elder come alive to readers who can practically apply them in day-to-day life.

Because Elder Paisios draws on his experiences of living ‘in the world’  (carpenter, military radio operator) as well as what he learned from his interaction with people ‘living in the world’ who came to him for help, his words are easy for us to understand and accept. His style is disarming and practical, not ‘preachy’, intellectual or distant.  He does not try to make everyone a monk but rather a humble, spiritual person who loves God and strives to know and keep His commandments.