For more than fifteen centuries, Christianity has cultivated a profound tradition of interior stillness and contemplative prayer aimed at healing inner turmoil and restoring peace of heart. This work presents that tradition as a living response to the modern psychological struggle for calm, clarity, and meaning.
Jean-Yves Leloup offers a clear and accessible exploration of the contemplative path known as hesychasm, drawing especially from the wisdom of the Desert Fathers, Evagrius, St John Cassian, and the anonymous author of The Way of the Pilgrim. Rooted in the lived experience of the monastic traditions of Sinai and Mount Athos, the book presents stillness not as withdrawal, but as a disciplined spiritual art practiced in the midst of interior confusion and pain.
While firmly grounded in the Orthodox Christian tradition, Leloup also acknowledges parallels between this way of prayer and the contemplative teachings found in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islamic Sufism. Rather than diluting the Christian vision, these resonances highlight a shared human longing for transcendence and communion with Infinite Reality, expressed through different forms across cultures and centuries.
About the Author
Jean-Yves Leloup is an Orthodox theologian, spiritual writer, and lecturer widely known in France for his work at the intersection of spirituality and psychology. He has authored numerous books on contemplative prayer and Christian mysticism, as well as translations and commentaries on early Christian texts, including the Coptic Gospel of Mary and the Coptic Gospel of Thomas. His writing seeks to deepen Western spiritual life through renewed engagement with the Christian East and the contemplative heritage of the Church.
