The Works of Isaac the Syrian

The ascetic writings of Saint Isaac the Syrian (7th century), Bishop of Nineveh, filled with profound spiritual insight and mystical experience, have always been a favorite reading not only for monks but also for laypeople of the Orthodox Church. The "Words on Asceticism" were translated from Syriac to Greek in the late 9th – early 10th centuries and gained wide dissemination in the Eastern Christian world. The first Slavic translation appeared in the 14th century. The vision of spiritual depths granted to the saint, his wholehearted striving towards God, and his penetration into Divine mysteries have placed the writings of Saint Isaac the Syrian alongside the works of the greatest theologians of the Universal Church.