Just finished reading this book. Wow!!! This was indeed a must read for any serious Orthodox. It was quite interesting on how this book came togethor being written from a dialogue between a somewhat skeptical sociology professor and a charismatic monk named Father Maximos. They cover various aspects of the "mystical" tradition of eastern christianity from it's roots to it's present day.
The book is filled with much inspirational accounts and stories of past and present day saints covering an array of topics that is brought to light by Father Maximos. The main theme running through the book is worshipping God with your "heart" along with the action of the "experience" of God. Enlightenment can not be achieved by cognitive knowledge such as claiming to "know" and have "relationship" with God by merely reading books or understanding theology. The heart of monasticism is the ultimate attainment of unity with God called "theosis". Theosis can only be achieved through rigorous trials and testing by way of aesthetic practices and putting all wordly pleasures aside. Basically, it's to experience a true "death" in order to accomplish a new birth. This "death" to to the world occurs in three stages as refered to as the "threefold way" in the book.
1. Catharsis - the purification of the sould from egotistal passions.
2. Fotisis - enlightenment of the soul
3. Theosis - destination of the soul, union with God
This is just but a small sample of the nuggets in this book. What I found more profound are the actual stories of all the great works of the saints as relayed by Father Maximos. The "miraculous" is a common present day occurance among the monks on Mount Athos explained in the book... it's a testimony to Christ who is the foundation of this world and meant to enbolded the faithful. The book goes into great detail into such matters of gifts, charisms, healings, ceaseless prayer, fasting, eldership, spiritual laws, theology etc... There is really too much to say about this book. The chapter on angels and demons is a real jaw dropper
and I'll leave it at that.