Topic: Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian Finally back in Print!

[Alveus Lacuna]

http://www.thehtm.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=635&osCsid=1d5371a556e059192e75be07dc8326fb

It's finally back in print after all these years for $70.00. Get it while it's hot off the press.

[Father Peter]

The page you link to says the product was added to the catalogue in 2007?

[Father Peter]

The Wensinck translation of these homilies is available here..

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/mystic-treatises/16599675?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_166367_

and

http://www.lulu.com/product/hardcover/mystical-treatises-of-st-isaac-the-syrian/16601338?productTrackingContext=author_spotlight_166367_

[Volnutt]

Do you know if those are all the homilies?

[biro]

These should be good reading. 

[Father Peter]

There are 82 homilies in the Wensinck edition

[Cognomen]

The page you link to says the product was added to the catalogue in 2007?

That's accurate, but it's been out of print for some time.  They must've printed a limited number and then quit.  At $70, I can see the limited appeal, but HTM's high quality (along with the work itself) will probably justify me buying it. 

Thanks for pointing this out, Alveus, and thanks for the alternatives Fr. Peter.

[Andrew21091]

The page you link to says the product was added to the catalogue in 2007?

That's accurate, but it's been out of print for some time.  They must've printed a limited number and then quit.  At $70, I can see the limited appeal, but HTM's high quality (along with the work itself) will probably justify me buying it.  

Thanks for pointing this out, Alveus, and thanks for the alternatives Fr. Peter.

I think 2007 was the year they first announced they were reprinting it and in the meantime, offered them in Xerox form.

[Cognomen]

I think 2007 was the year they first announced they were reprinting it offered them in Xerox form.

Makes sense.  I knew that it had been available before, but not in which format.   Thanks for the clarification.

[Andrew21091]

I just ordered one and I'll have it later in the week. I am surprised by the price. I was thinking that it was going to be way more expensive because they were offering the Xerox copies for $100 a piece.

[Alveus Lacuna]

It hasn't be in print since the mid 1980's. Those start used at around $500 if they're pretty worn-out.

[Andrew21091]

It hasn't be in print since the mid 1980's. Those start used at around $500 if they're pretty worn-out.

Yeah. I've seen one go for $2000 used. Its nice its back in print.

[Alveus Lacuna]

This book has basically been out of print for almost my entire life; for almost 30 years.

[Eastern Mind]

Well, it's on Amazon...for abous 525 bucks 

[Alveus Lacuna]

Well, it's on Amazon...for abous 525 bucks 

Yes, but it's $70.00 if you get it from the publisher at the link above.

[Alveus Lacuna]

It came in the mail today and it is beautiful! Highly recommended!

[Iconodule]

I'll probably get this eventually when I"m caught up with all the other stuff I'm planning to read. $70 is steep but HTM's books are beautifully done and made to last.

[Alveus Lacuna]

I'll probably get this eventually when I"m caught up with all the other stuff I'm planning to read. $70 is steep but HTM's books are beautifully done and made to last.

Yeah, get it when you can. It's a gem and I can already tell from a skimming that it's really heavy stuff. I'm honestly probably not even spiritually mature enough to read it yet, but when well I ever be, really?

[Alveus Lacuna]

Do you know if those are all the homilies?

They are all here.

[Cognomen]

It came in the mail today and it is beautiful! Highly recommended!

Seconded.  Amazing collection and presentation.  Worth every penny and more.

[Salpy]

Ebook PDF format:

http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/mystic-treatises/17570063?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/4

[Hiwot]

I'll probably get this eventually when I"m caught up with all the other stuff I'm planning to read. $70 is steep but HTM's books are beautifully done and made to last.

Yeah, get it when you can. It's a gem and I can already tell from a skimming that it's really heavy stuff. I'm honestly probably not even spiritually mature enough to read it yet, but when well I ever be, really?

Mar Issac has wisdom to share with everyone at every stage of spiritual life, what he does eventualy is infect you with his overflowing love of God, he has always been and will always be the one saint all monastics and lay alike will turn to for wisdom when it comes to delving deeper into the spiritual life and communion with God. as far as I can remember in Ethiopia Mar yesehaq has been the most beloved and the must have  scripture before all other patristic writtings on a spiritual life especialy if you are a monk. you have you prayer beads, your monastic habit, your book of prayer, and mar yesehaq. then as the ethiopian saying goes' behold the horse and behold the field, it is up to you to ride or not'

but you are also right mar yeshaq is a heavy read, read it slowly not like you would read other scriptures or a novel, it is not meant to be read in that manner, read it very very very slowly, prayerfuly and you will benefit from what he says greatly. but know that some stuff he says is for monastics only. some can apply to all. so do not despair if you see some hieght you find you can not climb, let the Lord guide you because there are other ways to reach the semmit he shows you. as far as I am concerned, its all about never giving up trying, striving, so that is the hope that makes me read a line or two from mar yesehaq every day.

I pray we all get to taste what he describes in such humility and love. 

[Alveus Lacuna]

Ebook PDF format:

http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/mystic-treatises/17570063?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/4

Yeah, but this isn't the same edition I was referring to. This translation is particularly more from an Orthodox viewpoint, so the more nuanced theological terms are usually translated in ways that would be familiar to us, plus the translation was done by monks and Orthodox scholars.

I'm not dismissing the other edition as I don't know anything about it, but this one is done with a lot of love, beautiful illumination, an over 100 page introduction, as well as an index that organizes everything by spiritual topic. It is unparalleled and I can't imagine that the other edition has so much to offer.

[Hinterlander]

I thought I'd bump this.

Both this book and the Ladder of Divine Ascent are in print.  These books are beautifully crafted.  Gems.  Now maybe in another couple decades I'll be off the "milk" (Hebrews 5:12) and able to read this "solid food" with more depth of understanding.

http://www.htmp.org/

[serb1389]

Ebook PDF format:

http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/mystic-treatises/17570063?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/4

that's what i'm talking about!  Anyone can afford $5!  even if it's not the whole thing, I would still get it.  Thank you for this Salpy! 

[Velsigne]

This one is becoming difficult to get again because half the monks have left HTM and apparently gone to a schismatic Greek group.  I don't know too much about the "Genuine Greek Orthodox Church" but schismatics seem to just endlessly schism.

I didn't know why they had left, but looked it up on the internet, (so God knows what really happened), but if anyone out there prays the Jordanville prayer rule, it becomes abundantly clear why those last prayers for the hierarchy and everyone are included.



We should keep those monks in our prayers.  Lord have mercy on us.

Now I am a little concerned about reading books from them.  I don't know what to make of it.  I know I long ago drifted away from their prayer book, and just use the pre-Communion an sometimes Compline. 

But I've been waiting to get this book, so if you can get a copy, get it while you can. 

I hope someone else can take up the work of making St. Isaac's homilies available in English.  What a treasure.

If I am incorrect in anything I've stated or questioned here, please do not hesitate to answer and set the record straight.

[Justin Kissel]

Irini,

I don't know if I've welcomed you to the forum; if not, welcome! Regarding HTM, if you think the Greek group half the monks went to is schismatic, then you might also want to consider whether the group they were with (HOCNA) was or not, because they are also old calendarists like the GOC they went to. And not commenting on whether they are indeed schismatic or not, but fwiw, the owner of this site/forum is a priest in the group that the monks went to.

[Velsigne]

Thank you for your kind welcome. 

The calendar thing doesn't bother me so much, as I will try to observe the fasts between the two when traveling.  I know it bothers some people,  though I've only seen Old Calendarists get upset about it.  I wouldn't mind being Old Calendar within Orthodoxy, it just so happens the parish closest to my house is New Calendar, but I can commune in Old Calendar parishes like the Serbian or ROCOR.

To me it seemed more symptomatic of trouble with the attitude of having a monastery, then going to the Russian jurisdiction, who had issues with them, so to avoid that they jump ship, go to another and on and on.  I haven't paid much attention to all the details of it.

But with those monks, I can see why they would have to leave; of course I'm no expert in monastic protocol.

So then I begin to question the entire thing, particularly the soundness of the judgement of the men in charge there, and who is translating the screening the notes and so forth. 

Their books are probably fine, and my first prayerbook recommended to me by the Fr. Confessor at my parish was the HTM one, so he seemed okay with what they were publishing. 

Maybe I am totally wrong to think that way.  We all sin, after all.   And I would still like to read St. Isaac's homilies someday.

[Symeon77]

Alveus, Irini, et al:

Perhaps it would interest to you read this blog post by Kevin (biblicalia) in the link provided below regarding the edition under consideration. Perhaps it will address some of your questions, Irini, about the viability of the translation (?). Anyway, here it is:

http://www.bombaxo.com/blog/?p=3294

Also, Alveus, in regards to the question about whether all of the homilies are translated in the HTM edition, refer to this post:

http://www.bombaxo.com/blog/?p=712

The Second Part, Chapters 4-41, translated by Sebastian Brock, are available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Isaac-Nineveh-Syrian-Christianorum-Orientalium/dp/9068317091/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358492555&sr=1-2&keywords=isaac+of+nineveh+brock

They are also well worth it and contain some really amazing prayers.

[Velsigne]

Thank you Symeon for the links.  Those are very nice, detailed descriptions.

I also appreciate your comments on Sebastian Brock's translation of the second book and recommendation of the prayers in it.