The Philokalia: Volume 5 - Paperback

The culminating volume of The Philokalia—completing this monumental collection with the final hesychast masters and bringing to fruition four decades of translation work on Orthodox Christianity's greatest spiritual treasury.

Published in 2020, Volume 5 completes the English translation of The Philokalia that began in 1979. This final volume presents the writings of later Byzantine and post-Byzantine spiritual masters, bringing the collection to its completion and offering contemporary readers the full scope of Orthodox contemplative wisdom spanning twelve centuries.

What you'll discover in Volume 5:

• St. Peter of Damaskos on the stages of spiritual knowledge
• St. Gregory the Sinaite on commandments and doctrines
• St. Kallistos Kataphygiotes on union with God
• St. Symeon Metaphrastis on faith, love, and hope
• St. Nikitas Stithatos on the soul and paradise
• Teachings on the integration of ascetic practice and mystical theology
• The culmination of hesychast wisdom on prayer and divine union
• Reflections on the spiritual life that synthesize centuries of Orthodox contemplative experience

This volume is particularly significant for St. Peter of Damaskos's comprehensive treatment of the spiritual life, which offers a systematic overview of Orthodox ascetical and mystical theology. His writings serve as a fitting capstone to the entire Philokalia, integrating themes from earlier volumes into a coherent vision of the path to theosis.

With the completion of Volume 5, English-speaking readers now have access to the full Philokalia—a treasure that has nourished Orthodox spirituality for over two centuries and continues to guide contemplatives across traditions. This final volume demonstrates how the hesychast tradition remained vibrant through the late Byzantine period and beyond.

Translated by G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Bishop Kallistos Ware, this volume completes their monumental scholarly achievement, making the complete Philokalia available in English for the first time.

About the collection: The Philokalia was compiled in 1782 by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth. This five-volume English translation, completed in 2020 after four decades of work, is the definitive edition for English-speaking readers.

Perfect for: Readers completing their journey through The Philokalia, students of Orthodox spirituality seeking the full collection, those interested in the later development of hesychasm, scholars of Byzantine and post-Byzantine theology, and anyone committed to the deep study of Eastern Christian contemplative tradition.

This paperback edition includes 512 pages of profound spiritual wisdom—the essential final volume that completes Orthodox Christianity's contemplative treasury.