Even
though a life of prayer is “the highest, and also the truest, form of human
existence,” many obstacles make it difficult to attain. Archimandrite Irenei
offers help in this small volume, taking seriously the fact that most of us, straining
toward prayer while surrounded by a world of distractions, are mere beginners. The
book begins with a reflection on the lowly position of the person who seeks to
pray. We are vulnerable to both spiritual opposition and harmful passions, and
we must focus attention on the Kingdom of God and learn the discipline of obedience. Ultimately, prayer is directed toward transformation of our life into
a life rooted in Christ’s. The second part of the book offers theological reflection on what it
means to take up a life of prayer, encouraging us that, while difficult, prayer
is possible—it is, after all, “the heart’s true home.” These reflections
culminate in two “centuries,” or sets of one hundred digestible reflections for
readers to consider. They discuss prayer as Sabbath rest, defeating obstacles
to prayer, practical steps to quieting and disciplining the mind, the use of
the Jesus Prayer, and a centering focus on Christ’s death and
Resurrection.
Christ’s descent into
the realm of the dead may seem, at first glance, like an interesting if
negligible detail in the drama of salvation—an apocryphal account that fills in
the gap between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Russian theologian
Alfeyev demolishes any such impression, arguing that the “harrowing of hell”
constitutes not only established Church doctrine but an event of cosmic significance
for the human race. Christ entered Sheol (the underworld) as conquering king, trampling
down death’s sovereignty and preaching salvation to its captives. A major soteriological
question—did Christ enter Hades to save only the Old Testament righteous, or
did His offer of salvation extend to all
the departed—occupies the latter half of the book. Alfeyev situates the rather oblique
New Testament references to the event (1 Peter 4:6, Matthew 27:52-53) within an
astonishingly rich context: early Christian texts, some recently discovered, others
never translated into Greek from Syriac or Ethiopic; patristic teachings, in
both East and West; and the liturgical poetry of Ephraim the Syrian and Romanosthe Melodist. Although firm answers remain elusive, Alfeyev notes that a preponderance
of texts, particularly in the East, assert that Christ left Hades entirely deserted.
Alfeyev’s nuanced approach encourages us to reflect more deeply on the
tremendous power of free will, the ever-present choice to follow Christ.
