The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality | 
 enlarge | Author: Kyriacos C. Markides
Publisher: Image
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy New: $7.80
You Save: $6.15 (44%)
New (36) Used (12) from $7.67
Avg. Customer Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 18996
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8
ISBN: 0385500920
Dewey Decimal Number: 291
EAN: 9780385500920
ASIN: 0385500920
Publication Date: November 19, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
The spiritual traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Church are all but unknown to most Christians in the West, who often think of Christianity as split into two camps: Bible-based Protestantism and sacramental Catholicism. Yet in The Mountain of Silence, sociologist Kyriacos Markides suggests that Orthodox spirituality offers rich resources for Western Christians to integrate the head and the heart, and to regain a more expansive view of Christian life. The book combines elements of memoir, travelogue, and history in a single story. Markides journeys to a cluster of monasteries on Mount Athos, an isolated peninsula in northern Greece and one of the holiest sites in the Orthodox tradition. He also visits the troubled island of Cyprus, largely occupied by Turkey since 1974, and makes the acquaintance of a monk named Father Maximos, who has established churches, convents, and monasteries. Markides, a native Cypriot, tells the tale of this journey in a tone that's loose and light, with many excursions on Church history and Greek and Turkish politics. But despite the easygoing tone, the importance of this book is potentially immense. The Mountain of Silence introduces a world that is entirely new to many Western readers, and unveils a Christian tradition that reveres the mystical approach to God as much as the rational, a tradition that Markides says "may have the potential to inject Christianity with the new vitality that it so desperately needs." --Michael Joseph Gross
Product Description
An acclaimed expert in Christian mysticism travels to a monastery high in the Trodos Mountains of Cyprus and offers a fascinating look at the Greek Orthodox approach to spirituality that will appeal to readers of Carlos Castaneda.
In an engaging combination of dialogues, reflections, conversations, history, and travel information, Kyriacos C. Markides continues the exploration of a spiritual tradition and practice little known in the West he began in Riding with the Lion. His earlier book took readers to the isolated peninsula of Mount Athos in northern Greece and into the group of ancient monasteries. There, in what might be called a “Christian Tibet,” two thousand monks and hermits practice the spiritual arts to attain a oneness with God. In his new book, Markides follows Father Maximos, one of Mount Athos’s monks, to the troubled island of Cyprus. As Father Maximos establishes churches, convents, and monasteries in this deeply divided land, Markides is awakened anew to the magnificent spirituality of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Images of the land and the people of Cyprus and details of its tragic history enrich the Mountain of Silence. Like the writings of Castaneda, the book brilliantly evokes the confluence of an inner and outer journey. The depth and richness of its spiritual message echo the thoughts and writings of Saint Francis of Assisi and other great saints of the Church as well. The result is a remarkable work–a moving, profoundly human examination of the role and the power of spirituality in a complex and confusing world.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...
 Approachable Orthodoxy July 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Mountain of Silence is a wonderful read. For spiritual seekers of any shade, this book reveals the great depths of the Orthodox tradition, demonstrating that Orthodox Christianity has everything seekers often look for in Far Eastern mystical traditions... and more, in my opinion. It demonstrates to Christians that they need not abandon Christianity altogether, if they deem much of it empty or superficial, but may turn to Orthodoxy for a deep, experiential, practical Christianity. For the merely curious, or the armchair traveler, it tells a good story and takes one to an exotic landscape every bit as interesting and other-worldly as Tibet or India. For the Orthodox Christian, it is packed with wisdom, insights, and in a way that is approachable - not dry and academic - clarifies much about various aspects of the Orthodox spiritual life. For the Orthodox Christian, this book will become, after its first read, more a much-visited reference book than a mere story.
I hope to share this book with people who think that practical, mystical and transpersonal spirituality belongs only to the Orient, or to those who think that Christianity has been emptied of mystery, transformative ascetic practice, and intelligence. This book makes Orthodoxy accessible to non-Orthodox people because of its engaging, narrative style. I hope to share it with many people.
A Special Book June 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I purchased this book at a time when the spiritual encouragement this book contains had special meaning to me. I have passed it on to a friend who called to say that this book is truly meaningful in the best sense. My thanks to the author and those he writes about for the spiritual lessons. Magnificent
Highly recommend this book May 17, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am an Orthodox catechumen and recently had the privledge of hearing the author give a guest lecture in my church after services one Sunday. The Church bookstore was selling copies of this book and right after his slide-show and talk, I grabbed one and could barely put it down from beginning to end and will probably re-read it at some point.
This book is a breath of fresh air and is a real treasure to read about a modern day perspective on elders, spirituality and some good day-to-day advice.
My love for my Faith and Christ has only become stronger with this book and set my feet on the path to reading works by Orthodox elders and Saints.
Mountain of contemplation March 30, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
great book for those interested in orthodox spirituality. for more look for "the way of the pilgrim"
 New Age Garbage January 23, 2008
1 out of 19 found this review helpful
Forget these reviews, this book is a fluff-piece. New Age, politically correct, shallow. The writer is a gullible sociologist who has attempted anthropology. Don't waste your time or money, find another book!
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