Isaac the Syrian was an Eastern Christian ascetic who lived in the seventh century. Venerated as a saint in the Russian Church, he has become one of the most widely read spiritual writers on Mount Athos, the center of Orthodox monasticism. This edifying collection of his writings celebrates Isaac the Syrian's emphasis upon the self-giving love of God as the animating force of the universe.

There are chapters on God, the Universe and Humankind; The Way of a Solitary; Trials on the Way to God; Humility; Tears; The School of Prayer; and The Life of the Age to Come. I was especially taken by the section on "The Life in God," where Isaac the Syrian considers the mystical dimension of faith. For him, stillness and spiritual prayer are synonymous. The graceful action of the Holy Spirit can lead to what Isaac the Syrian calls "overshadowing." Here the intellect is "seized and dilated with a sense of wonder." Another term for this is a taste of the Kingdom of Heaven.

God is also revealed when individuals are "inebriated" with the love of God. This paradoxical, unutterable quality is what Rumi was talking about in so many of his sacred poems. All of these movements of God's grace make faith a creative experience of unparalleled adventure.

The Spiritual World of Isaac the Syrian opens the door to the marvels of sanctification. For this devout ascetic emphasized again and again that the human person is created as a temple of God, a dwelling place of the Divinity. In our times, the Christian community needs to ponder this truth with utmost seriousness.