This paperback edited by Gillian Crow, an Orthodox writer living in London, is part of Orbis Books' Modern Spiritual Masters Series. Metropolitan Anthony (1914 – 2003) served for more than 50 years as head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain. He was born in 1914 into a Russian imperial family who eventually moved to Paris.
Metropolitan Anthony trained to be a doctor and after World War II was ordained to the priesthood. He arrived in Britain in 1949 and was known for his ecumenical work and gifts as a speaker and broadcaster. His three books on prayer were put together in one volume which is seen as a classic by many believers.
Raised in hard times, Metropolitan Anthony lived in a simple manner. According to Crow, he resided in a tiny flat at the back of the cathedral, acting as its unofficial caretaker. As a monk, he arranged to draw a smaller salary than his priests, who were married men with families to support. Metropolitan Anthony died in 2003 at the age of 89 from cancer.
Crow has divided this paperback into six sections: Faith in the Gospel, Creation, Prayer, Orthodox Spirituality, The Church, Lent, Holy Week and Easter. On these pages, Metropolitan Anthony writes cogently about creative doubt, humility and reading the Gospels, the importance of icons, the role of silence in worship, wholeness and healing, prayer for the dead, fasting, and forgiveness.
