The attractiveness of Hesychast spirituality today: insights from modern psychology, philosophy and sociology
The attractiveness of Hesychast spirituality today: insights from modern psychology, philosophy and sociology

Summary/Abstract: The Hesychast spirituality (HS) is traditional for Eastern Christianity systemthat integrates and organizes beliefs, experiences, and practices with the aim ofspiritual transformation1. In the 20th century, due to the massive migration of theOrthodox population, Orthodox Christianity from the local context relocated to theWest2. In this background, established local Orthodox parishes have become not onlyhomes for Orthodox immigrants but areas of multiple conversions to Orthodoxy, andnowadays, this process is in its climax; Typically, Orthodoxy becomes a consciouschoice of educated adults from Western backgrounds, often after the long spiritualsearch. However, the principles of asceticism, regular prayer, active church life, eudemoniclife principles, and mystical experience habitual for HS are often in opposition tothe principles of individualism, rationalism, and materiality in the modern West,which creates a certain tension. Based on that discovery, I intend to demonstrate thatthe pricey processes that comprise one of the most complicated spiritual systems are notas contradictory to modernity as they appear. Instead, many of the HSʹs fundamentalprinciples now actively resonate with common life concepts. To that end, in this article,I will define HS and describe the contemporary context in which it operates. Second, I willdiscuss the links between HS, positive and cognitive psychology, namely the concepts ofself-transcendence, virtue development, and meaning in life. Third, I will present threeactual examples of how HS is linked to current philosophy, sociology, and literature.

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