Focusing on themes central to Eastern Christian worship and spiritual life, this book introduces the series of six volumes of Bishop Kallistos’ collected works. Combining scholarly rigor with practical counsels on prayer, Bishop Kallistos makes the wealth of the Orthodox tradition accessible to today’s Christians. The opening chapter recounts the author’s journey to Orthodoxy. The next two chapters illuminate insights on death, bereavement, and resurrection in Christ, and on repentance. Chapters four through seven invite us into the world of the desert ascetics and hesychast monks. The next three chapters concern personal vocation, martyrdom, spiritual guidance, and the strange path of the Fool-for-Christ. There follows a brief essay on time and eternity. The final chapter is a challenging discussion of Origen and Ss Gregory of Nyssa, Isaac the Syrian, and Silouan the Athonite related to the question: "Dare we hope for the salvation of all?" Other books on Theology published by St Vladimir’s Seminary Press include: Being as Communion, by John Zizioulas; Orthodox Theology by Vladimir Lossky; and I Believe, Alexander Schmemann.