Ideał życia monastycznego w Pouczeniach wielebnym mniszkom o tym, czego od nich wymaga życie monastyczne św. Teofana Pustelnika

Abstract

The Instructions to the Reverend Nuns About What Monastic Life Requires Of Them is the collection of 20 sermons of the Orthodox bishop and archimandrite St. Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894). He preached them out to the nuns from different hermitages of the Diocese of Tambov and the Diocese of Vladimir of the Russian Orthodox Church in the years 1859-1864. The main theme of The Instructions is revealing of the aim and the sense of monastic life, especially in its community aspect. The Instructions include many references to the hesychast spirituality. Theophan not only practiced it himself, but introduced into it his spiritual daughters as well. In view of the hesychast advices, the article presents the characteristic of the interior and exterior life of the monks and nuns and understanding of the monastic community as an icon of the Church.