Here is a comprehensive summary of each of the author’s writings in the Philokalia:
1. St. Isaiah the Solitary: Wrote about the practice of stillness, which involves emptying oneself of all thoughts and desires to achieve union with God.
2. Evagrios the Solitary: Wrote about the passions and how to overcome them through prayer, meditation, and other spiritual practices.
3. St. John Cassian: Wrote about the eight deadly thoughts or vices (pride, avarice, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, vainglory, and despondency) and how to overcome them through self-discipline and contemplative prayer.
4. St. Mark the Ascetic: Wrote about spiritual discipline, including the importance of detachment from worldly possessions and desires and the practice of constant mindfulness.
5. St. Hesychios the Priest: Wrote about the practice of hesychasm, which involves stillness, silence, and prayer to achieve union with God.
6. St. Neilos the Ascetic: Wrote about the importance of detachment from worldly possessions and desires, the practice of asceticism, and the cultivation of inner stillness.
7. St. Diadochos of Photiki: Wrote about the practice of contemplative prayer and the importance of discernment in the spiritual life.
8. St. John of Karpathos: Wrote about the stages of the spiritual life, including the importance of repentance, the struggle against the passions, and the cultivation of virtues.
9. St. Maximos the Confessor: Wrote about the concept of theosis, or the transformation of human nature through union with God, as well as the relationship between the divine and human wills.
10. Thalassios the Libyan: Wrote about the practice of prayer and the importance of the Jesus Prayer in achieving union with God.
11. St. Isaac the Syrian: Wrote about the nature of God, the human person, and the spiritual life, emphasizing the importance of humility, compassion, and the practice of prayer.
12. St. Gregory Palamas: Wrote about the practice of hesychasm and the distinction between God’s essence and energies, arguing that through hesychasm, the divine energies can be experienced directly.
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