Hesychasm

Hesychasm (Greek hēsychia,”quietness”), term designating a contemplative tradition dating from the 4th century in Eastern Christian monasticism. Hesychast monks, particularly those of the monasteries of Mount Athos, devoted themselves to unceasing mental prayer in order to achieve union with God. The most popular form of prayer was the Jesus Prayer, also known as “prayer of the heart” and generally consisting of the words: “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Hesychasts repeated the prayer continuously, regulating their breathing to correspond to the recitation of the prayer. Through this physical method of prayer they hoped to focus and maintain mental concentration on God's name. The practice was stridently attacked by the Italo-Greek humanist monk Barlaam the Calabrian; in response, the Byzantine theologian St. Gregory Palamas composed his Triads in Defense of the Holy Hesychasts. Palamas's position was formally endorsed at the Orthodox church councils at Constantinople (present-day İstanbul) in 1341, 1347, and 1351. Hesychasm became very popular in Russia and is still practiced among Eastern Christians. An anthology of hesychast writings, known as the Philocalia, was published in Venice in 1782 by St. Nicodemus.