"Mad to be saved": two portraits (one aural, one cinematic) of Fr. Seraphim Rose and St. Joseph the Hesychast

Gratis post

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles...” So wrote Jack Kerouac — deliriously as usual when he wasn’t busy crashing and burning — in On the Road. His younger contemporary, Eugene Rose, whose early life in a few significant ways resembled Kerouac’s, might have reduced that overwrought sentiment considerably, once he’d forever left behind his own tumultuous period of gross self-indulgence and nihilistic despair. “The only people” for him from that regenerative point on, when he plunged himself fully into committed Orthodoxy and eventually monasticism, would certainly have seemed to be “the mad ones” in our contemporary world; however, Rose more likely would have considered just one of Kerouac’s categories as truly worthy of note: those “mad to be saved.”

I confess to having harbored mixed feelings about Fr. Seraphim Rose (as he came to be known) over the years. I was a subscriber to The Orthodox Word as early as the 1970s and remained one for decades, unabashedly liking what I found there. Its focus on the ascetical life — which should be one of the essential marks of any theological discussion worthy of the name — made a deep impression on me. At the same time, I was also a reader of Saint Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly and other comparable publications, and I was aware of how some of Fr. Seraphim’s more controversial teachings (e.g., on “aerial tollhouses” and evolution) were being received among his fellow Orthodox. Since then, his reputation has sometimes been disparaged by lesser lights, and he’s come in for an unearned share of derision — almost always by those who, it turns out, misrepresent his carefully articulated positions. Well, I’m a contrarian by nature. My inclination is always to be made curious by, and consequently look more closely at, someone who has fallen out of favor in “elevated” circles while simultaneously being lionized among those whose faith I know to be deep and sincere. To make a long story short, I’ve started to reexamine the life and legacy of Fr. Seraphim Rose. And, lo and behold, while I’m not sold on every single view he espoused (it’s a rarity for me to agree 100% with most thinkers and writers), I find I’m once again impressed by him. My verdict, for what it’s worth, is that he deserves to be read and pondered, and regarded as a saint.

To help make the case, here are three archived podcasts from 2007, recorded twenty-five years after the repose of Fr. Seraphim. They are interviews with Igumen Damascene, Fr. Seraphim’s biographer and the author of Christ the Eternal Tao, and Bishop Gerasim — both of whom knew Fr. Seraphim. The interviews were especially of interest to me, given the spiritual journeys described (involving Zen and Taoism), to which I could easily relate. These are fascinating, rich discussions, conducted in Fr. Seraphim’s cell and its surroundings, and I urge you to spend some time with them.

(1) “Join Illumined Heart co-host Kevin Allen on his pilgrimage to Saint Herman of Alaska Monastery, Platina, California, to talk with its Abbot Fr. Gerasim and Fr. Seraphim Rose legacy-keeper and biographer Monk Damascene. September 2nd marks the 25th anniversary of the repose of Fr. Seraphim Rose. In part 1 of this 3-part series, Kevin is in the cell constructed by Fr. Seraphim and now occupied by Monk Damascene, where he talks with the monk about his spiritual father. For more information about the books published and distributed by the monastery, visit their website.” https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/father_seraphim_rose_spiritual_father/

(2) “Enter once again into the rustic cell of Fr. Seraphim Rose with Kevin Allen as he talks with Fr. Damascene, the biographer and spiritual child of Fr. Seraphim. This is part 2 of a 3-part series and provides a unique glimpse into the life of a man who many say will someday be venerated as a Saint.”

https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/fr_seraphim_rose_the_man_the_struggler/

(3) “In the conclusion of our 3-part series commemorating the 25TH anniversary of the repose of Fr Seraphim (Rose), Kevin Allen is seated on a wooden bench overlooking a panoramic view of Mt. Yolla Bolly with the Abbot of St. Herman of Alaska Monastery, Fr. Gerasim. Listen for valuable lessons (as well as birds chirping!) on the spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting from a spiritual child of this venerated American monk and writer.”

https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/illuminedheart/fr_seraphim_rose_prayer_and_orthodox_spirituality/

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This past weekend, I was present at my parish’s annual retreat, where we were treated to a viewing of a beautiful film about the life of St. Joseph the Hesychast — another man “mad to be saved.” (Rather eerily, St. Joseph’s true features — see the photo below — strikingly resemble my brother, Robert’s.) I won’t say more about the movie, but I commend it to you as an hour well spent.

A sixty-five-minute dramatized documentary about the life of Saint Joseph the Hesychast (1897-1959).

Saint Joseph the Hesychast was born in 1897 on Paros. Yearning to live the ascetic life, at the age of 23 he went to Mount Athos. His entire life [was]… reminiscent of the desert ascetics of old. As a genuine exponent of the Patristic Tradition, Saint Joseph contributed to the renewal of Athonite monasticism and of modern Orthodox monasticism in general. Today, around 2,000 monks and nuns around the world trace their spiritual paternity to him. He became an experienced, discerning, and straightforward guide to the spiritual life for both monks and lay people. Saint Joseph was an extreme ascetic and hesychast, but he also showed an unparalleled interest and special pastoral concern for Christians in the world. He continues to spiritually strengthen monks and believers to this day through his letters and texts, which have a strong pastoral character and reflect the Saint's interest in the salvation of the whole world.