"The Three Methods of Prayer" (part 2 of 2)

Watchfulness, unseen warfare, and the "third method"

As noted in the previous post, The Three Methods of Prayer addresses monastics – those who have committed their lives to be formed according to their tradition to a life of constant prayer. That the text came to be included in The Philokalia, a collection meant for both monastics and non-monastics alike, is a reminder that the distinction between these two ways of life is a matter only of degree, particularly where prayer and asceticism (which means “discipline”) are concerned. While the Latin West historically tended to widen that distinction, most drastically during and after the Middle Ages, the Eastern tradition has stayed truer to the original view on the matter. The monastic state in the East is not regarded as inherently holier than the married state; monks and nuns do only what all Christians are called to do, though (it is hoped) with fewer distractions. So, a text like the Methods can be read and adapted by anyone seeking guidance in contemplative prayer. At the heart of the common Christian ascetic tradition is obedience, a word many of us regard justifiably with suspicion. Obedience has certainly been abused no less in religion than in any other sphere of human activity, and we are right to be wary of gurus, religious “leaders,” self-styled shamans, and ideologues of all stripes. But the word “obedience” as the Author of the Methods intends it to be understood becomes less intimidating when we examine it more closely.