John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent (Classics of Western Spirituality (Paperback))

Written by St. John Climacus, a monk living in the in the Sinai desert in the sixth century, this book details 30 steps, or challenges to living a more Christ like life. The steps are increasingly complex, pinpointing many of the temptations and weaknesses within our human nature. This book is challenging to read and is one that will have to be read slowly and more that once. It is a classic of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

When I first read Saint John Climacus' work, I read this edition and was somewhat disappointed with it, though I did not know why. An orthodox monastic suggested I get the Holy Transfiguration Monastery edition. The latter translation is translated in the older style and thus seems more authentic. As I recall the version here seemed to have too much of the translator's own interpretaions in it. That was offputting to me. This book gives guidance as to how to strip oneself of the passions of the old man and put on the new man. I reread this work every Lent and am always amazed at the insights it gives. When I don't understand a passage I just move on and know that the insight will come at a later reading. The book gives incredible insight into the passions. If one is working on a specific passion like anger or vainglory, the book can be a remarkable help. This book is read every evening in one monastery I know of, and monastics reread it every Lent. After writing this review I realized that the five star rating I gave it is for the Holy Transfiguration Monastery edition. I would have to give the Paulist Press version a lower rating for the above-mentiioned reasons. Maybe three stars?

In my opinion this text is one that should be read from an Orthodox perspective. There are many items within that if you are not Orthodox could be taken out of perspective (5th step). The content of the text is excellent and is so widely acclaimed in the Orthodox world that it is commonly read in many Orthodox monasteries in addition to laity during lent. So be caution if you choose to delve into this book, and you may not want to lean on your own understanding of the content.

This is a classic spiritual work of the Orthodox church, traditionally read in monasteries throughout the period of Great Lent. It is a wonderful book which will repay repeated reading. Although the Paulist Press edition has a nice forward, I would suggest making the extra effort (and spending a little more money) to search out the Holy Transfiguration Monastery edition translated by Archimandrite Lazarus Moore. Besides what others have said about the beauty of the translation, this edition is physically beautiful, much nicer to read and have on your bookshelf. It contains an icon of "The Ladder," many other embellishments, and is printed on high quality paper. Another important point to make is that the HTM Hardcover (and older copies of the Moore translation) has numbered paragraphs, which means it is much easier to look up or cite a particular section. This numbering has in fact become the standard way of referring to Climacus' sayings.The monk's website (as of this writing) is: http://htmadmin.phpwebhosting.com/index.html.No matter which edition you go with, though, read it prayerfully, dilligently, and in the context of the Tradition and you will surely not be disappointed!