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Library Ignatius Brianchaninov

Written work

On Spiritual Delusion (prelest)

О прелести

Retrato de Ignati Brianchanínov
byIgnatius Brianchaninov

The second part of the treatise on the Jesus Prayer, often published separately and regarded as the classic Russian exposition of prelest. 'Prelest is the damaging of human nature by falsehood'; all of us have been in it since the Fall, and the greatest delusion is to think oneself free of it. Ignatius distinguishes two forms: 'opinion' (mnenie), which forms a false image of one's own holiness and produces pride, and 'fancy' (mechtanie), which excites the imagination with visions and sensations and can lead to madness. He illustrates both with examples, such as the schemamonk Porphyry of Valaam, a reader of The Imitation of Christ, and explains that only humility, repentance and the guidance of the Fathers protect against them.

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Editions and translations · 1

Русский

Editions and translations

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Русский

Other works by Ignatius Brianchaninov

Sources

  • Ignati (Brianchanínov). «О молитве Иисусовой» (Отделы I–III: «О молитве Иисусовой вообще», «О прелести», «Об упражнении молитвою Иисусовою»), en Аскетические опыты, t. I, caps. 26–28. Texto en Azbuka very.

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