Hidden Man of the Heart (1 Peter, The: 3:4): The Cultivation of the Heart in Orthodox Christian Anthropology

Each human heart is fashioned ‘in a unique manner’ by the Creator. It is the true temple where man can meet God and unite with Him. This is why the heart requires ‘a noetic and divine sensation’. However, man is now fallen, his mind scattered throughout all creation, and his heart in a state of lethargy. His tragedy lies in the fact that he lives, speaks, thinks, and even prays outside his own heart. To be healed, the heart must be awakened, the mind must return to its place, and unite with the heart. The heart must become a ‘tight knot’ that encompasses the entire being of man so that he may turn as one entity toward God and fulfil, as much as possible, the perfection of the two great commandments of love. Then he is ‘precious’ before God and becomes a wondrous likeness of Him. The remembrance of death, the fear of God, the shame of confession are exercises that awaken the heart, while repentance and prayer cleanse and cultivate it to yield the fruit of the good gifts of the Holy Spirit: ‘love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance'.


The Hidden Man of the Heart consists of a series of presenta­tions on the place of the heart in the spiritual life of the Chris­tian. Reference is made to the Hesychast tradition of the Orthodox Church, including two of the most influential figures in contemporary Christianity: Saint Silouan the Athonite (1866-1938) and Saint Sophrony the Athonite (1896-1993).