The Way of a Pilgrim: Candid Tales of a Wanderer to His Spiritual Father

Description

A simple peasant seeks spiritual fulfilment in this apparently artless tale of popular piety 'Here, see my belongings- a bag of dry crusts on my back and the Holy Bible in my breast pocket; that's it.' In 1884 a slim volume containing four short tales appeared in Russia. They told of a pilgrim, a lone wanderer, led by his quiet curiosity and a deep spiritual longing to undertake a lifelong journey across the land. The story of this gentle figure and his travels - through forests, fields and steppes, encountering priests and professors, nuns and convicts on the way - became a beloved spiritual guide around the world, immortalized in the pages of J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey as the 'small pea-green cloth-bound book' that Franny keeps close in her handbag. At its heart, it is a paean to peace, prayer, consolation and silent contemplation. Translated with an introduction and notes by Andrew Louth

Andrew Louth is Professor Emeritus of Durham University and an archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church. His latest book was Modern Orthodox Thinkers- from the Philokalia to the Present (2015). He also edited reissues of Early Christian Writers and Eusebius- The History of the Church for Penguin Classics. Anna Zaranko is a translator from the Polish, Russian and French, based in the UK.