Beware: Elder Sophrony of Essex

[Maria]

Back to Fr Sophrony, I was looking up another book yesterday. A few Orthodox convert readers glowingly recommended instead a book about him.
This was written by a Kenneth Klaus but sounded highly unpleasant to me. It even had a weird title : "Born to Hate,
Reborn to Love." I don't know if it is at all fair to judge this Fr Sophrony by his disciples. But reading the
reviews of that book, I do not plan to read it under any circumstance.

I also came across the fact that the St Herman of Alaska Press published [one of] Fr Sophrony's own books :
"We Shall See Him as He Is". Is the Name-Worshipping heresy evident in it, does anyone have any idea?

Yes indeed, Barbara. Fr. Sophrony's book, We Shall See Him as He Is, promotes Name-Worshiping.

Fr. Sophrony published at least two books in English which promote Name-Worshiping, but there may be other books as he seems to have promoted Name-Worshiping whenever and wherever he could. The pages mentioned below are commonly cited in various papers and blogs on the Internet, so there could be other pages in his books which promote Name-Worshiping.

Archimandrite Sophrony, On Prayer, Crestwood: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1998, pp. 130-134, 144, 150.

Archimandrite Sophrony, We Shall See Him As He Is (Platina, CA.: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2006), pp. 199, 217.

[Barbara]

I didn't realize he was such an inveterate proponent of Name-Worshipping.
Thank you, Maria, for giving the
pages so any readers from anywhere on the internet will be able to check this for themselves
before becoming enamoured with this Fr Sophrony.

I am guessing the dual monastery-convent is
mainly composed of English and other Westerners ?

[Jean-Serge]

I am guessing the dual monastery-convent is mainly composed of English and other Westerners ?

For a monastery in England, it would be quite normal, but in fact there people from everywhere, "Egyptians, Poles, French, Dutch, Syrian" but also people from Greek and Russian origins or Greek and Russian themselves etc

[Priest Antonios]

Archimandrite Sophrony, We Shall See Him As He Is (Platina, CA.: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2006), pp. 199, 217.

On page 199 is it his discussion of "I" that is referred to here? I just scanned page 217 and nothing jumped out at me. What am I missing? Is it his talk of existential knowledge that continues on page 218 to say that "The cognizant persona and God Who is cognized are conjoined"?

-Antonios

[Maria]

Archimandrite Sophrony, We Shall See Him As He Is (Platina, CA.: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2006), pp. 199, 217.

On page 199 is it his discussion of "I" that is referred to here? I just scanned page 217 and nothing jumped out at me. What am I missing? Is it his talk of existential knowledge that continues on page 218 to say that "The cognizant persona and God Who is cognized are conjoined"?

-Antonios

I do not have the books. The pages listed are from various blogs and articles that promote Name-Worshiping and cite his two books in their footnotes and references. These two books of Elder Sophrony are often cited in defense of Name-Worshiping.

[Priest Antonios]

Understood. Thank you Maria.

-Dcn Antonios

[Barbara]

The Rocor-MP Bookstore at the Synod Headquarters in New York City carries
"And We Shall See Him As He Is".

That's not good !
I wonder whether they know this, or they do know, but assume it's a popular book in demand
by general readers interested in getting to know Orthodoxy.

A poor choice, either way, when there are so many superior books available for inquirers which don't
have the taint of the Name-Worshipping Heresy.