“Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Science without humanity
Knowledge without character
Politics without principle
Commerce without morality
Worship without sacrifice.
https://vidjambov.blogspot.com/2023/01/book-inventory-vladimir-djambov-talmach.html
The goal of the Christian life is to acquire the Holy Spirit, in communion with God. Communion with God is the essence of our salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord. ///
The path to salvation is the fulfillment of the commandments of God, life in Christ, or, what is the same, the Christian pious, virtuous life. ///
The Christian virtuous life of every Christian has two essential aspects: the struggle against tempting evil (the struggle against sinful passions and vices) and the acquisition of Christian virtues. ///
This book is devoted to these vital issues - the fight against the main sinful passions (vices) and the acquisition of basic Christian virtues. ///
This far from finished work arose on the basis of conversations that the author, acting as a mentor, conducted with students of the seminary. These conversations have been completed and expanded, brought into the system. ///
Many books have been written on the fight against passions and on Christian virtues by people experienced in the spiritual life under the guidance of Sts. fathers. There are also extensive scientific works from the field of asceticism. ///
This same book is not a scientific treatise or study; rather, it is a systematized collection of patristic thoughts on individual, most important, issues of active Christian life, which has, mainly, a moral and edifying purpose. The author in his work sought to present the patristic teaching and experience in a form that is understandable and intelligible to the modern reader and to show their necessary applicability in the life of every Christian, for the commandments of God and the laws of spiritual life are common to all Christians, no matter what way of life and ascetic labor they pursue. ///
In particular, the author had in mind that the book would serve as a manual for students of the seminary, candidates for the priesthood, so that they could get acquainted with the patristic teaching on this issue in an assembled form. Acquaintance of the candidate of the priesthood with the questions of Christian asceticism according to the teaching and experience of Sts. fathers and ascetics is of great importance for their future pastoral activity. ///
The second and immediate goal of writing this work was also one’s own benefit: “in order to move oneself to correction, to the denunciation of one’s poor soul, so that, although being ashamed of words,” as St. John of the Ladder, - began to work having not yet acquired any good deed, but only words . And Rev. Nilus of Sinai points out that “he who does not do good should speak of good things, so that, being ashamed of words, he begins deeds” 2 . ///
The book is divided into two parts. The first part gives general concepts about sin, sinful passions and self-love as the source of all sin and vice. Then a strategic teaching is presented about each of the main passions separately: about pride and vanity, about gluttony and fornication and the fight against them, about greed and anger, about envy, slander and condemnation, and, finally, about sinful sadness and despondency. ///
The second part is devoted to the study of the main Christian virtues: love, humility, meekness, temperance and chastity - those virtues that a Christian needs to acquire in the active eradication of the above main passions. ///
Therefore, when studying chapters, for example, on carnal passions (gluttony and fornication), it is useful to follow this (from the 2nd part) to assimilate the patristic teaching about the main eradicators of these passions - the virtues of temperance and chastity. When studying the issue of struggle with self-love, pride, greed and envy, one should follow this by studying the patristic teaching on love and humility. Anger has its opposite in meekness, etc.