An Orthodox Interpretation of the Gift of the Spirit

Clark Carlton writes that since his conversion to Orthodoxy, he has continued to dialogue with Protestants. While he says he has not had a problem answering Protestant notions such as sola scriptura or predestination. However, he has always had trouble dealing with questions of tongue and other gifts of the Spirit. According to Carlton, Father Alexis' book, In Peace Let Us Pray to the Lord, gave him a truly Orthodox answer.

What makes Father Alexis' book so powerful is the fact that he is a monk on Mt. Athos. Mt Athos is for the Orthodox the very center if its spiritual practice and experience. It is there, in that laboratory of the heart, that countless monks have purified their hearts through ascetic effort and have been granted the vision of the Uncreated Light of the True Godhead. Father Alexis draws on the one thousand year history of the Holy Mountain and its Saints to provide the definitive Orthodox interpretation of the Gifts of the Spirit.

Readers will be shocked to learn that much of the modern interpretation of the gift of tongues is based on a serious mistranslation of the Scriptures. Father Alexis clears this matter up and explains the meaning and significance of the gift of tongues from ascetical mystical tradition of the Church.

This book is a must read for any Orthodox pastor or teacher, for any Charismatic or Pentecostal interested in the Orthodox Church, and any Orthodox layman who wants to learn more about his faith and its relationship to modern American culture.