The Threshold Trials at the Crossroads of Eternity

Death is a great sacrament. It is the birth of a person from this earthly, temporary life, into eternity. In this third volume of St Ignatius’ s collected works, published here in English for the first time, the saint examines the mystical boundaries that govern the life of a Christian: the one, between life and death; and the other, between the visible, physical realm and the invisible to most, but no less real, spiritual realm. Included in this volume is St Ignatius’ s “ Homily on Death,” one of his most popular works in his native Russia and often published separately. The reader will also encounter St Ignatius’ s teachings on the nature of the soul and the essence of the incorporeal beings, the latter theologoumena being a point of contention between the author and his contemporary, St Theophan the Recluse.

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov (1807– 1867) was a prolific author of Orthodox Christian ascetical works. Published toward the end of his life, his writings continued to grow in popularity long after his death. Along with his contemporary, St Theophan the Recluse, St Ignatius is now considered a foremost authority on Orthodox spirituality. He was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988. His writings have previously appeared in English as The Arena and On the Prayer of Jesus, among other works.