Paul Kingsnorth and Kyriacos Markides "The Snatched Heart of Christianity"

“Surrender or rebellion; sacrifice or conquest; death of the self or triumph of the will; the Cross or the machine. We have always been offered the same choice. The gate is strait and the way is narrow and maybe we will always fail to walk it. But is there any other road that leads home?” wrote Paul Kingsnorth in his excellent essay “The Cross and the Machine” [1] in the summer of 2021. I was lucky to converse with Paul next year. Our interview “Scientism and Sex” [2] appeared in the 22nd issue of newspaper Tähenduse teejuhid [3]. ““The Mountain of Silence” [4], by Kyriacos Markides, is just terrific and you don't have to be any kind of Christian to find it eye-opening,” wrote Paul in his blog post from Mount Athos a month or two after our interview. That was the first time I heard about this book. I started to read “The Mountain of Silence” from my phone in the emergency room while waiting for general anesthesia due to a badly dislocated shoulder in January 2023. "To the extent that suffering is unavoidable, accept it as a gift from Heaven. Then it will have a therapeutic impact on your heart. Redefine it in your mind as an opportunity for spiritual growth," said Father Maximos, the protagonist of the book, these words struck a chord in these dire circumstances. I interviewed Kyriacos Markides for the 30th issue of the newspaper [5], half a year later Kyriacos delivered a guest lecture [6] in a course at the Estonian Business School that was devoted to his book. "You don't have to go Athos to experience monastic life," said Kyriacos in his lecture. The next step took me this spring to the Monastery of St John the Forerunner of Mesa Potamos [7] in the Troodos Forest of Cyprus right after I had become a member of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been able to bring together two authors whose ideas and writings have a had a profound impact upon me and have changed my life for the better. With best wishes, Hardo Pajula ———————————————— [1] https://www.firstthings.com/article/2... [2]    • Paul Kingsnorth "Scientism and Sex"   [3]    • Everything Breathes Together – TT Interviews   [4] https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Silen... [5]    • Kyriacos Markides "The Mountain of Silence"   [6]    • 6. Kyriacos Markides, "Vaikuse mägi"   [7] https://www.amazon.com/Inner-River-Pi...