ISBN: 978-0-88141-675-6, 9780881416756
Father Arseny: Priest, Prisoner, and Spiritual Father is a powerful and inspiring account of one man’s unwavering faith in the face of unimaginable suffering. Once a scholar of church art, Father Arseny became Prisoner No. 18736 in the brutal Soviet prison camp system. Amidst the darkness of cruelty and oppression, he radiated Christ’s peace, compassion, and love, offering hope to those around him.
This narrative, drawn from the testimonies of his spiritual children and others whose lives he transformed, reveals how Father Arseny embodied the call to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). It recounts his profound influence during and after his imprisonment, as he became a beacon of light for those in the depths of despair.
With its universal themes of faith, endurance, and redemption, Father Arseny is a stirring testament to the triumph of the human spirit grounded in God’s love—a story that will inspire and move readers from every background.
2 Reviews
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Father Arseny: Priest, Prisoner...
Soon after baptism, I was hungry to know not just "the rules" and the theology, but what does Orthodoxy "look like" when lived out in the modern world? I've read this book at least 6 times, most recently about six months ago. Some Russian monastics have prophesied something to the effect that "today in Russia, tomorrow in America" we too will experience a socialist takeover. Russia survived its Marxist revolution. The U.S. appears to be in the midst of one right now. Fr. Arseny, pray to God for us in America, and help us follow your path if we find ourselves in the same conditions.
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Father Arseny
One of the most remarkable and heartfelt tales of survival against the odds, Father Arseny not only survives but thrives amid the harsh and degrading conditions of a Soviet labor camp.
He reaches out to those around him, transfiguring their lives through the incredible God-given grace of his life. These short stories, told mostly by his spiritual children, are vivid, real and in the Russian tradition of excellent story-telling.
