Anthropological aspect of prayerin the works of the saints Theophan the Recluse and Ignatius Brianchaninov

Abstract

The article examines the anthropological aspect of prayer in the works of the saints Theophan the Recluse and Ignatius (Brianchaninov). In the spiritual life of a Christian, the most intimate moment is prayer. Prayer is communication with God, it is an event that cannot leave a person the same as he became at prayer. We always leave prayer either justified or condemned. The reason for this is the great dignity of man, whom God created "in the image and likeness" of His own. In this regard, Saint Theophan the Recluse writes that man, "created in the image and likeness of God ... by his very nature is in some way an image of the Divine race." Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) notes that "prayer is the cry of a fallen and repentant man before God." The author of the article draws attention to the mutual connection of the mind and heart in the prayerful feat of man. The cry of the heart, which is the essence of prayer, stems from the awareness of one's sinfulness. The awareness of sins requires a sober attitude towards one's inner world. This function is performed by the mind, on the attentiveness of which the "response" of the heart depends. In conclusion of the article, the author comes to the conclusion that the connection of the mind with the heart is a state of perfect prayer. Sympathy of the heart to the mind is the "building block" from which the building of correct prayer grows.