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irty Steps to Heaven
The Ladder of Divine Ascent for All Walks of Life
Thirty Steps to Heaven: The Ladder of Divine Ascent for All Walks of Life
Copyright © 2013 by Theodore Christopher Vasilis
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
All quotations from the Ladder are taken from John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, The Classics of Western Spirituality (New York: Paulist Press, 1982).
Biblical citations (apart from those quoted in the Ladder) are from the New King James Version (© 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.) Where the numbering of the Psalms diverges between the Septuagint (LXX) and the NKJV, the LXX numbering is given first. Another difference between the LXX and other Old Testaments is the names ascribed to the books. Most notably, the books known as 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings in the NKJV are known in the LXX as 1 and 2 Kingdoms and 3 and 4 Kingdoms respectively.
Published by: Ancient Faith Publishing
A Division of Ancient Faith Ministries
1050 Broadway, Suite 14
Chesterton, IN 46304
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN: 978-1-955890-51-9
Copyright ©2013 by Theodore Christopher Vasilis
All Rights Reserved. Published by Ancient Faith Publishing.
Acknowledgments
When Ancient Faith Publishing asked me to write this book, my first thought was to decline. One may be forgiven for thinking it an act of singular presumptuousness for an author who lacks monastic experience to write a layman’s guide to a classic work of monastic spirituality. I was well aware of both the popularity and the notoriety of the Ladder of Divine Ascent. Many praise it as a “mustread” for all Orthodox Christians, while others reluctantly recommend it with a “spiritual health warning” due to its heavily monastic character.
It became apparent that a layman’s guide to the Ladder was sorely needed, and the criterion for writing such a book was not necessarily a Sample pages only. Purchase the full book at monastic vocation. With that in mind, I took up the offer, and it proved to be a very edifying experience for me. I am therefore thankful to Ancient Faith Publishing and all those who have encouraged me to undertake this project.
I am especially thankful to Katherine Hyde, acquisitions editor at Ancient Faith Publishing, and Kristian Akselberg, who made some very helpful suggestions and helped me track down several excellent patristic sources.
Copyright ©2013 by Theodore Christopher Vasilis
