This book is originally the work of an Italian Roman Catholic priest, Lorenzo Scupoli (1530 - 1610), a work very much part of the other spiritual writings from the age of the Counter-Reformation. In the 18th-century St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain obtained a copy and enjoyed the work so much that he hastened to translate it into Greek while making his own changes, adapting the work for Orthodox readers. These changes included more examples from the Bible and Fathers of the Church. The final Greek version was a great success in Greece. The Greek version fell into the hands of the Russian, St. Theophan the Recluse, who likewise translated the text into his language, and augmented it with his own changes and comments. This resulting work, translated into English, bears the authoritative spiritual care of two of the greatest saints of the Orthodox Church. It is a superb guide to the spiritual warfare that every Christian must undergo in their quest to become holier and to draw closer to God.
