Ascending the Heights: A Layman's Guide to the Ladder of Divine Ascent

Ascending the Heights: A Layman's Guide to the Ladder of Divine Ascent by Mack, John. Paperback edition. ISBN: 9781888212174.

A laymans guide to "The Ladder of Divine Ascent". In the sixth century, a monk named John wrote a book outlining the stages of the spiritual life. He based his entire work on the image of a ladder of thirty rungs, stretching from earth to heaven. Each rung described a step in the pursuit of virtue and the spiritual life. Since it was first written, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" has been an essential part of the formation of Orthodox monastics, and a mainstay of Orthodox ascetic spirituality. But it is not just for monastics. This book is written to help those in a non-monastic setting understand how to apply "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" to their lives. Each chapter contains many direct quotes from St. Johns writings, in addition to commentary on St. Johns words. This book, therefore, should be used as a primer to the Ladder--as a helpful tool for ascending the spiritual heights.