The Prayer Life of Diadochos of Photiki: The Bishop Who Mapped the Journey to Divine Love

Introduction

Saint Diadochos of Photiki (c. 400-486 AD), a bishop in Epirus (northwestern Greece) is considered one of the early church’s leading mystics. Although less well-known than his contemporaries, Augustine or Jerome, Diadochos produced an important work titled One Hundred Chapters on Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination, which serves as a map for the journey of the soul from initial conversion to mystical union with God. Diadochos demonstrated that true contemplation creates not only speculation but also practical wisdom, that mystical experience is dependent upon theological discernment, and that through complete union with God, human personhood continues to develop rather than decrease.

The Hidden Life: What We Know and Don’t Know

Biographical information regarding Diadochos is scant when compared with other early church figures. It is known that he served as Bishop of Photiki during the mid-fifth century, attended the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), and lived through the theological battle regarding the nature of Christ. Beyond these facts, what we know of Diadochos’ inner life comes primarily from his writings, which, greatly bless them, provide a greater understanding of authentic spirituality than biographical accounts could have ever provided.

Diadochos’s historical obscurity points to the spirituality of his life. He was a follower of holiness who led the souls of others and documented his insights regarding the mystical life for future generations. The hiddenness of Diadochos reflects the three decades of Jesus’ early life in which He prepared for the ministry of active service by means of a contemplative formation which produced a relatively small public ministry but nevertheless confirmed His mission to bring salvation to mankind.

Diadochos also taught that spiritual progress occurs in secret. As Jesus said:

When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly

Matthew 6:6

The One Hundred Chapters: A Mystical Guidebook

Diadochos’s masterwork—the Philokalia (now housed in the collection of the same name)—is composed of one hundred short chapters that provide spiritual guidance for the journey of the soul. Unlike most mystical writers, Diadochos’s writings are not merely theological treatises that treat abstract theological concepts; instead, they are the distilled wisdom that results from Diadochos’s personal experience of contemplative prayer and from Diadochos’s pastoral observations.

The Structure: Progressive Stages

The chapters are organized according to the steps leading to spiritual development and reflect similar methodology used by many other writers:

Purification (Praktike): Initial conversion; battle with passion; establishment of virtue.

Illumination (Theoria): Growth in spiritual understanding of God; experience of God’s divine light; understanding God’s reality.

Union (Theosis): Mystical union with God; sharing in God’s divine nature; becoming “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

The tripartite structure used by Diadochos was not original to him; many writers prior to used similar tripartite structures, and yet Diadochos’s exposition provides an incredible example of the psychological and spiritual insight of the time.

The Method: Practical Mysticism

While some mystical writers emphasize extraordinary mystical experiences, Diadochos emphasizes a practical and pragmatic approach for ordinary believers seeking a holy life. His advice concerns:

How to discern spiritual movements: The difference between divine inspiration, diabolical suggestion, and natural impulse.

How to maintain prayer: Practical techniques for continuous God-awareness

How to handle consolation and desolation: Navigating spiritual highs and lows

How to grow in love: Progressing from fear-based obedience to love-motivated service

How to achieve remembrance of God: Cultivating constant awareness of divine presence

This practical emphasis reflects his pastoral heart. Diadochos wrote not to impress scholars but to guide souls—producing a manual for spiritual navigation, not merely theological speculation.

Baptism: The Foundation of Spiritual Life

The foundation of Diadochos’s mystical theology is the transformative power of baptism. He wrote that baptism changes a person’s nature through the infusion of divine grace and a “capacity” for mystical union that cannot exist in a person who has not been baptized with the Holy Spirit.

The Grace of Baptism

Diadochos wrote:

From the moment we are baptized, grace hides itself in the depths of our intellect, concealing its presence even from our perception...When, however, a person begins wholeheartedly to keep God's commandments, then grace communicates to the heart an intimation of its presence.

Diadochos’s description of baptismal grace emphasizes the following important truths:

Grace is gift, not achievement: Baptism bestows divine life independent of merit

Grace requires cooperation: Though present from baptism, grace’s full effects require our participation through obedience

Grace reveals itself progressively: Initial stages may lack felt experience; maturity brings increasing awareness

Grace transforms the intellect/heart: The deepest human faculty is divinized

This baptismal theology grounds mystical life in sacramental reality rather than individual effort. We don’t achieve union with God through technique but receive it as gift, then cultivate it through faithful response.

The Seal of the Spirit

Baptism leaves an indelible “seal” or mark of the Holy Spirit on the soul, providing divine ownership of the individual, protecting the individual from demonic possession, providing spiritual perception, and assuring the individual’s future inheritance through a promise given by God. This seal:

Authenticates divine ownership: We belong to God, marked as His possession

Protects against demonic control: Evil spirits cannot fully dominate sealed souls

Enables spiritual perception: The sealed intellect can perceive divine realities

Guarantees eschatological hope: The seal is the “guarantee of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:14)

This emphasis of baptism as the mystical entrance into spirituality challenges the understanding that contemplation was an experience of those few, and Diadochos made spirituality available to all through the faithful cooperation with the grace of baptism.

The Prayer of Jesus: Constant Invocation

Diadochos of Photiki is an early follower of Jesus—and one of the first to use “the Jesus Prayer” continually in contemplation. The invocation of the name is still a deep part of the contemplative tradition, though there is no official formula. Still he teaches us to look forward to what has become a standardized teaching.

The Power of the Name

The Holy Scripture that teaches us to call upon God to invoke the name of Jesus is true for all Christians. Diadochos says:

We should strive always to keep the memory of God alive in our hearts by the invocation of Jesus Christ.

He recognized the name of Jesus as possessing unique spiritual power—not as magic formula but as personal invocation of the living Lord.

This practice has deep biblical roots:

Old Testament precedent: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32)

Apostolic teaching: “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)

Paul’s instruction: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17)

Philippians hymn: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow” (Philippians 2:10)

The Method of Invocation

Diadochos indicates that invoking the name of Jesus must become second nature to us, as we would breathe. He breaks down the process of practicing Jesus’ name into different stages:

Begins with verbal repetition: Speaking the name audibly to focus attention

Progresses to mental prayer: Eventually the invocation becomes interior, requiring no vocal expression

Achieves automatic recurrence: The name begins invoking itself spontaneously, arising unbidden in consciousness

Experiences the name’s presence: Eventually the distinction between saying the name and experiencing His presence dissolves

This progression from conscious to unconscious reflects mature contemplation. As we deepen our practice, we see how our practice was a matter of discipline as the gift of God the Holy Spirit praying within us (Romans 8:26).

Protection Against Thoughts

Diadochos recognizes that people who practice invoking the name of Jesus are better protected from temptation and the suggestions and attacks of demonic spirits. When temptation happens to them or to themselves, they can quickly call out to Jesus and the darkness that is attacking them is immediately dispelled.

When we close the doors of the intellect against evil spirits, they stand outside and throw at us fiery arrows of suggestion. But we must resist them by invoking Jesus Christ.

Diadochos compares the invoking of Jesus with taking “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). The name of Jesus becomes our weapon, shield, and fortress against the attacks we face from the spiritual realm.

Discernment: Distinguishing the Spirits

Diadochos provides a very valuable teaching about spiritual discernment and identifying whether a particular spiritual movement has come from God, a demonic influence, or is simply a natural thought or desire. The three possible sources that Diadochos identifies as being responsible for us experiencing spiritual movements are:

The Three Sources

Diadochos identified three sources of interior movements:

Divine inspiration: From God or His Angels and creates peace, humility, love for God and desire for virtue.

Demonic suggestion: From evil spirits, creating confusion, pride, despair, and temptation to sin.

Natural thoughts: A thought that is neither good nor evil, but that can become one’s choice to pursue virtue or vice.

To learn the ability to distinguish between these three sources of interior movement, we must experience and pray daily to see the difference, but also learn from those persons who have gone further along the path of spirituality than we are.

The Criteria for Discernment

To evaluate whether a movement is from God, Diadochos explains how to examine the peace and agitation of the movement’s source.

Peace vs. Agitation: A movement from God will give us inner peace, whereas a movement from the enemy will create inner agitation, even though it may initially appear to be attractive.

Humility vs. Pride: A movement that comes from God will humble us, while a movement that comes from our enemy will increase our ego.

Love vs. Fear: Whoever and whatever is from God will create love in us for God and our neighbours, while whoever and whatever is from the enemy will produce fear or a false sense of security.

Light vs. Darkness:The light of God creates clarity in our understanding. Conversely, the darkness of the enemy brings confusion and obscures our understanding.

Fruit over time: True divine inspiration gives us lasting fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): every movement that is counterfeit will cause long-term bitter results.

Matching Diadochos’ teachings about how to evaluate whether a movement is from God is what John teaches us:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God

1 John 4:1

Diadochos provided practical tools for this essential testing.

The Danger of Prelest (Spiritual Delusion)

One of the greatest dangers to a person’s spiritual development is prelest: spiritual delusion. Diadochos has stated this danger in numerous teachings because many souls who are following Christ Jesus will misidentify a demonic influence as divine inspiration or misperceive a natural thought as a mystical experience. The more we grow in our spirituality, the more we are likely to face this danger because the enemy disguises themself as “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Protection against delusion requires:

Humility: Recognizing our capacity for self-deception

Obedience: Submitting experiences to spiritual direction

Scripture: Testing everything against biblical truth

Community: Not isolating ourselves from church wisdom

Fruit inspection: Evaluating long-term results rather than immediate feelings

The Intellect and the Heart: Anthropology

Diadochos employed specific terminology for human faculties that requires understanding:

The Intellect (Nous)

The nous, or “intellect,” is viewed as a spiritual organ that allows for the experience of God’s presence; it is “the eye of the soul,” “the place of contemplation,” “the receiver of divine light,” and the image of God in man. As the intellect is purified through prayer, repentance, and virtuous living, it will also have the ability to properly perceive spiritual realities that are presently hidden from most people.

The eye of the soul: Capable of spiritual vision when purified

The seat of contemplation: Where mystical encounter occurs

The receiver of divine light: Illuminated by grace in prayer

The image of God: The particular human faculty bearing divine likeness most directly

Purifying the nous through prayer, repentance, and virtue enables it to function properly—perceiving spiritual realities currently hidden from most people.

The Heart (Kardia)

For Diadochos, the heart is:

The center of personality: Where intellect, will, and emotions integrate

The deep self: Beyond conscious awareness, where grace operates

The temple of God: Where the Holy Spirit dwells in baptized souls

The source of life: From which flow “the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23)

The spiritual journey involves descending from head to heart—moving from mere intellectual knowledge to experiential wisdom, from concepts about God to encounter with God.

Integration and Unity

Diadochos’s goal wasn’t privileging intellect over emotion or vice versa but integrating all faculties in unified devotion. The perfected soul experiences:

Mind focused on God: Continuous remembrance of divine presence

Heart inflamed with love: Passionate desire for the Beloved

Will aligned with God’s will: Wanting only what He wants

Body offering worship: Physical actions expressing interior devotion

This integration fulfills Jesus’s command:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength

Mark 12:30

Divine Love: The Goal of Spiritual Life

For Diadochos, the spiritual journey’s ultimate goal is love—not emotional feeling but transformative union with God who is Love (1 John 4:8). All spiritual practices serve this end.

From Fear to Love

Diadochos taught that spiritual development typically moves from fear-based to love-based motivation:

Beginners: Serve God primarily from fear of punishment—necessary stage but immature

Progressing: Serve God from hope of reward—still mixed motives but growing purity

Mature: Serve God from pure love—desiring Him for Himself, not for benefits

Although fear is not necessarily a bad thing as it initiates the learning process— “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10)—but that perfect love eventually “casts out fear” (1 John 4:18), transforming the relationship from servant to friend to bride.

Characteristics of Divine Love

Diadochos described mature love’s qualities:

Insatiable desire: The soul longs to experience the infinite goodness of God; a satisfaction that also makes one want to experience more.

Tears of compunction and joy: Weeping from both sadness at having sinned against God, and also thankfulness for His forgiveness.

Forgetfulness of self: Being aware of the presence of God and focused on pleasing Him rather than being absorbed in your own relationship to God.

Love for enemies: True compassion, regardless of how you are treated, is demonstrated by Christ’s example.

Yearning for union: Constant longing for union. A great desire to be continually with the Beloved, like Paul’s “desire to depart and be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23)

The Bridal Chamber: Mystical Marriage

Diadochos uses the concept of the bride chamber as a metaphor to express the union between the human soul and Christ, the Bridegroom. While this is not to be taken literally, it is to indicate a relationship of love that is incomparable to any other earthly union.

In this union:

Two become one: While remaining distinct persons, soul and God share life so intimately that boundaries blur

Mutual indwelling: “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one” (John 17:23)

Constant communion: Unbroken awareness of divine presence, even amid daily activities

Fruitful overflow: Love received from God overflows toward others in service

This bridal mysticism, developed by Origen and Gregory of Nyssa before Diadochos, became central to Christian contemplative tradition. Bernard of Clairvaux, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and countless others would explore these same themes.

Sobriety and Nepsis: Watchfulness

Nepsis is a term Diadochos uses to illustrate the need for spiritual sobriety or watchfulness. This virtue involves:

Constant Vigilance

The contemplative must maintain alertness against:

Temptation’s first approaches: Resisting evil thoughts before they gain strength

Spiritual pride: Guarding against self-satisfaction over progress

Delusion: Testing experiences against Scripture and tradition

Laziness: Refusing to coast on past achievements

Diadochos emphasized the importance of being vigilant against temptation, just as Jesus tells us:

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation

Matthew 26:41

Peter similarly exhorted:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour

1 Peter 5:8

Guarding the Heart

Diadochos also taught that the heart must be continuously protected:

We must always guard our heart with all vigilance (Proverbs 4:23), remembering that we are responsible for keeping our hearts pure from all that would separate us from God's love.

This guarding involves:

Monitoring thoughts: Being attentive to the thoughts in one’s mind.

Controlling imagination: Not entertaining fantasies that inflame passions

Directing attention: Intentionally focusing on God and godly things

Immediate response: Addressing problematic thoughts immediately rather than letting them linger

Balanced Sobriety

Diadochos did not teach that there is something wrong with being overly scrupulous, rather he taught that nepsis should be an experience of peaceful watchfulness rather than anxious scrupulosity, which prevents a person from being aware of the presence of God.

There is a need for balance in this area to keep from falling into spiritual despair or developing a paralyzing fear of God.

Tears: The Gift of Compunction

The author extensively quotes the writing of Diadochos on the subject of tears as they relate to prayer. Diadochos describes tears not as something that are generated by a person’s emotions rather he describes them as being a real indication of a person’s heart being touched or moved by God’s grace spontaneously. Diadochos breaks down tears into two basic categories.

Tears of Compunction

These are produced from:

Grief over sin: The grief a person experiences when they recognize they have committed a sin against God’s love.

Gratitude for mercy: A sense of gratitude for God’s mercy expressed through overwhelming thanks for being forgiven for their offense.

Longing for God: A homesickness or yearning to once again be in the presence of God.

The power of these tears is to purify or cleanse a person’s soul by washing away the debris of spiritual junk and softening the hard hearts created by sin. As David wrote:

I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears

Psalm 6:6

Tears of Divine Love

As a person progresses spiritually, their tears will begin to change from tears of compunction to pure tears of love:

Joy in God’s presence: Tears flow due to the beauty of God.

Compassion for others: Weeping over others’ spiritual blindness

Anticipatory longing: Sorrowful tears of longing for the day when complete union with God will occur in the next age.

Diadochos stated that the Holy Spirit produces these tears of pure love and they are the evidence of true transformation; therefore these cannot be manufactured by a technique but are something that occur as a person experiences greater, deeper grace.

The Danger of Counterfeit Tears

Diadochos offers a wise warning about demons being able to produce a false sense of tears—either to make a person spiritually prideful ( “See how holy I am!” ) or to create an attitude of despairing melancholy. True tears bring about an attitude of humility combined with a sense of peace, while false tears will create an attitude of pride or despair.

Theological Controversies: Defending Orthodoxy

During the time Diadochos was alive, there were many Christological controversies raging in the early church. He was very vocal in his defense against the two heresies that threatened the church during his lifetime.

Against Messalianism

The Messalians (sometimes referred to as Euchites) were a heretical group that taught:

Baptism doesn’t confer grace: Grace comes only through continuous prayer

Demons physically inhabit even the baptized: Requiring expulsion through mystical techniques

Physical sensations indicate spiritual progress: Claiming to feel grace bodily

Diadochos taught that baptism objectively grants grace and that all baptized individuals possess the potential to be tempted by the devil, but that demons cannot possess a person who has been baptized. Additionally, Diadochos taught that a person knows they are growing spiritually by the fruits of their behavior, not by their physical sensations.

By opposing Messalianism, Diadochos demonstrates that true mystical experience must always be congruent with orthodox theology. When experiencing the mystical outside of sound doctrine, one will quickly enter into delusion.

Affirming Chalcedonian Christology

Diadochos was in attendance at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, at which time the Council established the Church’s position on the person of Jesus Christ as being one person but with two natures: a divine nature and a human nature, neither of which could be confused, changed, divided or separated.

The understanding and confession of this now-defined Orthodox position on Christ is crucial to Diadochos’ understanding and experience of the Bible’s definition of mysticism. If Jesus Christ was not fully God, then people could not be united to God by uniting themselves to Christ. If Jesus Christ was not fully human, then He could not be our Mediator between God and man. Therefore, it follows that the orthodox view of Christ as both fully Divine and fully Human constitutes the basis for Christian Mystical Theology.

Pastoral Ministry: The Bishop’s Care

Bishop Diadochos of Photiki maintained a deep contemplative focus along with a pastoral responsibility to be a shepherd. His writings reflect both the heart of a shepherd and the soul of a mystic.

Spiritual Direction

Bishop Diadochos provided spiritual direction to many souls on the path to holiness. He provided:

Individualized counsel: Recognizing that different temperaments require different guidance

Progressive instruction: Teaching appropriate to each person’s spiritual stage

Discernment of experiences: Helping directees distinguish divine inspiration from delusion

Encouragement in trials: Supporting those facing spiritual warfare or desolation

Bishop Diadochos’s ministry exemplified St. Paul’s statement that:

We...were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children

1 Thessalonians 2:7

Diadochos combined mystical depth with pastoral gentleness.

Teaching and Preaching

Though there are only a few written sermons attributed to Bishop Diadochos, he performed the duty of a bishop to teach his flock in matters of doctrine, morality, and spirituality. The collection of his One Hundred Chapters appears to have been a teaching resource for the clergy and monks under his supervision.

Administration and Charity

In addition to providing spiritual ministry, he also oversaw diocesan business: ordaining clergy, settling disputes, managing property of the church, and managing charitable activities. He demonstrated that contemplative prayer is equipping for practical service to God, not a form of escaping from practical service to God.

Practical Applications from Diadochos’s Example

Recognize Baptism’s Power

Never underestimate your baptism. Grace received at that moment still exists and is waiting for your cooperation. At your baptism, you were given a potential for the mystical.

Practice the Jesus Prayer

Develop the habit of saying Jesus’s name continuously. Start with verbal repetition, but let it evolve into an inner spontaneous verbalisation. Allow Jesus’s name to be your constant companion.

Develop Spiritual Discernment

Learn to recognize movements in your life which originate from God, the devil or from yourself, and “test everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Guard Your Heart

Practice nepsis (watchfulness) by paying attention to your inner life. Observe your thoughts and control your imagination; immediately respond to temptation’s first hint.

Seek Spiritual Direction

Don’t walk your spiritual journey alone. You need wise/sober guides to discern what you are experiencing; to challenge your perceptions of reality and encourage you to remain faithful.

Progress from Fear to Love

If you serve God because you are afraid of Hell, that’s okay for now, but don’t stop there: strive to love God out of pure love.

Integrate Intellect and Heart

Don’t separate your emotion from your intellect, your feelings from your thoughts, your theology from your love of God. Seek the integration of your mind, heart and will in loving God.

Welcome Tears

If you cry during prayer (regardless of whether the tears stem from compunction or joy), receive them as a gift. Do not force yourself to cry, nor suppress your tears.

Balance Watchfulness and Peace

Remain aware of spiritual danger while at the same time remaining calm. Practice peaceful vigilance, knowing that you are safe under God’s protection and that you also remain alert.

Study Sound Doctrine

Be sure your mystical experiences have their foundation in the doctrinal teaching of the Church. Ensure your experiences are consistent with Scripture and Apostolic teaching. If you remove mysticism from orthodoxy, it turns into delusion.

Maintain Sacramental Life

Frequent participation in the Eucharist and the other sacraments will nourish your contemplative prayer experience. Never separate your mystical experience from sacramental grace.

Practice Continuous Prayer

Make continuous awareness of God a central part of your daily life. Allow your prayer to be the atmosphere in which you live.

Legacy: A Hidden Influence

Although he has not gained the notoriety of Augustine, Jerome or Chrysostom, and his name is not well-known outside of Orthodoxy and among the students of mystical theology, Diadochos’s continued influence can be felt in unexpected places today.

The Philokalia

Diadochos’s inclusion in the Philokalia (the Great Collection of Eastern Christian Spiritual Writings compiled in the 18th Century) will allow his teachings to be available for generations to come. The Philokalia is a compilation of the spiritual writings of Eastern Christians and has guided many to unite with God through the mystical experience.

The Jesus Prayer Tradition

Diadochos’s teaching about invoking Jesus’ name was instrumental in the development of the Jesus Prayer tradition; one of the most powerful expressions of Eastern Christian spirituality. Though he was not the only one to develop the Jesus Prayer, he added a specific theological framework and practical experience that shaped the tradition.

Mystical Theology

Later mystics such as Maximus the Confessor, Symeon the New Theologian, Gregory Palamas, and many others built on the foundations laid by Diadochos. His balanced integration of theology and experience, his advanced teaching in discernment and his emphasis on love as the primary goal of mysticism created a continuing impact on all Eastern Christian mysticism that has followed him.

Conclusion: The Hidden Path to Divine Love

St. Diadochos of Photiki shows us how closely tied the paradox of Christian mystical thought is to our own hearts; By this union with the otherness of God, we achieve the perfect union of our humanity with His divinity, allowing us to discover our true self. His life illustrates that the highest level of contemplation leads to empowerment instead of withdrawal from the care for the flock, and that the depth of mysticism leads to the ability to utilize that with profundity of wisdom and to serve God’s people in this world effectively who make the climb to God in prayer.

Above all, Diadochos shows that the union we seek with God is not an accomplishment but a gift received through baptism, with the expectation that we will cooperate with Him through prayer, virtue, and grace. We do not create our union with God, but through faith we receive it and through faithful action we cultivate our love for Him.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

1 John 3:1

May we, following Diadochos’s guidance, pursue the spiritual journey with wisdom and discernment. May we invoke Jesus’s name continuously, guard our hearts vigilantly, and seek love purely. May we receive the gift of tears without manufacturing them, welcome consolation without clinging to it, and endure desolation without despairing.

And may we discover, as Diadochos did, that the God we seek has already found us—that the divine love we yearn for has already embraced us—and that our restless hearts find their rest only in Him.

I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine

Song of Solomon 6:3