St. Nilus of Ancyra: The Ascetic Master’s Path of Interior Purification and Pure Prayer

Introduction

St. Nilus (d. c. 430 AD) was a scholar in the school of St. John Chrysostom, who left a comfortable life as a wealthy Roman bureaucrat to live in complete solitude as an ascetic. After moving to a desert region to be closer to God, he founded a monastery near the town of Ancyra in Asia Minor (now Turkey) and wrote extensively on the subject of prayer, spiritual combat, and contemplative life. His letters of spiritual direction and many treatises on prayer and asceticism, along with his deep insight into the interior life, influences the development of both Eastern and Western mysticism. Although the works of St. Nilus sometimes get confused with those of St. Nilus of Sinai, St. Nilus of Ancyra is distinctly different, he blended the teachings of the early Egyptian desert fathers with his philosophical training in Greece to create an extremely developed spirituality emphasizing radical detachment, ceaseless prayer, absolute purity of thought, and ultimately union with God above all other goods.

From Imperial Court to Desert Solitude: The Great Renunciation

Nilus was born around 370 AD into a wealthy and influential family, received a liberal education in rhetoric, philosophy, and classical literature in Constantinople, and achieved distinction as a high official (possibly a prefect or governor) in the Byzantine Empire. He had a wife and two sons and lived a life of material wealth, honor, influence, and the respect of his peers; by all accounts, he had everything to offer that a man could desire. Yet, Nilus’s success did not fulfill his spiritual hunger – the substance of his life appeared to him to be empty and devoid of any value. Nilus realized that these temporal possessions were only temporal and therefore could never fulfill the deepest longings of his soul.

His spiritual awakening developed from his encounter with St. John Chrysostom, the great preacher-patriarch of Constantinople. Chrysostom’s sermons did not simply present facts or ideas; instead, they created in Nilus a sense of conviction in the need for transformation in the area of spiritual discipleship. As a result of these sermons and through his influence on Nilus’s life, Nilus began to question many of his worldly beliefs about success, and to view his life as vain and materially unfulfilling as compared to living a life dedicated to God.

Through contemplation and continued reading about the desert fathers, St. Nilus made real changes in his life. At some point between the years 390-395 AD, he made a decision – he left the imperial court, renounced all of his wealth, position, and family ties to live in the spirit and seek God in solitude.

This decision was not an impulsive or foolish abandonment of responsibilities; instead, Nilus took great care in preparing for his family’s well-being, ensuring his wife’s welfare for the duration of her life (many sources claim she ended her life in the monastic life), ensuring his sons would have adequate education and opportunity to make a successful transition into adult life; at least one of his two sons, Theodulus, eventually would join him as a fellow ascetic devotee. Thus, prior to his departure for Ancyra, he made all appropriate provisions in an honorable manner to depart from Constantinople to the region surrounding Ancyra, where he took up residence on a mountain near the city.

The radical contrast between a man living at the height of success and wealth as a high-ranking Byzantine official and a man living the monastic ascetic life is clearly revealed. Nilus left a life of indulgence – silk clothing, food in abundance, luxury, and social honor— to live a life of poverty, solitude, and extreme asceticism. This extreme departure from his previous lifestyle established the seriousness of Nilus’s conversion into the Christian faith, as well as provided him with credibility for the later teachings he would provide in the spirit.

The School of Asceticism: Learning Through Deprivation

St. Nilus practiced a severe form of asceticism, reflecting the rigor of the Egyptian desert monasticism he sought to emulate. He fasted extensively, eating only once daily after sunset, consuming simple foods without variety or seasoning, and abstaining entirely during extended fasting periods. He slept very little, spending his nights in prayer and reciting psalms. He wore the same rough garment year-round, refusing comfort in any season.

Yet Nilus’s asceticism was not merely physical mortification for its own sake, but was purposeful spiritual discipline. He understood that the body, though good in itself, tends toward rebellion against the spirit. Bodily appetites distract from prayer, physical comfort dulls spiritual sensitivity, and material attachments fragment attention. Ascetical practices subdued these tendencies, creating interior conditions where contemplation could flourish.

Fasting served multiple purposes in Nilus’s spirituality:

1. Training the will: Exercising the capacity to deny immediate gratification for higher purposes developed self-control that could then be applied to more subtle temptations.
2. Weakening passions: Since hunger for food is the most fundamental bodily appetite, mastering it helps master other desires.
3. Heightening spiritual awareness: The emptiness in the belly created receptivity in the soul, making one more sensitive to divine presence.

Vigils and sleep deprivation also served contemplative purposes. Night, when distractions diminish and silence deepens, provides optimal conditions for prayer. Nilus spent hours each night in solitary prayer, reciting psalms, meditating on Scripture, and crying out to God in the darkness. These nocturnal prayers, free from daytime’s interruptions, allowed sustained contemplative focus.

Manual labor balanced these practices, preventing idleness while grounding spirituality in bodily reality. Nilus worked with his hands—likely weaving baskets or mats from reeds, the traditional desert occupation. This rhythmic work occupied the body while freeing the mind for prayer, creating the integration of action and contemplation that characterized healthy monasticism.

Poverty was absolute in Nilus’s practice. He possessed virtually nothing beyond essential clothing and minimal tools for his work. This radical dispossession freed him from anxiety about possessions, from time spent maintaining and protecting property, and from the subtle ways ownership fragments consciousness. With nothing to lose, he could focus entirely on the “one thing necessary” —seeking God.

Solitude was equally radical. Though Nilus established a small monastic community and wrote extensive correspondence, he spent most of his time alone in his cell. This solitude wasn’t loneliness but freedom—freedom from social obligations, from the need to maintain a persona, and from conforming to others’ expectations. In solitude, the false self constructed for social purposes could dissolve, revealing the true self created in God’s image.

Yet Nilus taught moderation even in asceticism. His letters warn against excessive mortification that destroys health, against pride in austere practices, and against using asceticism to impress others. The goal isn’t suffering for its own sake but purification that enables prayer. If ascetical practices make one too weak to pray or breed pride, they defeat their purpose.

The Letters: A Treasury of Spiritual Direction

A major source of guidance at all levels of the Christian continuum, Nilus’s letters were an unparalleled source of writing in the development of early Christianity. The sheer number of letters produced by Nilus—including 1,000+ of which over 1,800 were attributed to him by others—indicates his depth of wisdom and his extensive literary output. His letters to monks, bishops, laypeople, and even to high officials are an incredible treasure of spiritual wisdom applicable to virtually every aspect of Christian living. Through these letters, Nilus became recognized as one of the greatest spiritual directors of the early church, possessing unparalleled psychological clarity about how to cope with suffering and how to help others cope with their spiritual journey.

The majority of Nilus’s letters were written about prayer. Nilus teaches that to pray is a monk’s greatest work; all other practices are a means of facilitating a monk’s ability to pray. For Nilus, “pure prayer” is the ultimate objective of monasticism and involves progressing through three levels of prayer: (1) verbal prayers, (2) contemplation, and (3) wordless silence. Nilus built upon the writings of earlier spiritual authorities; he established a framework for prayer that was to become the standard of later mystics.

Many of Nilus’s letters detail the process of spiritual combat—how to combat destructive logismoi (i.e., thoughts) that may assail the mind of a contemplative. In the context of Evagrius’s teachings on logismoi, Nilus classifies the eight most significant logismoi (i.e., gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, acedia, vainglory, and pride) and delineates effective strategies for resisting each. Through the analysis of logismoi, Nilus demonstrates a deep understanding of the process of temptation, how our thoughts progress from suggestion to action, and how we can interrupt this progression.

Nilus encouraged those undergoing trial or adversity through many of his letters. His letters of encouragement to monks undergoing spiritual dryness, to Christians suffering persecution, and to many persons who were disheartened due to chronic failures and disappointments exemplify this effort. While recognizing the strenuous realities of a person’s spiritual journey, he consistently encouraged the faithful that God’s grace will prevail, and that ultimately victory would come.

Numerous letters by Nilus offer practical advice about the daily structure of a monastery (i.e., when to pray, when to work) and offer practical resolutions to communal conflicts that may arise within a predictable hierarchy, as well as providing insight into how to function as humble and virtuous monks in the presence of our spiritual gifts. The answers provide a unique combination of wisdom, understanding, and common sense, accurately providing for both the laxity of the extreme that makes things too easy and the rigor of the extreme that makes it impossible to be a monk.

The correspondences of Nilus reveal his influence in the Church and beyond monasticism’s confines. His letters to bishops address theological and pastoral issues and provide insight for Christian representatives of the empire advocating for just treatment of all people. His letters to wealthy Christians encourage generosity toward the poor, demonstrating that the withdrawal of contemplative prayer does not equal an indifference to the morality and welfare of the Church.

Nilus’ letters also reveal Nilus’s character—his sternness mixed with compassion; his unwavering commitment to his principles and principles of the Church, yet with a genuine patience for those who may be weak; his great intellect combined with extraordinary practical understanding. He offers no impersonal commentary; rather, he responds specifically to each of his correspondents; thus, Nilus adapts his response to each person’s particular spiritual circumstances while maintaining consistent views about spiritual matters.

“On Prayer” : The Ascetic Master’s Contemplative Teaching

Nilus’s best-known work is On Prayer (Peri Proseuchēs). It consists of 153 chapters containing Nilus’s guidance regarding the concept of contemplative prayer. Written in the spirit of early church and heavily influenced by Evagrius, On Prayer has had a profound influence within Christian mysticism, having established the mysticism of the Eastern paths of hesychasm and the mysticism of Western church.

Nilus’s Introduction to On Prayer begins the work by establishing prayer’s absolute importance in the believer’s daily life. For Nilus, “Prayer is the ascent of the mind to God.” Nilus does not define prayer merely as a verbal request to God; rather, he defines prayer as the activity of the spirit in ascending, in consciousness, toward God through the grace of God. Everything related to a person’s spiritual life, including fasting (which decreases bodily distraction), waking up in preparation for prayer (which creates time for prayer), and poverty (which allows freedom from personal material concerns), are ultimately related to the ascension toward God.

To achieve pure prayer, Nilus requires that the monk must undergo an internal process of purification. Anger blinds the mind from ascending toward God; lust prevents the heart from finding stillness; sadness weighs down the soul; therefore, a monk must pursue moral transformation before he may find pure prayer; without some degree of moral transformation, there will be no possibility of authentic contemplation.

He describes the intellect (nous) as the faculty of spiritual perception—the organ that perceives God and spiritual realities. Sin clouds this faculty, passions disturb it, demonic thoughts assault it. But purification restores its natural clarity, enabling it to fulfill its purpose—direct perception of divine truth. Pure prayer occurs when the nous, freed from passions and distractions, turns entirely toward God.

Nilus emphasizes the importance of stillness (hesychia)—interior silence where the mind’s usual chatter ceases, allowing awareness of divine presence to emerge. This stillness isn’t achieved through technique but through grace working in the purified soul. One prepares for it through ascetical discipline and petition, but stillness itself comes as gift.

He also teaches about tears in prayer—weeping that flows spontaneously during contemplation. These tears aren’t emotional manipulation but spiritual gift, evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence, means of purification. Tears wash the soul, soften hardness, and often accompany breakthroughs in prayer. Nilus encourages seeking this gift while warning against pride if it’s granted.

The text warns extensively about demonic interference in prayer. Demons cannot prevent humans from praying, but they can distract, suggest blasphemous thoughts, produce false visions, and counterfeit spiritual experiences. Nilus teaches discernment—true spiritual experiences bring peace and humility; false ones produce anxiety and pride. The criterion is always fruits—does the experience increase love of God and neighbor?

Nilus also addresses the body’s role in prayer. While emphasizing the nous’s centrality, he recognizes that embodied humans pray with bodies as well as souls. Physical posture matters—prostrations express humility, kneeling shows supplication, standing demonstrates respect. Tears are bodily as well as spiritual. Even the breath, when coordinated with brief prayers, can support contemplative focus.

The work culminates in describing prayer’s highest forms—pure prayer beyond words, images, and concepts. Here the nous perceives divine light directly, experiences union with God, and tastes the kingdom even while still in the body. This prayer is brief in duration but profound in impact, transforming those who experience it. Nilus insists this represents prayer’s natural summit, the goal toward which all practice aims.

“On Voluntary Poverty” : The Prerequisite for Prayer

In addition to “The Philokalia,” the brotherhood of monks in the Mount Athos, Nilus of Ancyra is credited with writing another important work discussing “Voluntary Poverty” as an important precondition for prayer. This work is believed to outline both spiritually and practically, how radical detachment from worldly goods enables the individual to cultivate a life of contemplative prayer in the power of the Holy Spirit.

According to Nilus, all attachment we have to material possessions obstructs our ability to pray effectively since our mental processes become immersed in thoughts of obtaining, maintaining, and protecting that which we own. Even trivial items, such as food or clothing, will distract us from the singular purpose of prayer, which demands an undistracted mind. The cacophony created in our minds by these distractions is so overwhelming that it completely destroys any chance we have of hearing the quiet voice of God speaking to us.

Nilus distinguishes between owning possessions and simply being attached to them. While it is necessary for some individuals to have property due to family obligations and to meet societal needs, they are able to maintain a state of inner detachment toward the goods they possess. In contrast, an individual who is a monk should embrace literal poverty and, therefore, own nothing more than the bare essential needs of life. This form of radical detachment provides the ideal atmosphere for a monk to pray effectively.

As he examines the mental mechanisms that cause us to become attached to our worldly possessions, Nilus has an excellent understanding of the psychological principles underlying attachment. Because we have established a dependency on our possessions for security, we place our trust in the things we own rather than in God’s providential care. As a result, we develop an intense fear of losing those items, constantly think about how to maintain and protect them, and become anxious over worrying about them being stolen. Furthermore, we engage in excessive pride by defining ourselves according to what we possess and measuring our worth by what we accumulate. All of these dynamics adversely affect our ability to pray.

Voluntary poverty deals with these issues by giving us total freedom from all the uncertainties that come from being dependent on the possessions we own. When we trust in God to provide for all of our daily needs, we develop genuine faith and trust in God. We become united with Christ through His poverty, which allows us to experience His freedom and movement; therefore, instead of viewing poverty as a form of deprivation, we begin to perceive poverty as an avenue of liberation and gain.

However, Nilus cautions against the false notion of poverty, wherein an individual is outwardly disposed toward poverty (i.e., having nothing) while being inwardly attached to worldly possessions. A monk who “has nothing” but continues to obsess over the possessions he has given up will not have achieved true poverty. In order for an individual to have achieved true poverty, his will must release all attachment to worldly possessions; his heart must seek no other possessions; and his mind must cease dwelling on material goods.

Nilus also warns against the temptation to become prideful because of his state of poverty. Some monastic individuals practice extreme austerities to appear impressive to others, engage in excessive fasting to gain esteem from others, and embrace a lifestyle of poverty to become viewed as being holy. This attitude toward virtue defeats the purpose of being poor. True poverty is hidden, authentic, and practiced for God, without seeking recognition or self-gratification.

Nilus associates poverty with a total reliance upon the providence of God. While living in a state of poverty, a poor monk must live “day by day” trusting that God will provide him with all he needs, not relying on his own resources. Dependence on God’s providential provision creates a close relationship with God in which God is not perceived as an abstract being, but a very real and personal source of sustenance. Furthermore, the necessity to rely on God’s divine assistance for survival brings a much greater sense of urgency to the practice of prayer.

Spiritual Combat: The Warfare of Thoughts

Nilus’ teachings on spiritual combat were heavily influenced by Evagrius, and through his teachings he elaborated on the psychological dynamics of temptation, and offered elaborate strategies to counteract temptation through resistance. Nilus recognized that the contemplative life requires both positive spiritual practices as well as an active, aggressive resistance to the onslaught of temptations determined to keep us separated from God.

The battlefield for spiritual warfare is the mind. Although demons are unable to force a person to act upon sin or commit sin, they are fully capable of presenting to us sinful thoughts, planting sinful images, stirring sinful memories, and amplifying our sinful emotions. These demonic suggestions or logismoi are the weapons that demons utilize against us in the war of the mind. Once a person receives and dwells upon a demonic logismos (thought), the process of progression is initiated, which leads to an evil passion; ultimately to evil action. Therefore, a significant component of spiritual warfare consists of stopping a demonic logismos before it establishes itself in the mind.

Nilus identifies eight major logismoi as the primary sources of temptation, according to Evagrius. These are:

Gluttony is an example of fixation on food, which consists of craving special items that can only be eaten at certain times. According to Nilus, it is possible to counteract this fixation through fasting. Fasting somewhat means that the goal is to eat enough food to satisfy hunger, rather than for pleasure. Nilus teaches that in order to have long-term effects fasts should be of moderate lengths, and extreme fasting is usually unsustained.

Lust presents itself through sexual thoughts and fantasies, previous sexual actions, and anticipated future sexual actions. Nilus teaches that one must redirect their thinking immediately upon thoughts of lust. Since one cannot focus on thoughts of lust, he must direct his focus to the Scripture and utility of Jesus’ name, as well as the reality of death and judgment. In addition, he also teaches that there are preventative methods for preventing lustful thoughts to arise, which is to avoid things that will create lustful desires, keep custody of one’s eyes, and never focus on the first time a thought of lust arises.

Avarice comes from insecurities about the future, a desire to have possessions in order to feel secure, and the desire to be wealthy. Nilus tells the monk that if he believes in God’s provision then he will not have to worry about accumulating things to be “secure” in this world. The monk can therefore meditate upon Christ’s poverty and how all worldly possessions are only temporary to help lessen the hold that avarice has upon him.

Sadness differs from “natural” sadness and “natural” grief from loss. Sadness is a spiritual condition of being depressed, discouraged, troubled in prayer, and heavy-hearted. Nilus says that sadness is associated with unfulfilled desires or lingering anger. The prescription for sadness will include acceptance of that which has not been fulfilled, a release from the attachment which is causing the sadness, and an awareness of the joy that one has despite the sadness that has caused grief to occur through one’s faith in God’s goodness.

Anger disturbs one’s peace and makes it impossible for one to contemplate deeply. Nilus instructs that an individual should not go to bed angry, they must always reconcile immediately with one who offends them (and understand that another’s sin against the individual should be regarded as far less than that of the individual regarding his personal sin against God), and only have righteous anger for unjust acts (which should be kept carefully so as not to become sinful). Also, Nilus understands that righteous anger is different from the anger caused by wounded pride.

Acedia, the “noonday demon,” leads to disturbances, boredom with spiritual practices, fantasies of leaving the monastic life, and an inability to focus on prayer. Nilus encourages perseverance—in remaining in his cell regardless of the discomfort, to pray through the dryness of prayer with trust that perseverance in acedia will develop spiritual strength. Nilus also recommends the performing of manual labor as a remedy for the paralysis caused by acedia.

Vainglory desires to have the approval of mankind, desiring recognition of one’s virtue, and desiring to have a reputation for holiness. Nilus states that the best solution for vainglory is creating anonymity when practicing virtue, not presenting spiritual gifts/abilities to others, and redirecting praise to God. In addition, Nilus teaches that vainglory can taint any good act and make it an act of pride.

Pride, the most dangerous thought, considers itself the source of spiritual achievements, forgets dependence on grace, and judges others. Nilus teaches that pride can only be defeated by humility—constant awareness that all good comes from God, that one deserves nothing, that without grace one would be lost. He also emphasizes that pride often attacks when one has made significant spiritual progress, destroying years of effort in a moment.

To combat temptations, Nilus teaches immediate action in response to a temptation’s thought(s) rather than engaging in dialogue with a temptation. Nilus utilizes the power through Jesus’ name, reading scripture, saying the Sign of the Cross as well as calling upon God’s power for strength and further victory over the will and temptations. He teaches that a person must be vigilant in monitoring the mind continuously, and as soon as they notice disturbances in their peace that will cause them harm, they must take decisive action to avoid the patterns of destruction developed due to those thoughts.

The Jesus Prayer: Unceasing Invocation

During Nilus’s lifetime, the Jesus Prayer had not been formally codified; however, he laid an essential foundation for this important facet of Eastern Christian mysticism by emphasizing the need for constant prayer by being continually aware of God throughout all of life’s activities, in all situations and moments.

Nilus taught people to pray short prayers that could be easily repeated all day, such as: “Lord, have mercy,” “O God, make speed to save me,” or simply the name “Jesus.” These short invocations, repeated throughout the day and night, train consciousness to maintain God-awareness. The brevity allows repetition during any activity—working, walking, eating, lying down. Gradually, the prayer becomes spontaneous, continuing without deliberate effort.

Nilus thought of this practice of continuous prayer as complying with Paul’s command to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and he said that this means that a person does not continually verbally pray, as this would not happen while a person is sleeping or speaking with others. Instead, he understood that a person would have a habitual internal orientation toward God no matter what the person was doing, even while the person was engaged in their daily activities. With this view, the use of short repetitive prayers helps to establish and maintain the connection to God’s presence.

Nilus also taught the importance of coordinating breathing and praying. By aligning short prayer phrases with their inhale and exhale, nullifying the need to concentrate completely on the words, a person is allowed to fully incorporate prayer into daily life, making prayer physically much more regular than a simple act of religion. By doing this to develop a connection with God through prayer, a person is able to keep their wandering mind focused and anchored.

Nilus was very clear that in doing this practice, a person is looking for a connection with God, and that the goal is not simply to repeat the phrase but to actually encounter God as a result of praying. In the beginning, the short prayers may be the scaffolding that are needed at the beginning stages of prayer; however, as a person’s prayer life develops, they will no longer need the scaffolding to hold them upright. As a person becomes more advanced as a pray-er, they will be able to rest in a state of awareness without need of the words. Nevertheless, most individuals will still need to use words, as this is what gives them the form and structure needed to develop contemplation.

He also indicated that mechanical repetition of prayer without any inner engagement is of no possible benefit. Simply speaking words without any connection between the heart, the mind, or the will means that it lacks authenticity. The repetition of words must come from the heart, be associated with thought and directed toward God. The quality of the prayers offered is of greater importance to a developing pray-er than the quantity of times. It is better to offer ten prayers with focused attention on the words, rather than a thousand times without directed attention.

Nilus also indicated that the continual offering of prayer acts as a protective guard against being tempted. By maintaining awareness of God’s presence, there will be no opportunity for temptation to arise within a person’s consciousness; therefore, the thoughts of determining lust, anger or anxiety will have no place to enter a person’s mind. In addition, the minute a person provides a “guard” against temptation through prayer, this becomes a tool for both contemplation and weapons in warfare.

Pure Prayer and Divine Light

Nilus’ descriptions of the highest or most pure forms of prayer served as an influence for the entire subsequent tradition of hesychasm. Throughout his writings, he described the pure state of prayer as the experience of contemplation without utilizing the use of words, images, or intellectual concepts in which the nous perceives God directly. The type of knowledge described is not intellectual or abstract, rather it is the reality of experiential awareness, a direct contact point between the spirit of man and the Spirit of God.

He uses the metaphor of light to describe the experience of pure prayer. The purified nous sees divine light that may not be seen through the use of physical photons, but rather through the illuminating spiritual presence of God and gives wisdom to the individual as they enter into this presence. By perceiving divine light, the way to acquire all wisdom and understanding is to be transformed, and therefore obtain knowledge far beyond the capability of mere reasoning and trust that is founded upon rational evidence.

Nilus makes clear that this light is God, not something that exists independent of God. When anyone sees and perceives the divine light, the person is in the presence of God. This mystical experience is the fullness of communion between God and man, representing the ultimate purpose of humanity, the union between God and His creation.

At the same time, Nilus maintained an apophatic view in which he indicated God transcends even the most profound experiences of the believer and cannot ultimately be comprehended. The light that an individual experiences in prayer are the energies of God, which are God’s divine self-manifestation that provide access to God for the created. However, the essence of God is beyond any experience and transcends all created beings.

Nilus describes pure prayer as a gift from God, not as an achievement by an individual; therefore, no one can reach pure prayer as a result of technique or as a result of personal efforts. One needs to prepare for this experience through purification, and to desire this experience through prayer and only through the grace of God may an individual be granted this experience. God bestows the experience of a mystical union with Him as He chooses to do through His divine wisdom to each of His creatures as is necessary for them.

Nilus describes the experience of pure prayer as brief but a significant experience. Pure prayer is often the exception to the usual focus of plain consciousness, giving one a view of divine glory and sustaining one through the dry periods of faith. The experience of pure prayer is so pleasant that once experienced, an individual will continue in his faith practice, even if he does not experience it often.

The genuine experience of pure prayer will produce fruitfulness of humility, love for God and one’s neighbor, a peace that is obtained through internal stability regardless of the external world, and transformation in that one will begin progressively to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. If one does not experience these fruits, the individual can reasonably conclude that the experience is either a result of one’s own imagination or of the evil one rather than of God.

Theological Controversies: Defender of Chrysostom

Nilus’s commitment to his spiritual father, St. John Chrysostom, led him to get involved in the political and religious controversies surrounding Chrysostom’s removal from his position and exile from Constantinople. When Empress Eudoxia and Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria were working together to remove Chrysostom from the episcopal chair in Constantinople (which began in 403 and resulted in Chrysostom’s removal in January 404), Nilus defended him vigorously.

Nilus’s correspondence during this time period reveals that how he viewed God through contemplation allowed him to respond to Christ’s works in the world ecclesiastically. He was not passive in his faith but actively participated in defending Chrysostom, his spiritual father, from political injustice. Nilus’s prayer life helped him gain the courage to speak truthfully to those in authority, thereby defending the rightness of Chrysostom as bishop of Constantinople at the risk of his own safety. He wrote letters to bishops stating that they should support Chrysostom; wrote letters to imperial officials to protest the injustices that had occurred with regard to Chrysostom; and wrote letters to Chrysostom himself to offer encouragement.

Nilus’s involvement in these third-party disputes illustrates that authentic contemplation does not ignore worldly matters but instead helps us see justice and injustice. The spiritual vision obtained through contemplation helped to see through the political intrigue of the emperor and Theophilus; he was able to recognize real sanctity on behalf of Chrysostom and discern true evil through contemplation.

In addition to being an instrument of contemplation into action, the conflicts surrounding Chrysostom forced Nilus to wrestle with the concepts of detachment and God’s providence. When he was unable to secure the reinstatement of Chrysostom (Chrysostom died in exile in 407 AD), Nilus relied upon faith to trust that God’s plan was greater than what he saw at that moment and that what may look like ultimate defeat may lead to ultimate victory. Thus, he had to practice what he had taught others — to believe that God’s divine providence works through all injustice, even through suffering.

In addition to these conflicts, Nilus also was engaged in various theological controversies of his day. He defended Nicene orthodoxy against the continued influence of Arianism; engaged in discussions concerning the person and nature of Christ; and addressed early theological discussions regarding Christology that would be seen later in the controversies concerning Nestorianism and Monophysitism. The theological views of Nilus were always rooted in a contemplative experience, as he interpreted the doctrines of the Church through his own prayerful experience of Christ.

Spiritual Direction: Guiding Souls Through Letters

Nilus’s many letters are a testament to his ability as a spiritual director. Nilus directed monks through experiences of doubt; provided pastoral instruction for bishops; directed lay individuals in their quest for holiness; and provided guidance and support to anyone who sought it. Nilus’s letters reveal his unique ability to discern the spiritual state of those to whom he was writing and to provide direction to meet those needs.

When addressing monks struggling with temptations, Nilus provided a balanced view. He validated that the struggle is real, and that the difficulty of spiritual warfare is a true challenge; however, he assured the monks that it is possible to overcome these temptations by utilizing God’s grace. He expressed to monks that to experience failure after an initial attempt is a part of spiritual growth. He taught that the most virtuous response to falling is to rise up and continue in the faith.

To those experiencing spiritual desolation, Nilus explained that God sometimes withdraws his consolations as a way of testing one’s faith and building virtue. If one serves God because they are experiencing spiritual joy, one has not attained mature love. Therefore, true devotion exists when one recites their prayers and does not achieve the sense of God’s presence, nor does the practice of their faith provide any comfort. By remaining faithful during spiritual dryness, one achieves detachment and is freed to desire God above all else.

To those who begin with enthusiasm but lack experience, Nilus counseled moderation rather than extremes. New spiritually enthused individuals will often take excessive measures on their path to holiness which they cannot sustain, resulting in eventual weakness. Rather than taking extremes, it is better to establish sustainable methods of maintaining spiritual growth. The relational nature of the spiritual life requires that it develop gradually in order to succeed.

To those who pride themselves on their progress, Nilus recommended that they remain honest with themselves about their ongoing struggles with sinfulness. Although a person may be advanced in their spiritual life through contemplation, they should never consider themselves immune to the sin of pride, which can destroy a person’s life of prayer. The remedy is to perpetually cultivate humility through the recollection of their greatest sins and their absolute dependence on God’s grace, allowing him to receive all glory.

For lay persons who cannot live a life of monastic austerity, Nilus provided counsel that adapted their needs to their capabilities. Although not everyone has a calling to live in poverty, every Christian is called to achieve a level of detachment in their possessions and time spent in prayer. While one may own possessions, one may practice a continual attitude of prayer while engaged in one of the many professions available in the world. One can achieve the depths of contemplation without withdrawing from society.

Additionally, Nilus demonstrated a high level of patience and gentleness with human weakness. While he was often firm and uncompromising on the principles of spiritual growth, he showed extraordinary patience and encouragement with the weaknesses of human beings. He met people where they were, offered guidance with compassion, and challenged people to continue to strive for excellence in their relationship with God. This combination of high expectations with compassion characterizes the effectiveness of the spiritual direction offered by Nilus.

Asceticism and the Body: A Balanced Approach

Nilus espoused a balanced view of asceticism, one that avoided both too little and too much rigor. For Nilus, the body is not an enemy of the soul, but rather a partner in salvation, and, therefore, ascetic practices should subdue the rebellion of the body without destroying its health.

Nilus distinguished between essential and excessive mortification. Some ascetical discipline is necessary, such as fasting to control the appetite, vigil to make time for prayer, or simple clothing as a means of avoiding vanity, as these practices serve a limited number of purposes and are important to follow. While these are essential, beyond the limits of health and causing pride or vanity, they can cause more harm than good.

Nilus cautions against the competitive nature of asceticism in the monastic community, where monks try to outdo each other in fasting, sleep deprivation, or early rising, to show how austere they are compared to their fellow monks. The transformation of asceticism into a source of vainglory defeats the very purpose of asceticism. True asceticism is engaged in for God alone, and it is usually done in secret.

The ascetic practices of monks must be proportionate to individual capacity; what one monk can sustain, may destroy another’s health. Other variables are age, health, temperament, and calling. It is the responsibility of the spiritual director to discern the individual needs of each person in their care and recommend practices according to their unique situations so that they may be challenged without being crushed.

Nilus emphasized that asceticism serves as a means to facilitate prayer, not the opposite, meaning that fasting to the point of being too weak to pray is excessive, and vigils to the point of so much fatigue as to no longer have enough energy to maintain vigilance over thoughts are counterproductive. The criterion of assessing whether an ascetical practice serves as an aid or obstacle to prayer is simple – does the practice facilitate or hinder prayer?

Nilus cautioned against using the body as an excuse for laxity. Some people claim to need comfort, pleasure, and ease, when in fact, what they need is discipline. Genuine physical limitations require appropriate accommodation, but manufactured excuses serve to enable continued slavery to passions. Discerning between true needs and rationalizations can be easy.

Nilus exemplified the desert tradition’s best wisdom; asceticism is a means to an end rather than the end; discipline is a means of supporting contemplation; the body is meant to be trained rather than destroyed; and moderation leads to sustainable practices over many decades rather than dramatic extremes of austerity that cause burnout.

Legacy and Influence

St. Nilus of Ancyra’s contributions to the development of Christian spirituality, especially in the East, have been profound and enduring. His assimilation of Greek philosophical precision extracted from Western thought with the desert ascetical wisdom of the East has produced a highly sophisticated contemplative theology that occurred with all subsequent development of the hesychast tradition.

Nilus’s teaching concerning the development of pure prayer influenced the formulation of the Jesus Prayer, in particular, as presented in the Philokalia, which is a collection of Eastern Christian spiritual writings compiled in the 18th century. Although St. Nilus did not use the same words and phrases of the Jesus Prayer, his teaching concerning the use of short repetitious invocations coupled with one’s breathing, and then proceeding towards a state of wordless contemplation provided the framework upon which the Jesus Prayer would later develop.

St. Nilus also provided a prominent model for how spiritual direction can be accomplished through letter writing. His letters show that the written format can be an effective way of directing souls to God. While countless masters after Nilus, such as Barsanuphius and John, Seraphim of Sarov, and many current Orthodox elders, have continued the practice of spiritual direction through letter writing, Nilus laid the foundation.

Although the teaching of St. Nilus, which dealt with the realities of spiritual combat, was passed down primarily through a body of work that had once been attributed to him but that was later revealed to be written by Evagrius, his teaching of spiritual combat has shaped the development of both Eastern and Western monasticism. His analyses of destructive thoughts and the strategies to combat them have become the foundation of the current developments of dispelling destructive thoughts in the context of spiritual direction.

Nilus’s emphasis on the nous (the intellect/spirit) as a source of spiritual vision formed a foundation for the prayer and the anthropological framework of the Eastern Christians. The Eastern tradition of purifying the nous, descending from one’s head to the heart, and achieving hesychia all demonstrate traces of Nilus’s influence.

Although St. Nilus has had a lesser direct impact on the development of Christian spirituality in the West than in the East, many Latin Christians have been influenced by St. Nilus through various other means. In connection with his teachings on prayer, there is a direct impact on the contemplative practices of many Catholic Christians. The letters of St. Nilus provide models of spiritual direction through written correspondence. Asceticism, in general, has influenced the way we view the necessity for discipline in relation to spirituality.

Conclusion: The Way of Pure Prayer

St. Nilus of Ancyra calls every individual today to make the same commitment to develop pure prayer as he engaged with God through the purifying journey of contemplation, which is grounded in the experience of the Holy Spirit and thereby able to achieve the full capacity of God. His life and teachings serve as a testament to the ability of every person to develop such a level of spirituality through intentional activity over time.

Nilus calls our attention back to the importance of the preparatory work of purification and petition rather than trying to force a manifestation of God into our lives through the imposition of method on spiritual experience. Nilus’s reminder is culture challenging to consumerism, yet offers genuine hope that contemplation is possible precisely because God grants it, not because we achieve it.

Nilus’s teaching about experiencing voluntary poverty speaks powerfully into the materialistic culture. He points out that attachment to possessions is a barrier to prayer, and that through detachment from possessions, one can gain true freedom. Through radical poverty, whether literally in terms of lifestyle or merely from an internal perspective, one can experience total focus on one’s relationship with God.

Nilus exemplifies the need for the discipline of purification in relation to the spiritual combat and the resolution of all the psychological and emotional challenges experienced in daily life. The sophisticated psychological understanding that St. Nilus describes—regarding the mechanisms of temptation and how to cope with temptation—is very applicable today for the modern Christian. In his words, he has provided a roadmap of sorts for modern Christians in regard to the experience of interior warfare.

He teaches moderation, sustainability, and focus on prayer—the goal of asceticism—challenging both laziness as well as excessive rigorism. In a society where comfortable Christian life demands nothing challenging, Nilus insists that discipline is necessary, that the body’s nature demands training and that one must exert the requisite effort to make true spiritual progress. On the other hand, he teaches that extreme and excessive periods of mortification are damaging to health and breed pride, and therefore advocates for a balanced approach to asceticism—an approach of sustainable growth.

More significantly, Nilus demonstrates that one can truly achieve a relationship with God through developing a deep purifying relationship with God; thus, it is possible to achieve total intimacy with God whereby words become unnecessary. Consequently, this promise sustains perseverance through the ordinary practice of developing the relationship with God and thus achieving one’s journey through prayer; the goal of developing a deep, intimate relationship with God is attainable.

St. Nilus of Ancyra, from the status of being a nobleman in the court of an emperor, to eventually becoming a recluse and ascetical monk in the desert wilderness of Egypt, to his present-day status as a spiritual master and contemplative guide, demonstrates to every person the power and possibilities of prayer and the reality of the union of God and humanity. Each generation, through his voice today, continues to call us to experience radical dispossession, develop pure prayer, and deepen one’s personal relationship with God, who is, ultimately, the purpose of all humanity. In the stillness of prayer, through the example of this radical poverty, and through the practical description of pure prayer, any person may experience what St. Nilus achieved and, therefore, may begin a journey down the same pathway that he exemplified all throughout his life and calling.