Teachings of Saint Ambrose of Optina. To Spouses and Parents

Heartfelt letters from a Russian elder, filled with love and attention, that will help you find answers to important questions about family, upbringing, and the spiritual path.

This edition includes 112 letters by Saint Ambrose of Optina (1812–1891), addressed to both laypeople and monastics. They cover a wide range of topics from everyday and inner life: relationships within the family, raising children, how to endure illnesses, and how to seek and strengthen faith. Wisdom here is expressed simply and clearly, and sincere care for a person is paired with gentle humor.

Saint Ambrose of Optina is one of the great Russian elders; people traveled to him from all corners of the Russian Empire for advice and consolation. His spiritual presence became one of the sources of inspiration for F. M. Dostoevsky when creating the figure of the elder Zosima in the novel "The Brothers Karamazov."