Amsterdam - Tuesday April 25th - Lecture 19.30h €15 Roots of Christian spirituality in the Amstelkerk by Robin Amis Tuesday 25th April 2006, 19.30- 22.00hr (door open 19.00hr) Robin Amis, at the publication of the Dutch translation of his book, “Het Andere Christendom” – ‘Het vroege Christendom en het moderne denken’, is visiting the Netherlands to give lectures and a workshop. In the early Church the ‘time of saints’ was the result of objective elements of a Christian Inner Tradition. Transmission of these into Western Europe was blocked by politically motivated doctrinal changes between Rome and the Eastern Empire around the year 800AD, when the Frankish Emperor Charlemagne became protector and Consul of Rome. Reformation attempts to turn back to the teachings of the saints of the early Church failed, led to total dependence on the canonical gospel. In a climate of rationalism and humanist thinking, these changes resulted in a total neglect of practical spirituality, eliminating changes in Christian character which had demonstrated the power of the gospel to the early Church. This talk will outline what was lost to the West by all this, speaking in experiential terms of Magnetisation to God (St. Theophan the Hermit) as a means of restoring and reversing the energy flow in the psyche; of the nature and states of the nous, the vehicle of consciousness that integrates the psyche by transforming suffering. It will speak in detail of the forgotten early Church teaching of Charismatic Theosis, in which the Holy Spirit, the permanent goal of Christian life, opens through the stillness of hesychia into the light of union with God. This Christian Inner Tradition provides long-forgotten answers to practical spirituality: v The heart as the central place: v Prayer of the heart ( The “Jesus Prayer”): ‘Unceasing prayer’ and ‘watchfulness’ (Col. 4: 2). v Entering into oneself . ~The relation of posture and prayer to the heart. Anatomical and spiritual definitions of heart. v Faith, Hope, Grace and knowledge. v Glimpses of the goal of the Christian life. ‘Working on oneself.’ Inner separation and constatation. The possibility of permanent change. v The mystical power of spiritual memory; mneme Theou (God Remembrance ) and Theosis Robin Amis, Director of Praxis Research Institute, has visited Mount Athos yearly since 1982 and is one of the small circle of people, who is there regarded as “fellow workers”. He is director of the ‘Praxis Research Institute’ in England, performing research in the early Christianity and the teaching of the Inner Tradition. His book about the early Christianity, “A Different Christianity”, original published at ‘The State University of New York Press’ in the U.S.A., is now ready as “Het Andere Christendom”, and after the lecture the first Dutch copy will be handed to him. For this evening it can be purchased at a reduced price. After the lecture, Robin Amis will also answer questions, and there will be an opportunity to make acquaintance with other books published by Praxis about the Inner Christian Tradition and its spirituality.
Utrecht - Wednesday April 26th - Lecture 19.30h €15 Christian spirituality today For modern intellectual Christian people, all evolved and critical, connected with the churches – often evangelical The objective element in the early Church Councils once emphasised a process of theosis in which individual men and women were enlivened by the ‘energies’ of God so that ‘men and women became gods’. v The documentation in the New Testament for inner growth of man (on earth) to ‘unto a perfect man’ in ‘ the fullness of Christ.’ (Ephesians 4: 12 – 15) v Its core: St.Paul to the Athenians, also “the hidden wisdom of God, a mystery” (I Corinthians 2: 6-7), that is to say, something recognisable not as a created thing ‘from this world’, but as a living reality perceived inwardly. In England, Cranmer’s attempt to turn back to the teachings of the saints of the early Church failed. The Reformation led instead to strict reliance on the gospel following the principle sola scriptura to the neglect of a Christian understanding of proper purpose and of practical spirituality. (Man was born to unite with his Creator.) The ‘New Devotion’ also failed… all because the transmission of objective elements of the Christian Inner Tradition into Western Europe was blocked by political action in 800 AD, with a progressive narrowing of Christian spirituality throughout the West. G.I.Gurdjieff attempted to remedy this failure – and left instructions to his students that after his death they should ‘make connection with the Inner Tradition’ in Greece. This attempt also failed. This talk will outline of the schism between inner experience and outer doctrine that resulted from this, speaking of Magnetisation to God (St.Theophan the Hermit) as restoration of the energy flow in the psyche; of the nature and states of the nous, with its power to integrate the psyche by transforming suffering. It will introduce practical knowledge from forgotten Eastern Church teachings of Charismatic Theosis, which wakes the deep stillness of hesychia, passing on into glorification - so that man may become a god’. v About being ‘saved in hope’ but not yet being in ‘the love of Christ.’ v This Christian Tradition teaches the practical and substantial acquisition of the Holy Spirit v Also ‘unceasing prayer’ and ‘watch’ (Colossians 4: 2) v Relation of posture and prayer to the heart. Right and wrong definitions of heart v Glimpses of the goal of the Christian life. The possibility of permanence.
Rotterdam - Friday April 28th - Lecture 19.30h €15 Christian spirituality today Keys found in the inner tradition of the early Church Transmission of the Christian tradition of practical inner spirituality into Western Europe was partially prevented by political action around 800 AD and still affects life in the West today. This talk will outline what was lost to the West by this, and will present in experiential terms the role of magnetic centre as a means of restoring and reversing the energy flow in the psyche: and the nature and states of the nous, the vehicle of consciousness, with its power to integrate the psyche through struggle and the transformation of suffering. Robin Amis will introduce the practical knowledge of the Eastern Church teaching of Charismatic Theosis in which the Holy Spirit is is the permanent goal of a Christian life which buds in the deep stillness of hesychia and flowers with the uncreated light of God. Rotterdam - Saturday April 29th - Workshop 10-17.00h €65 NON-MONASTIC CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY When we try to practice exercises of the psyche we find ourselves caught in our thoughts. Our attention has gone! This workshop speaks about how those who wish to awaken their inner, spiritual faculties outside monasticism must overcome this weakness on its own level by using a psychological method. This workshop looks in practical detail at certain of these psychological methods, showing how they re drawn from the rich practical experience found in early Church documents, and gives clues to discovering the hidden importance of sacrament and grace. Topics include: | 
