The Virtual Town Square University is the

St. Paisius Institute

An Orthodox Christian Great Books Study Center

 “Do you hear, O Orthodox Christians of these last times? These writings of the Holy Fathers, even those dealing with the highest form of spiritual life, have been preserved for us, so that even when it might seem that there are no God-bearing elders left at all, we may still have the unerring words of the Holy Fathers to guide us in leading a God-pleasing and zealous life.”

—from the Introduction by Fr. Seraphim Rose to "Blessed Paisius Velichkovksy: The Man Behind The Philokalia"

The St. Paisius Institute is a study center seeking to fill in the blanks of a modern education (often a mis-education) with the study of the great books from an Orthodox Christian perspective. The benefits of a great books education are many and such an education has been implemented in other spheres with success, but reading the great books with the guidance of an Orthodox Worldview has the potential to change lives and culture on a very deep level.  We take our cue from St. Paisius Velichkovsky, who sought patristic eldership and didn't find it, but was able to discover it's depths by discovering the writings of the Holy Fathers. From this discovery and subsequent publishing of the collection known as the Philokalia, a wave of spiritual renewal swept through the Orthodox world, resulting in a cultural renewal in Russia and beyond.  Seeing this good fruit, the institute likewise seeks to understand a cohesive worldview that is enlightened by the writings of the Holy Fathers.

St. Paisius Institute Catalogue

• Admissions, Tests, Residency and Academic Programs
• Personal Formation Studies
• Spiritual Formation Studies
• Psychological Formation Studies
• Physical Education Studies
• Basic Training
• Bike/Hike/Kayak Tours
• Russian Martial Arts
• TaiJiQuan
• Integral Life Seminar
• General Studies
• Theology/Religious Studies
• Philosophy
• Literature
• Languages
• Mathematics
• Arts
• Sciences
• Integral Seminar Studies
• Applied and Graduate Studies
• Sts. Justin, Nikolai and John of San Francisco School of Theology
• Optina School of the Arts
• Sts. Andrei Rublev & Romanos the Melodist Liturgical Arts Program
• Nesterov & Favorovsky Art Program
• Anna Akhmatova Poetics Program
• Dostoyevsky Center for Engaged Fiction
• Michael Chekhov Film School
• Rimsky-Korsakov School of Music
• Sts. Ignaty and Pavel School of Engineering
• Kiriyevsky Integral Philosophy Institute
• Integral Philosophy Studies Seminars
• St. Theophan Formation Studies
• Center for the Study of Neptic Psychology
• The Watchful Gate Center for the Study of Patristic Discernment in Contemplative Spirituality
• Interdisciplinary Programs
• The Dimensions Project: a study of epistemology and the arts
• Intelligence Studies: an interdisciplinary approach
• Appendices
• Alternative Distance Learning Courses and Study Guides
• Western Governors University
• Excelsior College
• Wikiversity
• Open Yale Courses
• Holy Trinity Orthodox Theological School
• St. Luke Orthodox School of the Seventy
• The Teaching Company
• The O'Reilly School of Technology

A working classroom of the St. Paisius Institute used to be found on Second Life at Kiriyevsky Island. There is a kiosk in the Kiriyevsky Island Library and classes meet in the Chado Conference Center in Tsutsuku (transportable from the main lobby).