The Virtual Town Square University is the
A Great Books Study Center with a Patristic Emphasis
“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 current age presents great difficulty in trying to create an institution of higher learning that is able to navigate the troubled waters of finance and accreditation while maintaining its original vision and inspiration. Two institutions were real possibilities: one closed due to lack of funding, while another compromised its core principles in order to stay afloat. The goal of the St. Paisius Institute is to create a virtual university through reading lists and study guides, which may be of benefit to any student anywhere.
We take our cue from St. Paisius Velichkovsky, who sought patristic eldership and didn’t find it, but was able to discover its 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.