“With his engaging blend of travelogue, conversations with a wise and charismatic spiritual father, and musings on the big questions of life and death, Professor Markides takes us as companions on his journey of discovery. The insights that he communicates with such enthusiasm are timely ones: here at last is a writer who challenges the seeker after mystical understanding and Eastern spirituality to discover Christianity.” —Dr. Elizabeth Theokritoff, independent scholar and co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to Orthodox Christian Theology

In Inner River, Kyriacos Markides—scholar, researcher, author, and pilgrim—takes us on a thrilling quest into the heart of Christian spirituality and mankind’s desire for a transcendent experience of God. From Maine’s rugged shores to a Cypriot monastery to Greece’s remote Mt. Athos and, ultimately, to an Egyptian desert, Markides encounters a diverse cast of characters that allows him to explore the worlds of the natural and the supernatural, of religion and spirit, and of the seen and the unseen.

Inner River will appeal to a wide range of readers, from Christians seeking insights into their religion and its various expressions to scholars interested in learning more about the mystical way of life and wisdom that have been preserved in the heart of Orthodox spirituality. Perhaps most important, however, is the bridge it offers contemporary readers to a Christian life that is balanced between the worldly and the spiritual.

“With his engaging blend of travelogue, conversations with a wise and charismatic spiritual father and musing on the big questions of life and death, Professor Markides takes us as companions on his journey of discovery. The insights that he communicates with such enthusiasm are timely ones: here at least is a writer who challenges the seeker after mystical understanding and Eastern spirituality to discover Christianity.”

-Elizabeth Theokritoff, independent scholar & co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to Orthodox Theology

“Dr. Markides welcomes readers into a reliving of another of personal pilgrimages. His vulnerable exchanges with insightful elders prompt meaningful reflection; and these joyous experiences lead each reader to renewal and resolve of their own journey in spiritual development. The entire text is replete with enlightenment of the treasures found in catharsis, fotisis, and theosis.”

-Father Nicholas C. Triantafilou, President, Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

“In Inner River, we journey with Dr. Kyriacos Markides in his quest for a deeper understanding of the mystical path as informed by Eastern Orthodox spirituality. Dr. Markides is a consummate scholar whose writing are so very accessible that his readers are ushered into a world of inquiry that might otherwise remain impenetrable. Like a trusted friend, [he] invites us to his private thoughts as he makes meaning and ponders additional questions that arise. Accordingly, [Inner River] holds the potential to transform one’s very way of navigating life.”

-Marcie Boucouvalas, Ph.D., Professor of Human Development, Virginia Tech/National Capital Region; editor, Journal of Transpersonal Psychology

“Professor Markides is a true philosopher and an inspired writer. Inner River is to date his most important work. Written in simple, clear, and practical words, it takes us to the core of our spiritual tradition, providing what is truly essential but most lacking in our contemporary education system and secular society: meaning for the mind, motivation for the heart, and purpose for the will. If you want to know yourself and live to the fullest, this book is truly a must, a priceless jewel.”

-Peter Roche de Coppens, Ph.D, author and professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and Psychotherapy at East Stroudsberg of Pennsylvannia