Our venerable and God-bearing Father '''Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain''', also '''Nikodemos the Hagiorite''' and '''Nicodemos the Athonite''', was a great theologian and teacher of the [[Orthodox Church]], reviver of [[hesychasm]], [[Canon Law|canonist]], [[Hagiography|hagiologist]], and writer of liturgical poetry. His life and works helped provide (among other things) an experiential Orthodox response to contemporary Western Enlightenment culture.

In 1775 he became a [[monk]] of [[Dionysiou Monastery (Athos)|Dionysiou]] on [[Mount Athos]]. Upon being tonsured a monk, Nicholas' name was changed, as is the custom for those who had abandoned the world, to Nicodemos. He was initiated into the practice of hesychia, a method of prayer involving inner stillness, controlled breathing, and repetition of the "Jesus Prayer" (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner). Nicodemos aligned himself with the monks known as Kollyvades, who sought a revival of traditional Orthodox practices and patristic literature, and he would spend the remainder of his life at work translating and publishing those works. He would also compose many original books of his own. He labored for restoration of the practice of Saturday commemoration services, for patristic ecclesiology, and generally for a synthesis of akribeia (adherence to traditional principles [[Economy and canons) Strictness | economy and oikonomia strictness]] in Orthodox practicethe application of the canons.

St. Nicodemus reposed in the Lord in on July 14, 1809 , and was [[glorification|glorified]] by the Orthodox Church in on May 31, 1955. He is a local saint of the [[Metropolis of Paronaxia]] and the [[Mount Athos|Holy Mountain]]. His [[feast day]] is celebrated on [[July 14]].

St. Nicodemus was a prolific translator and editor of texts. In addition, he wrote three original works that are commentaries on some of the Church's liturgical books: ''The Eortodromion (or Commentary on the Canons of the Dominical and Marian Feasts)'', the ''New Klimax (or Commentary on the Seventy-FIve Anavathmoi of the Octoechos)'', and ''The Garden of Graces (or an Elegant Interpretation of the Nine Odes of the Stichologia''.  In 1777, [[Saint]] [[Macarius Notaras of Corinth|Makarius of Corinth]] visited him and gave him three texts to edit and revise: the ''[[Philokalia]]'', a defining work on [[monastic]] spirituality, ''On Frequent Holy Communion'' and the ''Evergetinos,'' a collection drawing on the lives of the desert fathers. He also wrote original works such as ''Lives of the Saints''. He also later compiled the writings of St. [[Symeon the New Theologian]] and the writings of St. [[Gregory Palamas]], although the latter collection was sadly and mistakenly destroyed amid political controversy over Greek revolts.

Although ==The Controversy Concerning Western Influence== An ongoing controversy concerns the extent of Western influence over the writings of St Nicodemus. What is not disputed is that some critics have criticized of his writings for influence from [[works are adaptations of Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] spiritualityworks, canon lawin particular (1) ''Spiritual Exercises'' of Ignatius Loyola, and theology, his life work clearly focused on reviving traditional Orthodox texts and ascetic practices, while making use of limited materials at hand amid the Turkish occupation founder of the Greek worldJesuits, using an Italian edition with commentary by Giovanni Pietro Pinamonti (1632-1703); and (2) ''Unseen Warfare'', which involved sometimes adapting Catholic materials. He translated and revised "The was a translation of ''Spiritual Combat" (1589) '' by the Catholic priest Lorenzo Scupoli, He was not the first Athonite monk to translate a Catholic priest work as an Orthodox one: in 1641, Agapios Landros (17th c.) published ''The Salvation of VeniceSinners'', renaming but it "Unseen Warfarewas simply a translation of ''Dialogus Miraculorum''," as well as written in the "Spiritual Exercises" early 13th c. by a German Cistercian, Cæsarius of JHeisterbach Abbey.PSuch works were influential at least in part due to the assumption that they were products of the Athonite monks who published them, rather than works by Roman Catholics. Pinamonti (sometimes wrongly thought to have been Ignatius Loyola There is continued disagreement about the provenance of Nicodemus' ''Exomologetarion''s original work), probably via a Greek translation by Emmanuel Rominanteshis manual for confession. Accusations Like most of Catholic and Pietistic influences on his workwritings, and many of those from pre-modern Orthodox authors who saw themselves as writing in a topic of controversy going back to divisions over tradition rather than originating new work as with the saint’s work in compiling the Kollyvades ascetic reform movement with which StPhilokalia, it is not an original work. Nicodemus was associated in says he compiled the “Exomologetarion” from "various teachers." In his Introduction to the Greek Church in work, Protopresbyter George Metallinos argues that his daysources were Eastern, have been disputedalleging that "he had no direct contact with Western sources” for it. For a recent detailed discussion, see Metropolitan [[Kallistos Ware]] holds that the introductory materials to "Christian Morality,Exomolgetarion is " mostly a 2012 English direct translation " of two books on confession by the Italian Jesuit, Paolo Segneri (1624-1694)<ref>In his 1803 "Chrestoethia St Nikodimos and the Philokalia," in Graham Speake, ''Mount Athos, the Sacred Bridge: The Spirituality of Christiansthe Holy Mountain'', p. 91. The two books by Segneri are ''Il confessore istruito'' and ''Il penitence istruito''." A current commentator </ref> Bishop Basil of Wichita in his introduction to the “Exomologetarion” (linked under sources below) argues for the new translation remarks on how that handbook on moral behavior reflects edifying value of St. Nicodemus’ work from an Orthodox ascetic tradition and Athonite "monastic propriety perspective. The twentieth-century scholar Christos Yannaras is perhaps the severest critic of St Nicodemus' influence, seeing the negative effects of the West not only in his ageadaptation of Catholic books," responding at times to "conventions upheld by but alleging the civil authorities" for a populace under a saint’s use of Roman canon law in ''[[MuslimThe Rudder]] colonial regime'' (Πηδάλιον, rather than ''Pedalion''), adoption of the Anselmian view of the Atonement, and acceptance of the Catholic or Pietist influencepractice of indulgences. (There is an extant letter by St. LikewiseNicodemus to Bishop Paisios of Stagai that Yannaras construes as requesting an indulgence, although and promising financial payment for it was alleged that .) Yannaras also sees the saint drew on Catholic sources for his manual influence of Western pietistic moralism in Nicodemus; ''Chrestoethia of confession Christians'' (1803), in which became standard in Greek Orthodoxyhe condemns musical instruments, dancing, (non-liturgical)singing, this is disputed in Frthe telling of jokes, etc., and tells Christians that such conduct will lead not only to their own punishment, but to the death of their unborn children.<ref>See Yannaras, pp. 128-137. George Mellitos</ref> Yannaras points to both the ''Exomologetarion'' and Nicodemus' other compilation of canons, ''The Rudder'' introduction , as imposing a Western, juridical approach to the most recent English translation [[Confession | Mystery of Repentance (Confession)]], saying that "This pastoral approach, however, provoked opposition, contempt or indifference in the laity: one traumatic confession in the new judicial format might make people cut their ties with the bookChurch."<ref>Yannaras, p. 135. Archimandrite Chrysostom Maidones</ref> At least one Athonite elder, Chancellor St. [[Porphyrios (Bairaktaris) the Kapsokalivite]], also found using the ''Exomologetarion'' harsh and counter-productive and ceased to use it for that reason.<ref>''Wounded by Love: The Life and the Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios'', pp. 43-44.</ref> Metallinos defends the Metropolis Orthodoxy of Hierissos Nicodemus' writings, in Greecehis introduction to the ''Exomologetarion, ” but admits that its language "appears intensely scholastic" and in a recent English translation of St Nicodemuscertain phrases "is repugnant to today' s believer."Concerning Frequent Communion"Admittedly, if these phrases are detached from their context, they immediately take on a cruel, sadistic character," suggests how past neglect by academic overturning the theology of divine love which permeates the "Fathers spirit of the Philokalic movementOrthodox (ecclesiastical) soteriology (see Jn. 3:16, Rom. 5:8," including Stetc.). NicodemusFor this reason, contributed it is necessary to place them in the entire context of St. Nikodemos’ thought and activity.” Metallinos also rejects Yannaras’ allegation that the saint held a lack Western view of proper context for the Saint's work among modern scholarsAtonement overall, while noting that the saint’s canonical collection expressed that “Penances (that is, penitential canons or rules of prayer) are a small punishment whereby the penitent appeases the great wrath that God has towards him.”

Regarding In his introduction to the significant influence 2012 edition of Roman Catholic spirituality, canon law, and theology, he translated and edited ''The Spiritual Combat'' (1589) by Lorenzo Scupoli, a Catholic priest Chrestoethia of Venice, renaming it ''Unseen WarfareChristians'', and publisted under the tile ''Spiritual ExercisesChristian Morality'' of the Italian Jesuit, Giovanni Pietro Pinamonti (1632-1703), which closely follows the original ''Spiritual Exercises'' commentator remarks on how that handbook on moral behavior reflects Orthodox ascetic tradition and Athonite "monastic propriety of Ignatius of Loyolahis age, the founder of the Jesuits. He made use of Roman canon law in ''The Rudder'', and held " responding at times to "conventions upheld by the Anselmian view of the Atonment. There is an extant letter by St Nicodemus to Bishop Paisios of Stagai requesting an indulgence, and promising financial payment civil authorities" for it. His manual on sacramental confession, the ''Exomologetarion'', is, in the words of Metropolitan a populace under a [[Kallistos WareMuslim]]colonial regime, "mostly a direct translation" of two books on confession by the Italian Jesuit, Paolo Segneri (1624-1694).<ref>Quotation from his "St Nikodimos and the ''Philokalia''," in Graham Speake, ''Mount Athos, the Sacred Bridge: The Spirituality of the Holy Mountain'', p. 91. The two books by Segneri are ''Il confessore istruito'' and ''Il penitence istruito''. </ref> The rather than Catholic or Pietist influence of Western pietistic moralism is perhaps seen best in his ''Chrestoethia of Christians'' (1803), in which he condemns musical instruments, including for example provisions about dancing, (non-liturgical) singing, the telling of jokes, etc., and tells Christians that such conduct will lead not only to their own punishment, but to the death of their unborn children.<ref>See Yannaras, pp. 128-137.</ref>

Recent renewed attention in the West to the primary Orthodox context Defenders of the SaintNicodemus's writings reflects the expanded availability have argued that his use of English translations of his major books in the past decade, as well as greater awareness Western sources is a feature of the cosmopolitan contexts context of Christian sources texts in the early modern period--through, for example, scholarship on the sequences of translation and adaptation of Roman Catholic texts in the East, and better understanding that his use of the influence them has been misunderstood due to a lack of the Orthodox ascetic texts of the Macarian homilies on Pietism. In this light, the main proper context of Stfor his work among scholars (Maidones). They see Nicodemus' works can be appreciated as firmly in the tradition use of Orthodox asceticism--exemplified by the Western sources and influence of "The Philokalia"--applicable in varying ways to monastics, clergy, and laity alike. The legacy of St. Nicodemus' voluminous scholarship can also be understood from a larger perspective as an Orthodox Christian alternative, from Mount Athos, to a variety of eighteenth-century cultural movements in Europe, including not only the Enlightenment, but also the aftermath of the Counter-Reformation, Pietism, and the beginning of Romanticism. That the same saint could be a prime compiler of “The Rudder” and “The Philokalia” may seem counter-intuitive to some people in the modern Western world, but the saints’ defenders argue that this is part of the complex yet rich history of Orthodox Christianity, in which any writings need to be considered in the context of the whole tradition.

*''Christian Morality''. With Scholarly Introduction and Commentary by Archbishop Chrysostomos of Etna. Belmont, MA: Institute for Byzantine & Modern Greek Studies, 2012. ISBN 9781884729973 *''Concerning Frequent Communion of the Immaculate Mysteries of Christ'' (The Works of St Nikodemos the Hagiorite, vol. 2). Uncut Mountain Press, 2006. This was Is a popularization of the earlier edition complied by St Makarios of Corinth. Preface by Archimandrite Chrysostom Maidones. ISBN 9789608677852*''Confession of Faith'' (The Works of St Nikodemos the Hagiorite, vol. 3). Uncut Mountain Press, 2004. Translated with an Introduction By Fr. George Dokos with a Preface by George S. Bebis. ISBN 9789608677890

*In addition to twentieth-century English editions of "The ''Philokalia''," "''Unseen Warfare''," and "''The Rudder''," new twenty-first century English translations of St. Nicodemus' writings (some of them collaborations with St. Makarius of Corinth), often with new prefaces by Orthodox scholars, include the Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies' "''Christian Morality" '' or "''Chrestoethia of Christians''," the Uncut Mountain Press editions of "''Exomologetarion--A Manual of Confession''," "''Concerning Frequent Communion''," and "''Confession of Faith''," and the English translation of "The the ''Synaxarion" '' adapted by Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petra.*The account of St. Nicodemus in the above-mentioned translation of "The the ''Synaxarion''," compiled by Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petra and an adaptation of St. Nicodemus' work, "July 14," pp. 146-153, includes helpful footnotes by the editor. Trans. Mother Maria Rule and Mother Joanna Burton. Holy Convent of the Annunciation of Our Lady Ormylia (Chalkidike), 2008. Vol. 6.* The Introduction to the translation of St. Nicodemus' "A Handbook of Spiritual Counsel" in the Classics of Western Spirituality series from the Paulist Press (1989), written by Dr. George Bebis, contains a helpful survey of the saint's writings.as well as a brief preface by Fr. Stanley Harakas on the importance of the saint's life and work to Orthodox history.* Preface by Bishop Basil of Wichita to the English translation of the "''Exomologetarion" '' from Uncut Mountain Press, http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/exo_preface.aspx.