Prayer of Jesus and spiritual combat

This article by Aleth Pourquery examines the "Jesus Prayer" in its original ascetic and ecclesial context, drawing on monastic testimonies from the fourth to the seventh century, principally the Desert Fathers, the Apophthegmata, Cassian, Barsanuphius, Diadochus of Photice and John Climacus. The study shows that all the constituent elements of this prayer — humility, simplicity, invocation of the name of Jesus — are already present, in a scattered manner, in the earliest monastic tradition, well before their hesychast codification. The author then analyses the deviations to which this practice is exposed when it is extracted from its broader spiritual framework: magical use of the name, Messalianism, and above all reduction to a technical method. The article thus offers a critical perspective on contemporary appropriations of the Jesus Prayer, recalling that its authenticity presupposes spiritual accompaniment, the observance of the commandments and an unconditional openness to grace.