BOOK REVIEW: Irina Gorainoff, "Sfântul Serafim de Sarov. Convorbirea cu Motovilov" ["Saint Serafim From Sarov. The Conversation With Motovilov"], translated in Romanian by His Eminence Andrei Andreicuţ (Cluj-Napoca: Renaşterea Publishing House, 2016).

Abstract

Despite being such an important figure for the Orthodox Theology, Saint Seraphim of Sarov is not very well known in Romania. Many of the works dedicated to him are in fact popularising books and a lot of them are difficult to find today. That is why the translation of Irina Gorainoff’s book, dedicated to the conversation between the Russian Saint and Motovilov, his disciple, represents such an important event for us. It brings the Saint to the attention of the contemporary research and it offers the general public the possibility to find out more about Father Seraphim, his ideas and his activity and it returns an important document to the historiographical research. The book is accompanied by a short foreword, written by His Eminence Andrei, Metropolite of Cluj, Maramureş and Sălaj, Archbishop of Vad, Feleac and Cluj, who highlights the fact that Saint Seraphim’s words The goal of Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit are as valid as ever today and speaks of various ways in which they can be applied.