Inner Step Toward God: Writings and Teachings on Prayer

According to Fr. Alexander Men (1935-1990), the Russian Orthodox priest and popular spiritual teacher who was publicly martyred in 1990 in the former USSR, prayer is "the flight of the heart toward God." This work, available for the first time in English, is a collection of his writings, lectures, and sermons on prayer. You will discover both ancient and modern wisdom, and you will see how one Eastern Orthodox priest taught his parishioners to pray.

"His simple but profound teaching on the absolute necessity of a prayer life could change the world." -Scott Cairns, Poet

About the Author
Father Alexander Men (1935-1990), was a Russian Orthodox priest and popular spiritual teacher who was publicly martyred in 1990 in the former USSR. A deeply charismatic and faithful man, he devoted his life to the reform of the Russian Orthodox Church, and to sharing his faith with a generation of youth who had been deprived of the Church's teaching.

April French, the project editor, is one of the foremost North American authorities on Father Alexander Men. She worked for several years in Christian ministry to university students living in Irkutsk, Siberia, where Russian friends introduced her to the works of Fr. Alexander. April has a MA from Regent College, where she wrote her thesis on Fr. Alexander. She is now a PhD Candidate at Brandeis University.

Christa Belyaeva, the translator, lived in Moscow for eight years. While there, she converted to Orthodoxy and worshipped at the Church of the Dormition with people who knew Fr. Alexander Men personally. Christa has experience translating at Moscow Bible College and Hosanna Ministries. She now lives with her husband and three children in Temecula, CA.