National Geographic article about Mt Athos

[Caleb Shoemaker]

Did anyone read it? Thoughts?

[Father David Moser]

You might want to post a link to this article. If not online, you may wish to specify the volume, issue and page number information so that it can be referenced by those who would need to go look it up somewhere.

Fr David Moser

[Rick H.]

National Geographic
December 2009
Vol. 21
No. 6
Pg. 134

"Monks of Mount Athos"

From NG . . . "They (Athonite Monks) can be zealous, reclusive, worldly, prayerful, defiant."

This was my first view of anything up close and personal, and for the lack of a better word at the present, I was struck by the earthiness of it. It's hard to be more ignorant of Athos than me, but I didn't have it pictured in my mind this way (like the photo of the two monks and their cell on Pg. 144 & 145 who have shared this same small cell for over 50 years).

I thought it was interesting as the author shared:




"The outside world creeps ever closer. Mount Athos's newest monks have college educations, laptops, and little experience with raising chickens. Yesteryear's mules have mostly been replaced by vans and Range Rovers."

[Caleb Shoemaker]

I actually thought that was a brilliant photograph. Probably the highlight of the article. As a whole, it struck me how single-minded and how unaware of what monasticism is (or the Holy Mountain) by the author. I'm pretty sure he mentioned that women aren't allowed at least 4 times throughout. The photography was beautiful.

[Rick H.]

I actually thought that was a brilliant photograph.



But, then again, aren't you that guy who is rooting for the Saints on Sunday? ;)

I thought all the photographs were most excellent and memorable, unlike the copy in the article. Overall, I thought the writing of the author was like some sort of weird infomercial. He is obviously not an expert on monasticisim or the Holy Mountain like me and thee. :)

[Herman Blaydoe]

I believe you can find the article online here (http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/athos/draper-text). Pictures from the article are here (http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/athos/dove-photography).

[Rick H.]

Good job Herman! I looked for this online and couldn't find it. But, if these are online why do I have a subscription?

[John W.]

The last line of the article is perfect before the start of the Great Fast:


Yet the brotherhood proceeds as it always has: inchwise, turned ever inward, glorying in the unseen—"digesting death," in the words of one of its preeminent scholars, Father Vasileios, "before it digests us."