One of the presentations at the Paths conference showed quite ably that ancient traditions of thought and prayer can very effectively feed modern minds and hearts in their journey toward God. To give a taste of this, our clip of the talk by the Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, titled Paths of Continuity: Contemporary Witnesses of the Hesychast Experience, cites quotations from a contemporary Hesychast, Fr. Sohprony of Essex (1896-1993).

Through Fr. Sophrony's insights and the insights of other contemporary Hesychasts, Fr. Chryssavgis helps us understand that the Hesychast tradition still lives and is still very applicable to people of our time. This is because its ancient roots are plunged into the ground of eternal Truth and because it offers an effective path of prayer. His comments, heard in the clip, also include an important message about maintaining the "integrity of every religious culture," which is a very appropriate and much needed reminder in an age given to facile syncretism. These thoughts are very helpful in the context of a conference to examine bridges between two ancient traditions.