hesychast: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Not exactly. All hesychasts are hermits in the sense of seeking solitude, but not all hermits are hesychasts. Hesychasm refers to a specific, systematic inner prayer practice within Eastern Christianity, not just geographical solitude.

It is a short, formulaic prayer—'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner'—repeated incessantly, often in sync with one's breathing, to focus the mind and heart on God.

While its origin and primary use are Christian, it is occasionally used analogously in comparative religion or literature to describe practitioners of similar quietist, introspective mystical traditions in other faiths, but this is an extended, metaphorical use.

Saint Gregory Palamas (1296–1359), a monk of Mount Athos and later Archbishop of Thessaloniki, is the most famous theologian and defender of hesychast practice. His works define much of the tradition's orthodox theology.

A practitioner of hesychasm, a form of contemplative prayer or mystical tradition in Eastern Christianity, particularly within the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, focused on inner stillness and the continuous prayer of the heart.

Hesychast is usually formal, academic, theological, historical in register.

Hesychast: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɛsɪkæst/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhɛsəˌkæst/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.