Correspondence

John was born in North West Iraq and was a monk during the eighth century, in a monastery at Qardu, near the Turkish border. After seven years in community, he received permission to live the solitary life in the mountains of Dalyatha, where he remained most of his life. In these Letters, he outlines the itinerary of those who are baptized: purification through repentance, fasting, prayer, struggle with demons; sanctification through silence, tears, wonder, divine light; union through contemplation, praise, assistance of the angels- leading to the vision of God. Concerning this vision, he consistently maintains that it is of the Glory of God and not of his nature, and that it occurs in the mirror of the soul.