The sublime round tower

The Sublime Round Tower is a exploration of John Cassian's writings and his integral 'sublime tower' metaphor which is a pedagogical masterpiece in presenting an 'Icon' for this spiritual journey into contemplative prayers. It images and compares powerfully the reciprocal dynamic between the foundation, walls and uppermost cone of the tower, with the three transformational stages of he spiritual journey in prayer. Namely: foundational purification of he heart, gradual illumination through conversion of lifestyle, leading into contemplative union with God respectively. For Cassian, imitation of Christ is the way to recover the full image and likeness of God in the perfection of love. He wants to encourage his readers to move beyond Jesus' instruction on prayer, or example of prayer in his earthly life, to real participation in the Resurrection Consciousness of he Glorified Christ. In his book, the author proposes that this could be a timely clarion call for renewal in the Church today.