A Look at Mount Athos

Much of the fascination Protestants have with other Christian traditions is often directed toward Catholicism, as a former president of the Evangelical Theological Society left for Rome, a Protestant college invited a Catholic to be its president, Protestant groups try to assert their identity, and Catholic groups worry that their best and brightest are becoming Protestant.

But Catholicism isn’t the only draw among Protestants. Many, like Frank Schaeffer (son of Francis), Scott Cairns, Frederica Mathews Green, and others have been writing on Orthodoxy for wider audiences than the ethnic groups who are the typical adherents to Orthodoxy. One of the draws of that tradition is its rich appeal to the senses and its deep history set in the early church and strengthened by the long bond to the Byzantine empire. Much of that is hard to fully grasp, as it requires a full immersion, but new attempts, like the movie Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer, are bringing the Orthodox traditions to wider audiences.

Last week, 60 Minutes visited the site considered to be holiest in the Orthodox tradition, giving a rare glimpse of the monasteries of Mount Athos. It’s a rich picture of a devout and impressive Christian site of prayer and contemplation. Watch it below: