Daniel K. Griggs, Translator Symeon the New Theologian was a Tenth-Century Greek monk and ascetic writer. Among his writings, his Hymns are inspiring poetry of timeless value. No thoughtful reader can respond to them with indifference. The Hymns challenge the reader to internalize Christian values, even to embrace the Christ event as an individual experience. The Hymns are well suited for devotional reading, but they are not mere devotional tracts; they include time-honored Christian doctrine expressed in a manner that is all the more meaningful for their poetic beauty. Symeon"s Hymns are an expression of spiritual reading at its best, that is, they are Symeon"s interpretation of his life and his relationship with God in light of Scripture and the Fathers. Therein lies a strength of Symeon"s Hymns: with heartfelt zeal and biblical imagery, Symeon makes the doctrines of the Fathers intimately relevant for the individual.