A GREAT SPIRITUAL CLASSIC FOR SELF-EXAMINATION

I want to recommend THIRTY STEPS TO HEAVEN, The Ladder of Divine Ascent for All Walks of Life, by Vassilios Papavassiliou. He takes the great spiritual classic, The Ladder of Divine Ascent by John Climacus and adapts it for the modern world and the contemporary Christian. He references parallels from the Harry Potter stories and The Lord of the Rings. I bought it because of my interest in Kierkegaard who uses the pseudonyms of Climacus and Anti-Climacus in his works. In thirty brief chapters he addresses the following subjects:

Renunciation, Detachment, Exile, Obedience, Repentance, Remembrance of Death, Mourning, Meekness/Loss of Anger, Remembrance of Wrongs/Malice, Slander, Talkativeness and Silence, Falsehood, Despondency/Tedium, Gluttony, Lust and Charity, Avarice, Poverty, Insensitivity/Lack of Awareness, Sleep, Prayer and Church, Alertness, Fear, Vainglory, Pride, Meekness/Simplicity, Humility, Discernment, Stillness, Prayer, Dispassion, Faith, Hope and Love.

It is an easy read and contains much wisdom for the development of Christian character. I found it useful for self-examination and aspiration to grow into the image of Christ.