Seraphim Rose (bornEugene Dennis Rose; August 13, 1934 – September 2, 1982), also known asSeraphim of Platina, was an American priest andhieromonk of theRussian Orthodox Church Outside Russia who co-founded theSaint Herman of Alaska Monastery inPlatina, California. He translatedEastern Orthodox Christian texts and authored several works. His writings have been credited with helping to spreadEastern Orthodox Christianity throughout the West; his popularity equally extended toRussia itself, where his works were secretly reproduced and distributed bysamizdat during theCommunist era, remaining popular today.

Seraphim Rose
Hieromonk
Born	August 13, 1934 San Diego, California
Died	September 2, 1982(1982-09-02) (aged 48) Platina, California
Majorshrine	Saint Herman of Alaska Monastery,Platina, California

Rose's opposition to Eastern Orthodox participation in theecumenical movement and his advocacy of the contentious "toll house teaching", led him into conflict with some notable figures in 20th-century Orthodoxy and he remains controversial in some quarters even after his sudden death from an undiagnosed intestinal disorder in 1982. Though he has not been formallycanonized by anysynod, many Eastern Orthodox Christians hold him in high esteem, venerating him iniconography,liturgy andprayer.^[1]

Rose's monastery is currently affiliated with theSerbian Orthodox Church and continues to carry on his work of publishing and Eastern Orthodox missionary activity.

Eugene Rose was born on August 13, 1934, inSan Diego, California.^[2][3] His father, Frank Rose, was aWorld War I veteran who operated the city's first "Karmel Korn Shop" together with his wifeEsther Rose, Eugene's mother. His ancestors had come to the United States from France, Norway and the Netherlands.^[4]

In addition to being a businesswoman, Esther was a California artist who specialized inimpressionist renderings of Pacific coast scenes. Raised in San Diego, Eugene would remain a Californian the rest of his life. His older sister wasEileen Rose Busby,^[5] an author,Mensa member, andantiques expert; his older brother was Frank Rose, a local businessman.

Though Rose was described by one biographer as a "natural athlete" in his youth, he did not engage seriously in sport. Baptized in aMethodist church when he was 14 years old, Rose later rejected Christianity foratheism. After graduating fromSan Diego High School, he attendedPomona College, where he studiedChinese philosophy and graduatedmagna cum laude in 1956. While at Pomona, he was a reader forVed Mehta, a blind student who would go on to become a well-known author. Mehta referred to Rose in two books, one of which was a book of memoirs calledStolen Light: "I felt very lucky to have found Gene as a reader. ... He read with such clarity that I almost had the illusion that he was explaining things."^[6] Afterward, Rose studied underAlan Watts at theAmerican Academy of Asian Studies before entering the master's degree program in Oriental languages at theUniversity of California, Berkeley, where he graduated in 1961 with a thesis entitled "'Emptiness' and 'Fullness' in the Lao Tzu".^[7]

In addition to a gift for languages, Rose was known for possessing an acute sense of humor and wit.^[8] He enjoyed opera, concerts, art, literature, and the other cultural opportunities richly available in San Francisco, where he settled after his graduation and exploredBuddhism and other Asian philosophies.^[9]

While studying at Watts' Asian institute, Rose read the writings of French metaphysicistRené Guénon and also met aChineseTaoist scholar, Gi-ming Shien. Shien emphasized the ancient Chinese approach to learning, valuing traditional viewpoints and texts over more modern interpretations. Inspired by Shien, Rose took up the study ofancient Chinese so that he could read earlyTaoist texts in their original tongue. Through his experiences with Shien and the writings of Guénon, Rose sought out an authentic and grounded spiritual tradition of his own.^[10]

At age 22 in 1956 and while he was still at Pomona College, Rosecame out asgay.^[11][12][13] During a romantic relationship with Jon Gregerson, Rose was exposed to theRussian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. While the relationship lasted a significant period, Gregerson lost interest in Orthodoxy despite Rose's growing interest. Rose ultimately terminated the relationship and later commented on the period prior to his conversion, saying "I was in hell. I know what hell is."^[9][11][14] Rose is reported to have not externally expressed his sexuality following his conversion.^[13] Rose's sexuality was a topic of controversy among some Eastern Orthodox faithful after it was publicized inCathy Scott's 2000 biographySeraphim Rose.^[9]

In 1962, Rose was received into the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia inSan Francisco. He quickly distinguished himself to the bishop of San Francisco,John Maximovitch, as a serious and studious convert. In 1963, Archbishop John blessed Rose and his new friend, Gleb Podmoshensky, a Russian Orthodox seminarian, to form a community of Eastern Orthodox booksellers and publishers, the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood. In March 1964, Rose opened an Eastern Orthodox bookstore next to theHoly Virgin Cathedral on Geary Boulevard in San Francisco, which was under construction at the time. In 1965, the brotherhood founded the St. Herman Press publishing house, which still exists.^[15]

Increasingly drawn to a more reclusive lifestyle, Rose's community ultimately decided to leave the city for the northern California wilderness, where Rose and Podmoshensky became monks in 1968 and transformed the Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood into a fully-fledged monastic community. Rose's parents provided the down payment for a mountaintop near the isolated hamlet ofPlatina, where Rose and some friends built a monastery named forHerman of Alaska. At histonsure, in October 1970, Rose was given the name "Seraphim" afterSeraphim of Sarov. He wrote, translated and studied for thepriesthood in his cell, a one-roomed cabin with neither running water norelectricity, where he would spend the rest of his days. He was ordained in 1977 by Bishop Nektary ofSeattle, spiritual son of Nectarius ofOptina, the last of the great Optinastartsy.^[16]

In his ministry, Rose spoke frequently of an "Orthodoxy of the Heart", which he saw as increasingly absent in American ecclesiastical life. He also spoke of the need for warmth and kindness of the spirit, especially when dealing with those with whom one disagreed, an increasing problem inEastern Orthodoxy in America, and its conflict between so-called "traditionalists" and "modernists". One can be firm, Rose insisted, without having to compromise basicChristian teachings onlovingkindness,longsuffering, andmercy toward others.^[17][18]

Using a hand-cranked printing press at his Geary Boulevard bookstore, Rose founded the bimonthly magazineThe Orthodox Word in January 1965; this periodical is still published (on modern presses) today. He also composed and published dozens of other titles, includingGod's Revelation to the Human Heart,Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future,Nihilism: The Roots of the Revolution of the Modern Age, andThe Soul After Death; all remain in print. He translated and printed Michael Pomazansky'sOrthodox Dogmatic Theology, which remains a text for clerical students and laymen alike. Rose translated his books intoRussian, and they were circulated widely assamizdat within theSoviet Union, although they were not formally published until after the fall of theCommunist regime.

He was also one of the first American Eastern Orthodox Christians to translate major works of severalchurch fathers into English.^[19] As such, he produced the first English translation of selected letters ofBarsanuphius of Gaza andJohn the Prophet which were to be read out aloud at meals to his young monastic disciples and where later published by the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood.^[20]

Although most of Rose's works were widely received within the Orthodox community, a few raised controversy. The most notable of these wasThe Soul After Death, which describes certain "aerial toll houses" described by variousChurch Fathers and saints. According to this teaching, every humansoul must pass a series of these stations after death as part of their initialjudgment byGod, where they will be accused of specific sins and possibly condemned to hell.

Though vehemently opposing Rose's teaching on this subject, Puhalo indicated that he considered Rose to be a "true ascetic", and that he respected the sincerity of Seraphim's monastic life and intentions.^[21] In one of hisvlogs, Archbishop Lazar said of Rose: "Father Seraphim Rose was an astonishing ascetic. He had a great ascetic life. He had enormous struggles, enormous inner struggles, and he struggled with them in really great asceticism. So I don't want anybody to denigrate or think anyone is denigrating Father Seraphim Rose's ascetic struggle. It really was a great ascetic struggle, and there should be a reverence and a respect for that. … Again, I want people to have a reverence for Father Seraphim Rose’s ascetic struggle, and to acknowledge that, and see that there was a special spark there, in that he had enormous internal struggles, and that he saw those through to the end of his life. And that is a great virtue and a great reason to have a certain reverence for Father Seraphim."^[22]

Rose also waded into the ongoing debate between Biblicalcreationism andevolution, asserting inGenesis, Creation and Early Man that Orthodoxpatristics exclusively supported the creationist viewpoint. This idea was criticized by other Eastern Orthodox theologians, who asserted that while mankind's existence is not accidental by any means, there is no official church doctrine as to the precise process God used in creation, nor the length of time that it might have required.^[23] In the 2011 edition of Rose'sGenesis, Creation and Early Man, his spiritual child and editor, Hieromonk Damascene, alleges to have demonstrated that Rose's teaching is in accord with the great saints and elders of the 19th and 20th centuries who have spoken on the issue, such asTheophan the Recluse,John of Kronstadt,Justin Popovich,Paisios, andSophrony.

After feeling acute pains for several days while working in his cell in August 1982, a reluctant Rose was taken by fellow monks to Mercy Medical Center inRedding for treatment. When he arrived at thehospital, he was declared to be incritical condition and fell into semi-consciousness. After exploratory surgery was completed, it was discovered that ablood clot had blocked an artery supplying blood to hisintestines, which had become a mass of dead tissue. He slipped into acoma after a second surgery, never regaining consciousness. Hundreds of people visited the hospital and celebrated theDivine Liturgy regularly in its chapel, praying for a miracle to save Rose's life. Prayers were offered for the ailing hieromonk from places as far away asMount Athos,Greece, the spiritual heart of Orthodox monasticism. Rose died on September 2, 1982.^[24]

Some Orthodox Christians anticipate Rose's canonization.^[25] At the 40th anniversary of Rose's death,Metropolitan Nikoloz of Akhalkalaki, from theOrthodox Church of Georgia, called for the canonization of Seraphim Rose.^[26] Before returning to Georgia, Metropolitan Nikoloz brought the question of canonization toBishop Maxim of theSerbian Orthodox Church'sEparchy of Western America. Metropolitan Nikoloz canonized Seraphim Rose locally in his diocese in February 2023.^[27] On September 6, 2022,Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou, of theOrthodox Church of Cyprus gave a sermon calling Rose a saint.^[28]

Several reputed miraculous events, healings and apparitions of Rose have been reported around the world, commencing soon after his death.^[29] In one such instance, a nun named Zvezdana atProhor Pčinjski Monastery inSerbia informed her abbess that she had repeatedly felt the presence of Rose, and that he appeared to her on one occasion.^[30] She continued to pray, telling Rose that it was beautiful in his monastery. He replied, saying "It's beautiful hereProhor Pčinjski Monastery also—beautified by the relics ofFr. Prohor".^[30]

The St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina is now a part of the Western America diocese of theSerbian Orthodox Church. While all of the brothers are currently American, many speakRussian. Their primary emphasis continues to be the printing of books, which has been the major activity of the brotherhood since its inception. In addition, the monastery has assisted with the guardianship and education of local youths with behavioral or learning problems, which has earned Rose's brotherhood significant respect among the locals. Visitors come to the monastery year-round but especially on September 2, the anniversary of Rose's death.

• Blessed John the Wonderworker: A Preliminary Account of the Life and Miracles of Archbishop John Maximovitch. Platina: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1987. (ISBN 0938635018)
• Genesis, Creation and Early Man. Platina: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2000. (ISBN 1887904026)
• God's Revelation to the Human Heart. Platina: Saint Herman Press, 1988. (ISBN 0938635034)
• Letters from Father Seraphim. Nikodemos Orthodox Publication Society. (ISBN 1879066084)
• Nihilism: The Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age. Platina: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1994. (ISBN 1887904069) (as Eugene Rose).
• Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future. Platina: Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1975. (ISBN 188790400X)
• The Apocalypse: In the Teachings of Ancient Christianity. Platina: Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1985. (ISBN 0938635670)
• The Place of Blessed Augustine in the Orthodox Church. Platina: Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1983. (ISBN 0938635123)
• The Soul After Death: Contemporary "After-Death" Experiences in the Light of the Orthodox Teaching on the Afterlife. Platina: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1988. (ISBN 093863514X)
• Orthodox Survival Course. Samizdat Press, 2019. (ISBN 9780359754731)

• Father Seraphim: His Life and Work (ISBN 1-887904-07-7). Revised and expanded version ofNot of This World
• Letters from Father Seraphim (ISBN 1-879066-08-4). Correspondence with Fr. Alexey Young (now Hieromonk Ambrose), Rose's spiritual son
• Not of This World: the Life and Teaching of Fr Seraphim Rose (ISBN 0-938635-52-2). A biography by monk Damascene Christensen (out of print)
• Seraphim Rose: The True Story and Private Letters (ISBN 1-928653-01-4). A biography of Rose's life, letters and works by Cathy Scott, Rose's niece

• Death to the World magazine, online Orthodox publication containing some of Rose's writings
• Death to the World website, online collection of writings by and inspired by Rose
• "Genesis and Early Man: The Orthodox Patristic Understanding", reply to pro-evolution speech given by Orthodox theologian Alexander Kalomiros
• Nihilism: The Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age, book written by Rose
• Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia unofficial icon of Rose