St. Maximus the Confessor, the greatest of the Byzantine theologians, lived through the most catastrophic period the Byzantine Empire was to experience before the Crusades. This book introduces the reader to the times and upheavals during which Maximus lived. It discusses his cosmic vision of humanity and the role of the church. The study makes available a large number of Maximus' theological treatises, many of them translated for the first time, which are accompanied by lucid and informed introductions. "Maximus the Confessor" provides a much needed introduction to the theology of Maximus, as well as direct access to his profound but often difficult thought.