Books Read

Date: 12 August 2005 22:53:57

As part of my entry, God willing, into the catechumenate, I was asked by our sub-deacon to prepare a list of books I've read on Orthodoxy. It was a far longer list than I thought!

The Orthodox Church, Bishop Kallistos Ware: the first book I read on Orthodoxy, and an excellent introduction to the history, and the beliefs and worship, of the Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Way, Bishop Kallistos Ware: drawing on many theologians and writers, as well as Bishop Kallistos' fine words, this brought Christian doctrine and living a Christ-centred life together and presented them in a extremely practical way.
The Desert Fathers (Sayings of the Early Christian Monks), ed. Benedicta Ward: a wonderful and challenging collection of sayings on a variety of topics from the Desert Fathers
The Orthodox Faith, Fr Thomas Hopko [Doctrine; Worship; Bible and Church History]: a great, easy-to-read and very informative introduction to Orthodoxy. I'm reading the final booklet, Spirtuality, at the moment. And best of all -- these are available online for free!
Becoming Orthodox: A Journey to the Ancient Christian Faith, Peter Gillquist: Not only the story of the journey of some 2,000 evangelical Christians, but a helpful explanation of some of the troublesome issues [tradition, icons, Mary] that some, myself included, may encounter on their journey towards Orthodoxy.
Anglican-Orthodox Pilgrimage, ed. Franklin Billerbeck: a number of essays written by Anglicans who swam the Bosphorus.
The Miracles of Christ, Archbishop Dmitri: a wonderful study not only of the miracles performed by Christ and their significance/meaning, but also of how they fit into the lectionary and why certain books and readings are appointed to be read at certain times of the liturgical yearr.
On the Incarnation, St Athanasius: a classic. "God became man that we might become God." No more needs to be said.
Modern Orthodox Saints: 5 - St Seraphim of Sarov, Constantine Cavarnos and Mary-Barbara Zeldin: a fascinating look into the fascinating life of St Seraphim of Sarov (+1833), as well as his own Spiritual Counsels and Nicholas A. Matovilov's A Conversation with the Saint.
The Orthodox Veneration of Mary the Birthgiver of God, St John Maximovitch: explains the controversies that arose and the agreed teachings on Mary, the Mother of God, as well as a description on how and why she is venerated in Orthodoxy.
Hymns on Paradise, St Ephrem the Syrian: 15 wondrous hymns by an amazing poet and saint, centring on Geneis 2 and 3 and expressing the potential of all creation to act as a witness and pointer to the Creator. Saint Ephrem uses symbols and types to express connections, especially between the Old Testament and the New, and the earthly and the heavenly. Wonderful stuff.
On the Divine Liturgy, St Germanus of Constantinople: a fascinating look at the Divine Liturgy as celebrated in the eighth century, as well as the development of seeing the symbolism of the Divine Liturgy as pointing to events in Christ's life.
On the Holy Icons, St Theodore the Studite: I must say I don't recall much on this book: it was a bit too beyond my ken. But I recall well-argued reasoning for icons and their use.
Great Lent: A Journey to Pascha, Alexander Schmemann: a fantastic examination of all that is involved in Great Lent: from the Prayer of St Ephrem the Syrian, to the Presanctified Liturgies, to each of the Sundays that lead up to Lent, and more... A book I'll be returning to each Great Lent.
The Arena: An Offering to Contemporary Monasticism, Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov: Fr Hopko said this was one of the most important books for today, and I can't disagree. With the theme of repentance flowing throughout, Bishop Ignatius quotes heavily from the Scriptures, Church Fathers and monastics to exhort monks (the primary audience for the book) to live a life in accordance with the teachings of Christ, particularly love for God and love for one's neighbour.
Our Father, Alexander Schmemann: the last book I've read. A wonderful opening up of the meaning and intent of each petition of The Lord's Prayer.

Other books I've read that have touched on Orthodoxy:

Penguin History of the Church: The Early Church, Henry Chadwick: a fascainting and detailed look at Christianity from the Apostolic Age to the schism between East and West, which filled many gaps of my knowledge on theologians of the time and the controversies that arose.
An Introduction to the Christian Orthodox Churches, John Binns: an informative and enjoyable read on the history and beliefs of the Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches, the non-Chalcedonian churches, the Church of the East and the Greek Catholic Churches.
From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium, William Dalrymple: William Dalrymple sets off to follow the paths of two monks who set off in 587AD from the Bosphorus to Egypt. Sad at times, when you see the poor state of Christianity in these areas and the persecutions they undergo, but there is a flame, albeit a small one, still burning, which gives hope. And Dalrymple's style of writing is wonderful.
First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, The Epistles of Ignatius to the Ephesians; Magnesians; Trallians; Roman;s Philadelphians, The Didache, via Early Christian Writings: fascinating reading of the letters of the early Christians.

In addition I've listened to various CDs from Fr Hopko's 2003 visit to Australia [fantastic!], and watched a 12-part video series on The Nicene Creed ("What We Believe") by Fr David Anderson, which was both illuminating and interesting.