Reddit reviews For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy
We found 15 Reddit comments about For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
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I'm currently trying to finish Fr Seraphim Rose- His Life and Works for the third time and despite my apparent inability to complete it, I really do enjoy it.
For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy, by Fr. Alexander Schmemann.
For the Life of the World, by Alexander Schmemann
I can assure you, as an ex Catholic, the Orthodox church is not just conservative. Our practices and liturgy have evolved and will keep doing it. But holding to the traditions doesn't limit us, it enriches us. My priest once stood up and gave a homily that I will paraphrase badly. He said the Church exists for the people and their salvation. The rules and traditions exist because these are the things that have been found over the centuries to work. Again. They help us achieve salvation. Then he said that yes, it's possible to strike out on your own or go find God on the mountain top, but most of us need a lot more help than that. So if the rules are getting in the way of your relationship with God, don't follow them. But if you're ignoring the rules because you think you can do it better, try taking them on. Because the evidence shows that they work.
You're not going to be able to understand Orthodoxy by reading, you'll have to come and visit and absorb it. But you should check out the book For the Life of the World. From what you've written here I think you would appreciate it.
Yes, I definitely recommend Alexander Schmemann’s For the Life of the World, which presents an Orthodox approach to the Eucharist. It’s my understanding that the historic Christian tradition — while debating what exactly are the Sacraments and how exactly to correctly celebrate the Eucharist — the entirety of life is sacramental and eucharistic.
For the Life of the World by Fr. Alexander Schmemann. I was raised Southern Baptist, and then loosely protestant as an adult. This is the book that answered so many questions for me. It's beautifully written, for one, and goes really in depth to Orthodox theology in a way that I could understand.
I think Pope Francis is sincere, but I also think that it is more complicated than merely "doing what is needed to heal the breach." The Schism is as much about people as it is about theology. Human beings and the relationships between them are complicated at the best of times. The self-understanding of these two communities has been distinct for so long that it is easier to argue than to find common ground. There are currently "Byzantine" Churches in communion with Rome and it hasn't worked out terribly well for a lot of them (though there have been bright spots).
If I might be so bold, the "liberal" people (I don't like that word, but I don't have another one) in both camps can hardly see the point in being separate, though they would like to change things in both their Churches in other ways that would make them unrecognizable. The challenge is to have the "conservative" people satisfied with the process and expected result of re-approachment, enough to establish common cause between them. A traditional Catholic has to see that the Orthodox showing up won't force them to budge on things that they are fighting with progressives in their own Church about. The same with the Orthodox. The famous resistor of "false union" Bishop Mark of Ephesus doesn't just appeal to those seeking to preserve the Orthodox faith, but also traditionally committed Catholics.
And what happens if the Catholics are willing to compromise on a great many things, but the Orthodox get difficult on some point? Would not the Catholics feel abused? "We've come all this way and it hurts us and you still won't give up on point 9?" This has been the problem with the Miaphysites. It looks like all the theological issues have been resolved, but we seem to be left with Saints and Anathemas on both sides that have rooted the problem beyond reconciliation. We seem to be "right there" except we have beloved saints on both sides that effectively said, "you can never go there." What do we do with these saints? How do we understand them?
As for something to read. There are several books depending on your interest in using big words. :)
Lossky would be the heavy weight: http://www.amazon.com/The-Mystical-Theology-Eastern-Church/dp/0913836311/
Though I much prefer Zizioulas, more approachable and puts apophatic theology in balance: http://www.amazon.com/Being-Communion-Personhood-Contemporary-Theologians/dp/0881410292/
Of course Bishop Timothy Ware's book is the usual "internet standard recommendation: http://www.amazon.com/The-Orthodox-Way-Kallistos-Ware/dp/0913836583/
If you want something very approachable (almost no technical terms) and a little more "what does this mean" you might try an introduction to sacramental theology in general: http://www.amazon.com/For-Life-World-Sacraments-Orthodoxy/dp/0913836087/
And probably the least "theological" but I think this is both my wife and my favorite: http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Water-Wine-Oil-Experience/dp/1888212918/
https://www.amazon.com/Life-World-Sacraments-Orthodoxy/dp/0913836087
A work that details the nature of the eucharist/the sacraments in a broader Orthodox context.
https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Divine-Liturgy-Nikolai-Gogol/dp/0884653439
A work penned by the finest Russian author in modern history--an amazing, poetic, simple introduction to the subtext and symbolism of the Divine Liturgy.
And, as mentioned, Nicholas Kabasilas' work on the Liturgy.
This series gets into the Divine Liturgy around part four. This is actually a book study on a very highly regarded book, "For the Life of the World" by Fr. Alexander Schmemann that you might enjoy. The podcast is by Deacon Michael Hyatt, who's the Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishing. Pretty down to earth and easy to listen to. Not sure on the Theosis front, hopefully someone else will chime in.
This book by Fr Vladimir Lossky is a really good place to start. Also, (as /u/CollectsWelfare said) Bishop Kallistos Ware's The Orthodox Church/Way books are solid starting points. Fr Alexander Schmeman's For the Life of the World is another goldmine.
But, and you'll find that at least one person says this to almost every question on this sub, nothing beats talking to a priest (and in your case, going to the liturgy, which you said you do).
Here are a few suggestions
https://www.amazon.com/Life-World-Sacraments-Orthodoxy/dp/0913836087
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0281070989/ref=ox_sc_act_image_4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Liturgical-Theology-Alexander-Schmemann/dp/0913836184/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=alexander+schmemann&qid=1570773874&sprefix=akexander+schm&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Worship-Living-Continuity-Synagogue/dp/1944967540/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=Orthodox+worship&qid=1570774074&sr=8-1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0881410829/ref=ox_sc_act_image_6?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/988785154X/ref=ox_sc_act_image_5?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Hymn-of-Entry-Liturgy-and-Life-in-the-Orthodox-Church-Contemporary-Greek-Theologians-Series-No-1/dp/0881410268/ref=cm_cr_dp_mb_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8
Vespers
https://www.amazon.com/Evening-Worship-Orthodox-English-Russian/dp/088141011X
And here is a lecture on the history of the different divine liturgies.
https://youtu.be/i-39xxdeZ9Q
And here is a lecture on what litugircal theology is from the view of fr. Alexander Schmemann delivered by a theology professor with Notre Dame (both authors are linked above)
https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/svsvoices/the_anchor_of_schmemanns_liturgical_theology
My favorite edition of the DL: here
Some outside references: For the Life of the World and this pdf that details all of the biblical references in the Liturgy.
Here are three books I absolutely love for dipping your feet into Christian theology:
You might also try reading some of the non-Bible books that are important to Christianity. These are some of the books we read in my university class on Christianity:
Another book I have that is interesting is the graphic novel version of the Book of Revelation its actually really well done in my opinion.
That's fair. I can't say I believe in the Christianity I was raised in either. I was raised in a more fundamentalist atmosphere and have become more of an academic Christian.
I'm not sure if I think morality is relative, but I am pretty sure our understanding of it is relative. Maybe there is some morality that exists outside of context, but once we start applying it wholesale everything gets hazier. Nothing can be applied wholesale; we can only understand things in context because we only exist in context. But this may be my love for postmodern philosophy talking.
If you are still interested in studying the Bible, I would encourage looking at modern academic commentaries/articles (getting suggestions from a professor or pastor that you trust might be helpful) as well as exploring other more foreign Christian theologies, such as Eastern Orthodoxy. Some places to start might be a basic book on exegesis such as The Bible Doesn't Have to Be Hard to Read and good article on the JEDP theory. On the subject of Eastern Orthodoxy, some good accessible books are The Orthodox Way and For the Life of the World.