Reddit reviews The Orthodox Church: New Edition
We found 29 Reddit comments about The Orthodox Church: New Edition. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Reddit reviews The Orthodox Church: New EditionWe found 29 Reddit comments about The Orthodox Church: New Edition. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Welcome! We believe that the Orthodox Church is the original Church founded by Jesus Christ, yes. The best way to get a good idea of what Orthodoxy is about is to visit a local parish near you, but here are some books that I would recommend:
The Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Way
Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy
Know the Faith
On the topic of visiting a local parish - do you live in the US? If so, there is a great online search engine to help you locate nearby Orthodox churches.
If your interest is serious, speak to the priest. He will probably have a list of materials in mind to recommend. Find out who teaches Catechism and ask them as well.
I recommend The Orthodox Church and The Orthodox Way by Metropolitan Kallistos (Timothy) Ware. They provide a solid foundation of Church history and basic beliefs. If you're looking for more specific details on Orthodox doctrine check out the websites of the different jurisdictions; most of them have explanations of doctrine:
Orthodox Church in America
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America
There are others out there, such as the Russian and Antiochian Churches. Doctrinally they'll all be the same.
You should also pray. A lot. Prayer is usually the first thing we're encouraged to do when taking on a new task. Ask God to lead you as you seek, and I have it on pretty good authority that you'll find.
Good luck and God bless!
Books:
The Orthodox Church http://www.amazon.com/The-Orthodox-Church-New-Edition/dp/0140146563
The Orthodox Way http://www.amazon.com/The-Orthodox-Way-Kallistos-Ware/dp/0913836583
For Orthodoxy, you could read Fr. Thomas Hopko's The Orthodox Faith (also called the "Rainbow Series" because the 4 books are published in differently-colored covers). You can buy them, but the text is also on the OCA website here: The Orthodox Faith
It's a general overview of the doctrine and life of the Orthodox Church.
There's also The Orthodox Church and The Orthodox Way by Metropolitan Kallistos (Timothy) Ware. These are pretty commonly suggested to a person interested in learning about the Church.
In addition, though, to reading, I would suggest actually attending services at the various churches you're considering. Between the time I left the Southern Baptists and the time I joined the Eastern Orthodox Church, I visited around a number of places and did a good bit of reading and discussing.
In the end, though, I think experiencing Orthodox worship was at least as important to my decision to become Orthodox as my reading was. For me, Orthodoxy just seemed real; there was just something there in the Orthodox services that I didn't sense anywhere else.
"The Orthodox Church" By Kallistos Ware. A very readable and comprehensive book by a well respected convert now bishop.
Byzantine Theology by John Meyendorff. He is one of the greatest contemporary Orthodox theologians.
The Way of the Pilgrim Author unknown. This is a classic of Eastern Christian spirituality that brings many people into the Orthodox way.
Hope these help!
Acts and then Eusebius' Church History. Covers from Christ to Constantine. Written in the 4th century (300's).
There is also a nice Penguin Classic version.
After that (or perhaps in place of Eusebius), I recommend the history sections of Kallistos Ware's The Orthodox Church - also a Penguin edition. As a former Roman Catholic (now Orthodox), I found his treatment of the pre-Schism history fairly objective (he himself converted from Anglicanism) and very readable.
First off, Welcome! You are a special snowflake, and don't let anyone tell you different! Also, I love cream cheese brownies and wine. Something in common already :). Secondly, I'm a catechumen (officially in the process of joining the Church) so take anything I say with a grain of salt as I'm definitely still learning. Other more experience Ortho folks will chime in I'm sure.
Having already attended some services with the intention of continuing I'd say you've got the right idea. Others here, like myself, experienced Orthodoxy first in books. It can be easy to read and read while never going to see and experience for yourself. So, good on ya.
If you're interested in supplementing what you're learning in the services and conversations with the priest, there are lots of good books and web resources. A couple books I’d recommend would be “The Orthodox Way” by bishop Kallistos Ware and “The Orthodox Church” by the same author. The first book deals more with Orthodox spirituality and the second starts off with some history in the first half and teaching/doctrine in the second half. Search through this sub-forum and you’ll find a lot of great questions/answers and links to some great articles.
I’m also a big fan of this blog by Fr. Stephen Freeman.
Feel free to ask any questions you have, there are some really great people in the sub-reddit that will be glad to help you out.
ps...My wife's interest in Orthodoxy isn't at the same place as mine. In my opinion it's best not to rush them or try to crame Orthodoxy down their throats in our new found enthusiasm. Pray for them, be patient and trust God to work on her heart is His own timing :)
These are the two books I used as my intro to Orthodoxy (aside from the posts from the folks here)
http://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Church-New-Timothy-Ware/dp/0140146563/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310527893&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Way-Kallistos-Ware/dp/0913836583/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310527939&sr=1-1
I also like this priest's blog:
http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/
The simplest answer is that the Roman Catholic doctrine of the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son directly contradicts what Christ Himself taught: But when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, Who proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me (John 15:26). Who proceeds from the Father is what was affirmed verbatim in the Creed adopted at the 2nd Ecumenical Council in 381: τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον. The Church Fathers later agreed (at the 3rd Ecumenical Council) that no change of any kind was to be introduced into this Creed. Kallistos Ware, in The Orthodox Church, describes how a modification to what was accepted at the 2nd Ecumenical council came to propagate in the west:
"Originally the Creed ran: ‘I believe… in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and together glorified.’ This, the original form, is recited unchanged by the east to this day. But the west inserted an extra phrase ‘and from the Son’ (in Latin, Filioque), so that the Creed now reads ‘who proceeds from the Father and the Son’. It is not certain when and where this addition was first made, but it seems to have originated in Spain, as a safeguard against Arianism. At any rate the Spanish Church interpolated the Filioque at the third Council of Toledo (589), if not before. From Spain the addition spread to France and thence to Germany, where it was welcomed by Charlemagne and adopted at the semi-Iconoclast Council of Frankfort (794). It was writers at Charlemagne's court who first made the Filioque into an issue of controversy, accusing the Greeks of heresy because they recited the Creed in its original form. But Rome, with typical conservatism, continued to use the Creed without the Filioque until the start of the eleventh century. In 808 Pope Leo III wrote in a letter to Charlemagne that, although he himself believed the Filioque to be doctrinally sound, yet he considered it a mistake to tamper with the wording of the Creed. Leo deliberately had the Creed, without the Filioque, inscribed on silver plaques and set up in St Peter's. For the time being Rome acted as a mediator between the Franks and Byzantium."
The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity (pp.50-51)
While I am a Protestant, this book…
http://www.amazon.com/The-Orthodox-Church-New-Edition/dp/0140146563/
… does contain a good summary of the early years up to and including the Great Schism. Another book I recommend that is more recent and deals with the time the Catholic Church lost a great deal of political power is…
http://www.amazon.com/Prisoner-Vatican-Garibaldis-Rebels-Struggle/dp/0618619194/
… though it is also focused on Italy Unification. Historically they are linked. Most of my other knowledge comes from general research study to (horribly condensed) films like Luther, so I am anxious to see what others might say.
If you're genuinely curious, grab a copy of Metropolitan Ware's The Orthodox Church. It's an AWESOME intro to the history, theology, and practices of Christian Orthodoxy. Also, if there's an Orthodox parish nearby, contact the priest and show up for Liturgy one Sunday! Just by being there, you'll learn and experience a lot. Just be sure to do some cursory research before you do! Eastern Christian worship can be a bit of a culture shock for a Western Christian.
The standard historical introduction is The Orthodox Church by Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware).
A good theological/spirituality introduction is The Orthodox Way, also by Met. Kallistos.
Outsider recommended The Orthodox Church which covers the history and beliefs of Orthodoxy. (Well, when I say it like that, it sounds pretty boring - it's not.)
Along with that, I'd recommend The Orthodox Way by the same author. it's meant to give a view into how Orthodox Christians do "spirituality."
Just curious, have you read the 12 things article?
Also, when I visited an Orthodox church, the priest recommended Timothy (Kallistos) Ware's The Orthodox Church as a good introduction for westerners. It's about half history lesson and half explanation of Orthodox practice and belief. It was certainly illuminating.
Mere Christianity is excellent.
I happen to like Timothy Ware's The Orthodox Church, for obvious reasons.
This book is seen as pretty much the gold standard when it comes to introducing the Orthodox Church. I'd also recommend the "Orthodox Study Bible."
If I recall correctly, their two primary issues with the Catholic Church was the Roman Pope's primacy and something with the Nicene Creed. They've diverged significantly since then, though. The Orthodox tend to be much more spiritual, use a lot more symbols and more incense, and a whole lot less legalistic.
Orthodoxwiki.org is a pretty good go-to site for specific topics from an Orthodox perspective. Wikipedia for that matter is excellent if you want a more secular perspective.
Also, this is a great pair of books (by the same author, incidentally) on both the history and practices of the Orthodox Church. Though keep in mind they're written by an Orthodox bishop, not a secular historian.
The Orthodox Church (this one's the history book)
The Orthodox Way
I was able to find a copy of The Orthodox Church at a local library.
Also, this is a great podcast about Byzantine history. It isn't really about the Church specifically, rather the Byzantine Empire, which was intimately tied to the Eastern Orthodox Church for many many years (history's kind of a side interest of mine).
Yes, a really good read is 'The Orthodox Church' by Kallistos Ware which gives you a great overview of the History of the early church before and after the schism, focusing primary on the Eastern Churches and what was going on there rather than West. It's not exhaustive but covers all the major events and key figures, as well some chapters on Orthodox theology and spirituality, which you will find interesting, especially if you come from another tradition.
https://www.amazon.ca/Orthodox-Church-Second-Timothy-Ware/dp/0140146563/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481928799&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Orthodox+Church
Mountain of Silence - by Kyriakos Markides
https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Silence-Search-Orthodox-Spirituality/dp/0385500920
​
Fr Arseny: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father
https://www.amazon.com/Father-Arseny-1893-1973-Narratives-Concerning/dp/0881411809
​
The Orthodox Church - Timothy Ware
https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Church-New-Timothy-Ware/dp/0140146563
​
Byzantine Thought and Art - Constantine Cavarnos
https://www.amazon.com/Byzantine-Thought-Art-Constantine-Cavarnos/dp/0914744224
I would like to suggest The Orthodox Church.
The first half of the book is about the history of the Orthodox Church from the time of Christ to the present day, it sort of picks up where the Bible leaves off.
The second half is more doctrinal, which, you can judge on it's own merits.
They aren't Orthodox theologians, but:
focuses more on the Byzantine Empire and so leaves out a lot of stuff, but it does cover the Ecumenical Councils and a lot of Orthodox history. There is also a harder-to-find 3 part trilogy of this abridged book.
Orthodox Writings:
There are probably not many good histories of the Church by Orthodox theologians, to be honest.
Welcome to the Orthodox Church by Frederica Mathewes-Green
The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware
are both good books on the subject.
I can dump a few lectures on YouTube if you want.
What you are seeking I think would in my opinion be found in Orthodox Christianity.
A good book to read is this.
Well, the proof is in the pudding, not in the list of ingredients on the side of the packaging of the pudding. To me, by the time I came to the point where I was asking myself what I really believe about the Eucharist, I had for the most part already seen enough to take the word of, not only the Church, but the earliest Christians, considering that's all we have to really go on. I mean, we're not just talking about some random people here but 2nd generation Christians, those who were taught by the Apostles themselves. If that is to come under scrutiny, then why not any other number of things they tell us? Why accept Christ's divinity or the doctrine of the Trinity or the Resurrection? All these things which were taught by the Apostles.
At some point, you become convinced of not just single subject matters, but of the legitimacy of the Church as a whole, you believe in the Church - not the individuals per se, but the body of teachings, and, more importantly, the transformative power of the way of living.
I would encourage you to more fully explore the links given in the thread I linked to, there is a wealth of information there which can take several months to take in and digest. And don't get hung up on single things like this, continue to investigate the Church as a whole. Have you read this book yet? It is probably the best introduction to the Church, both theologically and socially/historically.
Peace in Christ.
I believe it's this one: https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Church-New-Timothy-Ware/dp/0140146563/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
I got these:
The Orthodox Church by Kallistos Ware
The Orthodox Way by Kallistos Ware
The Mountain of Silence by Kyriacos C. Markides
The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
I'm still reading them but I hear that this selection will cover a lot of bases. Check eBay too, they can found pretty cheap.
http://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Church-New-Timothy-Ware/dp/0140146563
Talk to her about Christian History, particularly from the Eastern side of the Roman Empire. There's a well of knowledge there that is essential to any Christian to know. Maybe you guys could connect on the history of Christ's Church, and she wouldn't see it as going away from Christ, but coming home to His Church which has been here for over 2000 years.
ADDENDUM: I might recommend this book for people who are juuuuuuust barely starting out on their way home.
http://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Orthodox-Church-Faith-Life/dp/0937032255
Also this one:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Orthodox-Church-New-Edition/dp/0140146563
I can recommend some books.
For general theology:
For living a Christian life:
For adjudicating between denominations:
Some essays and blogs:
Do you need a denomination? Yes. All truths cannot be equally valid; therefore, some denominations must be closer to the truth than others. In the end, Christ teaches that the Church will be preserved throughout history. The question to answer for yourself is: what is the true Church? Obviously, I'm Eastern Orthodox and am convinced my Church is the fullest expression of Christianity, so read my comment as being spoken by a person from a particular group who has his own biases. Feel free to check out Orthodox Christianity if you start looking our way.
Edited