Favourite reading matter

[vrc]

I thought it would be interesting to know of texts on Orthodoxy, Saints, christology, or whatever you think, that you have found to be beautiful, useful or just plain stunning and not to be missed.

(online or in print - or even writing on the wall (so to speak))



To start, I have just got my dabs on a copy of The Philokalia, vol. 1. It's glorious.

Any advance on that?

[DanielM]

Some of the most enlightening reading I have borrowed or bought have been books by Bishop Kallistos Ware, namely The Orthodox Church, The Orthodox Way and The inner Kingdom.

My favourite writer on Orthodoxy is Heiromonk Seraphim Rose. he wrote a lot about dealing with Orthodoxy and Secular society (which is something I have struggled to balance in the past) My favourite of his books is
Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future.

Of all I would say my favourite actual book is "Youth of the Apocalypse and the last true rebellion" which looks at youth culture and Orthodoxy. it mainly looks at how people live, the effects and how Orthodoxy helps. It is very blunt on the subject too, which makes it even better.

Apart from that i just tend to pick up random books on the lives of the saints from online bookstores (They are usually about $1 on American sites) which lead me to read about other saints mentioned in the book, a bit like a treasure hunt.

[vrc]

Sorry for my tardy response - am rushed off my feet these days.

yes, I also love Bishop Kallistos Ware's work - he is definitely one to have in the library.

Will look out for Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future - that sounds very interesting.

[DanielM]

So... a year on.

Has anyone found any more interesting reading material that they would like to recommend.

Two recent favourites of mine are:

"The Sublime Life of Monasticism" by Bishop Mattheas
also
"A Panoramic View of Patristics" by Fr Tadros Malaty.

The first is easy to obtain from Amazon, the second is more difficult, I am still trying to find a personal copy from the internet. It is brilliant for an overview of doctrine and patristics though.

[Dougherty]

i have religion of the future on my list to get when out on kindle... also one i am hoping to get is "ultimate things" also "the pilgrims way"

[DanielM]

One other interesting book I am currently battling my way through is 'The forbidden Image: An intellectal History of Iconoclasm' by Alain Besancon.

It looks at the history of Iconophilia and Iconoclasm throughout religious history, from the biblical right up to 20th Century Russia. It is very Scholarly written but once you are past that it is pretty engrossing.

[Dougherty]

Fr. Farringtons book "Orthodox Christology" is great... packed gull and i think im only half way through, but great all the same

[kirk yacoub]

On the internet it is easy to find Syriac Orthodox prayers and homilies of the great saints of the Church such as St Ephrem and St Jacob of Serugh in English. I strongly recommend our liturgical prayers and songs which are available in English on the Margoneetho website.

With prayers,
Kirk Yacoub

[DanielM]

Some books I enjoyed as introductory reading for Exegesis and tradition are Christopher Hall's "...with the Church Fathers" collection.

The one's I have are Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers, Learning theology with the Church Fathers and Worshipping with the Church Fathers.

I think the author is Catholic but he really expresses the importance and benefits of looking to th Church fathers for inspiration as well as possible pitfalls that cna be encountered.

All in all, highly recommended.

[DanielM]

If people want a detailed understanding of Monasticism there is this book by Bishop Mettaous of El-Souriani monastery.

I would highly recommend it if you wish to know the requirements and life of the Coptic Monastic.

I wrote a review of it a while back for the Glasto and have posted it on my blog now.
Book Review: The Sublime life of Monasticism – HG Bishop Mettaous.

[adlena]

thanks to all for sharing reviews

[DanielM]

Thanks Adlena,

here is another from recently.

http://orthodoxbrit.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/book-review-interpretive-account-of.html

It is for the book: An Interpretive Account of Belief and Practice in the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church. By Abba Haliegebriel Girma

[Pilgrim]

(12-10-2010, 06:10 PM)DanielM Wrote:  Some of the most enlightening reading I have borrowed or bought have been books by Bishop Kallistos Ware, namely The Orthodox Church, The Orthodox Way and The inner Kingdom.

My favourite writer on Orthodoxy is Heiromonk Seraphim Rose. he wrote a lot about dealing with Orthodoxy and Secular society (which is something I have struggled to balance in the past) My favourite of his books is
Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future.

Of all I would say my favourite actual book is "Youth of the Apocalypse and the last true rebellion" which looks at youth culture and Orthodoxy. it mainly looks at how people live, the effects and how Orthodoxy helps. It is very blunt on the subject too, which makes it even better.

Apart from that i just tend to pick up random books on the lives of the saints from online bookstores (They are usually about $1 on American sites) which lead me to read about other saints mentioned in the book, a bit like a treasure hunt.

Have got the Ware books on my wish list. And 'Orthodoxy and the future'.

Just got Nigel Pennick's 'Celtic Saints' for a penny, and awaiting the delivery of 'Thirsting for God in a land of shallow wells' by Matthew Gallatin (also for a penny off Amazon!).

Hoping to find a copy of the Philokalia that I can afford soon!

The books I've most enjoyed in the last few months haver been Marcus Borg's 'The God we never knew' and Jennifer Kavanagh's 'The world is our cloister'.