Customer Reviews (3)

Very useful for independent reading on the Orthodox Church
I am new to the Orthodox faith and as you can guess as a catechumen I have lots and lots of questions, and am very thirsty for information re: the various prayers, worship styles, history, customs, traditions and rituals associated with Orthodox Christianity.

Mind you, I firmly believe that all questions re: the Church should be first addressed to your priest or spiritual father, but if they aren't available or you can't wait...then this book I feel makes a good secondary source to get answers until you can talk to 'em! I found that this book is very detailed but written in a way that a lay person will understand.

I especially appreciated the section on the Holy Mysteries, and the explanations of the various sacraments. They even have a recipe for making Phosphora, that surprised me for some reason! I also found the chapter on the church calendar very helpful, too. Mind you, much of this stuff I realize that merely reading doesn't truly prepare you for (as I've yet to experience a Great and Holy Week yet in the church) but at least I'll have something of an idea of what to expect when the time comes.

Revised edition, 2nd printing
As the author of "Orthodox Church: A-Z" I am happy to announce that a new 2nd edition, revised and corrected is now available.

The original edition contained errors such as missing quotation marks,underscoring and one mis-spelling. There were no errors in factual or support data. The publishing house now employs a full-time editor and computer expert whomakes certain that a book is as free of printing errors as possible.

I am delighted with the new edition. Even with minor flaws the first printing was a fine seller.

Fr George Grube

Useful but riddled with errors and unprofessionally edited
THE ORTHODOX CHURCH A TO Z by Fr George Grube is meant to be a "practical handbook of beliefs, liturgy, sacraments, customs, theology, history, and prayers for Orthodox Christians." The work does cover a wide range of issues that cathecumens will wish to know more about. However, I found it generally disappointing.

The book contains thirteen chapters. The first, "What We Believe" begins with the most concise statement of faith we are generally already aware of, the Nicene Creed, before elaborating on its theology. The second chapter, "Living as Orthodox Christians", is simply a long quotation from Bishop Averky on the pious life. The third chapter discusses prayer, including some little-known offices. "Gifts of the Holy Spirit" lays out various vices and the virtues that overcome them. The following chapters "Fasting" and "Worship" are a simple presentation of what behaviours are licit or not in church and during fasting periods. "The Holy Mysteries", by far the longest chapter of the book, is an exploration of the meaning of each of the sacraments. "The Bible and Orthodoxy" is a short bit on what role the Bible has within the Eastern Orthodox tradition and how to read it. Chapter nine "The Church Teaches Morality" may be the most interesting chapter for mere inquirers, as it lays out the Orthodox opinion on today's important social issues like homosexuality, abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia. Chapter ten, "The Setting for Worship" is an exhaustive trip through the church's architecture, the icons and other adornment within, and the rituals carried out. The eleventh chapter "God's Kingdom on Earth" shows what Orthodox mean when we call our faith *the* Church, and differences between the Orthodox tradition and those of Roman Catholics and Protestants, as well as how ecumenism proceeds from an Orthodox understanding. The twelfth chapter "Saints" is a listing of heroes of the Church throughout history, and the final chapter "Time In the Kingdom" the calendar of the Church and its great feasts and seasons are presented. The book has two appendices, the first gives the readings for each day of the Church year, and the second is a jumble of various matters not treated in the main material such as forms of address for clergy.

The book is informative. Matters not treated in many introductory Orthodox materials find a place here, such as the Paschal miracle of the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem, and the dozens of little adornments that make a building an Orthodox church. Much of the information is accompanied by relevant quotations from the Church fathers. Yet, the work as a whole has deep problems. A lot of the samples are overly simplistic and lack rigour. For example, in the section "Countering the claims of Fundamentalists", the fallacy behind sola scripture is not presented, which is the standard complaint against Fundamentalism by RC and Orthodox apologists. Editing is idiosyncratic. For some reason the discussion on tithing is within the chapter on fasting, and chapters six and ten might have been compressed into one. The book is also typeset unprofessionally, apparently in a common word processes. In a pretty large part of the book apostophes are missing entirely, and elsewhere there are grammatical errors, various typefaces are mixed with abandoned, and there are extra spaces everywhere. I understand that Orthodox publishing companies have limited resources, but even some simple proofreading would have helped.

I could see this book as being especially useful for catechumen classes, but it desperately needs a second edition with corrections and improvements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great for the Orthodox Novice
This is a easy and well written work outlining the Hours.I would recommend this for anyone who is interested in praying the Hours.

Very Useful
This book is useful for daily prayers. The prayers are arranged in the order of prayer used by Orthodox Christians. It begins with Vespers which is at 6pm and goes through of the hours of prayer. The prayers are to the point and relate to each time period. I usually use the morning prayers. There are also extra pages which I have filled up with other prayers. The forward is very informative especially for a beginner.

we all have time to pray, or else we shouldn't breathe
Prayer is the breath of the Christian life, as it unites the heart and mind to God an reminds us that we are our brother's and sister's keeper. This very slim volume is a handy book to have in the glove box, desk drawer, purse or backpack. Broken down by time (sunset, midnight, 9 am, noon etc), the prayers come right out of the Orthodox Christian monastic prayer cycle that all Christians can use for profit. Some sections are longer than others, but usually you can pray any given section in about five minutes, or, if you need a shorter prayer, you can do it in 30 seconds. God knows what we need and can do.

And the introduction by Bishop Kallistos Ware is very much worth reading over a few times a year, showing how prayer is something we do with the body and mind and heart, a recognition of God's holiness and mystery, a rejoicing in His love and intimacy, how it is Trinitarian and, since we ar emade in teh image of the Trinity, how our prayer is never individualistic- we belong to each other.

Enjoy!

Worth the price for the introduction alone
Kallistos Ware wrote the foreward for this little gem; in it he defines man as a praying animal - an absolutely brilliant paragraph.

The prayers in the book are taken from an ancient Greek liturgical document - lateeighth century i.e. before the Catholic-Orthodox split.Parenti hasselected from this document prayers for the liturgical hours (DivineOffice, Breviary).The prayers are clearly saturated with a Scripturalorientation - phrases and images consistently taken from the Bible.Theprayers are chosen to clearly illustrate the orientation of each hour - 3rdhours to Pentecost, 9th hour to nailing Christ to the cross etc.

Thesetraits are useful - but the beauty and doctrinal soundness of the prayersthemselves make the book one to be treasured.

Beautiful
This is the most beautiful collection of prayers I've ever seen! ... Read more

Product Description
An excellent introduction and overview of OrthodoxChristianity, with an emphasis on the Greek Orthodox Tradition.Thework covers basic themes of history, doctrine, spirituality, andliturgy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Many reasons to respect Greek Orthodox thought
Contantelos makes a clear presentation of Greek Orthodox tradition, giving basic insight into the values, rites and spiritual practices of the oldest living church. Concerning marriage for the clergy for example, he explains why most of the common priests remain married. Even the bishops were often married until the council of Trullo in 691, when the Greek Church decreed that a bishops role required undivided commitment, without the distraction of family life. For the rest of the clergy, marriage remained the standard. As Constantelos explains, "The fact that the [Greek Orthodox] Church has not made an official pronouncement placing celibacy above marriage indicates that the conscience of the Church has accepted marriage as a more courageous state of being". (p. 73.)

I came away from the book with greater respect for the depth of thought behind Greek Orthodox traditions.

-author of Correcting Jesus

Good introductory text on the Greek Orthodox Church
I was very pleased with this book.I had previously used the third edition, but the fourth edition is even better. It is a good introduction to the history, doctrine and culture of the Orthodox Church.It also devotes suffient space to outlining the history of Orthodoxy in the United States (Chapter 5).

Chapters 2 and 4 are superb chapters on some of the core beliefs and practices of Orthodoxy, and are very easy to understand.A major regret is that the author doesn't go sufficiently (in my opinion) into the Orthodox calendar, though he certainly does touch upon it.A list and subsequent explanation of Orthodox holy days, such as Lazarus Saturday or the Sunday of Orthodoxy, would be useful, since sacred time is very important to the Orthodox Church.Perhaps in future editions this will be included.

The history chapter (Chapter 3) is good, but I would suggest that future editions include more information on the filioque clause, due to its importance, (it only gets one page), and might recommend explanding the conciliar history and development of Greek Orthodox theology.I would also like to see more on the development of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (including the role of St. Andrew).Ultimately, I think that the history chapter needs a major overhaul (in a fifth edition???) perhaps dividing into two chapters due to its significance.For example, one chapter on general Orthodox history, the other on the development of doctrine and relations with Western Christianity.The latter would include, among other things, a one or two-page list of the Seven Ecumencial Councils and what each did.

With these rather minor exceptions, I strongly recommend this book to people interested in beginning a study of the Greek Orthodox Church.

EXCELLENT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Mr. Constantelos has done a Major service to Christianity in general and Orthodoxy in particular in presenting this book.He clearly explains in a language that is easy to understand such sujects as 1) The divinity in history 2)The Holy Spirit 3)Life in the Church 4)The Relevance of the Church today 5)The Patristic and Monastic Aspects of the Church.The book is well ballanced and very informative. ... Read more

Product Description
How should Orthodox Christians regard non-Christian religions? To treat this question, John Garvey provides a concise introduction to great religious traditions, East and West, and goes on to explore how seeds of truth may be found in them, while upholding the Orthodox Church s claim as the unique repository of the Christian tradition and the ark of salvation. "This book offers a solid introduction to interfaith relations, in which encounters among diverse faiths offer both challenges to peaceful coexistence and opportunities for fruitful exchange." -Dr Antonios Kireopoulos, Associate General Secretary for International Affairs and Peace, NCCC ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Few Words
Seeds of the Word, Orthodox Thinking on the Other religions, is a brief introduction to non-Christian religions. It has an interesting historical chapter (chapter 3), but the best parts are near the end where is summarizes differences that exist with other religions and Eastern Orthodoxy in particular (chapter 5). That made reading it worth the time.

The book is a very brief overview, with little depth and only a few footnotes. I does give a firm introduction, and useful for starting interfaith dialogue. It is a quick read, and never stuffy or overly scholarly.

Wisdom and humility.
I read this book as a library book and then decided I wanted my own copy.Since I have not read much on other religions, I appreciated the first half of the book which described them.However, I agree with another post which mentioned that the best portion of the book is a history or summary of the varied styles in which Christians have responded to those of different faiths.I've had exposure to several styles, some of which make me cringe.I fully appreciate the Orthodox perspective.How wonderful to consider that God does want to speak to all people and that some Truth, however clouded by human falsehood, is whispered into all of our hearts!(That is what I understood, anyway.)May we Christians reveal/reflect Him and His Ways more and more.May we walk and speak with greater wisdom and humility.May our lives and words cause a greater number of people to be brought to the fullness of Truth and may His Name be glorified forever and ever.Amen!

not what i was hoping for
Having read and loved Prematurely Saved and Other Varieties of the Religions Experience, I was very interested in what John Garvey would have to say about Eastern Orthodox perspectives on various religious traditions. I cannot say that I was disappointed, only not terribly impressed. The thin book is handy for a brief overview of the major world religions, which takes up about well over half the book. I felt, however, that this was something that I could have used the internet for. The title didn't indicate anything about those chapters and I felt the book could have done without them altogether. So the heart of the book for me began on page 79 (out of 126 pages of text, excluding bibliography and further reading). Honestly the first 2/3rds felt like filler now that I think about it. He could have just given the list of suggested readings and left it at that. (I know this is just a matter of taste and expectations and not a flaw in the book per se).

So chapter 3 onwards does a very fine job of outlining the various ways that EO has thought about and presented itself to the outside world, beginning with the Greeks and moving on to Islam, which was often very uninterested in any dialogue with Eastern Christians. Of course exceptions can be found in all camps (like St Gregory Palamas and St John of Damascus), but on the whole a militaristic offense/defense mentality prevailed.

Not much else is really offered in the terms of history. Garvey then conclude with a general "how to approach others" piece that is useful to the extent that it soundly rejects relativism, as is so often proposed by others (not Orthodox, of course). He correctly asserts that we are all actually closer to each other when we hold fast to our deepest convictions, rather than trying to have a least-common-denominator approach, since at that point we are seeking truth, not compromise, and God is of truth.

Although I would certainly not purchase this book again, that is owing to my misconception of what it would contain rather than any error or fault on the author's part.

I would add that Orthodoxy has the luxury of not painting itself into a theological corner by declaring everyone else damned either by some predestination of God or by a "you never called upon the name" theory. For Orthodox, salvation is not a game or magic, but the grace of God in the hearts of men, many of whom do not "claim the Name" in this lifetime, but are much holier than some who do. God loves all and calls all, and, as St Paul says in Romans, each will be judged according to their ability to know. Of course we believe that the EO is the fullness of God's revelation in Christ and the Spirit, but we are limited by the holy mysteries, God is not.

If you have any suggestions for books along these lines, please let me know. One that I have found to be useful, although brief, is "Face to Face: A guide for Orthodox Christians Encountering Muslims" by Fr. Ted Pulcini.Of course, the perennial philosophy books have much to say as well.

Valuable and Timely
I liked that the book was not too long. It gave me just the information I needed to begin to understand how Orthodox Christians can relate to other religions. This is very timely given our country's increasing concerns about Islam. The book included a brief summary of the various major non-Christian religions which was helpful. Overall I found it very stimulating and challenging. It helped me appreciate in a deeper way the place of Christianity in the world. And it had quite a good zinger in the last paragraph. Well done, Fr. Garvey! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Targets mainly cradle (Greek) Orthodox, of limited appeal to converts
THE ORTHODOX CHURCH: 455 Questions and Answers is a collection of questions which appeared in the "Religious Question Box" column in the Hellenic Chronicle from 1980 to 1985. The questions answered range the gamut from difficult theological questions like original sin and the second coming, to explanations of ritual like censing and blessing with water, to everyday matters of our society such as rock music, sex, and politics. Some of the letters are written in a very eccentric manner, but the authors of the column are always able to answer even the most badly-phrased question with a patient and comprehensive answer.

The Hellenic Chronicle is, of course, a Greek newspaper and much of the commentary here is dedicated toward a Greek Orthodox audience. I was unhappy with the rather rude treatment of the Orthodox Church in America (making it seem like a hardly-significant Russian denomination). What limits the bok, however, isn't a denominational bias, but rather a focus on helping cradle Orthodox understand the faith they grew up in. There is little focus on the questions converts have and the difficulties they face. Indeed, the entries here were written before the massive influx of people leaving evangelical Protestantism for Orthodoxy in the late 1980s, and so it lacks the helpful tone that many introductory publications from other presses offer. The book can be useful for people new to Orthodoxy, but should really serve as support to other materials. If you are a total neophyte, start with Timothy Ware's already classic THE ORTHODOX CHURCH.

A Handy Reference Guide to Orthodox Christianity
The description on the cover accurately calls this: "A concise and comprehensive handbook on the Orthodox faith thoroughly indexed for easy reference." This book is a handy tool for newcomers to the Orthodox Christian faith--like me--or for those who might be investigating this ancient, yet contemporary, expression of Christianity. The index of topics at the front makes it easy to find short articles on many topics, such as abortion, Bible, calendars, divorce, Easter, forgiveness, God, Holy Spirit, icons, Jesus Prayer, Kingdom of God,Lord's Supper, marriage, non-believers, Orthodox Church, Patriarchs, Qumram, Roman Catholicism, sacraments, Theotokos, Undivided Church of Christ, Virgin Mary, World Council of Churches, Yahweh and Zeon. I've often used this book to answer my own questions, as well as those of my non-Orthodox friends. Highly recommended!

Eastern Orthodox Views on Modern Issues
This book is composed of 455 questions that many people are asking today. Here the Eastern Orthodox answers are given. There are a variety of subjects covered, such as the Apocrypha, Byzantine Catholics, CapitalPunishment, War, the Pope, Istanbul, etc. Within each section there arequestions people have asked relating to these topics. Such questionsinclude: What Does the EO church believe about Birth Control? Why Don'tMore People Believe in God? What is Love? and Why are there so manyChristian churches? These are just a few examples of what the Churchbelieves on these pressing issues. The only drawback is that the book waswritten in 1988, so the more contemporary issues may not be covered. Butotherwise it is a useful book. ... Read more

Product Description
With a combination of essay-length and short entries written by a team of leading religious experts, the two-volume Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodoxy offers the most comprehensive guide to the cultural and intellectual world of Eastern Orthodox Christianity available in English today.

• An outstanding reference work providing the first English language multi-volume account of the key historical, liturgical, doctrinal features of Eastern Orthodoxy, including the Non-Chalcedonian churches
• Explores of the major traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy in detail, including the Armenian, Byzantine, Coptic, Ethiopic, Slavic, Romanian, Syriac churches
• Uniquely comprehensive, it is edited by one of the leading scholars in the field and provides authoritative but accessible articles by a range of top international academics and Orthodox figures
• Spans the period from Late Antiquity to the present, encompassing subjects including history, theology, liturgy, monasticism, sacramentology, canon law, philosophy, folk culture, architecture, archaeology, martyrology, hagiography, all alongside a large and generously detailed prosopography
• Structured alphabetically and topically cross-indexed, with entries ranging from 100 to 6,000 words

Product Description
In this enlightening study, Bruce McCormack reconsiders the importance of Karl Barth's theology. McCormack begins with Barth's relation to nineteenth-century theologians and then turns to critique the works of contemporary authors within postmodern circles who have attempted to reinterpret Barth to fit their categories. The later sections of McCormack's study probe more deeply into Barth's theology and consider European perspectives. As the title affirms, McCormack suggests that Barth was, in fact, both orthodox and modern in his theology.McCormack has established a reputation as a thoughtful scholar, and his study of Barth will certainly find a broad audience in academic circles. But serious readers and clergy will also find it a helpful guide to Barth's theology and his continuing importance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Orthodox and Modern
This book is not an easy read. While you think it would be more about the theology of Karl Barth you'll find that it talks more about his comtemporaries and what they believed as well as their opposing views of Karl's theology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a reference handbook, not a theological or devotional book
Coomler's handbook is a collection of common icon patterns (line drawings, usually presented backwards or mirror-image) with short decriptions (some better than others).

This book is not a theology of iconography, nor is it a devotional work. It's a reference text, a pattern book which may be used to identify icons & iconographic themes, read and interpret common iconographic symbols, etc. It can be extremely helpful when understood and used correctly, especially when supplemented with good theologies of iconography and devotional works.
... Read more

Product Description
The Russian school of modern Orthodox theology has made an immense but undervalued contribution to Christian thought. This groundbreaking study introduces the Russian school through the life and thought of three of its greatest thinkers, each representing a generation—Aleksandr Bukharev (1824–1871), Vladimir Soloviev (1853–1901), and Father Sergii Bulgakov (1871–1944).

Author Paul Valliere provides biographical sketches and historical background on these Russian-school thinkers. The primary concern of the book, however, is with the thought of each theologian. Working almost exclusively from Russian language primary sources, Valliere explores the many creative ideas devised or adapted by the Russian school, such as the humanity of God, kenotic christology, sophiology, panhumanity, free theocracy, church-and-world dogmatics, and prophetic ecumenism. Offering the first account in English of Bukharev’s thought and the most complete analysis of Bulgakov’s dogmatic theology, this volume is the best study of Russian theology now available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Coming out of the winter...
Paul Valliere states that the study of modern Russian theology through the works of Bukharev, Soloviev, and Bulgakov gives a representative view of early, middle and late periods.The Russian Orthodox theologians began the approach to modernity much earlier than others in the Orthodox world; as such, they were pioneers, without guides.Interrupted by the Soviet experiment, it has only been in the past few decades that the work of such theologians has again come to the forefront.

Valliere states that Bukharev was Russian Orthodoxy's first modern theologian, but that he was building on the work of early philosophers and thinkers.It was Bukharev, however, who brought the problem of modernity into the church context - Bukharev's education was fairly typical of Russian Orthodox clerics, without great exposure to the body of ideas from Western sources as the other thinkers would undoubtedly have had.Also, Bukharev's thought was through Orthodoxy, not as a dispassionate and separate system, but as 'the' system.

Soloviev represents a middle point, not merely on a chronological scale, but also because he is a mediator of sorts between Russian Orthodoxy and modern critical thought.Soloviev was not a student or disciple of Bukharev, yet there is a resonance at the core of their ideas, expressed in different ways, Soloviev's the more modern and sophisticated philosophically.

Bulgakov, on the other hand, did have a direct association with Soloviev - they were not colleagues or collaborators, but rather Bulgakov belonged to the generation of thinkers inspired by Soloviev's ideas and methods.Bulgakov, raised in an Orthodox clerical family, threw off for a time this calling for more secular pursuits (he became a first-rate economist), until eventually accepting ordination in the fateful time at the end of the first world war, when the modern Russian Orthodox theological school was effectively at an end, or at least in a deep hibernation until the late twentieth century.

This text is not a history, or a biography, or a literature survey, although it contains elements of each of these areas.What Valliere does is to trace out the development of theological content in the Russian Orthodox theological encounter with modernity, from its beginnings to the last days immediately prior to the Soviet revolution.In his final chapter, Valliere looks at the developments after Bulgakov, who had no direct heirs in the dogmatic theological task.Other Russian exiles and interested persons of the West helped to keep the memory of this school (and other Eastern European intellectual endeavours) alive; important persons such as Schmemann and Meyendorf (both of whom were teachers of this author, Paul Valliere) have brought Orthodoxy into the Western view; perhaps inevitably, the influences of the West were going to be felt and become shaping and interpreting forces on the theological school in exile, even as it returns to Mother Russia.

There is an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources; one needs a familiarity with Russian for many of the references, as Valliere works largely from original texts.He offers his own translations, some of which are at odds with more standard conventions - he explains some of his concerns with traditional translation and his own methods in the introduction

This is a fascinating work, introducing ideas that may seem at first obscure and difficult to grasp, yet show a side of Christendom both foreign and familiar to those in the Anglo-Catholic-Protestant West.Valliere's style is academic, and one might be forgiven for feeling that one has wandered into a Tolstoi or Dostoevsky novel at times due to the names and places (and, occasionally, the narrative of the lives of the theologians).However, for the theologically adventurous and historically curious, this is a good introduction to a school of thought that promises to influence the newly-freed Orthodox churches in the vast lands of Russia, and for that reason (if no other) it is worthy of consideration for those in the West who wish to understand them. ... Read more

Product Description

"A great storyteller, Professor Gurock masterfully weaves together personal narrative, sermons, and social observations to create gripping narratives of Orthodox Jewry in America.... [Orthodox Jews in America] brings together several decades of Gurock's incisive research and thinking on American Orthodoxy while offering a still deeper and more nuanced analysis of its overall development." -- Shuly Rubin Schwartz, author of The Rabbi's Wife

Customer Reviews (4)

Examining Orthodox Life
Orthodox Judaism, both as individual practice and as community, has been a work in progress starting with Professor Gurock's wonderful opening chapter on a single observant man in colonial Manhattan.It remains a work in progress today as numerous subdivisions of people in modern dress and those attired only in black and white accept or decline the many opportunities that life in America affords.In between, there is a remarkable account of who came, why they came, tensions between how immigrants and native born Orthodox Jews adapted to what they found, and to the enduring institutions they created.

I found the book generally easy to read with straightforward sentence structure suitable for late high school or early college readers, though with the cadence too often interupted by words that were not part of SAT challenges, let alone customary vocabulary.The history follows chronologic order though there is an awkward transition from the post-World War II era to the current affluent times with little assessment of how the affluence occurred.Similarly some of the contemporary issues, notably the institutional adaptations to feminism or inconsistencies in dealing with misconduct within the Orthodox community, were not addressed nearly as thoroughly as those 19th and 20th century events that are more fully resolved historically.

Despite these relatively minor reservations, Orthodox Jews in America reflects a superior scholarly achievement and should find its place as required reading in many a college course on American Judaism.

Orthodox Jews in America
A wonderful book. Jeffrey Gurock write an inclusive, insightful review of American Orthodoxy. In the process, he gives a thorough look at American Judaism in general. I recommend this without reservation.

Proofreading anyone?
I'm 1/3 of the way through this interesting, if not particularly compelling, book. My comment would be that Indiana University Press has done a very poor job proofreading this volume. There seems to be an error (usually grammatical or in the tense of a word) on every page or two. I don't know if a book such as this will get a second printing, but the text needs to be carefully gone through to be corrected prior to it. And, as I'm unemployed at the moment, I'd be delighted to make an arrangement to be the proofreader.

Relating
Gurock, Jeffrey S. "Orthodox Jews in America", Indiana University Press, 2009.

Relating

Amos Lassen

Orthodox Judaism in America has historically had problems with how to relate to non-Orthodox Judaism and we have seen that Orthodox Judaism has remained fervent in its belief that Judaism exists apart from the subjective experiences of individual Jews. Yet even with that, it is not so completely strict and naïve as to believe that all Orthodox Jews observe their religion in the same way. This is exactly the purpose of Jeffrey Gurock's scholarly study.
The major issue here is whether the idea of peoplehood crosses denominational lines because if this is so than hetero-Orthodoxy is permitted. The issue of modernity is also important. Is it possible to reconcile ancient Jewish/Hebrew texts with what is going on the world today? (Feminism is but one example). Can there be such a movement as "open Orthodoxy"?
The Orthodox community has never been able to reach a consensus about religious observance. The right wing demands complete and total adherence to Jewish law and in America this is a minority. Almost all congregations violate the Sabbath in some manner.
It is extremely interesting to see these ideas in print and of course these are some problems especially in the area of getting a consensus. Gurock does not look at two modern trends which tend to make wider the gap between Orthodoxy and the other branches of Judaism--conservative voting patterns and the influence the Orthodox have over policies in Israel. We are left to ponder what will be with Orthodoxy in the coming years.
... Read more

Product Description
This book is a history, an indictment, a lament, and an appeal, focusing on the messianic trend in Lubavitch hasidism. It demonstrates how hasidim who affirm the dead Rebbe's messiahship have abandoned one of Judaism's core beliefs in favour of adherence to the doctrine of a second coming. At the same time, it decries the remarkable equanimity with which the standard-bearers of Orthodoxy have granted legitimacy to this development by continuing to recognize such believers as Orthodox Jews in good standing. This dramatic abandonment of the age-old Jewish resistance to a quintessentially Christian belief is a development of striking importance for the history of religions, and it is an earthquake in the history of Judaism.David Berger chronicles the unfolding of this development from a personal viewpoint. He describes the growing concern that impelled him to undertake an anti-messianist campaign-publications, correspondence, and the sponsorship of a Rabbinical Council of America resolution excluding this belief from authentic Judaism.He argues that a large number, almost certainly a substantial majority, of Lubavitch hasidim believe in the Rebbe's messiahship; a significant segment, including educators in the central institutions of the movement, maintain a theology that goes beyond posthumous messianism to the affirmation that the Rebbe is pure divinity.While many Jews see Lubavitch as a marginal phenomenon, its influence is in fact growing at a remarkable rate-to the point where its representatives are poised to dominate Orthodox religious institutions not merely in isolated outposts but in several major countries throughout the world.This book analyses the boundaries of Judaism's messianic faith and its conception of God. It assesses the threat posed by the messianists of Lubavitch and points to the consequences, ranging from undermining a fundamental argument against the Christian mission to calling into question the kosher status of many foods and ritual objects prepared under Lubavitch supervision. Finally, it proposes a strategy to protect authentic Judaism from this assault. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (80)

Hateful Biased Propaganda
I dare not waste my time pointing out the numerous mistakes and personal driven hate saturated in this disgraceful work of literature. As someone who has seen the world of Lubavitch and benefited from the selfless Lubavitch activists I'm simply disgusted at Mr. Berger. Shame upon him!

Most Important Book of the Century
Despite a well-organized smear campaign by Lubavitch, who have directed their followers to post negative reviews on this site and elsewhere, this is the book of the century, a book that will not die until this false Messiah heresy is laid to rest.

Professor Berger shows boundless courage in the face of this intimidation. What he states is 100% accurate in every respect. He is a scholar of the highest magnitude and his reputation is impeccable. He has delivered a clarion call which must be heeded by all Jews, lest Judaism be destroyed from within by this cancer.

Read Professor Berger's book, buy copies to distribute to all your friends, for the false Messiah heresy is the single most important threat to Jewish survival.

Urgent and Vital in this Day and Age
The ruling by the RCA (90 Rabbi's of the Rabbinical Council of America) as to the need to distance oneself from those heretic believers (that the Rebbis is Messiah or loftier than that) in Judaism, should give all frum people pause. There is no need or advantage to being proclaimed the Messiah. Who cares. If he proves to be the Messiah, all well and good. If not, life goes on. It just causes those who believe in him to sin (by doing so). So wake up, Lubabs. Time for some serious reflection and introspection. Also, the Rebbi never clearly said that he wants to be praised, lauded and remembered as the Messiah. As such, a Meshichist is desecrating his name and soul, Rachmona Litzlan!!!

Poor academics
This book is a poor excuse for something coming from a supposed academic scholar. The author constantly refers to unnamed sources and the like as well as mind reading for his proof. Not at all scholarly, just a bunch of myths.

intelligent view
Rabbi Berger wrote a thoughtful analysis on a hype which has developed over the last 10 years. He also shows what is mostly kept underground and which is, nevertheless, of great importance for Jews elsewhere, especially in smaller communities, where Chabadniks are often the ones in charge. Although admittedly, I at first thought :"this can't be true"when reading the book for the first time, experience has shown and is still showing that it IS true. ... Read more

Product Description
This book describes the role of the medieval Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire (c.600-c.1453). As an integral part of its policy it was (as in western Christianity) closely linked with many aspects of everyday life both official and otherwise.It was a formative period for Orthodoxy. It had to face doctrinal problems and heresies; at the same time it experienced the continuity and deepening of its liturgical life.While holding fast to the traditions of the fathers and the councils, it saw certain developments in doctrine and liturgy as also in administration.

Part I discusses the landmarks in ecclesiastical affairs within the Empire as well as the creative influence exercised on the Slavs and the increasing contacts with westerners particularly after 1204.Part II gives a brief account of the structure of the medieval Orthodox Church, its officials and organization, and the spirituality of laity, monks, and clergy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very Good
Anyone who wants to know more about the history of the Orthodox Church needs to read this book.It is excellent.

Easy reading and informative.
This book was one of the best and easiest to read and understand of all books on the history of the Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Emoie.

terse at times
This book outlines the history of the Byzantine Church fromthe 7th century to the fall in 1453. If you want to know all the names of the all the Patriarchs of Constantinople and what they did etc., then you can probably find them in this book. Its broad coverage of the Church is both a strength and a weakness. A strength in the fact that you can learn something about anybody anda weakness in the fact that you might not care to read about them (the author's language is not overly enjoyable to plough through).

The book is divided into a history section and a Organization and Life of the Church section. The history was as is described above. The Organization section was extremely tedious and I skimmed most of it. However, it might be invaluable to one who wants to know about administration of the Church.

Overall, an OK read. However, I recommend Myendorff's Theology of Byzantium over this, to get a better grasp on the doctrines and theology. Hussey's book though will give you more of the 'historical' facts though,so to speak, and less of the meaning of the beliefs. ... Read more

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What can be learned about Christian faith and life in the original sources and authoritative witnesses of Eastern Orthodoxy and Wesleyan Methodism is boundlessly enlightening and life-giving. We thank God for raising up Christian scholars capable of offering these theological and spiritual treasures.— Thomas Hopko, from the Foreword

In 1999, on the campus of St Vladimir&#39s Seminary, Orthodox and Methodist leading scholars, clergy, and laity met to explore the roots of spirituality in both traditions. This volume explores the primary themes addressed at that consultation: holiness and perfection, the impact and influence of the Eastern Church upon John and Charles Wesley — the founders of Methodism — and the common foundational ground upon which the Wesleys and many of the Eastern Fathers stood. While there is much to be done toward establishing the direct channels of influence, the discourses of this volume will serve well the cause of discovering commonalities, as well as differences, in their theology and practice. One will find here foundation stones for building bridges of understanding and the deepening of spirituality.

S T Kimbrough, Jr is Associate General Secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Orthodox Methodism
I can only review this book from a Methodist perspective. It would be arrogant to assert otherwise.

This book is a collection of papers from the first Consultation on Wesleyan and Orthodox Spirituality. Orthodox And Wesleyan Scriptual Understanding And Practice is a product of the Second and Third consultations. The next volume in this series is highly anticipated.

There has been increasing interest in the area of John Wesley's apparent appropriation of Eastern sources in his theologising and the subsequent implications for Methodist theology today. These consultations and their products (such as the present work) are a welcome addition to this conversation. The direct dialogue with Eastern theologians over points of intersection between the two traditions is highly enlightening.

A sober treatment of Wesley's direct citation of and reference to the Church Fathers (East and West) is offered by Richard P. Heitzenrater and opens the discussion with a level perspective on Wesley's direct appropriation Eastern thought. Heitzenrater's illuminating survey is a 'must read' for anyone wishing to connect Wesley with Eastern theology.

Orthodox writers such as Petros Vassiliadis and Dimitar Popmarinov Kirov direct Wesleyans toward a sense of holiness informed by the Eucharist, koinonia, and theosis. Orthodoxy beckons Methodism forsake individualistic holiness and keep sight of the corporate dimension of holiness, an emphasis of Wesley's own orthdox treatment of the topic.

The implications of this dialogue are far reaching and exciting. This conversation is worth following and will be of special interest for those wishing to understand the relationship between Orthodoxy and Wesleyanism or even Orthodoxy and Protestantism. ... Read more

Product Description
Although there are over 200 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, 4 million of whom live in the United States, their history, beliefs, and practices are unfamiliar to most Americans. This book outlines the evolution of Orthodox Christian dogma, which emerged for the first time in 33 A.D., before shifting its focus to American Orthodoxy--a tradition that traces its origins back to the first Greek and Russian immigrants in the 1700s. The narrative follows the momentous events and notable individuals in the history of the Orthodox dioceses in the U.S., including Archbishop Iakovos' march for civil rights alongside Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Orthodox missionaries' active opposition to the mistreatment of native Inuit in Alaska, the quest for Orthodox unity in America, the massive influx of converts since the 1960s, and the often strained relationship between American Orthodox groups and the mother churches on the other side of the Atlantic. Erickson explains the huge impact Orthodox Christianity has had on the history of immigration, and how the religion has changed as a result of the American experience. Lively, engaging, and thoroughly researched, the book unveils an insightful portrait of an ancient faith in a new world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A seed planted in fresh soil of North America
This book provides readers with many reasons to praise indigenous and immigrant Orthodox believers for planting the seed of ancient Faith in North America. Despite hardships of their geographic environments and strained relations with Mother Churches at times, Orthodox Churches took root. The author, Fr. John H. Erickson, is an historian on the faculty of St. Vladimir's Seminary near New York City.

With index and appendices, the monograph is brief at 136 pages; now in paperback with publication date of 2008, the book appeared in the year 2000 as hardback. Scholarship and method are sound, but the tone is not academic. Therefore, readers from many educational levels and a wide array of interests will appreciate the fact that there are no footnotes and excessive parenthetical flourishes.

Five chapters cover the following thematic groups: "An Ancient Faith in the New World;" "Entrepreneurs and Missionaries;" "A Church of Immigrants;" "The Ethnic Churches;" and "The Quest for Unity." A critical reflection on more recent events concerning Orthodox unity in North America appears as an addendum to the fifth chapter. Appendix A, "The Orthodox Churches at a Glance," has been fact-checked for updates since the year 2000 publication of the book, and provides reasonable accuracy to jurisdictional membership in both Chalcedean and non-Chalcedean Orthodox Churches worldwide, without breakdowns to North American data.

Additional appendices include a glossary of 20 common terms such as icon and the prefix "arch." Also, a chronology of Orthodoxy abbreviates events between the First Ecumenical Council and the fall of Constantinople in 1453, followed by a detailed time-line of events in North American Orthodoxy. In the subsequent Appendix, "Further Reading," the author identifies seminal texts to serve readers well for reliable information about general and specific topics raised by this book. A comprehensive index of subjects and names concludes the text.

I recommend the book for adult education classes in parishes, entry-level religion and theology classes, and reference for hierarchs and lay leaders among Orthodox Christians who build Orthodox unity. ... Read more

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Campus Crusade for Christ leader turned Orthodox priest, Jon Braun, describes his journey into Orthodoxy and holds out to disenchanted Protestant evangelicals an invitation to rediscover an ancient, apostolic, authoritative Christianity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Really good for inquirers in the Orthodox faith
A good concise help to finding 'what' living the life of Christ is all about from an 'Eastern' perspective for 'Western Christians.'
A very good read [and quick] for an inquirer into the Orthodox faith. Our reading group/inquirer's class found it to be very informative and enjoyable. After reading this tackle "On The Incarnation" by St. Athanasius...Orthodoxy alive is best read from the source...alternately read the 'moderns' with the ancients, it is very rewarding.
Braun's "Divine Energy" really helps 'Western Christians' learn about theosis, the heart of Orthodoxy...check out his illustration of our life in Christ like a sword in the fire.

A very good introduction to Orthodox Spirituality
Fr. Jon Braun's book is best explained by its subtitle, "The Orthodox Path to Christian Victory".Rather than simply asking Jesus into our hearts and expecting a prosperous life simply because we are Christian, theauthor urges us to fight the good fight (cf. 2 Tim. 4:7) and to wageall-out war with sin.In the preface of the book, he writes:

"Ithas been my experience that there are millions of committed Christians inProtestant Churches who sincerely love God with all their hearts but whoalso have discovered that the Christian life is often...a battle againstsin.They...are frustrated because they aren't winning what they believeshould be their share of those spiritual wars.It is my conviction that inthe depth of Orthodox theology and spirituality, new--actually,old--answers may be found." (page xi)

Beginning with an assessmentof the battle all Christians have been called to fight, Fr. Jon then turnsto basic Orthodox theology regarding the Trinity, the Incarnation, etc. asthe foundation for our struggle in this battle.Finally, he explains thetools, or weapons, we may use to fight the good fight such as prayer,fasting, almsgiving, and living a virtuous life.These tools have beenused in and encouraged by the Church for 2000 years.They are"time-tested".Fr. Jon writes:"We don't have toexperiment.The Church now has two thousand years of battle knowledgebehind her.We can trust what she's learned..." (p. 146)

I highlyrecommend this book as a good, solid introduction to basic Orthodoxspirituality.It is well-written in a common language which anyone canunderstand.After one has read this book, I would also recommend ORTHODOXSPIRITUALITY: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION by Bishop of Nafpaktos Hierotheos(published by Birth of the Theotokos Monastery).

The below review of thisbook is very misleading. DIVINE ENERGIES has nothing to do with cruelty toanimals.

A Flawed Book
The easy acceptance and apparent approval of cruelty to animals ruin an adequate book.The Orthodox Church does not teach or approve of cruelty to anything.It is humanity's role to bring everything closer to God, not tospread pain and suffering.I find this acceptance especially disturbing inlight of current research which shows cruelty to animals in childhood is aprecursor to cruelty to humans in adulthood.
Also, the Orthodox Churchdoes not say animals "have no soul".The Church Fathers say theyhave a soul but it is not the same as the enhanced human soul.
Inquiries can be better served by such standards as "The OrthodoxChurch" by Timothy Ware, and "The Spiritual Life and How to beAttuned to It" by St. Theophan the Recluse. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume deals with the fundamental issues, presuppositions, and contexts which largely determine how the Bible is read and interpreted. The discussion centers aroubnd topics which pertain to Scripture as a whole - its nature and authority, its relationship to tradition, the patristic and modern approaches to Scripture, and the burning issue of interpretation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best Orthodox Book On Scripture, So Far...
As the title says this is the best book on Orthodox views of the New Testament that I have found.It does not deal much with the Old Testament, but the hermeneutical principals that are explained can be used for interpreting the OT.The author admits to having been, at least partially, educated in Protestant graduate schools and he displays a wide knowledge of the issues that they deal with.This also tends to make him somewhat more ecumenically inclined than I prefer.A Protestant or even Roman Catholic (as he also ierenically treats them) would find nothing overtly offensive in this book.
The author seems more "at home" dealing with liberal biblical criticism and footnotes helpful books from a variety of hermeneutical "flavors" such as feminist and liberation schools of thought.However, he fails to give any helpful books from the Protestant fundamentalist school and instead footnotes books that critique it instead.He also called me, and most Church Fathers by the way, an obscurantist three times in the book for actually affirming a belief in a literal 6-day creation.

Chapter 1 deals with the "Nature of Holy Scripture" and does so well.Chapter 2 is "The Authority and Uses of Holy Scripture." Chapter 3 is on Hermeneutics and the far to brief, in my opinion, forth chapter covers the Church Fathers on Scripture in 14 pages.Chapter 5 is on Modern Biblical Scholarship and critiques the post-Enlightenment "higher-critical" movements in academia.Chapters 6 & 7 deal with critiques of modern Orthodox exegetes and the authors own personal model for hermeneutics.2 short appendices are essays from St. John of Damascus & St. Symeon New Theologian excepted from a couple of Roman Catholic works translating them.Stylianopoulos does point out a deficiency in the RC translation of St. Symeon by C. J. deCatanzaro on p. 219.
Overall it is the best Orthodox hereneutical book that I have found so far and I would recomend it to Orthodox, RC and Protestants.I am still waiting for an excellent (read Traditional) Orthodox book dealing with the OT and especially the LXX vs. MT controversy.
... Read more

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Orthodox Christianity came to Russia from Byzantium in 988, and in the ensuing centuries it has become such a fixture of the Russian cultural landscape that any discussion of Russian character or history inevitably must take its influence into account. Orthodox Russia is a timely volume that brings together some of the best contemporary scholarship on Russian Orthodox beliefs and practices covering a broad historical period-from the Muscovite era through the immediate aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Studies of Russian Orthodoxy have typically focused on doctrinal contro-versies or institutional developments. Orthodox Russia concentrates on lived religious experience-how Orthodoxy touched the lives of a wide variety of subjects of the Russian state, from clerics awaiting the Apocalypse in the fifteenth century and nuns adapting to the attacks on organized religion under the Soviets to unlettered military servitors at the court of Ivan the Terrible and workers, peasants, and soldiers in the last years of the imperial regime. Melding traditionally distinct approaches, the volume allows us to see Orthodoxy not as a static set of rigidly applied rules and dictates but as a lived, adaptive, and flexible system. Orthodox Russia offers a much-needed, up-to-date general survey of the subject, one made possible by the opening of archives in Russia after 1991. Contributors include Laura Engelstein, Michael S. Flier, Daniel H. Kaiser, Nadieszda Kizenko, Eve Levin, Gary Marker, Daniel Rowland, Vera Shevzov, Thomas N. Tentler, Isolde Thyret, William G. Wagner, and Paul W. Werth. ... Read more

Product Description
In the "domestic church," parents, like the Orthodox priest, represent God to their children. Here is a wonderful book filled with ideas to help Orthodox Christian parents become effective religious educators in their own homes.The first part is titled Some Practical Things to Do, and the second part is titled Some Practical Things to Think about and Do. 250 pages ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

When love as family overrides selfish thoughts
Author of more than 70 monographs, study guides, and pamphlets, Anthony M. Coniaris released the 11th-edition of this text in 2004. The new and expanded 11th-edition contains 86 unique 'entries' consisting of one-to-four pages length--not chapters per se, which include introductory overviews of "What the Bible Says About Children," "Church Fathers on Child Rearing," with Preface and Foreword that appear unchanged since the first edition in 1977.

Father Coniaris has served more than 50 years to date as Priest assigned to St. Mary Greek Orthodox Church (GOAA), Minneapolis, MN (currently Priest Emeritus). The publisher for his media is Light & Life Publishing Company, which is the Orthodox Christian company he founded in 1966. Light&Life displays its inventory on more than 200 pages (2009-10 catalog), and arguably earns its self-promoted reputation as the world's largest Orthodox Christian supplier of books, teaching aids, CD's, video, icons, and pamphlets.

The layout and look of the 'Making God Real' text are practical, thus weaving various pastoral themes and sage advice across a span of 47 entries, before introducing the liturgical year with initial calendar entry in text of Great Lent. Careful editing prevented what might have amounted to derailing the progression of entries by a mid-manuscript introduction of the liturgical year.

Indeed, the text maintains a steady stream already established in the first 47 entries of how parents ought to raise children to sanctify all that children learn by doing what all family members proclaim of Christ in speech and action. Faith in action is the perspective of the Christian community, which Coniaris addresses to the nuclear family. But his advice to parents of children extends naturally to lifelong service within the Church and builds a global ethos of "making God real."

Fearless in voice and tone, the author attends to topics like sex education in the home and what to say about death to children with similar respect and candor as the essential theme of receiving Christ often in the Eucharist. To paraphrase the author's advice concerning frequent Communion (e.g. p. 112), he depicts bread and wine as extensions of Christ's humility and desire to serve.

Absent from the book are entries pertaining to the Internet, music, inter-faith marriages, respect for families of religions that differ from Orthodoxy and families for whom there is animus toward any religion, use of cellular technologies, families without children, blended families, and how to maintain open-channels of communication in families with pre-pubescent and teenage children. Therefore, I believe that the title should be re-worded to signify the book's actual content, viz. a focus on families with children up to age 12.

My recommendation brings enthusiastic support of the author's pastoral tone, and suggested use of this text as part of parenting/god-parenting classes. These classes ought to be requisite staples in six-month long or annual parish cycles prior to Baptism of infants, with additional programmatic and pastoral follow-up as necessary Orthodox support of families. Perhaps it is the lack of such parish programs that fuels a tragic need to evangelize the the very Christians who call themselves Orthodox and leaves many to wonder if God is real, indeed. ... Read more

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Fr Steven has given us a unique set of essays for edification, discussion and even comment and disagreement.His exposition on &#34God the Father" returns us to the roots of Orthodox iconography from which practitioners have strayed so completely, especially in recent centuries.Today, there is a tremendous interest in authentic iconography engendered by greater freedom to travel in such countries as Russia where eighteenth and century icons of &#34God the Father" abound.Travelers see these icons and come back with many questions which Fr Steven&#39s study answers.More important, the broad interest in traditional Christianity throughout the English-speaking world has generated this need to present authentic expression of the faith.This continues the tradition of the publisher and the author who have collaborated on translations of other worthy efforts to describe Orthodox iconography and spirituality.

Fr Steven is a scholar and researcher of Orthodox tradition.He is a graduate of St Vladimir&#39s Seminary and holds a doctorate from the University of Montreal in theology with a specialization in Christian and Orthodox iconography.His work here in these essays and studies hopefully will present an opportunity for further development of the subjects and more publications about beliefs consistent with the basic pillars of Christianity, Holy Scripture, and Holy Tradition. ... Read more

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The first comprehensive introduction to the Orthodox Church in the United States from 1794 to the present, this text offers a succinct overview of the Church's distinctive history and its particular perspectives on the Christian faith. FitzGerald examines the relationship between the Orthodox Church and other Christian churches in the U.S., as well as the contributions the Orthodox Church has made to the ecumenical movement. This student edition, ideal for classes in American Religion, Denominational History, and American social and cultural history, includes a bibliographic essay intended as a guide for further investigation into aspects of Orthodox Christianity. ... Read more