Product Description
It is commonly asserted that Maimonides' famous Thirteen Principles are the last word in Orthodox Jewish theology. This is a very popular notion, and is often repeated by scholars from all camps in Judaism. Yet such a position ignores the long history of Jewish theology in which Maimonides' Principles have been subject to great dispute.The book begins with a discussion of the significance of the Principles and illustrates how they assumed such a central place in traditional Judaism. Each principle is then considered in turn: the reasons underlying Maimonides' formulations are expounded and the disputes that have arisen concerning them are discussed in detail. Marc B. Shapiro's authoritative analysis makes it quite clear that the notion that Maimonides' Principles are the last word in traditional Jewish theology is a misconception, and that even Maimonides himself was not fully convinced of every aspect of his formulations.Although structured around Maimonides' Principles, this book can also be seen as an encyclopedia of traditional Jewish thought concerning the central issues of Jewish theology.The diversity of opinion in Jewish tradition on such issues as God, Creation, and the Revelation of the Torah is sure to surprise readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Shapiro reveals important information
Studying Maimonidean thought means coming into contact with rational ideas that are not always considered mainstream in Jewish philosophy. How common is it for different and even conflicting beliefs to be simultaneously accepted as Jewish?

Marc B. Shapiro addresses this question in his easy to read and very informative The Limits of Orthodox Theology: Maimonides' Thirteen Principles Reappraised. He examines the thirteen principles of faith that Moses Maimonides (1138-1204) outlines in his Commentary on the Mishnah, Introduction to Perek Chelek. These thirteen principles have become basic tenets for many Jews - so significant, in fact, that two versions of the list were placed in the siddur, the daily prayer book: one is called Ani Ma'amin ("I believe") and the other is the chant Yigdal ("God is exalted"). Yet, although it may surprise many people who think that the thirteen principles are sacrosanct, not everyone accepts these thirteen principles, and many who reject them are well respected Orthodox Jews.

Shapiro examines traditional Orthodox sources and finds that even undisputed Orthodox Jewish authorities, great rabbis, dispute Maimonides' beliefs radically and, at times, even vituperatively. Shapiro's analysis shows that Orthodox Jews can hold nonconforming and dissenting views - even on fundamental beliefs - without being considered rebels against Judaism.

Shapiro teaches that many Jews, including rabbis, do not realize that Judaism allows a wide spectrum of beliefs. Their ignorance is caused by their narrow focus on the Talmuds, codes of Jewish law and responsa literature, while ignoring the theological literature. Shapiro cites an example of one of the greatest recent halakhic authorities, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, who comes to erroneous conclusions about Maimonides' philosophy. "He was therefore able to state that Maimonides believed in the protective power of holy names and names of angels, as used in amulets." This is directly opposite Maimonides' teaching in Mishnah Sotah 7:4 and the Guide of the Perplexed 1:61, 62.

How the Principles were not received
Short summary:

In short what Shapiro tries to do is show how the 13 principles of the Rambam were received though it looks like his focus is actually on how they were not received. In his introduction he goes into the fact that today they are virtually assumed and that there are few who doubt their veracity, but that this was not at all the case, and the remainder of his book is taking each principle and looking at how other Rabbi's responded to this, both directly as well as indirectly. The sources he quotes are mainly traditionalist sources which is logical as for others it may be more natural to reject these principles.

Its quite an enligthening study and shows how diverse Judaism actually is, and how difficult it is to ask for the Jewish opinion on this or that. Shapiro shows that on virtually all principles there are deviations and that often Maimonides was expressing a minority stream in greater Judaism.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed reading the many sources he quotes and think this is a great plus for the book. He captures, to my knowledge, all the major Rabbi's but also less well-known people and documents. Yet in some way he manages to insert his own thoughts as well making it more than simply a reference book. I did feel he was constantly trying to undermine the principles as set forth by the Rambam and show how they were not accepted but given the sources this looks inevitable.

I did feel a bit lost sometimes; it somehow seemed like anything goes and that as much as the Rambam and other rationalists may claim a particular concept, the mysticists will come up with another, which often seems incompatible. While this is the beauty of Judaism, it has something frustrating to it (and especially as Im more inclined to the rationalists:P).

Nevertheless it made me realize once again how great the influence of the Rambam has been, as even though his ideas were rejected by many at first, his Mishneh Torah still remains among the greatest halachic works and any halachic decision maker has to deal with him.

I also enjoyed the parts in which he interacts with other Maimonidean scholars on what exactly the Rambam meant and what the context to these principles was. In particular the distinction between what the Rambam deemed as necessary beliefs and true beliefs. It was very interesting to read that it was probable the Rambam himself did not hold to certain of these principles but included them for the masses.

Grade:

9 out of 10

A highly illuminating work

Fascinating and vital
This book is absolutely fascinating, and a must-buy for those who wish to know the details of Judaism's principles of faith. Dr. Shapiro does not merely bring obscure opinions rejected in their own time, but rather strongly-held opinions of prominent authorities of yore which are still alive and well for the learned.

It is interesting that just this past weekend, I first saw this book, and I happened to read the exact same chapter as Mr. Lewyn describes in his review below. I will elaborate on Mr. Lewyn's sample, for the interest of those who want a more extensive sample of this book:

Dr. Shapiro notes that Rambam himself knew as much, if not more than, anyone else of his time, about the different textual variants of the Torah, as Rambam was involved in arbitrating between different Masoretic texts available to him. So he could not possibly have meant to declare that no textual errors have crept into our Torah. In fact, Rambam's son refused (if I remember correctly) to arbitrate between alternative accepted texts.

However, Rambam DID mean to say that no post-Moshe additions were (permissibly) deliberately made (presumably, they could be made, just as textual errors can be made, as this is the real world with real humans, but this would be a violation of the law). However, ibn Ezra says that individual verses could be permissibly post-Moshe, and Rabbi Yehuda heChasid says entire sections of narrative could be post-Moshe. Another view opines that Ezra haSofer could not add to the mitzvot, but he could add to the narratives. Most importantly, the Gemara itself has one view that the account of Moshe's death was written by Yehoshua. Dr. Shapiro cites a prominent modern Orthodox authority (I forget who) who says that the important thing is simply that "for all intents and purposes" the Torah is the same as given to Moshe, and that it is "from Heaven"; the Gemara itself requires belief not in the Torah being from Moshe's hand, but rather "from Heaven". So while Rambam personally believed that the Torah was written entirely by Moshe, surely Rambam could not hold the opposing opinion to be heresy, as even the Gemara itself offers one opinion to this effect.

Now, we said Rambam could not possibly hold that no textual variants or errors exist. But he makes exactly this claim in his Iggeret Teiman! This letter was written for the layman, as was the Mishneh Torah. At this time, Muslims were claiming the Torah was textually corrupted by the Jews, and any admission of this fact, by rabbis, to the laymen, could impair the simple ignorant faith of the masses. For these, it was important to tell a lie that would strengthen their faith, rather than telling a truth that was difficult to understand. For those capable of understanding, the truth would be made known, but not through the popular channels.

a tremendously interesting book
Maimonides asserted that anyone who rejected his Thirteen Principles was a heretic who has removed himself from the Jewish people- yet most of these Principles were at one time or another rejected by leading rabbis both before and after Maimonides.

For example, Shapiro writes that even the view that "the Torah in our hands is exactly the same as the Torah that Moses presented to the Children of Israel" has been widely disputed.To be sure, pre-Reform Jews universally accepted the Torah as Divine and as roughly the same as the original text.But Shapiro asserts that historically there have been minor deviations in Torah scrolls, and that even today nine letters in Yemenite Torahs differ from those in those used by the rest of Jewry.Shapiro also cites numerous medieval commentators' assertions that some non-halakhic portions of the Torah, although true and divinely inspired, were written by Joshua or Ezra rather than Moses.

Shapiro also asserts that some of the Principles were arguably contradicted even by Maimonides' own later writings.

A minor quibble: Shapiro's discussion would have been clearer if he had put Maimonides' own language in his book as an appendix.

Believe This
There are those for whom their belief in religion will never quite approach their scholarly understanding of it. But the opposite is probably more prevalent. Many more people sincerely profess faith but are ignorant of the knowledge that should necessarily underpin such faith.

It is to this latter group that Marc Shapiro is addressing himself in his book, traditional Jews who might know halakha but who are otherwise ignorant of what their great spiritual giants believed for millennia. Many of the beliefs espoused by these great men run counter to the Thirteen Principles set down by Maimonides (some disagreements extending into the present!), a situation that, ostensibly, should have prevented them from an afterlife and which would have excised their souls from the Jewish nation.

Besides proving his point exhaustively, Dr. Shapiro is presenting a fine intellectual history of Jewish thought from the vantage point of its outer limits. The appendix even includes pictures of God on the title pages of sacred books written in the past few hundred years!

There is no doubt that this book, based on a controversial and satisfyingly unsettling essay that Shapiro penned just a few years ago, will both elicit praise and scorn, the scorn manifesting itself in book bannings and in the hiring of scholarly mercenaries who will be asked to trash the book, site unseen, in predetermined reviews.

Well, these reviewers will have their work cut out for them because Shapiro's book is thoughtful and nuanced and, thereby, evades pigeon holing. Besides addressing out-and-out disagreements that people had regarding creed, there is the bigger problem of Maimonides contradicting himself in matters of belief, both within different contexts and at different times in his life.

Shapiro also notes at length the recognized yet endlessly ironic fact that Maimonides himself was accused of not believing in his own Principles both during his lifetime and afterward.

Most importantly, by invoking an authority no less central than Maimonides himself, Shapiro debunks the notion, embraced by some writers, that scholarly debate concerning the correctness of doctrine is a relic of the past, and that this pursuit of the truth has calcified into unwavering dogma.

The historical realities are to the contrary. The search for what believers are supposed to believe is still driven by studying sacred texts, by our logic and, to some degree, by our intuitions.

Excellent! ... Read more

Product Description
In this first in-depth portrait of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel today, Samuel Heilman introduces a community that to many may seem to be the very embodiment of the Jewish past. To outsiders who stumble upon these neighborhoods and find bearded men in caftans, children with earlocks, and women in long dresses, black kerchiefs and stockings, it may appear that these people still hold fast to every tradition while turning their backs to the contemporary world. But rather than being a relic from the past, ultra-Orthodox Jews, or haredim, are very much part of the contemporary landscape and are playing an increasingly prominent role in the Jewish world and in Israeli politics. Defenders of the Faith takes us inside the world of this contemporary fundamentalist community, its lifestyle and mores, including education, religious practices and beliefs, sexual ethics, and marriage. Heilman explores the reasons why this group is more militant and extreme than its pre-Holocaust brethren, and provides insight into the worldview of this small but influential sector of modern Jewry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Gold-standard ethnography
Heilman is a student of Erving Goffman, and offers meticulous and insightful analyses of the haredi rituals he observes.He studies a category of Jews who insist upon their essential difference from the rest of humanity, and yet is able to communicate across these self-erected barriers.Marvelous, marvelous ethnography.

Too academic for my liking
I couldn't wait to get this book since there aren't too many out there like it and the subject fascinates me, but I was very disappointed when I started reading it.

It reads like an academic paper.Heilman never fails to use 10 big, awkwardly put-together words when a few simple words would do. His word choice felt very thick and syrupy.This is fine for a school textbook or the like, but not really my prefernce for leisure reading.

A look into a different world
This book provides a very informative and insightful look into the world of the Hareidim, both from a personal perspective and from Mr. Heilman's trained perspective as a social anthropologist.He explains that he chose to study Israeli Hareidim as opposed to American Hareidim because, even though Hareidi communities in America do walk the walk and talk the talk, they're just too much a part of the modern world, such as in how they ride public transportation, work, and do business with people who aren't a part of their communities.In Israel, the Hareidim have much less contact with the modern secular world, and, on the surface at least, shun almost everything that has to do with it.However, as we come to discover, in spite of how they have clearly defined us vs. them boundaries and believe that there's no turning back if one, for example, goes to a university, with no happy middle existing between completely ultra-Orthodox and completely ultra-secular, they do benefit from the modern world.They rely on doctors to treat them, doctors who were trained in modern secular universities, sometimes have computers in their homes, even if it's just for the purposes of writing a religious newsletter, use specially-approved public buses to go on pilgrimages, the women sometimes wear modern clothes (within the dictates of modesty, of course), and they use modern smaller tefillin instead of the larger outdated impractical ones used by their forebears, feeling that the modern tefillin are superior and that anyone who would want the old kind made would have to be a fool, even in spite of how in many other matters they feel that the ways of previous generations are superior to anything the modern world has to offer.

I personally have very mixed feelings about the people described in these pages (except for the Lubavitchers, the most modern Hassidic group).On the one hand, we come to see these people, in all of their various groups (Belzers, Reb Arelach, Satmars, Neturei Karta, Sanzers, Breslovers, Lithuanians, etc.), as almost regular people in spite of the glaring differences, people who live decent upright lives even though they seem like people out of an 18th century shtetl, who are living the only way they know how to live, the only way they can imagine living, who have become so strict in response to what they feel is a corrupting of morals, Judaism, and the world in general, particularly after how their communities were all but decimated in the Shoah.However, as normal and sympathetic as the Hareidim come to seem during the course of this book, it is still unsettling to read the things they say about the modern world, such as how anyone who's not ultra-Orthodox isn't really religious, how a man who rushes to hug and kiss his wife after she's just had their baby is overcome by lust and can't wait to get back into bed with her instead of just being overcome by love and tenderness after such a powerful event, how a woman who doesn't dress the way a Hareidi woman does must be very lax in her morals, even if the clothes she's wearing are still rather modest by secular standards, how if someone comes out of a public university with his or her Judaism unaffected, s/he was never really observant to begin with, and how all goyim are adulterers, thieves, liars, and generally bad silly corrupt people.As lovely as these people are, it's dangerous to see the world in such black and white terms, to not want to venture outside for fear of contamination no matter how strong one's faith is, to group people into "self" and "other."Still, as a modern person, it's easy to judge them and be offended by some of the things they believe.For people who have lived and believed this way their entire lives, it's the most normal thing in the world.And they're so insulted in their communities that it doesn't seem like a problem that they receive no secular education or don't want to go outside of their neighborhoods.That's their world, and if it works for them, then great.

A lot of subjects are covered in this book, though they're grouped into three main sections--community life (such as the Belzer rebbe's son's bar mitzvah, the Belzer rebbe's Friday night tisch, the third ritual meal of Shabbos with the extreme sect the Reb Arelach, an offshoot of the Satmars, and a pilgrimage), education (going from gan [kindergarten] to the yeshiva attended by men in their twenties), and personal matters (funerals, weddings, matchmaking, sex).As has been already noted, Mr. Heilman had a special position as a partial insider.He's Modern Orthodox, so he was quite familiar with a lot of the rituals, prayers, and events; a non-Jew or someone of a more liberal denomination probably wouldn't have been allowed such wide-ranging access to all of these events and wouldn't have been allowed to observe schools or talk to couples about their sex lives.Although this stringent way of life isn't for me, I was left wanting more information about these communities, wanted more stories about them, wished there had been another chapter on their regular day-to-day lives as opposed to covering mainly ritual, education, and life passages.I also wished there had been more material on Hareidi women, outside of the chapters on matchmaking and sex.I understand that as a man, he couldn't really have access to women's lives the same way he was able to observe and talk with those of the male sex, but that did mean that a big part of what the Hareidi experience is all about wasn't covered as fully as it might have been.In spite of what the average modern person views as shortcomings or even offensive and highly outdated and inaccurate views and beliefs on the world, this is a fascinating society that has a rich warm vibrancy, and this book is a wonderful introduction to them.

Very good!
This book presented a suprisingly well-balanced view into the world of Israel's Haredim.Written from an outsider perspective, you'd expect the text to be overly critical and harsh.However, I was pleased to find that it wasn't.

The author does a good job at portraying the life of the Haredim in a curious yet understanding way, while still being critical at appropriate times.Heilman does not rain down flattery but also does not shy away from asking difficult questions.While keeping an intellectually honest front, Heilman brings out thought-provoking discussions and presents perspectives that the rest of us outsides may not ever agree with, but can -- at the very least -- understand where the Haredim are coming from.

There are not a great deal of books on the so-called "ultra" Orthodox Jews available, and many that are are horribly biased against the way of life that seems so extreme to many of us.Heilman's text is definitely one I'd recommend because it keeps middle ground, explores deeply but still manages to be respectful to his subjects.

Surprising
I found this book surprisingly engaging.Here is a group of people I was not very sympathetic towards, but once I followed them with heilman's guidance, I discovered they were surprisingly human and fascinating.This book does what all good anthropology should: it takes the reader to a place he or she might not go alone and lets them sit on the anthropologist's shoulder and see the foreign so that it becomes familiar.A great read from an academic. ... Read more

Product Description
This study historicizes the formation of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Menze shows that the sixth century separation of the Syrian Orthodox Christians from Western Christianity took place because of divergent political and ecclesiastical interests of bishops and emperors. Roman emperors proved to be unable to hold the papacy in the West, the later Greek Orthodox and the Syrian Christians in the East together in one belief. The result was (religious) violence, discrimination and persecution of the Syrian Christians which forced them to establish an independent church. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Highly Recommended Reading for RastafarI, for Mostly Indirect Reasons
This 2005 third edition of the book doesn't reveal that it has actually been written in the late 1980s by Archbishop Yesehaq, formerly Laike Mandefro. As such, it does NOT cover the early 1990s declaration of independence of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Church in the Western Hemisphere from the mother church in Ethiopia, due to political downheaval in the country, i.e. the book hasn't been updated during those almost two decades. The author passed on at the very end of that year of 2005.

He covers the Christian history of Ethiopia, starting in 34 C.E., of course with the prior Jewish beginning from the times of the Queen of Sheba starting the Solomonic Dynasty, which culminated in Haile Selassie-I in the 20th century. This is an interesting ecclesiastical perspective of the political perspective of the recommendable The Ethiopians: A History (Peoples of Africa). In this section, it is difficult to determine the abuna's real opinion of certain historic events. At times he writes anti-Muslim, anti-Jewish and anti-"Pagan", at others he finds more sympathetic words and instead writes anti-Coptic and anti-Catholic, from the former of which the Ethiopian Sister Church became independent in the 1950s or "liberated" as he puts it. He's also finding venerating words for Ethiopian emperors in the tune of that one exhibited "wisdom (...) in his leadership" and was "demonstrating his impartiality in the face of justice" - by killing four of his sons and three of his daughters for refusing to follow his religious regulations. About another: "God had appointed Kassa to bring justice and punish evil" - by burning a mosque, persecuting and genociding various other-thinkers/-believers. Yet later he repeats those astonishing judgements in ironic quotation marks.

The next section of the book covers the myths and rituals of the Orthodox Ethiopian Church. Some of those are fascinating, such as hiding clergy during election times, because nobody wants to get appointed to higher positions in the hierarchy; that the political land reform in Ethiopia, which took away the church's land, left the church better off; that there isn't only a holy birth without a father, but also one without a mother by a father.

On the other hand praying should be done in trembling fear, the raising of the dead is meant literally (as in Western churches), there is a Satan who attempts to reach everyone during the individuals' two guardian angels' shift changeovers, he's proud of crosses in silver and gold, there's a fasting festivity deriving from a very hypocritical historical bypassing of the commandment not do murder, and the author thinks, God/"Jesus" should be presented as Black not because he is Black, but because every nation should project an image according to its particular color. (Whatever that is monolithically...) In other words I am amazed, all of this - for example - may be considered compatible to RastafarI, for the latter to convert into the church. What may be compatible to some is the stark sexism. Sons are baptized after 40 days, daughters after 80 days, the respective time of the impurity of the mother. Wives should not look to or at other men, because they should "not have time to serve (...) more than one husband". Parents have to consent to marriage, who must also be members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Husband and wife are to pray separately und women aren't even allowed into the church choir or any other function in the church. The difference to RastafarI is: As a latter, I am free to follow that OR NOT, in the church I do not have any choice.

30 pages (1/8 of the book) is reserverd for Jamaica and RastafarI. Interestingly, the author shows more respect for RastafarI and some of the respective theologies than pastors and ministers of other churches who write books about RastafarI. Which doesn't mean that Abuna Yesehaq completely waives any paternalizing attitudes, misrepresentations ("militant Rastas" "seeking identity") and accusations of heresy with claims of his own and only truth. Yet, he actually interprets Marcus Garvey as John the Baptist, with very fascinating consequences, confirming RastafarI. Already in the previous section, he lists all the fundamental reforms overtaken by Haile Selassie-I concerning the Ethiopian Tewahedo Church, which by itself is very important to sight for RastafarI.

In other words, this book isn't aggreeable to RastafarI on many issues, in fact it rather insults at the point of suggesting proselytizing, yet, it qualifies as a must read for RastafarI for the book's direct information and indirect spiritual value, the author probably wasn't aware of. It is too bad that this book hasn't been updated as mentioned above, as that would have been a further sighting of the mysterious ways, Jah works - to be overstood later.

excellent
young gifted and black youths get confidence thru ethiopian church spectacles,live on abuna yesehaq,jahbless!!

the real faith
This book illustrates the true doctrin preserved in Ethiopia for 2000 years. Untouched and unchanged method of preparing communion so one will be getting the true blessing from Christ.This is the most valuable informationon earth! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent & Enlightening
This is an excellent book.Much to learn for the person who wants to understand the origins of worship.As for the little date mix up, it is but a tiny flaw in comparison to the understandable, easy to digest manner, in which a sometimes very complicated subject, is brought to the level of a lay person's understanding.

There may not be enough, saying the same thing over and over in different ways, to suit the philosophical or theological thinker type.

Good introductory book
I just finished reading this book.I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and found much to learn.I have only been attending DL regularly for a few months and this book helped me to figure out what's happening.However, the biggest problem is that there were a lot of typos (I wonder if the placing of St. Justinian was just such a typo).Most of these were pretty easy to spot (like "form" instead of "from"), but in general they were annoying.

This would be a great book for a serious inquirer into either Orthodoxy or Church History- since much of this type of history is left out of Protestant history.

Not nearly as good as you would expect.
I bought this at a church book store and was horrified at how horrible it was. The authors speak about the Holy Trinity as developing like the outwards liturgical forms, confuse liturgical functions, and in one part he even places Emperor Saint Justinian the Great in the wrong century (the authors claim he lived in the 7th century when really he ruled in the 6th; 527-565). I would not recommend this book to anyone. Instead, I would recommend "The Orthodox Liturgy: The Development of the Eucharistic Liturgy in the Byzantine Rite" by Hugh Wybrew. I think that would be the best choice.

Excellent history, review & invitation to liturgical worship
"Orthodox Worship" is essentially two books and a pamphlet under one cover.

In Part I: "Understanding the Divine Liturgy", Benjamin D. Williams, explains the development of Christian worship, starting with the Early Church and its roots in Scripture and the Jewish traditions of temple and synagogue worship.

In Part II: Harold B. Anstall takes the reader on "A Journey Through the Liturgy." Here he starts with "The Interior of an Orthodox Church," which is appropriate, since that is usually the first thing someone experiences upon attending any service in the Orthodox Church. The rest of this section goes through a step-by-step explanation of everything that is said and done in a Divine Liturgy, the "main event" of Orthodox Christian worship.

In the conclusion: "A Call to Worship," Williams invites the Western reader to visit, understand and experience liturgical worship as practiced in the Orthodox Church. Here he gives a quick, understandable overview of how Christianity in the West has departed, and continues to travel farther, from its historical roots in liturgical worship.

I first read "Orthodox Worship," after attending a series of lectures by Frank Schaeffer (son of the late Evangelical apologist and theologian, Francis Schaeffer) in 1997. At that point I was firmly entrenched in an Evangelical church as a praise band director and worship leader. Schaeffer explained his departure from Evangelicalism and his "coming home" to the Orthodox Church. (For more about that, see his book "Dancing Alone.") I began visiting a couple of Orthodox churches in our area, and decided I wanted to understand what was going on.

After my first reading of "Orthodox Worship," I concluded that:

1. Liturgical worship does indeed have its roots in Scripture and in the practices of the Early Church, as practiced in the book of Acts.

2. There is a reason for everything that is said and done in the Divine Liturgy, and that it is all based on Scripture and the development of the Christian faith in the first three centuries.

Now, several years later, as I approach the second anniversary of my own "coming home" to the Orthodox Church, I decided to reread this volume. Now that I've gradually let liturgical worship become an integral part of my life, and now that I sing in (and sometimes direct) our parish choir, I found completely different quotes jumping off the page than the ones I highlighted the first time through, such as:

"It is worth noting...that the frequently quoted passage..."where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them" is not a stand-alone proposition. It has a very specific context, and that context is The Church! (page 80)."

I'd recommend this fine introductory volume to people who want to investigate the roots of liturgical Christian worship, to those who are inquiring about the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as to those Orthodox Christians who need a refresher course on the Divine Liturgy. The only drawback of the edition I read was the many typographical errors scattered throughout the book, which was a little distracting.

(...)

The author's view
This book was written with a specific audience in mind: western Christians, especially Protestants, interested in the history and development of Christian worship.As the sub-title demonstrates, Christian worship developed out of Jewish worship practices, that were informed by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and were transformed by the early Christian church into the core of Christian worship.For most western Christians, and particularly Protestants (and both author's were raised as Protestants) this is a little known fact.Besides tracing the history and development of Christian worship, the book also contains a step-by-step commentary on the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the common Sunday morning service of the Orthodox churches.This book was written for "the common person", and does not require a theological background.It is straight forward and accessible. ... Read more

Product Description
St Gregory Palamas, a fourteenth-century Byzantine saint and Church Father, incorporated traditional Eastern monastic spirituality into a comprehensive theological vision. His understanding of hesychasm, the monastic movement centered on solitude and unceasing prayer, is grounded in an incarnational theology: When spiritual joy comes to the body from the mind, it suffers no diminution by this communion with the body, but rather transfigures the body, spiritualizing it rejecting all evil desires of the flesh, it no longer weighs down the soul but rises up with it, the whole man becoming spirit, as it is written: 'He who is born of the Spirit is spirit' (John 3:6-8). Triads 11, 2.9 This richly documented and lavishly illustrated study of Orthodox spirituality traces the development of 'Orthodox mysticism' from the desert fathers through the patristic tradition to Byzantine hesychasm and its heritage in Russian monasticism. It shows how the work of Palamas transcends the limits of one school of spirituality and renews in its deepest essence the life of the Christian Mystery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

There is one transcendent reality
The first half of this book deals with Eastern monastic practices, highlighting its strengths and perils.This section of the book is of interest primarily to academics who focus on monasticism.The second half of the book outlines St Gregory's life, his conflict with Barlaam, and the resulting theology.The book concludes with a look at modern hesychasm in Russia.

Meyendorff notes that Palamas did not exactly oppose Aristotelianism, per se (thus blunting a common charge made by Catholic scholars, notably von Balthasar).He saw it as a useful system, provided that one did not get carried away into excesses with it.

I assume most readers are familiar with the details of Barlaam.Of importance is Barlaam's actual theology.Barlaam, following a nominalistic agnosticism, thought that the monks were saying one could bodily see the divine essence.1) Barlaam said that all knowledge is sense-perception.2) God, being defined as a Platonic postulate, is beyond sense-perception.Therefore, any knowledge/communion with God can only come from "intermediaries" (102).

Palamas responds thusly:

He is going to say that we do have a direct experience with God but we do not know the "essence" of God.How can he say this?First, God is essentially apart from other creatures because he is "uncreated."Therefore, when creatures participate in God, they participate in "uncreated life."Still, this does not yet address Barlaam's challenge.Palamas will thus say that revelation, participation, deification, is a free act (energy) of the living God (118-119).

Therefore, we see a distinction between the divine act of revelation and the unknowable essence.This does not introduce a fourth term in the Godhead since God in his simplicity is fully present both in the essence and the energy.

Conclusions and Implications of Palamism:
1.There is no autonomous reality between God and creatures because God himself, in his condescension, is that reality (122).
2.The victory of Palamism protected the East from the onslaught of the Renaissance (94).
3.Palamas reestablished the dignity of matter, since the body fully participates in the energies of God (108).A corollary of this is a revitalization in the sacraments, for the new life in Christ is present in the sacraments.

I close with a quote from Meyendorff,
A...decision was set before the Orthodox Church in the fourteenth century: a choice between a unitary (integral) concept of man based on the Bible, affirming the immediate efficacy of redemptive grace in every sphere of human activity, or the choice of an intellectualized spiritualism claiming independence for the human intellect...and denying that any real deification is possible here below.There is no doubt that the secularism of the modern age is the direct consequence of that second choice (171).

A corrective to arid Scholasticism
The 14th century Byzantine saint Gregory Palamas isn't well known by western Christians, but he ought to be.He was the most influential critic of the arid and Aristotelian scholasticism that had overtaken the Latin church (under the influence of figures such as Thomas Aquinas) and that was threatening to infiltrate the Greek church (under the influence of Barlaam, a convert to Orthodoxy).In criticizing the new Scholasticism, Palamas reaffirmed the ancient tradition of hesychasm and heart-mysticism characteristic of eastern Christianity--a tradition, sadly, that's utterly foreign to contemporary Protestantism, and under-developed in Roman Catholicism.

Meyendorff provides a pretty good overview of this ancient tradition, Palamas' 14th-century defense of it, and its later expressions, particularly in Russian Orthodoxy.Curiously, given the book's title, the section devoted explicitly to Palamas is both the shortest and the least informative.Over half the book is devoted to the spiritual tradition of hesychasm as practiced and advocated by the early desert hermits, Evagrios Pontikos, Makarios, Symeon, Maximos, and Gregory Nyssa.Although the paucity of information on Palamas is a bit disappointing, this section on his precursors by itself makes the book well worth reading.In addition, the entire text is beautifully illustrated.

In addition to discussing the remembrance of God aimed for by the hesychast tradition's advocacy of silence, ceaseless prayer, and virtue, Meyerdorff also touches on the doctrine of theosis (the tragically-neglected in the west doctrine of deification) as well as the debate between Palamas and Barlaam.This dispute is really important, although at first sight it appears rather esoteric.The debate centered around whether it's ever possible to 'know' God.Barlaam, following Scholastic neo-Aristotelianism, insisted that all knowledge necessarily originates with the senses.Since God is nonmaterial, any putative 'mystical' encounter with God must be subjective.Palamas defended the Orthodox (and, I would add, scriptural) position that although God's essence is unknowable, God's energy is not.The distinction between essence and energy is essential for salvaging the darkness of the Creator on the one hand and the God-revealing Incarnation on the other.

I agree with earlier critics that the book could've been better proofread, that the binding is weak, and that the want of a bibliography is troublesome.But in this day and age of 'google,' bibliographical references can easily be traced, and wonderful translations of all the authors quoted by Meyendorff are available.

Good introduction but flawed
This volume provides a solid introduction to the Eastern monastic/hermitic (hesychasic) tradition.The first, and best section, covers Evagrius, Macarius, Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus and Symeon the New Theologian.It emphasizes the Jesus Prayer and the fundamental unity of body and soul.This section includes numerous quotations from original source; they are well chosen and develop Meyendorff's thesis.

The second section, which covers Gregory Palamas, presents his theology of energies vs. essence in an easy to understand way.It relates his theology to the theological, political and philosophical issues of his day.However, this expansion of focus beyond the monastic tradition has not had a firm foundation laid.Thus much of this section requires significant outside knowledge to be meaningful.

The third section covers hesychasm after Palamas - in very broad strokes. It emphasizes two developments best known to the West - the Philokalia and the Russian Way of the Pilgrim.

The book provides a solid, readable introduction.However, it has flaws.Trivial production flaws includes typographical errors, lack of a bibliography, extensive illustrations without textual tie-ins ...On the latter, the illustrations do relate to the text but what they are intended to add to the text is unclear.

The book is also written in a defensive tone - brief comments against Islamic (Sufi) influence, Hindu nirvana, and, more extensively, Western humanism add nothing to the history of the Eastern tradition.Nor are they explored sufficiently to serve as a meaningful sidebar.(Also note that "nirvana" is usually associated with Buddhism and "samadhi" with Hinduism.)Unfortunately, this defensiveness, creates for me a lack of trust in the reliability of the author, an author whom I respect highly based on other works.

Excellent Introduction
This book is an excellent introduction to St. Gregory Palamas and Hesychasm. It explains to the reader why this Christian belief and practice is so important to us today. Also recommended is The Moutain of Silence by Kyriacos C. Markides.

Good but Limited Introduction
This short introduction by John Meyendorff surveys the development of Eastern Orthodox spirituality, which culminates in the work of St. Gregory Palamas (14th century).It contains a number of illustrations: icons, photographs (black and white), and manuscript artwork.The basic thesis is that Eastern Othorodox spirituality - what some would call "mysticism" - begins with primitive monasticism and culminates with Palamas in the 14th century (although there are a few slight developments in Russia, such as St. Seraphim of Sarov).The basic practice that culminates with Palamas has come to be known as "Hesychasm", which means "inner stillness" or "inner peace".

Meyendorff's writing is easy to read and comprehend; it is nice that he pretty much gets to the heart of each thinker he discusses (Evagrius, the pseudo-Macarian homilies, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Maximus the Confessor, and others) rather than discussing superfluous detail (the point of the book, afterall, is the *spirituality* of the Eastern Orthodox church).The bigger picture of doctrines like true prayer and deification/theosis (union with God, a concept largely abandoned in the West) are touched upon along with their developments in the thoughts of the above thinkers.It is a wonderful touch that Meyendorff includes a fair number of quotes from the primary sources.

The focus of the book is St. Gregory Palamas and Meyendorff offers a good synopsis of his life and times before going into the controversy surrounding Palamas and a monk named Barlaam.In short, Palamas' great victory was teaching that because God has become human, humans can experience God in a living way (this recalls the teachings of St. Athanasius who, oddly enough, is not touched upon in this book).It is interesting to note that although this book is almost 45 years old, Meyendorff touches upon the tolerance of the Turkish Muslims that captured a ship Palamas was on and the dialogue that went on between the Muslims and Hesychasts in the 14th century.

The book is clearly biased in Palamas' favor, and Meyendorff does seem to have the motive of showing how the traditions of the Eastern Orthodox church have remained faithful to their original heritage, a common claim made by Eastern Orthodox thinkers and writers as a way of distinguishing them from what they perceive to be distortions in the West.(I, for one, am staying out of the debate.)Although Meyendorff's bias isn't too terrible of a thing, the reader should know this going into the book; those that read carefully will probably pick this up pretty quickly.

The book seriously suffers, however, from the absence of any type of bibliography (which is always nice to have, so that the reader can do some of his or her own research).Although the book is an introduction, topics are often touched upon so lightly that the reader wants more.It's hard to get more without a bibliography!The book also suffers from its print and binding jobs, which are rather poor.

It would be great if someone would take this book and look up the original sources that Meyendorff used and repackage it without typos and with a better binding.The material itself is great - and for this I recommend the book - but for more serious students it is of limited use. ... Read more

Product Description
Hear Me is a prayer book designed to address the unique challenges Orthodox youth experience in their walk with Christ. This user-friendly manual communicates the importance of both corporate and personal faith. Prayers for school, friendships, and family give teens tools for successful relationships. A topical section offers encouragement as teens face daily challenges. The Q & A section answers practical questions the youth themselves may find challenging. Hear Me gives teens direction in using the tools Christ has given us Holy Scripture as the map, and the Church and Her Traditions the compass, helping our youth find their own path toward theosis. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Timely Resource for Teens
This resource is a lovely collection of prayers. Despite its "Orthodox Teen" label, Christians of all ages can benefit from the encouragement and help that it contains. Boyd has done a great work, unifying prayers, quotes, and scriptures for the strengthening of the reader's soul.

A Private Couseling Session
I was so happy to have found this book. I have teenagers at home, and teen-aged grandchildren, also. I read through the book before giving it to any of them (I bought 3 copies), and was so thoroughly impressed with how well the author understands teens and the problems they face as Christian young people in the world today. Really, as I was reading, it was like a private counseling session, because, besides the prayers, Ms. Boyd presents typical situations a teenager may find him or herself in: "I've committed a big sin and am afraid to tell anyone", "I keep committing the same sin over and over again" (strike a bell?), "I feel betrayed by a friend", and so many more! This little volume could save a life, or at least, bring a troubled teenager closer to God and his or her faith. Thank you so much, Ms. Boyd, for this precious little volume. I'm sure it will be put to good use by all, not just teenagers!

spiritual first aid
I really like the format of this Prayer Book. It begins with the prayers we are familiar with. The rest of the book is like a first aid kit for situations teens often face. There are many topics listed, each one with a Saint who will help us and scripture references that tell us what God says about it. These topics can be tough. Eating disorders, friends who are pressing you to take drugs, abuse. This is the kind of material our teens (Orthodox and non-Orthodox) need to read. ... Read more

Product Description
A short biography of selected saints of the Orthodox Christian Church covering the period July 1 to Sept. 30. Volumes 1, 2, and 4 cover the remainder of the year. ... Read more

Product Description
The late Professor Panagiotes K. Chrestou of Aristotle University of Thessalonica, Greece, is justly regarded as the leading Greek Patrologist of the twentieth century. The present volume is a foretaste of Professor Chrestou's Greek Patrology. Its great value will be realized by anyone who decides to delve into these pages. It provides a bird's eye view of Greek Orthodox Patrology, and elucidates in a thorough and succinct way such basic topics as: who the Fathers are; the historical context of patristic literature; the nature and characteristics of Greek patristic literature; and the seven major periods of patristic literature from AD 90 through 1453, the capture of Constantinople. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very Informative and Excellent Referencial Resource
This is a mini encyclopedia to learn about the Church Fathers. It's not only for the Orthodox Christians but for all Christians.It is fundamental and a wonderful resource.

The Greatest of ALL Patrologies
For those who are not familiar with the late Dr. Panagiotes Chrestou, he is without a doubt the greatest patristics scholar of the twentieth century and has yet to be surpassed.A foretaste of his genius is presented in this volume which introduces the reader to the study of the Church Fathers.One should keep in mindthat this volume, translated by another patristics scholar Fr. George Dragas, consists of only about half of the first volume introduction to Professor Chrestou's 5-volume magnum opus.The second half of the introduction is forthcoming.

According to Fr. Dragas: "His [Dr. Chrestou's] Greek Patrology in 5 volumes, written in Greek and comprising some 3,300 pages, is the most updated Patrology around the world, surpassing any other in thoroughness and extensiveness, and it would have been the indespensible textbook in this field worldwide had it been translated into a more commonly used language, like English..."When all 5 volumes are translated, no doubt it will achieve this status.

This first half of the first volume "gives a birds eye view of Greek Orthodox Patrology, and elucidates in a thorough and succinct way such basic topics as: who the Fathers are; the historical context of patristic literature; the nature and characteristics of Greek patristic literature; and the seven major periods of Greek patristic literature from AD 90 through 1453, the capture of Constantinople." Furthermore, it examines not only the writings of those we know today as Fathers, but examines all the ecclesiastical authors, whether Orthodox or heretical, who wrote in Greek from the beginning of the Christian era to the capture of Constantinople in 1453. It is the Fathers who constitute the nucleus of this examination as they gave the tone of life from post-apostolic times throughout the entirety of the history of the Roman Empire after Constantine the Great.

The effort of Professor Chrestou is meant to revitalize Greek patristic scholarship not only at the academic level, but also as the direct inheritance of Orthodox Christianity.As he says: "It is the Fathers who move the threads of Holy Tradition."The organic unity between the writings and lives of the Church Fathers with Orthodox theology is indispensible for a comprehensve understanding of patrology.

This is not another mere catalogue of names and writings of the Church Fathers.Professor Chrestou understood well that this does little to benefit students of the Fathers and he avoided it as much as possible.In this and other forthcoming volumes there will be presented a "new type of Patrology" as Dr. Chrestou called it.This is not merely a dry systematic exposition of texts and bibliographies and the problems they address, but this is primarily a Patrology with personality.According to the author, it "brings to the fore the personalities of particular authors by projecting those points in their activity and teaching which allow the reader to acquire a full image of them."

If your looking for a dry Patrology with no personality and you have no desire to understand the context of the Church Fathers, this volume is not for you.If you are looking to enhance and broaden your view of patristics and Greco/Roman literature, then you will welcome this volume as an indespensible part of your library.

Not a patrology
The title of this book is misleading. It is NOT a patrology, in the way that Altaner and Quasten are.

Under this title we expect a series of sections, one per patristic author. Each section gives details of his life, with bibliography; then each of his works, describing it, giving editions and translations and studies, and then the next.

Instead this book is apparently some introductory matter from the first volume of a patrology in modern Greek. Some 30 pages are devoted to a general discussion of the Jews in the Hasmonean period; more to an overview of Roman religion. Neither has any place in a patrology. These vague essays contain few footnotes, and some of the statements are wrong. The Roman cult of Mithras probably is not of Iranian origin. The fathers of Nicaea only number 318 in later texts, not in those written within a century of the events.

I felt rather cheated by this. The translator indicates that he produced the volume for teaching purposes, and that he only included the first half of volume 1 of this Greek patrology by Chrestou. He also says that in a subsequent edition he hopes to translate the rest. This would be good, and interesting; but in the mean time it is unclear to whom this book will be of use. ... Read more

Product Description

Although aimed primarily at Orthodox Christians, this study will also be of interest to many non-Orthodox Christians as well as to many non-Christians&#39indeed, to all who are seeking a careful introductory survey of the content and meaning of the Bible.

George Francis Cronk holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Southern Illinois University, and is currently Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religion at Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey.An active member of the Church of the Holy Resurrection in Wayne, New Jersey, Dr Cronk has authored and produced the New Life Series, a collection of taped lectures on Orthodox theology and related topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Caveat
If you prefer a mixture of traditional Orthodox (and orthodox) teaching of the Scripture and what appears to be a touch of modernism and deconstructionism, then this may be your book.It turned out not to be mine.In dealing with Old Testament material in particular, Cronk is fond of making sure his audience is aware that ancient accounts of the Flood, for example, have been reworked from "legends" now for the purposes of interpreting the events of Noah and his experiences. Regardless of Cronk's intention, the way this is presented it has the feel of a palpable design to persuade readers of Genesis much as a rhetorician develops a shaky argument. At best, such passages are murky.It is not clear exactly where Cronk wants to go on these occasions in his book.When he says we should not look for a scientific account of Genesis, does he mean not look for accuracy?He agrees with modern scientists who say the Flood only had a local effect, not covering "the world".Okay, perhaps, but what's the point?Why go there?There are other reputable scientists who find evidence all over the world of a global deluge at about the time Moses recalls. If he meant by "science", "fundamentalism" and "literalist" reading of the Bible with no historical and poetic sense of life, then that is a credible and common observation.But he insists that we understand what is written in Genesis be understood as "legend" (how is he using this word?), and that we also understood such figures as the Ark as "symbol".It is not always clear to me that this is a typological reading in the tradition of the Early Fathers, and beyond.It is only after the fact, we can see that the Ark is a divine icon of Christ and His Church. You cannot cast a shadow of a doubt on the truth of first the literal meaning before you can have the typological understanding. The benefit of the doubt should always go to the author, like Cronk, who has impressive credentials and experience in reading texts.Perhaps one can say, well, maybe it's just a matter of semantics. Right.And semantics are important. Very.

Except for the front matter, basically indistinguishable from any other guide to the Bible from any other press
George Cronk's THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE: An Orthodox Christian Perspective was published by St. Vladimir's Seminary Press in 1982. The author, a college teacher of philosophy and comparative religion, sought to provide an introduction to the Scriptures that would reflect the role they play in the entirety of Orthodox tradition. In his introduction, Cronk makes clear that in the Orthodox Church, the reading of Scripture must be influenced by the life of the Church--the Church after all existed before the Bible. This is an important point to grasp for the American Protestant converts for whom Cronk was writing. Cronk also makes clear that the Orthodox Church does not take a literal reading of Scripture like those who believe in, say, a literal six-day creation. Rather, the contents of the Bible contain all that is spiritually true in the context of ancient storytelling.

After the introduction, however, Cronk's book becomes very generic, with little Orthodox content in it. He describes the construction of the Bible: Old Testament laws and history, wisdom literature and prophets, New Testament gospels, Pauline epistles, catholic epistles and Relevation. But this is all in the most elementary and "non-denominational" terms. The book could have lived up to its title had it actually talked more of the meaning of certain key passages in the life of the Orthodox Church. The burning bush has often been seen in the Orthodox Church as prefiguring the life of the Theotokos, and this has influenced iconography, but Cronk doesn't discuss this. Nor does he speak of the three angels whom Abraham served at the oak of Mamre, who are seen to represent the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and who inspired one of the greatest of all icons, the Holy Trinity of St. Andrei Rublev.

As a basic introduction to the organization and content of the Bible, Cronk's book works. However, there was such a wasted opportunity to explain the meaning of the Bible in the fullness of Orthodox tradition.

A Concise Introduction
Cronk offers a concise introduction to the Bible in this offering from St Vladimir's Seminary Press.Cronk starts off with the Old Testament and then moves through the Hebrew Bible. In each section he offers brief historical background (such as the two different Creation accounts in Genesis 1 & 2) and then offers the Orthodox perspective on the section he is discussing. It is an easy read and there is no need for any background knowledge of Scripture or scholarship. Cronk presents all the information clear and without any jargon.

Obviously, in order to get the most from the text, you need a good Bible to read along side this. I would say The Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha is by FAR the best Bible on the market and you can find excellent deals on Amazon, Ebay or Half.com.The Oxford Bible is NRSV, but if you can't get that, any other NRSV Bible would be great or ESV, NKJV, or even the NIV. Also the Orthodox Study Bible can be read with this as well but I do not like that version though. Personally I don't like study Bibles at all, and the Orthodox Study Bible (OT and NT) has terrible introductions on each book of the Bible, that border on Fundamentalist biblical-literalism (such as claiming Moses wrote the Torah or that the Genesis account has some sort of scientific validity, which is absurd). The Oxford Annotated Bible is the best bet, it has the latest on historical scholarship and is Ecumenical, so regardless on whether you're Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant, it's a great Bible.
Another great thing about this book is that it is a good introduction for a Christian from any denomination. Sure it's an "Orthodox" perspective on Scripture, but really that just means a "patristic" perspective. All mainstream Christian traditions claim the Fathers, so if you want to get a good introduction on how the Fathers interpreted the Bible, this is by far the best place to start.

After reading this, I suggest Raymond E Brown's fantastic Introduction to the New Testament, Lawrence Boadt's Introduction to the Old Testament (or anything by Walter Brueggemann on the OT is most excellent, especially Theology of the Old Testament and Introduction to the Old Testament), and Abraham Joshua Heschel's "The Prophets".Brown's book goes over each book in the NT, embracing all recent scholarship and putting them in their proper context or first-century Judaism. Boadt's book is a wonderful introduction to the OT that goes over the thousand year process of the OT's composition. Bruggemann does the same thing, only taking into account the theological meanings behind the text in light of historical-critical research, while Boadt's is a straight forward introduction to the background of the OT. And Heschel's book goes over the Prophets and the context of their message and the urgent relevancy of them today. Also, for a great study on the Gospels, E.P. Sanders' The Historical Figure of Jesus is a fine book on the Gospels and on the context of Jesus' message.

Please, read Cronk's book, it will help set you on the road to understand the story of salvation and God's interaction with humans (and how often we misunderstand him), as given in the Holy Scriptures. I highly recommend it for Catechumens and all the other books on Scripture I suggested.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good book - but...
I have enjoyed reading through this book to help introduce the Orthodox church to my young children.Its a great way for them to learn what each item (candles, icons, altar servers, incense, etc.) is for or does in the church.However, the pictures are pretty bad.I would rather have had actual photographs of most of these pictures, because some are so bad (and because our church is in a borrowed space) I can't tell where it actually is in the church ... Read more

Product Description
An Eastern Orthodox Christian perspective on eschatology.Various Christian groups continue to scream that the end is near. Read a thoroughly Orthodox perspective on the End Times. Finally, a book that doesn't sensationalize these times, or rewrite traditional Christian teachings to fit in with the spirit of our age. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Christian Monarchy as the Restrainer of Evil
It's an Orthodox take on the "end times" and it's quite interesting at that. Reformed and evangelical readers who are moderately familiar with the end times arguments will find many of Engleman's arguments familiar. To the degree that evangelicals follow St Augustine's City of God, they will recognize and appreciate many of Engleman's arguments.

It would be a misnomer to call this "amillennialism." Such a category is worse than useless and tells you nothing, except that you aren't a dispensationalist. But it kind of looks like it. The difference between Engelman's eschatology and amillennialism, is that the latter is annoyingly vague on eschatology except in saying that we are in the "millennium" now. Engleman, however, is quite refreshing: he is frank and specific in a way that doesn't draw up time frames.

The book isn't perfect by any stretch. An editor could have at least made the endnotes aesthetically consistent. Quotations that are longer than four lines should be set apart in the text (especially if the quotation is a page long!). And much of the book is simply narrating bible passages (I suppose that's good). It's an easy read, all things considered. I'm beginning to see a pattern in his argumentation, from varying strength to weakness.

Strengths: to the degree he is following consistently to the monks, the church fathers, and Fr Seraphim Rose, the book maintains a stunning intensity and power in argument. This is why his view is better than amillennialism. He has the same basic structure as amillennialism, but can is specific in naming evil characters on the world scene.

Weaknesses: I'm not sure he is fully aware of some of the sources he is quoting. And some of his bible passages seem jarringly out of context. He is right to see Antichrist rebuilding the Temple and ruling the world from Jerusalem (presupposing, of course, a return of the Jews to Israel). Presumably, this is a bad thing for Christians. However, it doesn't make any sense to have marshalled all the beautiful passages where God himself promises to rebuild the temple for his people in the latter days (pp. 51-54). Engleman is an Orthodox guy. He follows the holy fathers, so he must be familiar with allegorizing and spiritualizing the text. Wouldn't it make more sense to see the temple as some sort of spiritual type or fulfillment of Christ? Isn't this what Orthodoxy believes anyway?

The book is a good read.It will spur the reader on to deeper holiness.My favorite part was Tsar Nicholas II as the restrainer of evil.

Really Excellent!
In this important and excellent book, the author sets forth a theory which was unique to my previous experience and also terribly enlightening:He avers that Tsar Saint Nicholas II was, from prophesy, he who constrained the anti-Christ as the last in a long of Christian Emperors dating back to Saint Constantine in the Fourth Century A.D.Think of the implications of this propositon in light of the history that has transpired since the Tsar and his entire family were brutally murdered by the anti-Christian Bolsheviks.The world saw additional bloodshed in World War I, the slaughter and persecution of Orthodox Christians in the Soviet Union, the disasterous Treaty at Versailles which, in the words of Colonel Dr. James Cooke of Ole Miss, made World War II virtually assured, the awful carnage of World War II, the communist takeover of China, Korea, Vietnam, wholesale abortion in the United States, and now a world hurtling toward a Third World War pitting Zionism against Islam, and the various allies of the two primary combatants.It could be that the author's proposition is exactly right.In any case, the book is excellent, insightful, and well worth reading.God bless.

Eastern Millennial Madness
Dennis E. Engleman subtitles his book Ultimate Things as an Orthodox Christian perspective on the end times. Perhaps it might be better described as a Russian Orthodox Christian perspective on the end times. For as those familiar with the Orthodox Churches know, the Orthodox may share a common faith but the Russian Orthodox tradition has a link to Russian history, culture, and nationalistic fervor that is unique even among the often ethnically divided Orthodox faithful. Part of this tradition is the view of Moscow as the third Rome and hence the tsar as a successor to the Christian Emperors of Constantinople. This view sees Russian and the Russian people as having a unique role among God's people as the great defenders of Orthodoxy and often is given eschatological implications.

While I am not sure whether Mr. Engleman attends a parish affiliated with either the Russian Church or its offshoots in this country (such as the OCA and ROCOR), it is quite apparent from the heavy reliance upon the Russian theologians that he has been greatly influenced by the streams of thoought in the Russian tradition. This is not necessarily a bad thing as this tradition is extremely rich. However, some writers in the Russian Church can often be extremely triumphalistic and can have a distorted view of eschatological issues. Ironically, in seeking to combat the parochialism and lack of perspective common in American Protestantism on eschatological topics, the author relies heavily on those with some of the same problems.

Engleman - like many Protestant dispensationalists - sees Scriptural prophecies of the eschaton pointing to current events. Unlike them, he sees the role of Russia as a postive force and that of America and the West in a generally negative light. Here we see the myopic views of both camps distorting their perspective. In this book, Engleman goes as far as to say the force restraining evil in the world prophesied to be taken out was the Russian monarch. Such a questionable conclusion surely rests upon an overtly romanticized view of the role of Christian monarchs in general and that of the Russian monarch in particular.

There are some strong sections to the book. His exposition of certain themes in prophecy and in patristic views of the end times are quite good reading. However, his use of quotations oftne ignores that many of the quotes supplied are by those who might agree with his view on a particular issue but would have placed this element within an entirely different context. Also, some of those cited were placing their expectations of the end of all things in their own historical period. Thus, while they may be respected as great saints, their opinions on this issue should be taken as a pious belief and not as an authoritative statement.

Another strike against Engleman's book is the style of writing. Rather than the richer theolgical perspective one would hope from an Orthodox view of prophecy, we are given a book that seems to take an outline of popular Protestant dispensationalist works and adopt it to Orthodox purposes. This is seen most amusingly when Engleman cites dispensationalist author Grant Jeffrey approvingly. The net result is to prove that Evangelical Protestants do not have a monopoly on wild entimes speculation.

Despite some postive elements, Ultimate Things just has too many questionable assumptions to be a recommended source on eschatology. Except for those interested in seeing what happens when someone in one of the historical Churches contracts "millennial madness", it is best to pass on this offering.

The Orthodox Christian Church perspective on the End Times
Even being a Protestant outsider, I still find examining the crosscurrents of eschatology (i.e. doctrine of last things or prophecy) throughout the Christian world to be fascinating. At the onset, Engleman examines prophetic significance to the Old Testament book of Daniel from an Orthodox perspective.The beasts represent world empires: the first being Babylon, the second Medo-Persia, the third Greece and the forth being Rome.This interpretation generally is common to most conservative Catholics and Protestants as well.Though, there are some nuances that exist peculiar to Orthodox theology in Engleman's reading of Daniel.Also, modern adherents of Orthodoxy seem to be tinged with a semi-mystical reverence for Holy Russia, in much the same way as American postmillennialists espouse a Gospel rolled up in nationalism. They see prophetic significance of Moscow as the Third Rome, and the guardian protector of Holy Orthodoxy.Likewise, they hail the collapse of godless communism, which is an avowed enemy of the monarchy, tradition, and the church. They see it's collapse as a sign of renewal. Engleman echoes these views.

The eighth chapter chronicles "the spirit of the end times," which is the prevalence of nihilism and relativism.It examines revolutionary and utopian movements that seek heaven on earth, and seem to only produce a veritable hell on earth.With this look at revolutionaries is the tacit hint by Engleman that the Anti-Christ will ride in on a red carpet of revolutionary rhetoric promising heaven on earth and appealing to sinful man's desire, to be as God.The Anti-Christ is conveyed as a great deceiver who woes the masses with signs and wonders.He is a Christ that promises the sensual, sinful pleasures of the here and now. He is the Christ that would yield to Satan's wilderness temptation and promise for worldly kingdoms-he is a false Christ! Also, towards the end of the book is a critique of dispensationalist sects of evangelical Protestants.Engleman looks back to the persecutions endured by early Christians who congregated in the catacombs of Rome, and foresees a similar predicament for Christians in the not so distant future.He closes with an optimistic vision of the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment hearkening to those last chapters of the book of Revelation.

All things considered, this book captures the otherworldliness of the Orthodox worldview and gives insight into their views on prophecy. They see an imminence and suddenness to the Second Advent of Christ. Remarkably, it shares some similarities with mainstream views in Protestant eschatological interpretation, though it eschews dispensationalist premillennialism and the "heresy of Chiliasm" (i.e. belief in a literal 1,000 year millennium.)The chief weakness (or strength perhaps?) of this book is that it does not include passage-by-passage exegetical readings of significant eschatological passages in Scripture, as the Orthodox tendency is to avoid rational or systematic approaches in their studies.

A Layperson's perspective
Mr. Engleman's phenomenal work regarding the traditional, Eastern Orthodox view of both the
End Times and the Second Coming of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, was written more for
the layperson in mind, especially if you have been like me--a victim of 21st century, pop-culture
Fundamentalist Christianity whose eschatological notions are purely with millenarianism as
it's theological foundation (examples of this would be the Left Behind series offiction, Hal
Lindsay writings, etc).

I am of the opinion that any sincere Christian, whether non-Orthodox or Orthodox, who wants to
approach the ancient Christian teaching regarding the End Times would have to consider reading
this book, which is very simple and easy-to-understand.It's approach is very basic:Mr. Engleman
uses resources that have been around for 20 centuries, such as quoting the ancient Fathers of the
One, Holy, Orthodox-Catholic and Apostolic Church, as well as Holy Scripture.It is the ancient
Tradition (which includes the oral as well as the written) that has survived two millennia that he cites
in regards to a Christian eschatology that is both apostolic and sobering.

I say sobering since this particular view of the End Times reveals that the Church WILL GO THROUGH the Great Tribulation
since the ancient consensus of the Christian Church NEVER taught a "rapture," hence those who quote verses that appear to teach such a recent innovation are actually verses that teach the Second Coming and Last Judgment, NOT that Christians will supposedly be spared from suffering.The way of the Cross IS suffering.To be a Christian means you can't avoid to suffer for Christ.

I highly recommend Mr. Engleman's book for the layperson who is seeking answers to the often confusingsubject of the End Times. ... Read more

Product Description
This book examines twentieth-century theological commentators (Brath, Rahner, Florovsky, Lossky) on the problem of the doctrine of energies in God. Counter to existing trends in western theology, the author gives a positive evaluation of this doctrine and seeks common ground between the eastern idea of essence and energies and the western identification of the inner and economic trinity. Though written from a clearly western perspective, the book argues the coherence of the eastern position, and that underlying both eastern and western positions is a common intention to say that the encounter with God is real, and that the primary ontological distinction is between God and creation. This book was originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--Universität Tubingen, 1992, under the title: Die Lehre von den ungeschaffenen Energien: Ihre Bedeutung fur die okumenische Theologie. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Unique and Needed Work
I lost the password to my old reviews some time ago, so now I am putting a few of them on my new string, so sorry for the repeat. I just want as many people as possible to read this book.

I have been interested in the Christian experience and understanding of God for many years now, and this is the best book I have found concerning the differences in trinitarian theology between Eastern Orthodox and Western Christians(both Roman and Protestant). I know that my statement is flawed if it's taken to mean that books alone and not that prayer, eucharist, love, and faith, etc, are needed to encounter the Trinity, so don't take it that way. But on an intellectual level, surely this book helps in may ways. I'll quote the jacket:

"This book examines twentieth century theological commentators (Barth, Rahner, Lossky, Florovsky) on the problem of the doctrine of the energies of God. Counter to existing trends in western theology, the author gives a positive evaluation of this doctrine and seeks common ground between the eastern idea of essence and energies and the western idea of the inner and economic Trinity. Though written from a clearly western perspective, the book argues the coherence of the eastern position, and that underlying both eastern and western positions is a common intention to say that the encounter with God is real, and that the primary ontological distinction is between God and creation."

This is worth the time to read over and over. Other books of interest will include reading the primary sources for Reid's critique. Brath's "Church Dogmatics", Rahner's "The Trinity", Lossky's "Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church", "The Vision of God", "In the Image and Likeness of God", and "Orthodox Theology". All of Florovsky's works are foundational, but most, if not all, are out of print. The works of Saint Gregory Palamas are available in translation and commentary in many forms. I have used Meyendorff's two wroks, "Saint Gregory Palamas and Orthodox Spirituality" and "A Study of Gregory Palamas".

Some other books to check out are "The Mystery of the Trinity" by Boris Bobrinskoy, Studer's "Trinity and Incarnation", LaCugna's "God For Us", O'Collins' "The Tripersonal God", and Dimitru Staniloae's "The Experience of God".

Being As Communion by Zizioulas is also one of the best books you may ever read on the subject. Enjoy!

A unique work which is balanced and very well done
I have been interested in the Christian experience and understanding ofGod for many years now, and this is the best book I have found concerningthe differences in trinitarian theology between Eastern Orthodox andWestern Christians(both Roman and Protestant).I know that my statement isflawed if it's taken to mean that books alone (sola libre!), and notprayer, eucharist, love, and faith, etc, are needed to encounter theTrinity, so don't take it that way. But on an intellectual level, surelythis book helps in may ways. I'll quote the jacket:

"This bookexamines twentieth century theological commentators (Barth, Rahner, Lossky,Florovsky) on the problem of the doctrine of the energies of God. Counterto existing trends in western theology, the author gives a positiveevaluation of this doctrine and seeks common ground between the easternidea of essence and energies and the western idea of the inner and economicTrinity. Though written from a clearly western perspective, the book arguesthe coherence of the eastern position, and that underlying both eastern andwestern positions is a common intention to say that the encounter with Godis real, and that the primary ontological distinction is between God andcreation."

This is worth the time to read over and over.Otherbooks of interest will include reading the primary sources for Reid'scritique. Brath's "Church Dogmatics", Rahner's "TheTrinity", Lossky's "Mystical Theology of the EasternChurch", "The Vision of God", "In the Image andLikeness of God", and "Orthodox Theology". All ofFlorovsky's works are foundational, but most, if not all, are out of print.The works of Saint Gregory Palamas are available in translation andcommentary in many forms. I have used Meyendorff's two wroks, "SaintGregory Palamas and Orthodox Spirituality" and "A Study ofGregory Palamas".

Some other books to check out are "TheMystery of the Trinity" by Boris Bobrinskoy, Studer's "Trinityand Incarnation", LaCugna's "God For Us", O'Collins'"The Tripersonal God", and Dimitru Staniloae's "TheExperience of God". Enjoy! ... Read more

Product Description
To find more information on Rowman & Littlefield titles, please visit www.rlpgbooks.com. ... Read more

Product Description
Worship is something that we do but it is not something that we create. The rites and ceremonies of Orthodox Christian worship today are the product of an organic growth and development, which has been guided by the Holy Spirit, and shaped by culture and experience. The manner in which Orthodox worship is conducted in the twenty-first century is not the precisely the way it was done in the seventeenth, or in the seventh. Some elements in worship communicate in the same way they have; others cease to do so, and are gradually replaced. Change occurs because anything that is alive grows and develops, but in worship this does not occur quickly, or for the sake of change; but carefully and organically, since the Church is instinctively conservative when it comes to its traditions. As we grow up, and our bodies develop, we do not suddenly decided to produce a third arm: it would make no sense, it would not have any real connection with how the human body functions, and it would not be part of the integral whole, but something that we must figure out what to do with each time we try to use it. This is true in worship: what develops in prayer and piety has an organic connection with what went before, or else it makes no sense: it must be a logical development of what went before, or else we must figure out why we are doing it each time we worship. If we must stop and decide why something is done each time that we worship, than something is wrong. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A full and detailed explanation of spiritual growth
I hesitate to review this book because my understanding and application of the topic that it discusses is so poor. But others can remedy my weakness as they are able.

Dumitru Staniloae's goal in this book is to set out a complete exposition of the Orthodox spiritual path from beginning to end, and describing each step along the way with great detail. As he writes in the Introduction: 'the goal of Christian Orthodox spirituality is the perfection of the believer by his union with Christ. He is being imprinted to an ever-greater degree by the human image of Christ, full of God. So the goal of Christian Orthodox spirituality is the union of the believer with God, in Christ. But as God is unending, the goal of our union with Him, or of our perfection, has no point from which we can no longer progress.'

The content follows the typical division of spiritual growth into the categories of Purification, Illumination and Perfection (or Deification). Staniloae brings together teaching from a wide range of patristic and contemporary sources on these issues. He relies very strongly on the thought of Maximos the Confessor, Gregory Palamas, Symeon the New Theologian, and the French philosopher Maurice Blondel. This book is meant to be a counterpoint to modern existentialism, so he delves in depth into the way in which Orthodox spirituality engages with personhood and Being. Key issues that are dealt with (staples of Orthodox monastic writings) are the subjugation of the 'passions', the transformation of the mind and heart through contemplative prayer, the apophatic ascent to mystical knowledge of God, and the experience of the 'Divine Light' as the union with God.

Staniloae was a man of profound learning and spirituality, and also a humble man purified by suffering under communist oppression. This is a monumental work, written with simplicity and insight. It proves that Christianity has a store of spiritual knowledge and practice that is available to all believers for the transformation of their lives. I have reservations about how it might possibly be used as an esoteric guidebook to be followed apart from the life of the Church, and like many of these works the teaching comes from monastic settings that are separated from the 'secular' life. I struggle to see how these things could be taught to and practiced by ordinary Christian believers (though that is my difficulty, not Staniloe's). Another concern, which I also found with his systematic theology, is that there tends to be very little scriptural exposition compared with the vast amount of patristic theology that is quoted and explained. This book lacks the 'humanity' and concrete imagery of the Biblical spiritual writings. This is not necessarily a problem given Staniloe's goal with this work, but something to note and consider. These are minor quibbles, though, about a great book.


... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very Helpful, Insightful, Comforting and Inspiring Study of Job!
The Book of Job is fruitful to read without a guide, but if you want to "dine on it," you must have a trusted guide.I have read Fr. Reardon's other books as well as his reflections in Touchstone Magazine and I know him to be a trusted guide.As an Orthodox Christian I chose this book to read during Great Lent.As an Orthodox Christian priest, I recommend others to do so as well.This book is very good in providing a key to understanding Job's defenses, arguments and rebuttals, as well as those of his three so-called "Comforters."I particularly found the chapters where "the wrath of Elihu" puts Job on the right track. Fr. Reardon's reflections on these chapters I found particularly edifying.To paraphrase Fr. Reardons reading of on of Elihus's counsels, "no one, not even Job, is beyond improvement."Like Job, we need to and can learn from our suffering and the suffering of others to "love God for God's sake.""Behold God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding."
Like true Orthodox Christian catechetical writings, this book is written by a real person to real people.This book is best specifically because it is NOT a scholarly work.It is a good book for people who care about the salvation of their souls.

Very good book - a few clarifications needed, however
Put simply, this book has an excellent chapter by chapter analysis of Job.It is, perhaps, more useful for the preacher than the scholar, but could certainly prove beneficial for both.Before reading this, I was very familiar with the book of Job, but if you haven't read Job yet, I would recommend reading it alongside of this.Don't bother trying to get a grasp of Job on your own.As Reardon's commentary will point out, Job's very purpose is to be beyond any simple meaning.It may, then, help to read, say, chapter one of Job, then Reardon's commentary on it- and so on.But, again, this is a very insightful little book.

But moving on to some clarifications: first of all, amazon advertises this as a 214pg book.The copy I purchased, which has the same copyright date and publisher, is only 107 pgs.This shows that it will not, nor could not, be a tremendously in-depth look at the book of Job because it simply could not be done in so little space.So, once again, it may be more helpful for the preacher than the scholar.Now, my second complaint: the title is deceptive."Orthodox Reflections" is misleading because, as a student of eastern Christianity, I find nothing particularly "orthodox" about it.It is simply a commentary on Job, done by an orthodox priest - a good one, at that, but nothing that makes it come off as Byzantine, for example, as opposed to Roman or Protestant reflections on the book.

But, to conclude, this is a very good, insightful book and is well worth the money. ... Read more

Product Description
"No one fully understands the mystery of death. People of all faiths wrestle with its meaning, striving to answer fundamental questions. Does death make irrelevant all we have experienced? Does God await us after death? What happens to us after we die? In this book Dr. Chirban explains how Orthodox Christians turn to the reality of their Easter faith - faith in a risen Lord Jesus Christ - to understand answers to these and other questions regarding their mortality, the power of the resurrection, and the immortality of the soul. Dr. John Chirban's Raised in Glory is one of the finest booklets that I have seen addressing the integration of religious views about death and bereavement and contemporary thanatology. Dr. Chirban has combined his extensive knowledge of the Greek Orthodox view of dying and afterlife with what the death awareness movement has learned about the needs of the dying and bereaved. He provides many beautiful examples of music and liturgical practice so that the reader is kept interested at all times. I recommend this both for its content and as a model of what other religious traditions might aspire to. [John D. Morgan, Ph.D.]" ... Read more