Any good catechumen programs available

[Irenaeus07]

Well, I visited a priest at the local greek church, Friday, and they don't have an educational programs for new aspiring converts before Baptism.  So I was wondering are there any programs available via internet.

Or perhaps a list of books that one would recommend for studying.

[username!]

The best way to learn is to attend as many services as you can.  All the services are tied together (if the parish has Orthros before Liturgy you'll see what I mean and also go to Vespers the night before). 

[Quinault]

At our parish there are a bunch of little booklets on different subjects in regards to orthodoxy. If they don't have them, you can go to counciliar press and find some. They are pretty inexpensive.

Below are some books we have enjoyed;

Kallistos Ware: The Inner Kingdom
                     The Orthodox Church
                     The Orthodox Way

The Way of the Pilgrim (RM French trans)

St. John Maximovich: Mary the Birthgiver of God

Peter Gillquist: Becoming Orthodox
                    Facing Up to Mary (booklet)

Fr. James Bernstein:   Orthodoxy Jewish and Christian (booklet)
                              Communion: A Family Affair (booklet)
                              Which Came First: The Church or the New Testament (booklet)

Fr. John Hainsworth: Mary, Ever Virgin? (booklet)

St Athansius: Antony of the Desert

The Desert Fathers, Sayings of Early Christian Monk (Benedicta Ward trans)

Vera Bouteneff: Father Arseny 1893-1973
                      Father Arseny A Cloud of Witnesses

Frederica Mathewes-Green:       At the Corner of East and Now
                                            The Open Door
                                            12 Things I wish I had Known (brochure)
                                            Facing East
                                            The Illumined Heart

Vyacheslav Marchenko: House of God (childrens book, but it would be worth checking out)

A Pocket Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians (If you want to see all the prayers and such)

Anthony Bloom: Beginning to Pray (hands down, the BEST book on prayer we have ever read)

Andreas Andreopoulos: The sign of the Cross (about why we cross ourselves like we do)

Virginia Nieuwsma: Our Hearts True Home

The Art of Prayer, an Orthodox Anthology

Lossky: The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church

Fr. David Cownie: A guide to Orthodox Life

Schmemann: For the Life of the World

The Little Russian Philokalia: St Seraphim of Sarov
                                       Abbot Nazarius

Since we have to stop attending our weekly classes due to work schedule changes, we are asking to read books so that we have a good round knowledge of Orthodoxy. I will let you know what books our priest suggests to us.

This is where you can get the booklets;
http://www.conciliarpress.com/index.php?p=home

[Quinault]

http://www.conciliarpress.com/products/Preview_Pack_Of_Topical_Series_Booklets-192-17.html

This is a package of all 30 booklets.

http://www.conciliarpress.com/products/Brochure_Preview_Pack-191-17.html

And this is a pack of brochures.

You could read those, and then after that, go onto read about the various subjects more in depth. Then your initial investment in only $32 for 30 booklets and 8 brochures. And once you are done, you can donate them back to your church or give them away as needed. They are NOT a replacement for a inquirers/catechism class, but they are a nice overview.

(A little plug....our priest Father James A. Bernstein has a book coming out soon thru Counciliar press about his journey from Orthodox Judaism to Protestanism to Eastern Orthodoxy. Our classes have been based around his notes for his book. It has been wonderful to listen to and very full of information about all aspects of Eastern Orthodoxy. It should come out in a couple months)

[PrincessMommy]

There's also an excellent set of lecture tapes titled "What We Believe" from a series of Catechumenate classes given by Fr. David Anderson.  He also has another set called "The Inner Life of the Church" but I haven't heard those.

Check out Orthodox Tapes website, they should be there.

[PrincessMommy]

(A little plug....our priest Father James A. Bernstein has a book coming out soon thru Counciliar press about his journey from Orthodox Judaism to Protestanism to Eastern Orthodoxy. Our classes have been based around his notes for his book. It has been wonderful to listen to and very full of information about all aspects of Eastern Orthodoxy. It should come out in a couple months)

I would love to get this book when it comes out.  Can you let us know when its published?

[username!]

The best way to learn is to attend as many services as you can.  All the services are tied together (if the parish has Orthros before Liturgy you'll see what I mean and also go to Vespers the night before). 

I forgot to add; attend services and read books.  But I didn't list books because I know someone here would give you a huge list.  I would ask the priest what books he recommends to start reading as you begin your journey.

[Thomas]

Iraneus,

I am the parish Catechumen Director in my parish and we have multiple classes that we offer our catechumen.  Father Teaches a doctrinal  Course, I teach an orthopraxis class (living Orthodoxy course), a former Orthodox seminary professor teaches Church History and Historic Christianity.  We assign a minumum of 4 books based upon where the Catechumen is spiritually (former spiritual background, interests, etc) We require the catechumen to attend a minimum of 8 out of 12 services for the great Feasts of the Church in addition to regular attendance at  the daily/Sunday services of the church.  each Catechumen has an individually developed program suited to their needs and their life demands. Likewise, we do not tell a catechumen that they will be chrismated  at a certain point after so many weeks, months, or years---Father does this very prayerfully and after meeting with each individually once they began to seek baptism and chrismation.  Read all you can, attend all of the services you can, meet with your priest for spiritual direction---these are things that no internet or correspondent course about the faith can offer you.

In Christ,
Thomas

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