Orthodox Book Recommendations -- Manual Poll

[Asteriktos]

I know we have other threads on book recommendations, but I'd like to do something a bit different here. I'd like to compile a list of the most recommended books, using the suggestions of forum members for the list. However rather than focusing on one type of person (e.g. inquirer) or one subject (e.g. church history), this can just be a general list of books that you've found most helpful or most worthy of recommendation over the years. I'd prefer keeping the list to 10 or less, just so things stay manageable and we don't just list off a bazillion books that we've enjoyed. You can list the books however you want, but I would prefer if they were in some type of order, so that I know how to calculate which are most recommended. After everyone has had a chance to put their two cents in, I'll compile the list and post it. Here's my list...

1. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, tr. By Benedicta Ward
2. St Gregory of Nazianzus: An Intellectual Biography, by John Anthony McGuckin
3. Philokalia (Volume 1), ed. by Met. Kallistos
4. Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ, by St. Justin Popovich
5. Deification in Christ: Orthodox Perspectives on the Nature of the Human Person, by Panayiotis Nellas
6. The Orthodox Church and Ecumenism, by St. Justin Popovich
7. Orthodox Psychotherapy, by Met. Hierotheos
8. The Life in Christ, by St. Nicholas Cabasilas
9. The Ecumenical Synods of the Orthodox Church: A concise History, by Fr. James Thornton
10. Women and Men in the Early Church: The Full Views of St. John Chrysostom, by David C. Ford

[pensateomnia]

Interesting idea. Seems to me that the best way to gauge how useful a book has been is to count the number of times you've read it. If you actually return to it for a second, third or fourth time, you know it's good. So, here's a list of books that I have re-read the most. It is organized by frequency, so the ones at the top I've re-read the most number of times.

1. The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, tr. Benedicta Ward
2. The Apostolic Fathers (first Lightfoot's translation and now M. Holmes's bilingual edition)
3. The Path of Prayer: Four Sermons on Prayer by Saint Theophan the Recluse
4. The Orthodox Study Bible
5. Spiritual Dimensions of the Holy Canons by Lewis J. Patsavos
6. Manual for the Course in Orthodox Canon Law by Lewis J. Patsavos
7. The Orthodox Way by Met. Kallistos Ware
8. Counsels for Life by Elder Epiphanios Theodoropoulos
9. Symeon The New Theologian (Cistercian Studies No. 41), tr. Fr. John McGuckin
10. St. Seraphim of Sarov by Archimandrite Lazarus Moore
11. St. Innocent: Apostle to America by Paul D. Garrett
12. Father Arseny, 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father, tr. Vera Bouteneff
13. A New Eusebius, ed. W. H. C. Frend and J. Stevenson

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