Author Topic: What is everyone reading? (Read 415231 times)

Justin Kissel · « **Reply #900 on:** March 10, 2009, 12:25:36 AM »

Living Gnosticism: An Ancient Way of Knowing, by Jordan Stratford

GabrieltheCelt · « **Reply #901 on:** March 10, 2009, 01:01:48 AM »

The Path To Salvation; A Manual of Spiritual Transformation by St. Theophan the Recluse. I'm so far from being even a third of where I should be as an Orthodox Christian.

rwprof · « **Reply #902 on:** March 10, 2009, 03:25:50 PM »

Quote from: JoeZollars on May 10, 2004, 11:54:42 AM

This is just a thread to ask what everyone is reading. Till Wendsday I will be reading nothing other than textbooks, but after that---ooh man do I ever have a stack to get through. As soon as I am done with my finals, I am making it top priority to finish Law of God.

Joe Zollars

I hate to be dull, but as a private devotion for Great Lent, I am reading the Bible (the new OT/NT Orthodox Study Bible). Oh. I also picked up a copy of the Language of God, because I didn't read it when it came out.

EofK · « **Reply #903 on:** March 10, 2009, 04:28:20 PM »

All of our books are still packed away in boxes, so alas, I am reading nothing at the moment. As soon as I find the Bill Bryson box, though, I'll report back.

ytterbiumanalyst · « **Reply #904 on:** March 10, 2009, 04:42:01 PM »

Quote from: EofK on March 10, 2009, 04:28:20 PM

All of our books are still packed away in boxes, so alas, I am reading nothing at the moment. As soon as I find the Bill Bryson box, though, I'll report back.

Yes, rub it in. I'm working on it.

EofK · « **Reply #905 on:** March 10, 2009, 04:48:51 PM »

Quote from: ytterbiumanalyst on March 10, 2009, 04:42:01 PM

Quote from: EofK on March 10, 2009, 04:28:20 PM
All of our books are still packed away in boxes, so alas, I am reading nothing at the moment. As soon as I find the Bill Bryson box, though, I'll report back.
Yes, rub it in. I'm working on it.

A little nudge never hurt!

Justin Kissel · « **Reply #906 on:** March 12, 2009, 02:45:16 AM »

Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing, by Stephan A. Hoeller.

This is my second (and final) pro-gnostic book that I'm reading. Hopefully after that comes the more neutral, academic books. I have to say that I was very let down by Living Gnosticism. It's not that I expected to be convinced or anything, but I at least expected something a bit more informative. I left the book with little other than vague impressions about how gnosticism is more about myth and art than doctrine and dogma. So far, this new book seems to be a bit closer to what I was hoping for.

Jonathan Gress · « **Reply #907 on:** March 28, 2009, 07:04:18 PM »

Well I just finished the Ladder of Divine Ascent (in time for the Sunday of John Climacus!).
It's obviously way too big to absorb in one reading. Since monastics traditionally read it every Lent, it obviously a lifetime, and more than a lifetime to fully assimilate. It's written with monastics primarily in mind, but any pious Orthodox can get something out of it (for instance, I already found it useful on e.g. the subject of attention in prayer and watchfulness over thoughts). But as a layman or laywoman, you should not immediately try to emulate the kind of asceticism he takes for granted!

Entscheidungsproblem · « **Reply #908 on:** March 28, 2009, 07:13:06 PM »

Pamela McCorduck's Machines Who Think and H. G. Wells' The Time Machine (for the 1000000^th time

)

ozgeorge · « **Reply #909 on:** March 28, 2009, 09:29:30 PM »

Quote from: Jonathan Gress on March 28, 2009, 07:04:18 PM

Well I just finished the Ladder of Divine Ascent (in time for the Sunday of John Climacus!).

SNAP! So did I!
Welcome to the forum Johnathan!

Myrrh23 · « **Reply #910 on:** March 29, 2009, 11:08:32 PM »

Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets
by Sudhir Venkatesh

I've been meaning to read that Ladder book. I'll do that, after the Sociologist book and while I'm reading the writings I found on this website: http://www.orthodox.net/articles/index.html#S13

GabrieltheCelt · « **Reply #911 on:** March 30, 2009, 03:09:49 AM »

Quote from: Myrrh23 on March 29, 2009, 11:08:32 PM

Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets
by Sudhir Venkatesh

I remember hearing an interview on NPR with the author of this book. I was really intrigued by the author's experience and lesson's he learned. How do you like it so far? I might pick it up after Lent.

Myrrh23 · « **Reply #912 on:** March 30, 2009, 12:56:45 PM »

Quote from: GabrieltheCelt on March 30, 2009, 03:09:49 AM

Quote from: Myrrh23 on March 29, 2009, 11:08:32 PM
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets
by Sudhir Venkatesh
I remember hearing an interview on NPR with the author of this book. I was really intrigued by the author's experience and lesson's he learned. How do you like it so far? I might pick it up after Lent.

G, the book is very engaging and down-to-earth! I like it very much! You should read it!

Papist · « **Reply #913 on:** March 30, 2009, 03:43:44 PM »

Quote from: Asteriktos on March 12, 2009, 02:45:16 AM

Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing, by Stephan A. Hoeller.

This is my second (and final) pro-gnostic book that I'm reading. Hopefully after that comes the more neutral, academic books. I have to say that I was very let down by Living Gnosticism. It's not that I expected to be convinced or anything, but I at least expected something a bit more informative. I left the book with little other than vague impressions about how gnosticism is more about myth and art than doctrine and dogma. So far, this new book seems to be a bit closer to what I was hoping for.

Are you considering Gnosticism as an option for your spiritual life?

cholmes · « **Reply #914 on:** April 02, 2009, 04:51:45 PM »

Time out of Joint - Philip K. Dick

scamandrius · « **Reply #915 on:** April 02, 2009, 06:24:57 PM »

I just got through reading two booklets, written by Archimandrite George, abbot of the monastery of St. Gregorios on Mt. Athos. The first is "The Lord's Prayer" and the second is "Theosis: The Purpose of Man's Life." Both are very short and are just filled with such riches. I highly recommend "Theosis" since I can remember no other book which so succintly and clearly articulates theosis and how Orthodox praxis and belief is so opposed to Western forms of Christianity. Pick them up if you can.

Alveus Lacuna · « **Reply #916 on:** April 02, 2009, 06:59:23 PM »

The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations (Hardcover)

A fresh translation with helpful introductions. Really great for the modern English reader, despite the secular, academic and nonspiritual perspective of the commentary throughout the collection.

Justinian · « **Reply #917 on:** April 02, 2009, 07:15:35 PM »

Violence by Slavoj Zizek
How to Read Lacan by Slavoj Zizek
Lacan for Beginners by Various

I tend on a monthly basis to find some thinker to read and then abandon for the next one. I am slowly dumping Zizek for Lacan, and then I think it shall be either David Bentley Hart (again) or someone else for May...

Αριστοκλής · « **Reply #918 on:** April 03, 2009, 10:30:05 AM »

Rather than tell everyone what I am reading today, I thought I would post it (in its entirety).

Quote

Sailing to Byzantium - William Butler Yeats

THAT is no country for old men. The young
In one another's arms, birds in the trees
- Those dying generations - at their song,
The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,
Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long
Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.

An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing
For every tatter in its mortal dress,
Nor is there singing school but studying
Monuments of its own magnificence;
And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
To the holy city of Byzantium.

O sages standing in God's holy fire
As in the gold mosaic of a wall,
Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,
And be the singing-masters of my soul.
Consume my heart away; sick with desire
And fastened to a dying animal
It knows not what it is; and gather me
Into the artifice of eternity.

Once out of nature I shall never take
My bodily form from any natural thing,
But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
Of hammered gold and gold enamelling
To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;
Or set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.

Seems Yeats was not really a Roman Catholic Celt, or a Protestant one either, but like Tolstoy sort of invented his own religion. Here he seems on to something. This poem which was required reading in my high school junior English class has always been one of my favorites.

Later today I'll probably dig out some Howard Nemerov to read (for old times sake- I got literally quite intoxicated with Nemerov once).

Papist · « **Reply #919 on:** April 03, 2009, 04:44:47 PM »

Reality and the Good - Josef Pieper

Entscheidungsproblem · « **Reply #920 on:** April 03, 2009, 05:09:57 PM »

Dr. Amit Konar's Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing: Behavioral and Cognitive Modeling of the Human Brain

Jonathan Gress · « **Reply #921 on:** April 03, 2009, 06:47:53 PM »

Other things I'm reading:

Principles of Linguistic Change: Volume 3 by William Labov (academic reading)
Explanation of Mark's Gospel by Bl Theophylact (spiritual reading)
What is Man? by Vladimir Moss (essays on psychology, art, Shakespearean drama and much more; fun reading)

Papist · « **Reply #922 on:** April 04, 2009, 02:23:04 AM »

The One and the Many: A Contemporary Thomistic Metaphysics - W. NOrris Clarke, S.J.

StGeorge · « **Reply #923 on:** April 06, 2009, 01:02:10 PM »

North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell.

Fr. George · « **Reply #924 on:** April 06, 2009, 01:04:31 PM »

Quote from: cleveland on May 27, 2008, 05:27:45 PM

Been slowly working on A Noble Task: Entry into the Clergy in the First Five Centuries
by Lewis J. Patsavos (Translated by Norman Russell)

My Canon Law professor's doctoral dissertation for the University of Athens (hence why it needed to be translated).

Reading this again...

Lily · « **Reply #925 on:** April 12, 2009, 09:32:14 PM »

Finally broke down. I'm reading Twilight, since my girlfriends tell me I'm alot like the main character. (Considering I am a former ballerina, I'm not so sure it's a compliment!)

Riddikulus · « **Reply #926 on:** April 13, 2009, 01:13:49 AM »

Quote from: Lily on April 12, 2009, 09:32:14 PM

Finally broke down. I'm reading Twilight, since my girlfriends tell me I'm alot like the main character. (Considering I am a former ballerina, I'm not so sure it's a compliment!)

LOL - that is funny!

I loved all the Twilight books.

Just finished reading "The Historian". Thanks to whoever it was on OC.net who recommended the book. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

mike · « **Reply #927 on:** April 13, 2009, 11:53:19 AM »

Maths and physics exercises collections and I think nothing else for the following month.

Heorhij · « **Reply #928 on:** April 13, 2009, 06:38:33 PM »

I started Alan F. Chalmers's "What Is This Thing Called Science?" (Hackett Publishing Co., 3rd edition, 1999, ISBN 0-87220-452-9). Next fall semester, I'll be teaching an Honors course called "Philosophy of Science" (first time in my life, and first time in the history of my little university!), so I thought I should read this book. It's a difficult reading, in all honesty. Chalmers is a physicist and uses a lot of examples from physics, which aren't always very easy for me to understand. But I'll get through this book, hopefully...

Carl Kraeff (Second Chance) · « **Reply #929 on:** April 13, 2009, 10:58:14 PM »

Actually, I find myself bouncing between this forum, Wikipedia and other forums. I am so blessed to have so much information and points of view made available to me almost instantly. Another reason is that my eyes growing old and my large computer screen with increased font sizes is easier for me.

Dan-Romania · « **Reply #930 on:** April 15, 2009, 03:44:50 AM »

Hi , I`ve heard during this lent a priest quoting something beautiful from a church father Gregory , i don`t remmeber wich Gregory , about the sky and the nature being ashamed of what we did to Jesus , that is why the sky darkened .. something like that it was touching . Can someone help me?

Papist · « **Reply #931 on:** April 15, 2009, 02:46:11 PM »

The day before everything went down with my Father, he and my Mother gave me the Summa Theologiae by Thomas Aquinas. Quite a nice gift. I suppose I will be reading this continually.
Also, I plan to read the Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross here very shortly.

StGeorge · « **Reply #932 on:** April 19, 2009, 12:55:44 PM »

Finished Gaskell's North and South today.

Lucan's Civil War is next.

mersch · « **Reply #933 on:** May 12, 2009, 11:56:59 PM »

"in the Heart of the Desert, The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, revised" by John Chryssavgis. I can't put it down. Seriously

EmperorConstantine · « **Reply #934 on:** May 21, 2009, 12:19:20 PM »

"Nihilism: the Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age" by Fr. Seraphim Rose.

Douglas · « **Reply #935 on:** May 21, 2009, 01:03:28 PM »

At the Corner of East and Now by Frederica Matthewes-Green. I'm enjoying it immensely. Just two chapters to go.

Heorhij · « **Reply #936 on:** May 21, 2009, 01:52:57 PM »

A Kartashev, "Ecumenical Councils" (in its original Russian, http://www.agioskanon.ru/hist-kartashev/001.htm).

Very interesting reading, exciting, emotional, reads very much like a historical novel with elements of a thriller! I can only imagine how students must have liked this Orthodox theology professor as their lecturer.

ironsiderodger · « **Reply #937 on:** May 21, 2009, 02:49:50 PM »

For the Life of the World- Fr Schmemann; truly a fantastic book.

Rosehip · « **Reply #938 on:** May 21, 2009, 03:35:55 PM »

Quote from: Riddikulus on April 13, 2009, 01:13:49 AM

Quote from: Lily on April 12, 2009, 09:32:14 PM
Finally broke down. I'm reading Twilight, since my girlfriends tell me I'm alot like the main character. (Considering I am a former ballerina, I'm not so sure it's a compliment!)

LOL - that is funny!

I loved all the Twilight books.

Just finished reading "The Historian". Thanks to whoever it was on OC.net who recommended the book. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

What is it about these "Twilight" books?? My best friend just told me today she was reading them, and I had no clue what she was talking about!! For me, "Twilight" means only one thing in the literary world: Elie Wiesel! One of my favourite books!

Gabriel · « **Reply #939 on:** May 21, 2009, 04:11:53 PM »

Quote from: Rosehip on May 21, 2009, 03:35:55 PM

What is it about these "Twilight" books?? My best friend just told me today she was reading them, and I had no clue what she was talking about!! For me, "Twilight" means only one thing in the literary world: Elie Wiesel! One of my favourite books!

Mix Johnny Depp and the Vampire L'estat together, then turn them into a sensitive teenage heart-throb.

Yep.

Alveus Lacuna · « **Reply #940 on:** May 21, 2009, 04:20:17 PM »

The Orthodox Liturgy: The Development of the Eucharistic Liturgy in the Byzantine Rite by Hugh Wybrew.

I only made it through the first three chapters. I absolutely hated the narrative and its poor scholarship. I honestly can not believe that St. Vladimir Seminary Press published this book. It is so unorthodox in its understanding to the point that it is laughable. Everything has a strong Protestant undertone of imperial corruption over the centuries, which ultimately made it too much of a bore to deal with.

Douglas · « **Reply #941 on:** May 21, 2009, 05:16:43 PM »

Quote from: Gabriel on May 21, 2009, 04:11:53 PM

Quote from: Rosehip on May 21, 2009, 03:35:55 PM
What is it about these "Twilight" books?? My best friend just told me today she was reading them, and I had no clue what she was talking about!! For me, "Twilight" means only one thing in the literary world: Elie Wiesel! One of my favourite books!

Mix Johnny Depp and the Vampire L'estat together, then turn them into a sensitive teenage heart-throb.

Yep.

Good description. They're vampire chick novels for the younger set although a few older folks (especially ladies) in their 30's do occasionally purchase them. I understand they're reasonably well written but certainly not to my taste.

Rosehip · « **Reply #942 on:** May 21, 2009, 05:40:22 PM »

Quote from: Douglas on May 21, 2009, 05:16:43 PM

Quote from: Gabriel on May 21, 2009, 04:11:53 PM
Quote from: Rosehip on May 21, 2009, 03:35:55 PM
What is it about these "Twilight" books?? My best friend just told me today she was reading them, and I had no clue what she was talking about!! For me, "Twilight" means only one thing in the literary world: Elie Wiesel! One of my favourite books!

Mix Johnny Depp and the Vampire L'estat together, then turn them into a sensitive teenage heart-throb.

Yep.

Good description. They're vampire chick novels for the younger set although a few older folks (especially ladies) in their 30's do occasionally purchase them. I understand they're reasonably well written but certainly not to my taste.

I've never been able to understand this fascination with vampires. Very odd. I think I'll stick with Wiesel any day.

Entscheidungsproblem · « **Reply #943 on:** May 21, 2009, 05:50:45 PM »

Isaac Asimov's "The Last Question". By far my favourite short story.

Riddikulus · « **Reply #944 on:** May 21, 2009, 06:24:56 PM »

Quote from: Douglas on May 21, 2009, 05:16:43 PM

Quote from: Gabriel on May 21, 2009, 04:11:53 PM
Quote from: Rosehip on May 21, 2009, 03:35:55 PM
What is it about these "Twilight" books?? My best friend just told me today she was reading them, and I had no clue what she was talking about!! For me, "Twilight" means only one thing in the literary world: Elie Wiesel! One of my favourite books!

Mix Johnny Depp and the Vampire L'estat together, then turn them into a sensitive teenage heart-throb.

Yep.

Good description. They're vampire chick novels for the younger set although a few older folks (especially ladies) in their 30's do occasionally purchase them. I understand they're reasonably well written but certainly not to my taste.

Ha! I left my 30s behind many years ago and I love the "Twilight" books. But then, perhaps I'm an incurable romantic. I certainly hope so!

The books are reasonably well written, but more than being great prose they are page-turners. Whereas Anne Rice's books are certainly erotic and a little disturbing at times, Meyer's tales contain quaintly old-fashioned moral values. The hero, for instance, refuses to sleep with the heroine until they are married. They might be disdained as chick novels, but I consider them a worthy addition to the fantasy genre.

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Author Topic: What is everyone reading? (Read 415231 times)