Catechumenate Reading List

[Jennifer]

I'm thinking of blowing my state tax refund check on a Light & Life order.  I'm thinking of getting the following books: 

The Faith We Hold by Archbishop Paul of Finland
The Truth of our Faith by Elder Cleopa
The Way of the Ascetics by Tito Colliander
The Veneration of Mary by St. John Maximovich
The Gospel of Matthew interpretation by Theophylact of Bulgaria

What do you guys think?  I've already read most of Schmemann's books along with those of Kallistos Ware and a few by Fr. Meyendorff.  I already have the Jordanville Prayerbook.  I'm also currently reaing Orthodoxy Psychotherapy and Ancestral Sin. 

[katherine 2001]

Have you read the "Rainbow Series" by Fr. Thomas Hopko?  That would be a necessity in my opinion.  It is about $30 for the 4-book set.

[Donna Rose]

It is about $30 for the 4-book set.

it is also available for free on the OCA website

[Anastasios]

Sounds good, Jennifer. A nice variety of books there.

Anastasios

[Jennifer]

it is also available for free on the OCA website

Free is my favorite price.

[Asteriktos]

The Way of the Ascetics is also available online. If you would like a lot of reading for a small amount of money, you could always go to a site like CCEL and print out the works of the Church Fathers.

[aurelia]

Have you read the "Rainbow Series" by Fr. Thomas Hopko?

I'm having a difficult time locating this ont eh OCA website...have a direct link? (probably because i have no idea what the rainbow series is or what the titles are!  )

[Mor Ephrem]

http://www.oca.org/pages/orth_chri/Orthodox-Faith/index.htm

[Pravoslavbob]

Jennifer,

My two  cents worth?  I read "The Way of the Ascetics" years ago.  My opinion may have changed in the meantime, but I remember disliking it quite a bit.  I think I found it at the time to be like a puritan's assessment of what asceticism is all about.  I looked briefly at Archbishop Paul's book and it kind of left me underwhelmed.  But this is not really fair, since I didn't read it.

I'm sure you've probably read "Great Lent" by Schmemann.  I found this to be really an awesome book.    Really appropriate for right now and just in general.  I'm sure that our traditionalist friends may not agree with me.

If you remember, I think it was Paradosis who recommended "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers" in another thread.  I think the sayings are awesome.  i like to just pick it up and read a few sayings at a go.  I find it really indispensible.  Of course, having said this, I've just looked around for it and can't see it anywhere.  Anyway, I use the alphabetical collection, edited by Benedicta Ward and published by Cistercian. 


Bob

[BrotherAidan]

Wow, Jennifer
you list your religion as an Eastern Orthodox catechumen - that's an impressive list of books you HAVE read and are going to read.
And I thought I was well-read when I was a catechumen

[Jennifer]

Wow, Jennifer
you list your religion as an Eastern Orthodox catechumen - that's an impressive list of books you HAVE read and are going to read.
And I thought I was well-read when I was a catechumen

I've been at this for awhile (about 6 years).  Of course I have a little confession to make...I don't actually read all of the books I buy.  I have a bad habit of buying new books when I haven't even finished the ones I have. 

[BrotherAidan]

Six years? Then what are you waiting for?
Go ahead and get chrismated! 

[choirfiend]

I have a shelf of about 15 really good books that I wanted to read--and havent had the time to touch yet!

Latest purchase:Youth of the Apocolypse and the last great rebellion-the book published by the monks and laypeople who work in the underground punk scene in the west. It deals with contemporary issues and relates the lives of monks and saints who rebelled against the world and the passions. It's supposed to be good for youth who are losing hope in the world and I plan on giving it to my teenage brother when I'm done.

[BrotherAidan]

choirfiend
if you read this, please respond and tell me where I can get that book

I have a few copies of Death the the World that I retreived on-line - so I would liek to read that book!

I also share the view that it is Orthodoxy alone that has an answer for post-moderns in general and punks in particular.

Those kids should be a large focus of our evangelism to the pagans and unchurched.

[penelope]

You should definitely add The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church to the list.

[aurelia]

Since i just got my tax return back I splurged on something for me, I ordered Great Lent, and also a nice looking cookbook From a Monastery Kitchen!!!

Cant wait to read the first one.

[Pravoslavbob]

You should definitely add The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church to the list.

True.  A very difficult book in places, but well worth the effort.

[Pravoslavbob]

Since i just got my tax return back I splurged on something for me, I ordered Great Lent, and also a nice looking cookbook From a Monastery Kitchen!!!

Cant wait to read the first one.

I hope you love "Great Lent." It just absolutely blew me away when I first read it.

[aurelia]

I just got it...they were fast!

Going to start on it today.

[Pravoslavbob]

Awesome! 

[IRHolder]

The Veneration of Mary by St. John Maximovich

This book, which I borrowed from our parish's lending library, helped me quite a bit as I worked out my issues on Mary.


Great Lent is wondrous; I read it pre-Lent and am going to read through it again.


Ian.

[Sabbas]

I would add that the "Orthodox Word" is an excellent periodical for 'getting into' Orthodoxy.
Also I would recommend anything written by Fr.Seraphim (Rose) or his very long, but well worth the read, biography by Fr. Damascene (Christensen). Fr.Seaphim was a spiritual son of St.John (Maximovitch) and really carried on his spiritual legacy at the monastery he and Fr.Herman started in the mountains of Northern California at Platina. He also spread St.Johns spiritual legacy in his writings which are largely based on what he learned during his first years after converting to Orthodoxy living in San Francisco.
This is particularly true of Fr.Seraphims book The Soul After Death. While the book has been heavily criticized and even labeled 'Neo-Gnostic' it was merely based on what Fr.Seraphim had been humbly taught by St.John http://www.sfaturiortodoxe.ro/orthodox/orthodox_advices_life_after_death.htm
Anyway good luck with your reading!

[gord96]

I am reading "The Orthodox Way" right now by Kallistos Ware....I find it to be a very good read.....anybody else read it?

[Fr. David]

Yep...it was the book that finally tipped the scales for me; after that I knew I couldn't be anywhere else.

Welcome, gord96!

Pedro, mod

[gord96]

that's how I am feeling as well......the book has put my understanding of Orthodoxy to a new level.....

[Sabbas]

As much as I liked the Orthodox Way myself you have got to admit the book has some serious flaws. I don't mean to slander the book! Far from it. But the book makes unOrthdoox assertions about our Lord which are extremely problematic and disturbed me when I first read the book. Plus I think it is obvious to anyone that Bishop Kallistos relies far too heavily on non-Orthodox for his quotes who most likely, for instance quoting a Hasidic Rabbi, did not intend what they said to be used in a book on Orthodoxy. I agree we are entitled to take what is true from anywhere but why when it is not necessary should an Orthodox bishop quote non-Orthodox in an introductory book?  I just think the book has flaws.

[Mor Ephrem]

I didn't like the book.

[Sabbas]

What did you not like Mor?

For me, it wasn't that it was stuff I already knew. Elisha referred to it as "esoteric", and I would tend to agree with that. I thought it was kinda newagey when I read it. The Orthodox Church was more straightforward, and I like stuff like that. The thing about The Orthodox Way that I enjoyed were the quotes at the end of chapters. But the actual text itself seemed "out there". Again, if it works for you, that's great, but it wasn't something that worked for me.

I know you said this but was there anything else?

[Mor Ephrem]

What did you not like Mor?


 

I know you said this but was there anything else?

Sorry I'm getting to this late, but I unintendedly (is that a word?) stopped reading most of the site during both Lents...

I think what you quoted about sums it up for me.  I don't think it's particularly bad, I just think it's a treatment of Orthodoxy that doesn't work for me (I like more straightforward stuff). 

[Augustine]

I'd recommend reading anything by Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos.  It's all good.  He expresses the heart of Orthodoxy in a way which I think is particularly good for those coming from western confessions, as it is a paradigm totally foreign to what developed in the post-schism west; and it is that heterodox way of thinking which is probably one of the most difficult things to quit when going into Orthodoxy.  There were things I even thought I understood, but discovered I did not, after reading some of His Eminance's works. I struggle to acquire this Orthodox mindset endlessly, but I thank God that I have men like this pious hierarch to guide me (even if only through his writings.)

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