Topic: Input Please

[coptic orthodox boy]

IC XC NIKA
To my reader:
The Lord give you His peace.

As I slowly wind down on St. Gregory's "On God and Man", I've come under a tough decision as to which book I should read next.  I have 3 books next in line to choose from, and I was wondering if someone could help me choose. 

This is a "happy topic", so take it with a light heart, and please, if you read 1 or all 3 books, please give your suggestion as too which one I should read next; as well as your review of the book.

The books are:

St. Cyril's "On the Unity of Christ"
St. Gregory of Nyssa's "On the Soul and Resurrection"
St. John of Damascus's "Three Treaties on Divine Images"

Thanks for all who will read my post, and thanks squared to all how will give input.

in XC,
shawn

[browneyedgirl]

why does it matter which one you read first? just pick one at random and move on to the next on your list.

[S_N_Bulgakov]

St. Gregory of Nyssa is my choice any time,..

But you would not be surprised by that one would you? 

IC XC

S_N_B

[Asteriktos]

St. Gregory would be my last choice of those three... but then people at Amazon.com didn't seem to like my review so maybe I'm just way off St. John of Damascus sounds good, although the treatise is about images it covers (directly or indirectly) a wide range of subjects (icons, incarnation, communion, etc.)

[FrChris]

St. John of Damascus also would be my first choice, maybe because I'm visually oriented so I can picture in my head various icons.

Plus, St. John does mention multiple topics, so the interconnectness of the Faith as represented by icons is made more clear.

[coptic orthodox boy]

IC XC NIKA
browneyedgirl,
The Lord give you His peace.
The reason I ask, is sometimes reading books in aÂÂ  certain order helps make the following book easier to understand.

As prodomos states, on St. John's work, it has to do with the incarnation as well.ÂÂ  So before reading St. John's work, I'd probably read St. Athansius's work "On the Incarnation" (which I've already done).

Anyhoo, you guys still have a week.ÂÂ  I'll give the winner a free sugar cube (that's in my pocket).ÂÂ  So go for the victory of the sugar cube!

  - ich leibe zucher!
in XC,
shawn

[Silouan]

ich leibe zucher!

Uh-oh another Germanophile on these boards. 

[Elisha]

- ich leibe zucher!

Grammar police here.  You have been arrested for making a typo.  It is "Ich liebe Zucker."

[coptic orthodox boy]

IC XC NIKA
Elisha,
The Lord give you His peace.

Did your teachers in school ever tell you that you should always go with you first guess?ÂÂ  Well, mine always did.ÂÂ  Haha, I had zucker, but it looked funny, so I put an "h."ÂÂ  Darn it!

in XC,
shawn

p.s.  I'm over that entire German thing now.  Go Mandarin (it's music to my ears)!

[Jennifer]

St. Gregory would be my last choice of those three... but then people at Amazon.com didn't seem to like my review so maybe I'm just way off St. John of Damascus sounds good, although the treatise is about images it covers (directly or indirectly) a wide range of subjects (icons, incarnation, communion, etc.)

Maybe your Amazon review wasn't "liked" because there's something wrong with you.  Maybe you came across as an arrogant mean-spirited jerk.  Have you considered that possibility? 

Just a suggestion...out of the 'kindness' of my heart.  You know...just trying to 'pay it forward.' 

[ozgeorge]

Methinks the lady doth protest too much....

Jennifer,
Paradosis gave an answer to a question you posted:, namely:

do you think I'm being too 'touchy?' 

Just because you don't like his answer, there is no need to carry on in such a juvenile way. A sign of maturity is the ability to receive critique.

[Timos]

Maybe your Amazon review wasn't "liked" because there's something wrong with you.  Maybe you came across as an arrogant mean-spirited jerk.  Have you considered that possibility?

Wow Jennifer, such anger...

[Jennifer]

Maybe your Amazon review wasn't "liked" because there's something wrong with you.ÂÂ  Maybe you came across as an arrogant mean-spirited jerk.ÂÂ  Have you considered that possibility?

Wow Jennifer, such anger...

Yeah, I'm angry with Paradosis.ÂÂ  Out of curiosity, why didn't his nearly identical post from yesterday warrant any kind of response from you?ÂÂ  Why not a "Wow Prodomos, such anger..."?ÂÂ  

[Jennifer]

Paradosis gave an answer to a question you posted:, namely:
Just because you don't like his answer, there is no need to carry on in such a juvenile way. A sign of maturity is the ability to receive critique.

He didn't respond "yes, you're being too touchy."  He responded with a personal attack which can hardly be construed to be a "critique."  This is the second time he's personally attacked me completely out of the blue.  Yes, it's "juvenile" to respond to a personal attack with a personal attack but some people should only be dealt with in a "juvenile" way. 

BTW, why not comment on Paradosis's "juvenile" "response" to my post?  We're not treating people differently here are we?  Surely not! 

[coptic orthodox boy]

IC XC NIKA
Guys,
The Lord give you His peace.

This topic is suppose to be carefree and with a lightheart.  How is it that almost every thread turns into an argument?  I could probably just write "p" in a thread, and someone would be able to turn my comment into something worth arguing about.  So, to bring it back to the subject, please read my first post, and give your input.  And as I promised, Mandarin: Xie Xie.

in XC,
shawn

[Silouan]

Perhaps most of us didn't see Justin's post as juvenille.  Afterall it wasn't the first time you have come to the board looking for sympathy because you are so great and wonderful while other people are quite inferior to you.  So the message was quite valid - maybe the problem isn't with everyone else but you.  For example some things happened to me at work that were completely unfair and not my fault, but my spiritual father guided me to think instead that my not living the gospel commandments caused them.  Such creates humility, which brings repentance, which brings love, which brings the grace of God (to paraphrase Elder Paisios the Athonite). 

[Fr. David]

St. Cyril's "On the Unity of Christ"
St. Gregory of Nyssa's "On the Soul and Resurrection"
St. John of Damascus's "Three Treaties on Divine Images"

My own personal order would be:

St. Cyril...'cause I'd be interested to see the origianal common ground shared by both EOs and OOs, as well as how we both adapted his terminology later...

St. John...as has been mentioned, he takes a topic that's essential to the Faith and interweaves it all throughout, so a former Protestant (who wondered quite a bit what icons really had to do with anything) could see what the deal was...

St. Gregory...'cause...I just don't really know that much about him to already have taken a personal interest in any issues surrounding him...

And as I promised, Mandarin: Xie Xie.

Bu ku qi.

Y'all (we knew it was coming)...

As much as I'm sure cob (and the rest of us) love this back-and-forth about records of wrongs with Jennifer, Paradosis, and who knows who else, kindly kill it, k?ÂÂ  Or go to the mattresses PMs, all right?ÂÂ  Thanks.

Pedro.

And, apparently, my posts are leet.  Or 1337.  Great.  Thanks, Bobby. 

[Jennifer]

Perhaps most of us didn't see Justin's post as juvenille.ÂÂ  Afterall it wasn't the first time you have come to the board looking for sympathy because you are so great and wonderful while other people are quite inferior to you.ÂÂ  So the message was quite valid - maybe the problem isn't with everyone else but you.ÂÂ  For example some things happened to me at work that were completely unfair and not my fault, but my spiritual father guided me to think instead that my not living the gospel commandments caused them.ÂÂ  Such creates humility, which brings repentance, which brings love, which brings the grace of God (to paraphrase Elder Paisios the Athonite).ÂÂ  

Ahhh...Nektarios, the epitome of the "angry young man..."  I didn't come here "looking for sympathy."  I wanted other people's input into whether it was rude or not to fail to respond to an offer to help. ÂÂ

And whoever (not me) said anything about me being "so great and wonderful?"  Where is that coming from? ÂÂ

And if most of you don't see Paradosis's posts to me as "juvenile" then this board is in even more trouble than I'd originally thought. ÂÂ

And you know what...maybe the problem (your and Paradosis' rude responses to me) isn't with me but with you.  Have you considered the possibility that you (and him) might have some kind of problem that causes you to be rude to others and to be unable to feel sympathy?  Have you considered that only people who are not humble and loving tell other people tell other people that there is something wrong with??? ÂÂ

[Fr. David]

Have you considered that only people who are not humble and loving tell other people tell other people that there is something wrong with??? ÂÂ

K, I'm gonna jump in on this one...

Jennifer,

I'm sorry that things went so sour for you, both in the relationship in real life and here on the board.ÂÂ  I do know, however, that not only folks who are proud and unloving tell folks they have something wrong with them.ÂÂ  I'm sorry you took their tone to be offensive--not apologizing FOR them, but I do feel bad FOR YOU that you feel this way about it.

You did not ask for my advice, I know, but here it is: make the first move, and let it go.ÂÂ  Pages and pages of debate on the subject (which this will inevitably degenerate into, since we all talk too much on here) will not ease the feelings nor solve any problems.ÂÂ  Just turn the other cheek and you'll be fine.ÂÂ  So will they.ÂÂ  Pray for 'em.ÂÂ  Pray for yourself.

And, if you've got time, pray for me.ÂÂ  

But...again...if you don't take me up on this stuff I've just said...at least take the topic elsewhere (like, devote a FFA thread to it and see who bites).

Thanks.

[Silouan]

I started a new topic here http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php?topic=6999.msg92067#msg92067

[ozgeorge]

"p"

And what exactley is that supposed to men? Is that a challenge?  LOL

[coptic orthodox boy]

IC XC NIKA
ozgeorge,
The Lord give you His peace.
Always have to be "mr. funny" eh?
in XC,
shawn