What I'm Reading

So School starts back soon. This means I won't have as much time for reading as I would like. Therefore, I've tried to get in as much reading now as I can. I've bought a bunch of books and have read through most of them. A few will require several readings, and a few will require lifetime readings.

Anyway, just a quick summation of several books I've bought that I believe any Christian (Protestant, Orthodox, or other) should read:

The Orthodox Church

The first book is titled The Orthodox Church by Kallistos Ware. This book contains two parts. The first part describes the history of the Orthodox Church, from the time of Christ up to modern times. The second part describes a basic understanding of the canons and traditions of the Orthodox Church. This is a recommended read for any Protestants interested in the Church, or any Orthodox raised in the Church with little understanding.

The Orthodox Way

The next book is titled The Orthodox Way, also by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware. This book goes more in depth in the belief system of the Orthodox Church. I will be honest, when reading it, I noticed very little differentiation between Protestant and Orthodox theology besides ideas such as venerating saints, the uses of icons, etc. This is a wonderful book for any believer.

The Way of the Pilgrim

Man, what a book. If there was any book I could recommend from this list to any Christian who wants to understand the concept of interior prayer, or "praying without ceasing," this is the one. It's a beautiful journey of a Russian pilgrim in his pursuit to reach Jerusalem. Along the way, he focuses upon what it means to truly pray. I do have the stinking suspicion, however, that the translation I read (seen above), was written by a Catholic, as it mentions the Hail Mary and the use of a rosary, both of which are not used in the Orthodox tradition. Still, read this book. Though, maybe find a better translation?

Becoming Orthodox

This book, Becoming Orthodox, serves as a great primer for the Protestant looking into discovering the New Testament Church. Written by a former Campus Crusader, this book masterfully discusses the journey of a man (and thousands others) who want to find complete worship. In fact, while reading, I began to see Gillquist's journey paralleling with mine in ways. For any Protestant interested in the Orthodox tradition, this is the first book you should read.

The Philokalia, Vol. 1

Now *this* is a heavy book. Written by the early Church Fathers, this book goes into depth on several key concepts, namely interior prayer and closeness to God. Using the Bible as a foundation, this book was originally written for hermits and monks to develop an exceptional prayer cycle. For the average reader, it's more difficult to follow, though. This is a book I will be reading over and over. It has been described as the second most important book in the Orthodox tradition behind the Holy Bible. I can see why.

Jordanville Prayer Book

I also bought a prayer book, the Jordanville Prayer Book. Very popular among Orthodox Christians, it serves to help you establish regularity to your prayers. I should note here that this doesn't mean that I don't, and will not, pray "spontaneous" prayers in my prayer life. A prayer book helps one to focus, something I have a very hard time doing in my prayer life.

The Orthodox Study Bible

This is the last book I bought before heading back to UGA. This, the Orthodox Study Bible, contains both the canonical and deuterocanonical texts, as well as study aids, icons, maps, and articles for perusal. I hope to review this version of the Bible more in depth in the future. What drew me to it, besides the deuterocanonical texts, was the fact that it uses the Greek Septuagint for the Old Testament, rarely used today, though this translation was used by the Apostles during the New Testament times. I'm looking forward to diving into this Bible!

So there you have it! These are the first books I have bought in my journey to Orthodoxy. I would welcome any future recommendations by anyone perusing this blog, and I firmly recommend these texts to anyone who happens to read!

Pray for me.

Yours,

Christian