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I'm on the hunt for another book to read. Having thoroughly enjoyed St. John Climacus' "Ladder of Divine Ascent", I'd like to delve into another work concerning eastern spirituality or eastern Christianity in general. Unfortunately, there's so much to choose from that I that I don't know where to start!

With the exception of Bishop Ware's "The Orthodox Church", St. Augustine's "Confessions", and of course "The Ladder", can anyone recommend a good book, historical, theological, or spiritual/mystical for someone who's fairly new to eastern Christianity?

I thought about tackling the Philokalia, but I've heard it can be a bit much for beginners. I'm just starting to practice the Jesus Prayer, and I found a package that includes "The Way of a Pilgrim", "The Pilgrim Continues his Way", and "Writings from the Philokalia: on Prayer of the Heart" that seems like it might provide a nice sampling of the larger four-volume work. The package can be found here: http://www.archangelsbooks.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ARCJESPRYSET

I've also heard good things about Lossky's "Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" and the "Little Russian Philokalia."

Any thoughts?

P.S.

I would have posted this in the new "Books" forum, but I didn't have a particular title or review in mind!

God bless,

Chris

That package looks very nice and good place to start.

I recommend everything Archbishop Jospeh Raya, of blessed memory, wrote but especially The Face of God, available from Madonna House or God With Us:
http://www.madonnahouse.org/publications/raya/index.html
http://www.theobooks.org/index.asp?PageAction=PRODSEARCH&txtSearch=GWUP04&Page=12

Also Archimandrite Lev Gillet's (A Monk of the Eastern Church) writings:

Burning Bush
On the Invocation of the Name of Jesus
The Jesus Prayer
Orthodox Spirituality
Year of Grace of the Lord
Jesus: A Dialogue with the Service

Available from Light and Life
http://www.light-n-life.com

Archbishop Jospeh's Akathist to the Name of Jesus is also available from Light and Life.

This thread probably belongs in "Books", but The Face of God by Archbishop Raya and Jesus, A Dialogue with the Savior by a Monk of the Eastern Church (Lev Gillet) are both excellent primers to Eastern Christian spirituality. Fr. Lev's other great book is Year of Grace of Our Lord which is an awesome spiritual introduction into the Byzantine liturgical year.

Lossky is definitely more towards the deeper end, and you may want to read some things in between before you tackle him. The package of which you speak is certainly a great collection to get started, and the "Writings from the Philokalia" is an excellent overview of the entire series. The Little Russian Philokalia series are also very easy to read lives of some of the great startsi as is the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit in Russia series from the same printer (St. Herman Brotherhood).
FDD

Thank you both for the recommendations. I'll be sure to look into Archbishop Raya's and Lev Gillet's works.

God bless,

Chris

Thank you both for the recommendations. I'll be sure to look into the works of Archbishop Ray and Lev Gillet.

God bless,

Chris

I�d like to humbly recommend an inexpensive book published in 1998 by St. Vladimir�s Seminary Press. It is entitled �On Ascetical Life� � written in the seventh century by St. Isaac of Nineveh (monk, bishop, and Christian mystic whose Feast Day is January 28th). Although small in size - only 116 pages - Mar Isaac never fails to enlighten me on the journey to theosis. Each time I read his words, he speaks quietly to me.

One anonymous monk of Mt. Athos sums up the wisdom of St. Isaac much better than I when he says:

In the words of Mar Isaac:

Bon voyage!


~Isaac

For an inviting,non-intimidating introduction to the teaching of the Philokalia, I am very enthusiastic about this tiny volume:
Tito Colliander, Way of the Ascetics (St. Vladimir Seminary Press, 1985 reprint of 1982 English translation of 1960 Asketernas Vag).

The slender size and short chapters can be misleading. This is a practical guide to prayer that quickly moves to a level of intensity that still eludes [but attracts] me. An excellent follow up for any whose reading of the "Way of the Pilgrim" leaves them intrigued by the Philokalia.

At the Melkite Convention this year we are receiving a copy of +Sayedna Raya's, Eyes of the Gospel which has been out of print. So I am so excited to get it, can't wait to read it.

Brother Thepeug,

I join to our brother Isaac. After the Ladder of Saint John, a logical step would be the book of Saint Isaac. It is very rich.

Also, if you want, take in consideration the Pearl of Saint Ephraim the Syrian. You may find it here >>> [ccel.org]

Also, take in high consideration St. Silouan the Athonite or Archimandrit Sophrony's books.

May God bless you!

in Risen Christ, Marian

Lossky is an excellent suggestion, anything by Fr. Alexander Schmemann, of Fr. Dumitru Staniloae are well worth the time. Also reading the fathers themselves is always profitable, especially St. Maximus the Confessor

Thank you all for the continued suggestions. "Way of the Ascetics" and the writings of Mar Isaac sound particularly interesting...

God bless,

Chris

Dear Thepeug,

I tend to get bored easily with certain books, so the first book I will recommend is 'Mountain of Silence' by Kyriacos C. Markides. It is about his spiritual journey through a saintly monk that is now a bishop in Cyprus. He also has a second book with sayings from the bishop and also including Bishop Kalistos Ware titled, 'Gifts of the Desert'.

I also like 'My Life in Christ', by Saint John of Kronstadt...although it is long and exhausting, and 'Saint Gregory Palamas as a Hagiorite' by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos. That book has some excellent translations of Saint Gregory's sermons etc. The explanations by the Metropolitan, and the translation by Ester Williams is excellent.

Zenovia

There is also a second part of St. Isaac of Ninevah's work. It is available through eighth day books: 800-841-2541.

This book is billed as the "eastern rescension" of St. Isaac's work, first translated in 1923 and "now virtually unfindable." This new translation from the Eastern Syriac rescension adds important work not found in "Ascetical Homilies." The Western Syriac rescension of his work is already mentioned above translated as "Ascetical Homilies."

In Christ,

BOB