Intro to Eastern Spirituality

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Are there any books that you all would recommend as an introduction to Eastern Catholicism Spirituality?
 
The U.S. Eastern Catholic Bishops released an adult catechism (three books) called:
Light for Life, 1994, God with Us Publications, Pittsburgh, PA

Part One: The Mystery Believed
Part Two: The Mystery Celebrated
Part Three: The Mystery Lived
Light for Life ($13 per vol.)

We use it in our parish.

Catechetical Directory of the Ukrainian Catholic Church is available for $5

You can get both of them here:
stjosaphateparchy.org/Store.html

There is also a sale of the three book set.
theobooks.org//site/search.cfm

For Catechism, Light For Life is a set of three books:
ecpubs.com/
 
mparrot said:
Are there any books that you all would recommend as an introduction to Eastern Catholicism Spirituality?
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If you don’t mind ignoring the chapter on Marriage, Fr. Schmemman’s “For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy” is excellent.

The chapter on marriage, however… not good. Not good at all.
 
mparrot said:
Are there any books that you all would recommend as an introduction to Eastern Catholicism Spirituality?
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I don’t know if you are into heavier reading, but if you can handle it Father Tomas Cardinal Spidlik SJ [Memory Eternal!] wrote some good books.

His ‘Patristic Breviary’ (below) is actually fairly easy to read daily and make use of, baing essentially patristic quotations. The other is very informative but not a spiritual guide or tool in itself.

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mparrot said:
Are there any books that you all would recommend as an introduction to Eastern Catholicism Spirituality?
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If you can find a copy I highly recommend Archbishop Joseph Raya’s “Face of God.” I just finished re-reading it. The book is simply phenomenal. Also, check out “Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology.” It’s another amazing book containing short passages from various saints, mostly St. Theophan the Recluse. The two books together make an excellent introduction to Eastern/Byzantine spirituality. 👍
 
Aramis said:
The chapter on marriage, however… not good. Not good at all.
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I haven’t read this. What’s so objectionable about it? Obviously Orthodox condescend in acknowledging divorce in certain situations where the Latins do not, but I don’t know what else might be contentious. Is he one of those theologians who advocates that marriage is somehow eternal? I still haven’t really explored whatever people are talking about when they mention that.
 
Alveus_Lacuna said:
I haven’t read this. What’s so objectionable about it? Obviously Orthodox condescend in acknowledging divorce in certain situations where the Latins do not, but I don’t know what else might be contentious. Is he one of those theologians who advocates that marriage is somehow eternal? I still haven’t really explored whatever people are talking about when they mention that.
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He attempts to theologically (rather than just economically) justify the Russian Orthodox position on both divorce and contraception.
 
Thanks for the ideas everyone! I think I will check our “Face of God” first.
 
It took me a long time, starting many years ago, to work through texts that talked about the differences between the spirituality of Eastern Orthodoxy [Greek and Slavic] and of the West [primarily the Church of Rome]. The more I read the more they seemed similar, the more I prayed the hours the more familiar the structures and comparisons again brought out many similarities. Many of the assertions about differences seemed contrived and mean of spirit.

Finally I began to see the difference more clearly as I read several of the things suggested here, “The Face of God” in particular. I also began to attend an Orthodox parish regularly and remained through several full liturgical cycles. Then I picked up a set of texts, originating from the Orthodox in France, called “The Living God: a catechism”…and it was in that set of experiences and texts, as well as a continued expansion of my familiarity with the eastern horologian and menologion that I began to see the real difference in emphasis and approach to the life in the spirit in the east. One cannot separate the life in the spirit from life in the Church and ever hope to see anything at all. And I learned also that it is always best: not to compare.

The Living God as a text is liturgical in its foundation, and as a true spiritual catechesis it fulfills the need for a portal into the spirituality of the east that is clear, brief, to the point and rooted in the heart of the faith: Eucharist.

M.
 
Great thread. I have always been a wash between Roman and Eastern but Eastern spirituality really interests me. I hope I can get a hold of one of these books and learn more.
 
I’ve thought of a couple more texts that might be very useful:

One is called The Living Tradition by John Meyendorff. If nothing else that text will lead you on to a seemingly endless number of rabbit trails from which you will learn many things of God and man.

The second one is called The Life in Christ by Nicholas Cabasilas and that one will offer a catechesis which will compliment any study in eastern spiritual life. The last two chapters of the text move us into the particulars of the spiritual life directly but by that time you will be deeply immersed in the Christo-logic of Orthodox doctrinal teaching and you will see the wholeness [catholicity] of the teaching quite clearly from this text.

And the third one that came to my mind is called Earthen Vessels by monk Gabriel Bunge, hieromonk, actually but I don’t think he’d split hairs :). Father recently translated into Orthodoxy and is one of the worlds foremost living experts on eastern spirituality as taught by Evagrios the Solitary, whose teachings made their way into the west through the writing of St. John the Ascetic [John Cassian].
 
I love the Christian East:hug1:, but am woefully lacking in knowing specifically introductory texts. The authors I have in my library are Gregory Palamas, Seraphim of Sarov, a selection from the Philokalia, and some selections of Berdyaev’s writings (and I know he’s not exactly considered orthodox per se, but nonetheless).
All of the titles I have I do not think are considered “introductory”…but that’s because I prefer to skip ahead and get to the meat, haha. If I had to say one to read though, I would say the anonymously-written The Way of a Pilgrim. It has got to be one of the most beautiful books ever written.:heaven:
 
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