Three best books

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deltadeliquent
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Deltadeliquent

Guest
I’m taking an icon painting class and the teCher gave a lecture on the theology involved.
It was very beautiful and I was astounded.
I’d like to know more about Orthodox Catholicism.
Can anyone suggest three books that would give me a good and interesting grounding in it?
I’m not a scholar, but am well educated.
Thanks!
 
This is a basic four book series for Eastern Orthodox, by Fr. Thomas Hopko, free online
oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith

And a Byzantine Catholic series (five books), that starts “With Eyes of Faith: Introduction to Eastern Theology” - green

store.godwithusbooks.org/catechetical-series/with-eyes-of-faith/

The other books in the series are:
A Stream of Living Water: Holy Tradition (pink)
Shown to be Holy: Moral Thought(teal)
Inexhaustible Delights: Holy Mysteries (blue)
Life and Worship: Introduction to Liturgy(red)
 
Is there an equivalent to the Liturgy of the Hours?
Do they use the same one?
 
Deltadeliquent said:
Is there an equivalent to the Liturgy of the Hours?
Do they use the same one?
Click to expand...
Each different tradition has their own set of the offices. The way they are structured also vary based on tradition.

Take for example the Byzantines (Greeks, Russians, Ruthenians, Melkites, etc.) - their offices varies greatly from the Maronite office. In the West Syriac tradition (which the Maronite Church, as well as the Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholic and Syro-Malankara Churches belong to), there is a book called the Shhimo/Shhimtho which is just a one-week cycle breviary (7 days x 7 offices = 49 offices total) which is prayed most of the year and you can get by with just this one book (we have festal propers in a book called the Fenqitho, Lent in the Tedmourtho, and Holy Week in the Hasho). The Byzantine tradition, on the other hand, would require an entire collection of different books to pray all the offices for the year if my understanding is correct. There are more specific differences structurally and content-wise, for instance the Byzantine Churches have the Kathisma which is their recitation of all the psalms whereas in the Maronite Church, our offices have limited set psalms interspersed with hymn verses (e.g. every Maronite morning prayer has ps. 63, 91, 50, 148-150, and 117).

Anyway, there are great books much more articulate than myself on this subject as well (One that comes to mind is The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West by Robert Taft, SJ).
 
Deltadeliquent said:
I’m taking an icon painting class and the teCher gave a lecture on the theology involved.
It was very beautiful and I was astounded.
I’d like to know more about Orthodox Catholicism.
Can anyone suggest three books that would give me a good and interesting grounding in it?
I’m not a scholar, but am well educated.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Specifically for Icons, I have and like this book:

The Icon, Window on the Kingdom by Michel Quenot,
1991, 2002 reprint
St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press ISBN 0881410985 (ISBN13: 9780881410983)
 
Woo Hoo thanks everyone.
Such bounty.
I was really impressed by the theology in the painting class and it has sparked a desire to know more.
Unfortunately I live in a place where the nearest church is quite far away.

Not unhappy with Rome just very interested.
 
I would like to recommend a book of uncanny power that has had a greater impact on me than any other book on Christianity that I have ever read and I’m not even an Orthodox Christian. It is life changing and brilliant. I cannot overstate how significant I think this book is and if you have any questions please feel free to PM me!

“The Mystical Theology of the Orthodox Church.” Vladimir Losskey

I am not highly educated and this book is definitely written for those who are-- so brilliant and impacting were the parts of this book that I could understand that I stuck with it until I could understand every sentence. It is well worth any effort required to comprehend it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top