Rating: 
Summary: Eastern Orthodoxy for Ignorants like me
Review: !!!The book and what I found inside!!!This book intends to be an introduction and quick survey of Eastern Orthodoxy. It surpasses these goals magnificently! Being a novice . . . No, that is too polite. Being blasted ignorant of Eastern Orthodoxy, I decided to pick up this book to help open my eyes and my mind to this great religious tradition. This book has absolutely blown me out of the water. I was surprised to see similarities with my denomination (The Church of Jesus Christy of Latter-day Saints), and the Eastern Orthodox tradition. Some tidbits: The Orthodox Church baptizes children by immersion three times: once in the name of the Father, once in the name of the Son, and once in the name of the Holy Ghost. They method of confirming children is similar to "Last Rites," where they anoint and bless the forehead, eyes, ears, mouth, hands and feet individually as part of the ceremony. Also in their wedding ceremonies, the Orthodox Church literally crowns the couple, symbolic of man's triumph in marriage. What was most appealing was the idea of Theosis, or for man's ability to become God. We do not partake of His essence; we just partake of his power. This idea has roots in the Old Testament (Ps. 82:10), and early Christianity (2 Peter 1:4). St. Athanasius said that God became man, so that men might be god (On the Incarnation, 54), and Anglican C. S. Lewis has also elaborated on this idea in Mere Christianity (Book IV, ch. 9 "Counting the Cost), and also his address called "Weight of Glory" in the book by the same name. There is an old idea here that the Western traditions of Protestantism and Roman Catholicism have lost, but have survived in the Eastern Orthodox sanctuary, and have been heartily embraced. There is so much common ground here, I wonder why we bicker so much and have such nasty civil wars among ourselves. I hope this book can serves as bridge of understanding and appreciation among the different traditions of Christianity! The book has several historical chapters, staring with the early councils, up until the time of the Reformation. Other sections deal with Eastern Orthodox belief and practice, and there is large "For further reading" section in the end. I bought this book on several recommendations here on Amazon.com, and I was not let down!
Rating:
Summary: The Number ONE book on Eastern Orthodoxy
Review: "The Orthodox Church," by Timothy (Bishop Kallistos) Ware, is (and has been for decades) the number one book in the English language on the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith. It appears on virtually all recommended reading lists and bibliographies. (Not surprisingly, the number two book is "The Orthodox Way," by the same author.) The cover states that this title is "a clear, detailed introduction to the Orthodox Church written for the non-Orthodox as well as for Orthodox Christians who wish to know more about their own tradition." I couldn't have said it better myself. This volume is divided into two sections. Part one covers the history of the Church from the beginnings at Pentecost through Byzantium (the Seven Councils and the Great Schism), then the conversion of the Slavs, the Church under Islam, the Russian Church, and on into the twentieth century. Especially sobering is the author's summary of events surrounding the eastern European Orthodox Churches under communism. Coverage of the growth of the Orthodox Church in North America helps explain the current state of things. Part two discusses faith and worship and covers such important topics as: Holy Tradition, God and humankind, the theology and structure of the Church, and detailed explanations of various components of Orthodox worship (including sacraments, feasts, fasts and private prayer). The final chapter, entitled "The Orthodox Church and the Reunion of Christians," explains various views within the Church concerning the ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches, and highlights dialogues with various church bodies including Roman Catholics, Old Catholics, Anglicans, and other Eastern Christian bodies such as the Coptic Church and the Armenian Orthodox Church. An extensive, annotated list of further reading, organized by topics, such as "The Early Church and Byzantium," "Orthodox Theology," and "Liturgical Worship," will be extremely helpful for those who wish to dig more deeply into specific areas of interest. While this may indeed be the definitive introductory book on Eastern Orthodoxy, it would certainly be more accessible to readers with some background in the Bible, Church history, or with some experience in liturgical churches. As the author suggests at one point, there is no better introduction to Orthodoxy than to actually attend an Orthodox Divine Liturgy. Those who have attended Orthodox services (or who have been members of the Church for a while) are likely to be those who are most drawn to this excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: The Number ONE book on Eastern Orthodoxy
Review: "The Orthodox Church," by Timothy (Bishop Kallistos) Ware, is (and has been for decades) the number one book in the English language on the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith. It appears on virtually all recommended reading lists and bibliographies. (Not surprisingly, the number two book is "The Orthodox Way," by the same author.) The cover states that this title is "a clear, detailed introduction to the Orthodox Church written for the non-Orthodox as well as for Orthodox Christians who wish to know more about their own tradition." I couldn't have said it better myself. This volume is divided into two sections. Part one covers the history of the Church from the beginnings at Pentecost through Byzantium (the Seven Councils and the Great Schism), then the conversion of the Slavs, the Church under Islam, the Russian Church, and on into the twentieth century. Especially sobering is the author's summary of events surrounding the eastern European Orthodox Churches under communism. Coverage of the growth of the Orthodox Church in North America helps explain the current state of things. Part two discusses faith and worship and covers such important topics as: Holy Tradition, God and humankind, the theology and structure of the Church, and detailed explanations of various components of Orthodox worship (including sacraments, feasts, fasts and private prayer). The final chapter, entitled "The Orthodox Church and the Reunion of Christians," explains various views within the Church concerning the ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches, and highlights dialogues with various church bodies including Roman Catholics, Old Catholics, Anglicans, and other Eastern Christian bodies such as the Coptic Church and the Armenian Orthodox Church. An extensive, annotated list of further reading, organized by topics, such as "The Early Church and Byzantium," "Orthodox Theology," and "Liturgical Worship," will be extremely helpful for those who wish to dig more deeply into specific areas of interest. While this may indeed be the definitive introductory book on Eastern Orthodoxy, it would certainly be more accessible to readers with some background in the Bible, Church history, or with some experience in liturgical churches. As the author suggests at one point, there is no better introduction to Orthodoxy than to actually attend an Orthodox Divine Liturgy. Those who have attended Orthodox services (or who have been members of the Church for a while) are likely to be those who are most drawn to this excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best overall introductions to Orthodoxy
Review: A lucid, well written, non-polemic introduction to the Orthodox faith for both the inquirer and life long member of the church. This short book attempts to cover the history and beliefs ot this ancient tradition and does so remarkably well. A great starting point for the layperson and student of the faith; or, for that matter, anyone who wonders what goes on inside that "little church on the corner with the funny roof".
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly coherent summation of christian theol. & pract.
Review: A must read for anyone even remotely interested in religion. Written with love for the orthodox church and compassion for other christian churches. Provides a refreshing investigation into the mystical aspects of Faith in contrast with the bookish literalism of recent fundamentalists and the scholastic dogmatism of Roman Catholocism, (of whom I am one). A great, insightful contribution aimed for the 20th century reader.
Rating: 
Summary: No longer trustworthy.
Review: After its latest revision, Bishop Kallistos (Timothy Ware)'s book no longer provides a good starting point for those generally unfamiliar with the original Christian Church, its history, and its doctrines. This revised edition shows signs of compromise with the general melt-down of bygone Christianity going on in Great Britain. For example, His Grace says that the question of female priests is seen by the Orthodox as an open question; one wonders what in the world he can be talking about, since there isn't a hint of this development in any of the sources of authority the Church understands as binding. (Can you say "when Gehenna freezes over"?) Here, he must be trying to appeal to the culture around him. Additionally, his approach to the lamentable ecumenical efforts in which the Ecumenical Patriarchate is engaged is deplorable: it is simply inconsistent with the Church's history for its hierarchs to participate in WCC events that include pagan prayers, etc., even if only as observers. A non-Orthodox who read this edition at my suggestion came back to me with the notion that Bishop Kallistos' teaching regarding the relationship among the various "Christian" bodies differed from what I had previously explained. That was true, since I had repeated the Church's nearly 2,000-year-old insistence that it is the one, true Way. In this regard, Bishop Kallistos' attempts to be "understanding" are simply going to mislead the heterodox regarding what they are missing (i.e., the New Testament fellowship of Christ). The unbroken witness of the Church disagrees strongly with his "friendly" opinions. (If it didn't, the decision of the New Romans in the fifteenth century that they would rather remain Orthodox and suffer conquest by the Muslims than apostatize to Papism in exchange for military assistance would make no sense.) In sum, this is not a good place to start someone who might be interested in joining "the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic" (that is, the Orthodox) Church; as to anyone else, well, why do they need to know about the Church, anyway? This revision is a great disappointment. Get an earlier edition.
Rating: 
Summary: "Magnificent Intro to the Orthodox Faith"
Review: As a Non-Orthodox Christian, I found Timothy Ware's edition of the "Orthodox Church" very helpful in coming to glimpse with the historical and doctrinal aspects of the church. Part One of this book displays a well-defined and compact discourse concerning the Early Church, the Church of the Seven Councils, and the struggling Church in a state of siege and persecution. Part Two makes evident the faith and worship of the Orthodox Church. In this section, Timothy Ware discusses the principles behind Orthodox Liturgy, the Sacraments, and God's relations with the individuals that constitute the invisible body of the Church. As a reader I discovered the the little things that engendered big friction between the East and the West. Also I found valuable information about the rise of communist Russia, the internal and external dissent between Orthodox Churches during this period, and the prevalence of a faith that has remained nearly unchanged throughout the ups and downs of its long history. So I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Church History, or for someone who simply wishes to look at the Orthodox Church from the pen of an Orthodox writter.
Rating:
Summary: "Magnificent Intro to the Orthodox Faith"
Review: As a Non-Orthodox Christian, I found Timothy Ware's edition of the "Orthodox Church" very helpful in coming to glimpse with the historical and doctrinal aspects of the church. Part One of this book displays a well-defined and compact discourse concerning the Early Church, the Church of the Seven Councils, and the struggling Church in a state of siege and persecution. Part Two makes evident the faith and worship of the Orthodox Church. In this section, Timothy Ware discusses the principles behind Orthodox Liturgy, the Sacraments, and God's relations with the individuals that constitute the invisible body of the Church. As a reader I discovered the the little things that engendered big friction between the East and the West. Also I found valuable information about the rise of communist Russia, the internal and external dissent between Orthodox Churches during this period, and the prevalence of a faith that has remained nearly unchanged throughout the ups and downs of its long history. So I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Church History, or for someone who simply wishes to look at the Orthodox Church from the pen of an Orthodox writter.
Rating:
Summary: The must read of this or any century
Review: As a recent convert to Orthodoxy I found this book valuable as a general overview of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that the Lord said "shall not perish." "All Protestants ARE crypto-paptist," as it says on the first page. Any Protestant that disagrees, refuses to acknowlegde the fact that the Reformation didn't put an end to the RCC it simply democratized it and made everyone Pope. Now we all can run around and interpret scripture anyway we please. I like being a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church because the Roman Catholics are alwas adding to Christianity and the Protestants are alwas taking away. The Eastern Orthodox Church (the Church that gave the world the Bible)has never felt or seen the need for such heresy because they have alwas maintained the original true doctine of christ, "that he is the same yesterday, today and forever." It must be noted that in the the schism of 1054a.d. the Roman Catholic Church choose to leave the Church founded by Christ himself and Luther seriously mis-interpreted what Paul said and ment when he(Martin Luther) created the tradition of faith alone (Sola Fide)as many Protestant biblical theologians have concluded see: [Paul and Palestinian Judaism by E.P. Sanders] and [Paul among Jews and Gentiles by K. Stendahl
What did the Lord tell the "certain ruler" when he asked him "what must I do to inhereit eternal life?" Luke 18:18-20. Also Matt 17:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. John 5:29 and come fourth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life. 2 Corinthians 5:10. Romans 2:6 righteous judgment of God who will render to each one according to his deeds. In short, if anyone tries telling you that salvation is somehow easy, simple and cheap, run! don't walk in the other direction. ...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent overview of Orthodoxy
Review: As a Reformed Christian, I enjoyed this book immensely. It really helped me feel that I understand the Orthodox Church and many of its beliefs. The theological section was interesting and deep, though understandable. The history section is absolutely superb and led me to want to study more about the history of Byzantium. Top notch for anyone looking into this rich tradition and heritage.
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