Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding book, outstanding author
Review: Bishop KALLISTOS Ware is very open minded and an eloquent writer. Studying Orthodoxy, this book is invaluable.
If you are studying Orthodoxy (in general), this is a must have. He does not focus, or side, with one cultural group or the other (Greek vs. Antiochian vs. Russian, etc...) but gives information pertaining to Orthodoxy as a whole, since truly, it does not matter which cultural form of Orthodoxy you practice, the end result is still Orthodoxy.
While not a long and involved book, I still find myself going back to it time and again.
Definitely one to share and/or add to your own collection.
Rating:
Summary: THE STANDARD INTRODUCTION (and more) FOR ORTHODOXY
Review: Bishop Kallistos' book is brilliant, concise yet thorough. He covers history (in relation to the West as well), theology, worship--the essence of Orthodoxy--and so much more. If one could memorize every word (and every word in this book is like a paragraph in others), one would know the essence of everything Orthodox. Probably no other book on Orthodoxy as been as read as this one. I have used it in classes for many years. [N.B. The reviewer, Mr. Harding, appears to have an ax to grind. Since his was the only negative review on the initial page, I think it a bit disingenuous of Amazon.Com to feature it first.]
Rating:
Summary: Good Solid Primer On Orthodoxy
Review: Bishop Ware has written an excellent text on the Orthodox Church. It is a solid primer as he deals with the history and the faith and worship of the church.The historical setting is solid and for the most part entertaining and interesting. He touches on the major highlights without overburdening the laity or reader who many are probably reading about this subject for the first time. After all, that seems to be the audience he is targeting. The second part, on faith and worship, is concise and simple. He throws in the major doctines of Orthodox beliefs in which they have in common with the rest of Christianity as well as some of the beliefs particular for this Eastern expression of the religion:i.e. essence and energies, apopthatic (negative theology), image and likeness. Further, he shows that this is not a monolithic movement in areas such as what makes up the Church. All the churches are mentioned and briefly discussed. Many saints are also mentioned and one comes away with a great appreciation of this historic Body of Christ.
Rating:
Summary: Essential
Review: For anyone wanting to know more about Orthodoxy, or for those who know little to nothing this book is an essential addition to your reading list. So much information packed into this small book. Come away with confident knowledge of Orthodox worship and history, along with customs.
Rating:
Summary: Started me on my jouney
Review: I just bought the book to get some kind of understanding of the Orthodox faith, and this book gave me that and a lot more.
The book for me personally was somewhat of a journey into learning about a faith I knew almost nothing about. I truly got into reading this book in Oct. 2003, and ended up getting Baptized in the Orthodox Church in Jan. 2004. That alone kind of speaks volumes about the book's impact on my life.
Rating:
Summary: Are you unorthodox?
Review: I knew virtually nothing about this Church, despite the fact it dates from the time of Jesus Christ. I've read a few customer reviews, and like them, this book was recommended as a way of introduction to Orthodoxy. If you'd like to know about this very old, but very much living Church, this is it. On a negative note however, most of the book deals with the historical development of the Orthodox Church(es). Some of this involves dogma, but it's only at the end that we get into the nitty gritty of the faith. Having come from a Catholic background, I find Orthodoxy a lot more gentler... less authoritarian.
Rating: 
Summary: A Pentecostal Finds More in Common w/ the East than West
Review: I throughly enjoyed Ware's book on Orthodoxy. It has helped me to see that there is a true ancient option to the western scholastic tradition. As a Pentecostal I have found that the parallels between Pentecostal practice and Orthodox theology are much closer than with reformed protestantism and the Roman Church. Ware's work is one I reference often and refer others to for a starting point of understanding the mystical and experience based theologies of Christendom.
Rating: 
Summary: A Classic introduction to Orthodoxy
Review: If you are interested in a foundational understanding of the Orthodox Christian faith, start here. Father Ware does an excellent job in tracing the history of the Orthodox religion from the beginning days to the post-Berlin wall times. While some of the history is difficult to follow, it establishes an underpinning of why the Orthodox religion has endured virtually unchanged from the days of Acts. While the first half of the book deals with history, the second the the real meal here: Father Ware discusses the major tenants of what it means to be Orthodox. While his book didn't touch me as personally as Frederica Matthewes-Green's, it convinced me that there's much more to the Orthodox faith than I ever imagined.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!!!
Review: In his book, Bishop Ware offers not only a historical look at the Eastern Orthodox Church (singular), but a spiritual one as well. As a Melkite Greek Catholic I must confess a certain penchant for Orthodox writings (as most uniates do), and regard his grace as the foremost authority on the Orthodox Church living today. For any one who still may be confused in their association with the Eastern Church as nothing more than a relic of the past, I would recommend that they read this book. I would pass that admonition on to any lay Orthodox Christian who wants to supplement their knowledge of their church; as well as to any Roman Catholic who assumes that after Christ's Ascension, there was the papcy. There was, in fact, a pentarchy. An ecclesial fraternity of bishops existed. Such books are a wonderful reminder that our religion needs to be not only a witness to our theology--but to history as well. Read this book!!!
Rating:
Summary: A great introduction to the Orthodox Church
Review: In most Christian circles, the Orthodox Church is known as the forgotten church because many Christians do not even know of it's existence. Coming from an evangelical background I was in the same situation, until I attended college and was able to learn about this mysterious Church. Because of this sparked interest, I decided to pick up Bishop Ware's book and read it to discover more about the history and beliefs of the Orthodox Church. Basically, this book is a beginner's guide to the Orthodox Church. Ware begins by discussing the history and and events surrounding this 2,000 year old Christian institution. I believe that Ware's appraisal and handling of history was fair and accurate. When it came to discussing the various schisms that erupted between East and West he was, I believe, very fair and accurate. When discussing the root and causes of the permanent schism of 1054, he did not try to blame the Pope as some do, but instead showed that it was a tragic misunderstanding and lack of thorough communication that led to these events. In the second part of the book, Ware discussed Orthodox theology and beliefs. Everything from the nature of the Trinity, the Saints and Mary, the Sacraments, the Word of God, and spiritual life are examined. I liked how he handled the whole filioque controversy because it really shows that the Orthodox Church believes that dual procession is not the correct view. I never really understood on what basis they formulated their objections until I read this book. Also, Ware's discussion of sin and the fall was intriguing because I never knew the East avoided the Augustinian/Pelagian controversy. Finally, in the last part Ware attempts to show how the Orthodox Church views the other church bodies around her. Without a doubt, the church the Orthodox share the closest heritage with is the Catholic Church. Ware states that the East is willing to grant the Pope the position of primacy and honor that he deserves, but they are not willing to sacrifice the integrity of the other great Patriarchal sees at the expense of Roman jurisdictional claims. Also, Ware shows that the Orthodox Church has much in common with Anglicans, Lutherans, and other Protestant groups. Although there are many barriers which separate them, there is also hope for healing and reunification. All in all, an excellent introduction to the Orthodox Church. The only downside is that this book leaves you desiring more, but I guess that's why Bishop Ware has written other books which examine Orthodoxy on a deeper level.
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