Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't quite come off
Review: ...for me, at least. In this book, Ms. Mathewes-Green juxtaposes descriptions of the Mass with insights, essays and commentary on Orthodoxy, religion, American society, and other modern issues, such as abortion.While her writing is clear and interesting, her strong focus on the pragmatic contrasts sharply, and jarringly, with the almost mystical descriptions of the Eucharist. Her writing has also taken on an unpleasantly sanctimonious undertone: other Christians are depicted as over-ritualized and cold,going through the rituals without intelligence or thought; or vapid and childishly simple-minded. Also, her attempted explanation of the need for an all-male clergy, while valiant, rings hollowly, at best. Once again, women, according to this system, may only aspire to a sacred leadership role through, and only through, a relationship with a man. One wonders how an Orthodox woman who feels called to ordination would feel, reading this. Although I admire Ms. Mathewes-Green's deep faith and commitment to the church she obviously loves, the marriage of mysticism and daily life; modernism and a traditional faith did not quite come off, at least not for me. An interesting work, but one I was glad to return to the library.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing!
Review: After reading "Facing East," Frederica M-G's first book on the Eastern Orthodox Church, I immediately borrowed my Orthodox friend's copy of this book, "At the Corner of East and Now." Both books are excellent, and both answered many of my questions about this ancient Christian church that has stayed amazingly close to its roots through centuries, while other branches of the church keep splitting further and further apart. I recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the Orthodox church. There is an appendix at the back of this book that should be required reading for any visitor, as it explains many bewildering customs and practices. I enjoyed reading this book, and I hope that you will, too!
Rating:
Summary: A great way to communicate Orthodoxy
Review: As an enquirer into Orthodoxy myself, I really enjoyed reading Mrs. Mathewes-Green's book. She finds a way to blend the ancient and mystical side of Orthodoxy with the contemporary and modern culture of our time and have it all make sense. There are so many little aspects to this book that make it so great to read. Green educates you about the finer points of the Liturgy and Orthodox worship, but she doesn't beat you over the head with it. She discusses her family's pilgramage into the Orthodox Church, but she does so within the confines of personal stories that deal with a specific topic. Some of the more memorable chapters in this book include the one where she discusses her experience at a Christian rock concert. The Orthodox Church believes that her worship is ancient, apostolic and should not be altered to suit the cultural climate of the times, yet at this event Green experienced a wilder and somewhat darker side to Christian worship that is very different that what Orthodoxy has to offer. I also liked the chapter where she describes her Christmas shopping venture with her daughter. Furthermore, I like the chapters discussing the Divine Liturgy ceremony of their particular parish, and the descriptions of all the different Church members. Since their parish is mostly a convert parish with few cradle Orthodox, it sounds like their worship is more lively and involves more participation than most Churhes that have mostly cradle Orthodox. This is a great book to give to someone who doesn't understand what the Orthodox Church is, and how they approach worship and devotion. Green makes the material accessible, understandable, but also makes it educational and informative.
Rating:
Summary: A great way to communicate Orthodoxy
Review: As an enquirer into Orthodoxy myself, I really enjoyed reading Mrs. Mathewes-Green's book. She finds a way to blend the ancient and mystical side of Orthodoxy with the contemporary and modern culture of our time and have it all make sense. There are so many little aspects to this book that make it so great to read. Green educates you about the finer points of the Liturgy and Orthodox worship, but she doesn't beat you over the head with it. She discusses her family's pilgramage into the Orthodox Church, but she does so within the confines of personal stories that deal with a specific topic. Some of the more memorable chapters in this book include the one where she discusses her experience at a Christian rock concert. The Orthodox Church believes that her worship is ancient, apostolic and should not be altered to suit the cultural climate of the times, yet at this event Green experienced a wilder and somewhat darker side to Christian worship that is very different that what Orthodoxy has to offer. I also liked the chapter where she describes her Christmas shopping venture with her daughter. Furthermore, I like the chapters discussing the Divine Liturgy ceremony of their particular parish, and the descriptions of all the different Church members. Since their parish is mostly a convert parish with few cradle Orthodox, it sounds like their worship is more lively and involves more participation than most Churhes that have mostly cradle Orthodox. This is a great book to give to someone who doesn't understand what the Orthodox Church is, and how they approach worship and devotion. Green makes the material accessible, understandable, but also makes it educational and informative.
Rating: 
Summary: Flawed But, At Times, Wonderful
Review: Frederica Mathewes-Green's latest offering, 'At the Corner of East and Now', is a sort-of sequel to her earlier brilliant book 'Facing East'. Like 'Facing East', it concerns the author's small Orthodox mission parish near Baltimore. While 'Facing East' took the format of a chronicle of one year in this small parish, 'Corner' takes a different perspective: that of the alternating juxtaposition of the timelessness of the Orthodox liturgy, on the one hand, with the 'here and now' of contemporary American culture. This paralells the position of the Church itself - as existing at the same time in 'chronos', or historical time, and in 'kairos', or the Eternal Now. This is a creative but ambitious goal, and the results, while uneven, at their best are extremely well-done. The most compelling parts of this book, ironically, are those that deal with the author's observations regarding contemporary American culture and society, done in the form of episodic vignettes of slices of American life from the author's perspective as an Orthodox Christian. Fresh and interesting insights abound in these sections of the book, which are enhanced by the author's keen wit and smooth writing style. The author successfully portrays the truth that, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding, one can lead an Orthodox life in the midst of contemporary America - albeit with a certain perspective. The book is at its least satisfying in its discussions, often comparative discussions, of the similarities and differences between Orthodoxy and other Christian Churches. In these sections, it appears almost as if a different voice is speaking from that one we hear in 'Facing East', and a surprising number of oversimplifications and derogatory remarks are parceled out to Roman Catholics and Protestants alike. One wonders, for example, whether it was really necessary for the author to describe the vision of Mary in traditional Roman Catholic piety as 'helpless' or 'vapid'. Similarly, descriptions of Orthodoxy are sometimes distressingly inaccurate (e.g., her contention that the famous interpretive canon of St Vincent of Lerins referring to consensus among the Holy Fathers implies that for Orthodox Christians 'the faith consensus of the gathered community is our guide') and oversimplified. One senses that, perhaps, the views of the author regarding non-Orthodox Christianity have become hardened somewhat in the past few years. In any case, while there are mollifying passages toward the end of the book, the tone in several sections will make this book needlessly difficult for non-Orthodox to read and relate to, which is, in my opinion, an unfortunate shortcoming. But, in spite of these flaws, this book contains a lot of valuable and interesting insights and, at its high points, is excellent writing. Read it, even if you have to hold your nose at those points where she bashes your non-Orthodox beliefs.
Rating:
Summary: inspiring
Review: I found this book to be an inspiring depiction of living modern life in an Orthodox way. The author did an excellent job at keeping me interested. It was a quick, easy read for me. It is so useful and touching to have an account written about keeping ancient traditions of morality in a modern world. So many are loosing their way. It is wonderful to know one can be in the world, but not of it.
Rating:
Summary: Better than her first book about her pilgrimage
Review: I really like 'At the Corner' FMG really gives the reader insight and a sense of personal struggle, triumph and fulfillment in her second installment of her story of going into the ancient Church of Christ. With a wry sense of preception she tells us all the great and little details of an ex-hippie struggling with TRUE spirituality as she and her husband establish a Orthodox mission in small town America.
You will benefit from this book in your spiritual quest, whether Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant. It is simply a wonderful read, in fact I read it in 3 days, it was so interesting. Well worth it!
Rating:
Summary: A touching, exciting, educational, & very entertaining story
Review: One of the back-cover blurbs for 'At the Corner of East and Now' describes Frederica Mathewes-Green as 'the Orthodox Erma Bombeck,' but I don't remember Erma Bombeck having anywhere near the spiritual insights, the writing style (both folksy and lyrical), or, frankly, the humor Presbytera Frederica displays in this book. For most Americans, even Christians, Orthodox Christianity is *terra incognita.* Mrs Mathewes-Green does an excellent job charting a path for us, leading us back and forth between the elements of the liturgy and the intersection of ancient Christianity and modern 'post-Christian' America. Along the way, we rediscover her parish family (many of whom we met in 'Facing East'), go into a women's prison with a group of post-abortion counselors, discover the perplexing world of 'Christian death metal,' and much more. It's an awful cliché to say, 'You'll laugh, you'll cry,' but there is a lot in this book that's very funny, and a lot that's profoundly moving (see, for example, the chapter titled 'My Father'). I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about Orthodox Christianity. While not a definitive survey of Orthodox theology and practice (as no doubt Mrs Mathewes-Green would be the first to tell you), it is a grand portrait of how one individual's, and one family's, life is embraced by Eastern Christianity. I especially liked some of the incidental touches, quick little portraits of her family's three teenaged children, who have been raised much of their lives in Orthodoxy: the high school-aged son on the bus, reading a biography of St Theophan the Recluse; the oldest child defending Orthodoxy online and at her Roman Catholic college; and the youngest thinking a stranger must be Orthodox because he has a bumper sticker reading The Doors (the joke, actually pretty funny, is explained in the book). More than that, though, I would also recommend this book -- if I weren't libertarian I might even try to force the book -- to people, especially Protestant Christians, who don't know, or maybe aren't interested in knowing, that there is another, very different and yet strangely familiar and comforting, way to worship Christ, just on the other side of the 'denominational' divide. This, of course, is where many readers may become very uncomfortable with this book. America's dominant religious paradigm, of course, is Protestant, and perhaps its most visible religious 'subculture' is Evangelical Protestants. Mrs Mathewes-Green pulls no punches in comparing Evangelicalism and Orthodoxy -- for example, when she contrasts an Orthodox hymn ('Of the Father before the morning star thou wast begotten from the belly without mother before all ages, even though Arius did believe thee to be created, not God, classing thee in ignorance and impudence with creatures...') with the nursery-rhyme music and lyrics of the Evangelical 'P&W' songs 'Mighty is our God!' and 'Celebrate Jesus!' She notes that a popular Evangelical hymn ends with the refrain '... and I long to worship Thee.' Quoting her husband, an Orthodox priest, Mrs Mathewes-Green notes that back when they were Protestants, they, too, longed to worship God. The truth was, they didn't know how, though they suspected it had something to do with emotion. But now, the longing has subsided, replaced by 'something that feels just right, like a key in a lock. ... I was made for this.' Even if this exciting, touching, educational book doesn't convert you to Orthodoxy, it's an encounter you're not likely to forget for a long time.
Rating: 
Summary: Searching for Truth and Love
Review: This book, beautifully orchestrated, shows forth an understanding of the Church that has certainly deepened since the publication of Facing East. She seems to have more of the savor of Orthodoxy, the overarching sense of what She means to those devoted to Her in faith and love. As I was reading it, I felt as though I were being reminded, THIS is why you became Orthodox, remember? The description of the Liturgy as rich family feast, "voluptuous with beauty" was especially dear to me, reminding me of the necessity of Beauty in our lives. I actually found that the tone of the criticisms of other faiths in this book to be mitigated in comparison with those I have read in other books, without, at the same time, giving even a fraction of an inch. Those searching for a 'we are really all one' or 'why can't we just all get along' faith will more than likely be a little ruffled. However, if a non-Orthodox person is honestly looking for an empathetic understanding of Orthodoxy in life, that person will most certainly find that here. I feared that the book would tend toward, despite all efforts, a trivialization of the sacredness of the Church. However, it does not seem to, although, depending on the reader, I am sure that there is still the potential. Be careful of that, both Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike.
Rating:
Summary: Deeper into Faith, More of the "Savor" of the Church
Review: This book, beautifully orchestrated, shows forth an understanding of the Church that has certainly deepened since the publication of Facing East. She seems to have more of the savor of Orthodoxy, the overarching sense of what She means to those devoted to Her in faith and love. As I was reading it, I felt as though I were being reminded, THIS is why you became Orthodox, remember? The description of the Liturgy as rich family feast, "voluptuous with beauty" was especially dear to me, reminding me of the necessity of Beauty in our lives. I actually found that the tone of the criticisms of other faiths in this book to be mitigated in comparison with those I have read in other books, without, at the same time, giving even a fraction of an inch. Those searching for a 'we are really all one' or 'why can't we just all get along' faith will more than likely be a little ruffled. However, if a non-Orthodox person is honestly looking for an empathetic understanding of Orthodoxy in life, that person will most certainly find that here. I feared that the book would tend toward, despite all efforts, a trivialization of the sacredness of the Church. However, it does not seem to, although, depending on the reader, I am sure that there is still the potential. Be careful of that, both Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike.
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