Fount of Heaven
Back in February of this year, 2024, I fully read “Fount of Heaven,” edited by Robert Elmer, a book of assembled prayers from the Early Church. First published in 2022 by Lexam, these prayers originated …
The Ordo Fidei Anglicana
The following assembled notes are from a beginning study of personal interest in the divine office using the Anglican Book of Common Prayer (1928), the Lectionary (1945), and the King James Bible with the Apocrypha …
The Ancient Faith
“The Orthodox Faith, Worship, and Life: an Outline,” authored by Hieromonk Gregorios and translated by Chara Dimakopoulou, is an enlightening reading of the catechism of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The book was published in 2020 by …
The Apocrypha
The Apocrypha, a collection of ancient Jewish writings not universally recognized within the biblical canon, offers a fascinating glimpse into the intertestamental period—the centuries between the Old and New Testaments. These texts, which include books …
Paradiso by Dante Alighieri
In Dante’s Paradiso, the journey of the protagonist reaches its culmination in the celestial realms, where he experiences the ultimate redemption by divine grace. As Dante ascends through the various spheres of Heaven, each representing …
Purgatorio by Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri’s “Purgatorio,” the second cantica of his monumental epic poem “The Divine Comedy,” continues the journey of the poem’s protagonist—Dante himself—through the afterlife. Having traversed the depths of Hell in “Inferno,” Dante and his …
Inferno by Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno,” the first part of his epic poem “The Divine Comedy,” is one of the seminal works of Western literature. Written in the early 14th century, it provides a detailed account of the …
The Synaxis of Saints
A synaxarion of the Orthodox Church is a liturgical text that compiles the lives of saints, feast days, and significant events commemorated throughout the Orthodox Christian liturgical year. Derived from the Greek word “synaxis,” which …
1984 by George Orwell
After reading George Orwell’s 1984 this week, it fully reinforced my personal views about the evils of socialism and totalitarianism. The novel, set in a dystopian future where the Party, led by Big Brother, exercises …
The Terrified Mind
In Augustine’s treatise De Spiritu et Littera (“On the Spirit and the Letter”), he addresses the critical theological issues of grace, human will, and the law. He confronts the ideas propagated by Pelagianism, a doctrine …
Holiness by J.C. Ryle
Having carefully read Holiness, by J.C. Ryle, I sought to put forth an effort to better understand what holiness is. To inform my spirit what it specifically is from the authority of biblical imperatives and …
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
Upon completion of the book O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, it has been about four months of liturgy in a structured format, the same as followed with the books O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and …
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
The book O Come O Come, Emmanuel is a devotional compilation of materials structured in liturgical form. It is a work of beautiful material that follows the liturgical format of Be Thou My Vision. The …
Rock and Sand
“Rock and Sand: An Orthodox Appraisal of the Protestant Reformers and Their Teachings” by Dr. Josiah Trenham significantly contributes to the ongoing dialogue between Orthodox Christianity and Protestantism. Published in 2015, this work aims to …
The Hobbit
“The Hobbit,” or “There and Back Again,” written by J.R.R. Tolkien and first published in 1937, is a timeless work in the fantasy genre, offering a richly imagined world filled with memorable characters, profound themes, …
