The Apophatic Way
The seeming tension between apophatic theology and the cultivation of phronema (φρόνημα)—the Orthodox mind or spiritual consciousness—resolves when we understand that apophaticism is not an epistemological nihilism nor an avoidance of dogma, but a method …
The Didache
The Didache, or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, is one of the earliest extant documents outside the New Testament canon that offers a structured outline of Christian moral teaching, liturgical practice, and ecclesial order …
The Divine Imperative
Across the major traditions of Christian theology, the doctrine of humanity’s ultimate destiny is described in terms of participation in the divine life—though expressed through different concepts and emphases. Introduction Eastern Orthodoxy speaks of Theosis, …
On the Incarnation
Today, I completed reading St. Athanasius’s On the Incarnation to understand the meaning of Theosis, or Union with Christ. This writing from St. Athanasius of Alexandria is a masterpiece of early Christian theology, offering a …
The Imitation of Christ
Today, I completed a 419-page version of The Imitation of Christ. A book from centuries ago translated from Latin to English by Aloysius Croft and Harold Bolton (published in 2014). It was a period of …
The Mystery of Christ
Having completed John Behr’s book, The Mystery of Christ: Life in Death, I felt driven to write a review posted here because of his perspectives as a Patristics Scholar and his background as an Eastern …
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 Lexham, these prayers originated …
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 …
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 …
Visions of the Devoted
The book Be Thou My Vision is a devotional compilation of materials structured in liturgical form. The book’s substance is ordered so that a believer delves into areas of pertinent interest. The book is 345 …
The Nicene Affirmation
It was entirely revealing to me that the criteria of Christ’s deity and biblical Christology are articulated in the Nicene Creed of 325 A.D. Here we have an extra-biblical document that supports the doctrine of …
The Deity of Christ
The book Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ begins with Part one, entitled “The Devotion Revolution: Jesus Shares the Honors Due to God.” There are five parts of the …
