Byzantine Theology: Historical Trends and Doctrinal Themes

I was very happy with this book. Short enough to not be intimidating, but long and dense enough to cover all the bases. I think this book is ideal for reading a book about Orthodox that is one step up from an intro. i.e. read it after Ware's Orthodox Church. Divided into History and Doctrine, yet the division is not too stringent. Both parts were very informative. There are some comparisons and contrasts with West but I would have liked to see more. There are some parts that are theologically dense but it is worth wading through. All in all, the reader sees the continuous and consistent voice of the Church throughout history.

Meyendorff's introduction to Orthodox theology is extremely detailed in a concise manner. His style is smooth and easy to follow, although it really would help if the reader had some background in theology (but not much!). Take a look at the sample pages for a taste. This is one of the best intros to Orthodox theology in English and I recommend it heartily! Enjoy!You may also be interested in Jordan Bajis' "Common Ground". It is an excellent introduction to the Orthodox Tradition geared towards Western Christians. Kallistos Ware has written a more devotionally-flavored into, "The Orthodox Way", which is also highly useful.

Father Meyendorff's complete and detailed discussion about the complex theology of the Byzantine church is outstanding. The Christiology debate was a little over my head at points but his chapters on Iconoclasm and on the Schism between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church were top notch.

Very few books have been written about the Orthodox faith. In a related note, Sir Steven Runciman has written a respectable history of the Church during its occupation by the Ottoman Turks.Meyendorff has written a very detailed and extraordinary book that spans the entire life of the Eastern Orthodox Church. For example, he writes how the various translations of the New Testament have lead the Roman Catholics and Orthodox believers to divide on dogma.

I read this book for fun, borrowing it from my seminary library. Fascinating! It occurred to me as I read it that I had been taught virtually nothing about the theology of the Eastern Church at my Protestant school -- merely some fuss over the "filioque clause."