Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader

Excellent companion to Daniel B. Clendenin's other book about Orthodoxy - "Eastern Orthodox Christianity: A Western Perspective." This book in comparison to its companion, is a compilation of contemporary Orthodox theologians' writings on such topics as: * liturgy and sacraments, * tradition, * the mystical encounter between person and God, and * relations with the other branches of the church. One will be pleasantly surprised to read biographical information on theologians such as Kallistos Ware, Vladimir Lossky, Alexander Schmemann and others and also read their thoughts on Orthodox living theology. This book is written for all Christians, but primarily for Protestants and Eastern Orthodox believers. Enjoy!

First I must note that I am not Orthodox, and neither is the book's editor. So I can't begin to guess whether this book is fair representation of Orthodox thinking. I happen to know that some of the authors and opinions are controversial in Orthodox circles. But I think the book is great. The selections are very well written and cover a broad variety of topics, including most of those of particular concern to Protestants, such as icons, saints, deification, and ecumenical relations. The introductions to each essay provide just enough information to get the reader oriented without intruding on the content. I have rarely enjoyed a thelogical book so much. The essays by Lossky alone are worth the price.