For over a thousand years, Eastern Christendom had as its center the second capital of the Roman Empire-Constantinople, the New Rome,or Byzantium. The geographical division between the Eastern and Western Churches was only one manifestation of deeper rifts, characterized by a long history of conflicts, suspicions, and misunderstandings. Although the art, monasticism, and spirituality of Byzantium have come to be recognized as inspirational and influential in the shaping of Eastern European civilization, and of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well, the West has been in the main ignorant of the historical evolution and the doctrinal significance of Byzantine theology.Here, for the first time in English, is presented a synthesis of Byzantine Christian thought. The reader is guided through its complexities to an understanding of Byzantium: its view of man and his destiny of deification; its ability to transcend the Western captivity; its survival under quite adverse historical circumstances. In the end, he may well find himself receptive to the basic positions of Byzantine thought, which have attained, in this time of need for the reintegration of Christianity itself, a surprising, contemporary relevance.
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." . . a must for libraries at colleges or universities with programs in the history of Christian thought."
About the Author
John Meyendorff, Professor Byzantine and Eastern European History at Fordham University, is an Orthodox priest, a holder of the D. es L. (Sorbonne), and the author of several books on Orthodoxy.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By matt
Format:Paperback
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.
26 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This well written book is a general survey of Byzantine Theology both in its historical and doctrinal aspects. The first part deals exclusively with the historical development of the various theological doctrines of the Byzantine Church and the second part deals with the exposition of different doctirnes of theology. As a teacher Dr Meyendorff is clear and accurate in his coverage of the different aspects of theology.
As a Roman Catholic I was impressed by the striking similarities between the Byzantine doctirnes and the Roman Catholic faith. The author is objective and clear in his exposition. He seemed a little preoccupied with comparing and contrasting the theological doctirines of the Byzantine Church with those of the West. This seemed to limit the scope of the book. As a book dealing with theology, it is a successful work beneficial to those looking for some insight into the theological doctirnes and their development in the Church.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
a good introduction to the Eastern Church
I did not have a good understanding of the Eastern Church. This book gave a good a good basic understanding and I learned alot
Published 3 months ago by S. Schneider
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best
This is one of the best overviews of Eastern Orthodox history and theology in my opinion. I recently re-bought this book because I had given my copy away. Read more
Published on November 2, 2008 by Richard J. Mahlke
4.0 out of 5 stars
Best One-Volume Work on Greco-Roman Theology in English
An concise and accurate survey of the Christian theology of the Roman Empire. One caveat is that I do not believe that the portions touching on the so-called "monophysite... Read more
Published on November 22, 2007 by Death Bredon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Intermediate Text
I was very happy with this book. Short enough to not be intimidating, but long and dense enough to cover all the bases. Read more
Published on January 9, 2006 by N
4.0 out of 5 stars
Why Is The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Forgotten ?
The Ethiopian church is one of the oldest orthodox church in the world however, I was really surprised not to find it anywhere in the book.
Published on July 8, 2000 by "yoh2000"
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of a kind!
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... Read more
Published on December 6, 1999 by Lou Min
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should be required reading for seminarians
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... Read more
Published on July 30, 1999
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