Customer Reviews

Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader

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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.

This book was my first-ever purchase from Amazon.com 4 years ago. Although not a member of the Orthodox church, I pay some attention to theology and was interested in learning what the Orthodox had to say. I found this an excellent introduction to Orthodox doctrines, covering everything from the importance of the liturgy to the role of sacraments and Orthodox stances on the nature of God and ecumenicism. The anonymous reader from Northern California states that some of these articles are controversial; regrettably, I don't have information on that. Perhaps it is hard to avoid controversy in modern theology. In any case, if you're interested in the title subject, this is a good starting point.

Wide Spectrum Reader:
The 'Contemporary Reader' of Eastern Orthodox theology, is a thoughtfully selected group of essays. This book is intended as a companion reader to the author's apologia; looking into Orthodox traditions, of Liturgy and theology. The concise essays provide enough information to get the reader briefed on various topics, authored by eminent Eastern Orthodox, where the Evangelical editor comment on the theological message of the essay itself.
No lesser an Orthodox than the Editor, I would recommend this collection of essays as a broad spectrum introductory readership to Eastern Orthodox Doctrine: teaching (Doctrine: from Doctor i.e. Teacher of the church), in spite of being a monotonic essays rather than Chatechetical dialogue (in the Alexandrine sense it should be Q & A dialogue)

Orthodox Essays Roaster:
Daniel Clendenin, an Evangelical student of Eastern Orthodoxy, who critically examined and proved aware of Orthodox practices to the amazement of most Easterners and Orientals, is on InterVarsity staff at Stanford University. The knowledgeable book editor, who once wrote; Why I'm not Orthodox, 'Christianity today, Jan. 6, 1997', made his case based on some petrified Orthodox practices.
Clendenin has included a balanced selection of topics from some outstanding Eastern (Byzantine) theologians, who happened to be mostly Russian: Florovsky, Lossky, Meyendroff, and Schmemann. His selection from Greek theologians was short of Zizioulis, Staniloae, and others. He may have never heard of eminent Orintals like Metropolitan G. Khedr, or Fr. Matthew the poor, Abbot of St. Makarius.
The issues are very well selected and the chapters cover a full integral roaster of topics. Since the editor is Evangelical he skillfully included most of the issues of particular concern to Protestants, covering everything from the importance of the liturgy to the role of sacraments and Orthodox stances on the nature of God and such issues on salvation as Theosis (deification), the Eucharist, intercession of saints, praying with icons, and hesitant ecumenical relations with the Romans, and at least upper Church Protestantism.

Orthodox Theology:
As a lay theologian interested in learning what the neo-Orthodox are to say, I came to know, specially Fr. Lev Gilet of St. Serge, in Paris who was very influential in the revival of Orthodox Youth movement in the Middle east. Although I am reservedly fascinated with 'Byzantine' ontological theology yet this is remote from authentic Orthodoxy, the spirit of the desert fathers and their mysticism. Prof. Thomas Torrance expresses it well: the knowledge of God comes through the remarriage of Ontology with Epistemology. Surprisingly, they have never been divorced in the ultimate Alexandro-Antiochian Orthodoxy. Some of these articles may look somewhat controversial; that is because Oriental and Eastern Orthodoxy has a minimum of dogmatics, leaving more space for personal views, united by the long patristic tradition, since there is no strict doctrinal control in the traditional archaic sense.
Orthodox theology rooted in Alexandria cataphatic based allegory, biblical mysticism garnished with Skete's practical Christianity of partaking in divine nature (Theosis), through ego mortification to self forgiveness, and being in continuing presence of the Lord, in praying unceasingly the arrow prayer of Macarius (adopted as the Jesus prayer): this is the only authentic Orthodox Mystical theology of sharing our being in Christ Victor.

Controversial Orthodoxy?
An Amazon.com reviewer guessed "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." While, "studentofislamichistory" adds that, "Perhaps it is hard to avoid controversy in modern theology." Whether this book represents a full spectrum of contemporary Orthodox theological thought? Although few of the authors are out of the main stream conservatives, their opinions are not controversial but complementary. Saying so, I could be no less critical of some of the marginally expressed views.