Encountering the Mystery: Understanding Orthodox Christianity Today [Hardcover]

PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 18, 2008

As Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I is the symbol of unity for the self-governing national and ethnic Orthodox Christian churches throughout the world. He is well known for his commitment to protecting the environment, and for opening communications with other Christians (especially the Roman Catholic Church) as well as with Muslims and other religious groups.

Written with personal warmth and great erudition, ENCOUNTERING THE MYSTERY illuminates the rich culture and soul of Orthodox Christianity. Bartholomew I traces the roots of Orthodox Christianity to its founding 2000 years ago, explores its spirituality and doctrine, and explains its liturgy and art. More especially, in a unique and unprecedented way, he relates Orthodox Christianity to contemporary issues, such as freedom and human rights, social justice and globalization, as well as nationalism and war.

With a recent rebirth of Orthodox Christian churches (particularly in the former Soviet Union and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe), there has been great interest in understanding this important branch of Christianity with its close ties to the traditions of the early Church. As USA TODAY recently reported, Orthodox Christian churches throughout the country are drawing converts attracted by the beauty of its liturgy and inspired by its enduring theology and teachings. But for the general seeker, whatever their background, ENCOUNTERING THE MYSTERY is a rich spiritual source that draws upon the wisdom of millennia.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Although the 16-year reign of the patriarch of the Orthodox Christian communion has largely gone unnoticed in America, this new book should serve to raise his profile considerably. Like some of his Western counterparts, the popes of Rome, Bartholomew has used his position to speak out against the ravages of the global economy and has been an eloquent advocate for environmentalism. In his new book, he mines the mystical theology of Orthodoxy, which relies heavily on saints like Gregory of Nyssa and the New Testament, to paint a picture of a world transformed and renewed by Christianity. The chief principles that underlie this world are prayerfulness, asceticism and humility. Bartholomew understands the cultivation of virtue as having both personal and global dimensions, as when he writes, [L]et us treat everything with proper love and utmost care. Only in this way shall we secure a physical environment where life for the coming generations of humankind will be healthy and happy. As a citizen of Turkey, Bartholomew has also been committed to Christian-Jewish-Muslim dialogue and is believable when he says, [I]t is not religious differences that create conflict between human beings. More than anything else, this book shows that all who are committed to social justice have a friend in the Orthodox patriarch. (Mar. 18)
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Review

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR ENCOUNTERING THE MYSTERY

"Orthodoxy is neither just a theological system nor just a set of liturgical disciplines; it is in the most serious and full sense wisdom – a perspective of Spirit-led insight that transforms both vision and action. In this exceptional book, Patriarch Bartholomew inducts his readers into this wisdom and demonstrates with authority how it bears upon a range of global issues. There is nothing archaic here, though plenty that is traditional; nothing merely fashionable, though plenty that is sharply contemporary. It is a treasury of sane and generous theology, from one of the truly great figures in the Christian world today."
—Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

“The Ecumenical Patriarch is renowned as a bridge-builder. Encountering the Mystery is a bridge in book form, and a majestic structure it is. The text first introduces readers to the tenets and values of the Orthodox Church, then prompts us to think deeply about the nature of the world in which we live, then summons us to act on behalf of all creation. The volume is nothing less than a work of art, informed by faith, and infused with wisdom and love.”
—Madeleine K. Albright


“Although the 16-year reign of the Patriarch of the Orthodox Christian communion has largely gone unnoticed in America, this new book should serve to raise his profile considerably . . . Bartholomew has used his position to speak out against the ravages of the global economy and has been an eloquent advocate for environmentalism. In his new book, he mines the mystical theology of Orthodoxy . . . to paint a picture of a world transformed and renewed by Christianity. More than anything else, this book shows that all who are committed to social justice have a friend in the Orthodox Patriarch.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This is an extraordinary book, for Patriarch Bartholomew is a quite exceptional human being. He has a deep understanding of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism and works tirelessly to bridge their worlds. He is concerned for the future of unborn generations, linking poverty, the dark side of globalization, and the unsustainable lifestyles of the elite with environmental degradation. He is an extraordinarily wise global leader, using the gift of his life to make this a better world for all, knowing God in all, and urging us to do the same.”
—Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a UN Messenger of Peace www.janegoodall.org www.rootsandshoots.org

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Religion; 1St Edition edition (March 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385518137
• ISBN-13: 978-0385518130
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 9 x 6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #382,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Milestone in Christianity as a Major Voice Rises from the East March 18, 2008

By David Crumm TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, known in some parts of the world as "the Green Patriarch" for his outspoken activism on behalf of the environment, steps up onto the world stage in a new way for Great Lent 2008. His eloquent voice is embodied in his first-ever book for a global audience, "Encountering The Mystery: Understanding Orthodox Christianity Today."

Having traveled in eastern Europe myself in 1990, as a journalist for Knight-Ridder Newspapers chronicling the tumbling of former Communist regimes, I understand that this is, indeed, a rare moment in world history. Now, nearly a decade into this new century, Orthodox leaders and congregations finally have had a good chance to develop their ministries without fear of imprisonment or, even worse -- physical violence and death. In several areas of Eastern Europe in 1990, I had a chance to meet Christian leaders emerging, scarred but hopeful, after years of imprisonment and, in some cases, torture. This journey of restoration continues to this day in many Eastern European countries.

Bartholomew himself was not threatened with imprisonment in his part of the world -- but he understands that, even though nearly two decades have passed since revolutions swept across Orthodox nations -- we still are in an age of Christian restoration in these regions.

Now, a word of warning is in order: There is a whole lot of background information that the patriarch's editors have chosen to lay before us as a kind of crash course in Orthodoxy 101, embodied in a roughly 70-page prelude that appears in the pages before Bartholomew's voice finally is able to reach its full eloquence. I suppose this was a wise choice, given that many American Christians, according to annual polls, cannot name the four gospels in the New Testament -- let alone describe the distinctions of the Christian world. So, a lengthy "Foreword," then a "Biographical Note" about Bartholomew, then Bartholomew's own summary of "Historical Perspectives" are perhaps all helpful orientations for readers.

But, the true power of this book lies deeper between these covers. It's in the way that Bartholomew knits together his Christian faith, his Orthodox tradition, his concern for the environment, his cautionary teachings about globalization -- and even his interfaith hospitality toward Jewish and Muslim communities. All of these, he tells us (once he really gets rolling in this book), are deeply rooted in the Orthodox understanding of our lives as part of a global community created by God. We are not alone -- nor are we alone with God as an isolated pair, as some spiritual seekers try to tell us today. In truth, he argues, we are part of a vast Creation, each responsible for the community that God calls us to form within that Creation.

My summary of his teachings here may sound fairly abstract. If so, it's because I'm summarizing more than 100 pages of Bartholomew's book in a few sentences.

Within the scope of his book, he moves chapter by chapter from very basic, tangible elements of daily life to the larger connections we must make in God's world. For example, there's a beautiful little passage in the book about his childhood home on the small island of Imvros off the coast of Turkey. He writes about how his mother arranged icons in one small corner of a room to connect their home spiritually with the larger sacred community.

But, as he writes about where this basic upbringing and traditional faith have taken him in his life's pilgrimage, he reaches farther and farther in making his connections.

This book would be a great choice for discussion groups, especially in non-Orthodox congregations where men and women would like to know more about their brothers and sisters from the Orthodox world. Think about including in such a class a visit to a local Orthodox church - and perhaps even sharing in a traditional liturgy to get more of a taste of this "other half" of Christendom.

If the theme of interfaith hospitality, which Bartholomew talks about in the course of this book, intrigues you -- another recent book I recommend is "Interfaith Heroes"

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars straight from the source July 8, 2008

By Daniel B. Clendenin

Format:Hardcover

For many Christians in the west, both Protestant and Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Christianity remains largely unknown, overlooked and even ignored. Orthodox believers constitute a family of fifteen self-governing and "autocephalous" churches that are united in liturgy and doctrine but administratively independent. By some estimates they number 300 million adherents. Whereas Rome fell in the late fifth century, Byzantine Christianity flourished for a millennium, from the time when Constantine established "New Rome" in what is today Istanbul until its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. In the United States, since the late 1980s, a steady trickle of mainly Protestant evangelicals have converted to Orthodox.

It's hard to imagine a better guide to the Orthodox than Bartholomew I (b. 1940). In 1991 he was elected as the Archbishop of Constantinople and the Ecumenical Patriarch who serves as the spiritual leader over the entire Orthodox communion. In Orthodox parlance he has no juridical authority but he enjoys a primacy of honor as the "first among equals." His personal background and sustained efforts over the last twenty years have earned him a reputation as an outspoken advocate of reconciliation among world religions, ecumenicity among Christians, and care for the environment. He's a Turkish citizen of Greek heritage, situated at the geographic, cultural, political and religious crossroads of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, and he's fluent in eight languages.

Bartholomew begins with a general introduction to Orthodox history, theology, and worship. He explains the aesthetic elements of Orthodoxy as seen in its architecture, icons and liturgy. He describes the influential role of monastic spirituality and the sacraments. I've always appreciated the Orthodox emphasis on "apophatic" theology, the notion that the transcendent God is beyond human definition and comprehension, yet truly immanent: "God as unknowable and yet as profoundly known; God as invisible and yet as personally accessible; God as distant and yet as intensely present. The infinite God thus becomes truly intimate in relating to the world" (186). In the last half of the book Bartholomew turns to matters of ecology, human rights, social justice, war and peace, and dialogue. Throughout his book he shares personal anecdotes about his childhood, seminary days, visiting the famous monastery at Athos, and his numerous ecumenical and environmental undertakings. This is a good book by a great man, but for an introduction to Orthodoxy there's still none better than The Orthodox Church by Bishop Kallistos (Timothy) Ware of Oxford, first published in 1963 and now available in any number of revised editions.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Radical to Read April 8, 2008

By Mark C. Wedge

Format:Hardcover

As an Orthodox Christian, I found the crash course on Orthodoxy primarily for those not of the faith; a bit simplistic in explanations but a good general overall view. What is radical are his challenges to the world and his Church on equivilating environmental issues with sin. His Holiness also takes on Globalism, removing the benefits from Western eyes and placing it in terms of the entire world and how the rich nations of the West effect the rest of the world through consumerism. I dare say if Priests and Pastors in America gave a sermon on what Bartholomew has written, they would become unpopular by many for he challenges western values with regards to the impact our policies have on the rest of the world.