This updated edition describes the history of the Eastern Church over the last two thousand years.
The Orthodox Church
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About the Author
Timothy Ware, His Excellency the Most Reverend Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, was Spalding Lecturer of Eastern Orthodox Studies at Oxford University until his retirement in 2001.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
165 of 170 people found the following review helpful
By Kelli
Format:Paperback
This is the best single-volume introduction to Eastern Christianity currently available. Bishop Ware's approach covers virtually all aspects of the Eastern Church -- history, theology, sacramentality, church organization, and the Orthodox diaspora with a special emphasis on rendering Orthodoxy comprehensible to Western Christian readers. Ware's approach is very ecumenical, and he frankly and even-handedly addresses the issues that unite and divide the Christian East and West. Because of his own dual background as a Westerner (he teaches at Oxford) who chose to become Orthodox, Ware is particularly well-situated to explain the wondrous and beautiful mysteries of Eastern Christianity to Westerners. While the book is in the nature of a broad overview, it actually covers the issues addressed in an impressive level of depth. The bibliography is also a great starting point for further reading and research, broken down helpfully by topic. This book is a must-read for anyone wishing to acqaint themselves with the riches of the Eastern Christian tradition.
84 of 90 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a Non-Orthodox Christian, I found Timothy Ware's edition of the "Orthodox Church" very helpful in coming to glimpse with the historical and doctrinal aspects of the church.
Part One of this book displays a well-defined and compact discourse concerning the Early Church, the Church of the Seven Councils, and the struggling Church in a state of siege and persecution.
Part Two makes evident the faith and worship of the Orthodox Church. In this section, Timothy Ware discusses the principles behind Orthodox Liturgy, the Sacraments, and God's relations with the individuals that constitute the invisible body of the Church. As a reader I discovered the the little things that engendered big friction between the East and the West. Also I found valuable information about the rise of communist Russia, the internal and external dissent between Orthodox Churches during this period, and the prevalence of a faith that has remained nearly unchanged throughout the ups and downs of its long history.
So I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Church History, or for someone who simply wishes to look at the Orthodox Church from the pen of an Orthodox writter.
68 of 73 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"The Orthodox Church," by Timothy (Bishop Kallistos) Ware, is (and has been for decades) the number one book in the English language on the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith. It appears on virtually all recommended reading lists and bibliographies. (Not surprisingly, the number two book is "The Orthodox Way," by the same author.)
The cover states that this title is "a clear, detailed introduction to the Orthodox Church written for the non-Orthodox as well as for Orthodox Christians who wish to know more about their own tradition." I couldn't have said it better myself.
This volume is divided into two sections. Part one covers the history of the Church from the beginnings at Pentecost through Byzantium (the Seven Councils and the Great Schism), then the conversion of the Slavs, the Church under Islam, the Russian Church, and on into the twentieth century. Especially sobering is the author's summary of events surrounding the eastern European Orthodox Churches under communism. Coverage of the growth of the Orthodox Church in North America helps explain the current state of things.
Part two discusses faith and worship and covers such important topics as: Holy Tradition, God and humankind, the theology and structure of the Church, and detailed explanations of various components of Orthodox worship (including sacraments, feasts, fasts and private prayer). The final chapter, entitled "The Orthodox Church and the Reunion of Christians," explains various views within the Church concerning the ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches, and highlights dialogues with various church bodies including Roman Catholics, Old Catholics, Anglicans, and other Eastern Christian bodies such as the Coptic Church and the Armenian Orthodox Church.
An extensive, annotated list of further reading, organized by topics, such as "The Early Church and Byzantium," "Orthodox Theology," and "Liturgical Worship," will be extremely helpful for those who wish to dig more deeply into specific areas of interest.
While this may indeed be the definitive introductory book on Eastern Orthodoxy, it would certainly be more accessible to readers with some background in the Bible, Church history, or with some experience in liturgical churches. As the author suggests at one point, there is no better introduction to Orthodoxy than to actually attend an Orthodox Divine Liturgy. Those who have attended Orthodox services (or who have been members of the Church for a while) are likely to be those who are most drawn to this excellent book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Wonderful Introduction
This book provides a valuable insight into the Ancient Faith, written by a man who has deep insight into the Orthodox Church, yet shares with us experience of modern life.
Published 15 days ago by David French
5.0 out of 5 stars
highly recommended
As an initiate into Orthodoxy, this book is invaluable. It was recommended to me by my priest along with "The Orthodox Way," by the same author (although under the name 'Kallistos... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Connor Blackthorne
5.0 out of 5 stars
A much needed counterweight to the Protestant centric history of the...
Originally published in 1963, “The Orthodox Church” was Bishop Kallistos (Timothy) Ware’s first book, written before he entered the priesthood and based upon his personal study of... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Joshua Hopping
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Orthodox Church: New Eddition
This is the definitive work on Orthodoxy in English. It is the book I recommend to anyone who wants to know more about the Orthodox Church. Read more
Published 3 months ago by wife
4.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive & Detailed
The book is divided into 2 parts. First is a detailed history of the Orthodox church which naturally includes world history as well. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Christopher Mayeaux
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent religious history
If you want to know about the history of the Eastern Orthodox Church, this is the book you need to read. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Gregory M. Kay
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Summation
I read this book from cover to cover in my spare time over several weeks. Ware gives a great summary of Eastern Christian's history. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Josiah Keen
5.0 out of 5 stars
The new edition of The Orthodox Church remains the standard after 40...
Always a benchmark, Timothy Ware's new edition retains the best of the original, which is most of it, while dealing thoughtfully with changes that have occurred since its... Read more
Published 6 months ago by John R. Swales, III
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Introduction and Comprehensive Overiview
As someone who has lived in countries in which the Orthodox Church is the dominant form of Christianity (my background is Protestant), I have always been curious and wanted an... Read more
Published 9 months ago by D. Squires
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent and accessible introduction to Orthodoxy for those...
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware does an excellent job of laying out the Orthodox Church in a way that is easily understandable to Western Christians, yet there is enough depth to the... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Patrick Allen
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
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100
books
cite this book:
See all 100 books citing this book
- The Orthodox Church by Sergius Bulgakov on 6 pages
- A Treasury of Russian Spirituality by G. P. Fedotov on 6 pages
- The Eastern Schism, A Study of the Papacy and the Eastern Churches During the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries by Steven Runciman on 4 pages
- The Photian Schism: History and Legend by Francis Dvornik on page 55, page 56, and Back Matter
- The Church Is One by Alexei S. Khomiakov on page 239, page 243, and Back Matter
See all 100 books this book cites
- Beyond Salvation: Eastern Orthodoxy and Classical Pentecostalism on Becoming Like Christ (Paternoster Theological Monographs) (Paternoster Theological Monographs) by Edmund J. Rybarczyk on 14 pages
- The Domostroi: Rules for Russian Households in the Time of Ivan the Terrible by Carolyn Johnston Pouncy on 12 pages
- The Great Church in Captivity: A Study of the Patriarchate of Constantinople from the Eve of the Turkish Conquest to the Greek War of Independence by Steven Runciman on 8 pages
- The Christian Life in the Early Church and Today: According to St. Paul's Second Epistle to the Corinthians by Barbara Pappas on 5 pages
- Mount Athos: Renewal in Paradise by Graham Speake on 5 pages
See all 100 books citing this book
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