What Book Has Most Influenced Your Walk In Orthodoxy?

[ephraimanesti]

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST,

Always looking for uplifting and growth-producing reading materials regarding our journey towards deification, i thought that perhaps soliciting input along the lines of "the most valuable book i have read" would be perhaps helpful to me and others.
Personally, my most valuable reading experience was "THE ILLNESS AND CURE OF THE SOUL IN THE ORTHODOX TRADITION" by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos.
It was assigned reading by my Spiritual Father when i was a Catechumen, and i have read it through numerous times since. The primary benefit i received from the book is an understanding of the Church as a Spiritual Hospital to provide Spiritual Therapy which enables us--through guiding our asectic struggles--to overcome the our sinful "illness" caused by the control of our beings by our passions. The teaching is summed up as: "We acknowledge therefore that Christ is the only true God; that the Church is a Hospital, which really heals man; that the holy Fathers are the true therapists, who heal by the power of Christ; that the commandments are therapeutic, and we attempt to live according to them. For, just as the doctor's precepts are not legal formulas, but presuppose man's illness and aim at his cure, so the commandments of Christ also presuppose man's malady and aim at his cure. Therefore we keep all the commandments of Christ,and the heart begins to be cured."(Page 86)
As one coming out of a Protestant backgroup which, of course, teaches that man is unalterably sinful and corrupt and must rely COMPLETELY on God's Grace without any effort of his own, this was, to say the least, an eye-opener!

I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR READING SUGGESTIONS--MAY YOU BE BLESSED!
ephraimanesti

[repentant]

St. Nephon...makes you think about your life. Just how pious he was, and thought of himself as scum. Very good read.

http://www.monasteryproducts.org/product_info.php?cPath=46_7&products_id=1672&osCsid=c07981b51371387be9bf9c6edb94dd18

[Michael the Iconographer]

There are 2 books that most influenced me. One of the books that most influenced me was not by an Orthodox at all. The first book that most influenced me was "Early Christian Writings." The letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch firmly set me in a direction pointed toward Orthodoxy. The second book that influenced me was "He Leadeth Me" by Fr. Walter Ciszek, SJ. Ciszek was a Jesuit, but in his imprisonment in Russia for 20+ years he learned the true meaning of the spiritual life.

[eoe]

One is Prince Caspian by CS Lewis. At the time that I read the book I was considering Orthodoxy and was torn about what to do, if my family would accept it etc... The part when Aslan speaks to Lucy let me know exactly what I had to do. That was the moment that I planted my feet in the right direction.

The others are Way of the Pilgrim and right now The art of Prayer, especially the writings of Saint Theophan the Recluse. I can actually feel the compassion of Saint Theophan come through in his writing. His sincerity is almost tangible.

[xenia]

St. Matthew's Gospel.

[Tsarina]

The Orthodox Way and The Orthodox Church by Bishop Kallistos Ware.

[Stavroula]

What book?

Why the Bible of course.

[Maximus]

What book?

Why the Bible of course.

That did it for me, too.

I also got a lot out of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov.

The Divine Liturgy did much much more for me than any book ever could, though.

[xristos.anesti]

Исповести Светих (Confessions of the Saints):

It is a book by a Sisters of Monastery of Chelye in which they went and found stories and writtings of the Saints at the times when the Saints were in spiritual pain and doubting - all in all - not very high on a spiritual level, but then you see how they lift up and how synergy of mercy works.

This book was given to me by an Orthodox mate, while I was still a Seventh Day Adventist - with all of their punishment theology in my blood.

It worked miracles - still does.

[Kolya]

Исповести Светих (Confessions of the Saints):

It is a book by a Sisters of Monastery of Chelye in which they went and found stories and writtings of the Saints at the times when the Saints were in spiritual pain and doubting - all in all - not very high on a spiritual level, but then you see how they lift up and how synergy of mercy works.

This book was given to me by an Orthodox mate, while I was still a Seventh Day Adventist - with all of their punishment theology in my blood.

It worked miracles - still does.

:thumbsup: Many Years! There are so many books, I can't nail down just one. It was after an Orthodox priest had crossed right over the floor to the north corner of the Narthex to offer me antidoro and to kiss the cross that I just immersed myself into anything Orthodox to find out what "this" was all about. If I had to nail down one book, it would have to be the "Orthodox Way".

[MrJim]

That did it for me, too.

I also got a lot out of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov.

The Divine Liturgy did much much more for me than any book ever could, though.
:scratch:

In the Ozark foothills of southern Missouri Dostoyevsky just wasn't high on the Lit list in school. Are these stories set in an orthodox setting or is it because they are Russian there is an orthodox/religious setting? (Yeah, I've had a sheltered life-there wasn't even any required Shakespeare in our high school-yeah class of '83:sigh: )

[gzt]

In C&P, most of the characters are nihilists and atheists, actually, but Dostoevsky himself is Orthodox and the main character returns to the Church in the epilogue. In Brothers K, one of the brothers, the hero of the story, is a novice at a monastery for a while and the whole book is really about Orthodoxy and nihilism and love [in the theological sense] and all that.

[OnTheWay]

If I had to pick one I would say The Eucharist by Fr. Alexander Schmemann.

[Maximus]

:scratch:

In the Ozark foothills of southern Missouri Dostoyevsky just wasn't high on the Lit list in school. Are these stories set in an orthodox setting or is it because they are Russian there is an orthodox/religious setting? (Yeah, I've had a sheltered life-there wasn't even any required Shakespeare in our high school-yeah class of '83:sigh: )

gzt gave you a good rundown on the two books. Crime and Punishment is about sin, evil, and redemption. I was shaking when I finished it, but maybe that's just me. It opens with a double axe murder, if that gives you some idea.

The Brothers Karamazov is a great Orthodox story. You'll have to read it.

[The Prokeimenon!]

Probably the Lenten Triodion.

Not that I've ever sat down and read it like you would a book, but I've chanted it in services. The words cut through all the fluff and get strait to the heart of repentance. And yet the words are so beautiful. There's nothing in the world like it.

Rdr Moses

[Xpycoctomos]

Actually, the book that helped me get over the main (typical) stumbling blocks I had was a Catholic book by the name of "Any Friend of God's is a Friend of Mine"... I forget the author, sorry. Short, easy read, gets to the point. Not exhaustive, but makes good points for any protestant (even though it is geared towards Catholics so they can better defend their faith to Protestant accusations against them-- because of this the author gets a little bit snotty from time to time so you have to be careful who you give it to taking into consideration their sensativity level).

John

Thanks for the book titles guys. I haven't see a couple of these here.

[ufonium2]

Christ is Calling You! by Fr. George Calciu

[HandmaidenOfGod]

The Bible.

[ephraimanesti]

Christ is Calling You! by Fr. George Calciu

DEAR SISTER IN CHRIST,

YES! "Christ is Calling You" is a most glorious book! i have used excerpts from it in my Adolescent Church School Class. When viewed in light of all that Father Calciu was subjected to and the strength of his testimony, "Christ is Calling You" is a weighty book indeed.

IN CHRIST'S LOVE,
ephraimanesti

[Tsarina]

Oh, i also have to add this book:

The Inner Kingdom- By: Bishop Kallistos Ware.

[Mary of Bethany]

The book that most influenced my walk *to* Orthodoxy was not an Orthodox book at all, but it was the book that made me understand Sacraments and Liturgy and caused me to leave the Baptist church and start down the road that led to Orthodoxy. It was Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail by Robert Webber.

The book that has most influenced me as an Orthodox Christian is probably Mountain of Silence by Kyriakos Markides (?).

Mary

[rusmeister]

Wow, no one has mentioned my hero, C.S. Lewis! I became Orthodox because of the Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity. I really admire his staggering intellect and logic, and wish I could reason as clearly as he does. As something that points to God his work is first-rate. (I had been raised fundamental Baptist and already felt I didn't really need to look at the Bible, so that avenue had been kind of closed to me - by myself.)