In a recent conversation with Fr. Daniel Greeson on his show “Every Thought Captive” (Ancient Faith Radio), he asked me why I thought Orthodox parishes in the United States are currently brimming with catechumens and converts. I responded that, in the aftermath of the pandemic, the “Project of the Enlightenment” seems to be crumbling all around us. The authorities once sought after for reason have become the most unreasonable, and their paradigm of scientific materialism and progressive politics has now reached a precipice. As many continue to question the official narrative, they have begun to eye the past for wisdom. Some will turn to various forms of paganism and syncretism; but others will find refuge in the Orthodox Church.

Over the years, I have striven to formulate a religious catechism that is essentially a bootcamp of sorts. There remains a tendency for Orthodox Christians (cradle and converts alike) to superimpose their modern worldview upon ancient  patterns of faith and praxis. Hence, their mental categories and thought processes must be broken down and rebuilt to envisage the world of early Christianity. This is not to say that any of us can become wholly premodern in our outlook; but at the very least we can become “bilingual”—able to slide between both realities without confusing one for the other. Much of my own work, in terms of writing, has been a straddling of this divide with the intention of cultivating nuance and encouraging introspection. To assist those who are now making this journey, I have collected the following list of books, arranged by reading level from beginner to advanced. If read in conjunction with regular attendance at liturgical services and sincere ascetical practices, the reader’s mind will gradually be molded by this process, making possible a real encounter with God.

A few caveats regarding this list. First, I have only included contemporary authors who are useful in translating that ancient discourse into our own dialect. Second, with a few exceptions, I have chosen Orthodox Christian authors because this list is specifically geared towards the reappropriation of an Orthodox patristic worldview. Third, inclusion of certain authors on this list does not imply that I endorse other works by the same person. And fourth, this list is not exhaustive, by any means. With these clarifications, I make this offering to you.

1. “God’s Revelation to the Human Heart” by Fr. Seraphim Rose
2. “Everywhere Present” by Fr. Stephen Freeman
3. “The Mountain of Silence” by Kyriacos Markides
4. “The Doors of the Sea” by David Bentley Hart
5. “The Lord of Spirits” by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
6. “God is a Man of War” by Fr. Stephen De Young
7. “For the Life of the World” by Fr. Alexander Schmemann
8. “The Spirit of Early Christ Thought” by Robert Louis Wilken
9. “Sanctified Vision” by John O’Keefe
10. “Discerning the Mystery” by Fr. Andrew Louth
11. “Living Tradition” by Fr. John Meyendorff
12. “The Mystery of Christ” by Fr. John Behr
13. “The Ancestral Sin” by Fr. John Romanides
14. “Time and Man” by Fr. Georgios Mantzaridis
15. “The Meaning of Icons” by Leonid Ouspensky and Vladimir Lossky
16. “The Incarnate God” by Catherine Aslanoff
17. “The Theology of the Body” by Jean-Claude Larchet
18. “Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives” by Elder Thaddeus
19. “Christ the Conqueror of Hell” by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev
20. “The Art of Seeing” by Fr. Maximos Constas
21. “The Ethics of Beauty” by Timothy Patitsas
22. “Suffering of the Impassible God” by Paul Gavrilyuk
23. “The Luminous Eye” by Sebastian Brock
24. “Athonite Flowers” by Monk Moses of Mount Athos
25. “Hymn of Entry” by Archimandrite Vasileios of Iveron
26. “Like a Pelican in the Wilderness” by Stelios Ramfos
27. “The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation” by Christopher Veniamin
28. “Wounded By Love” by St. Porphyrios
29. “Deification in Christ” by Paniyiotis Nellas
30. “The Experience of God (Vol. 1 & 2)” by Fr. Dumitru Staniloae
31. “The Divine Liturgy” by Hieromonk Gregorios
32. “The Way of the Spirit” by Elder Aimilianos
33. “We Shall See Him As He Is” by St. Sophrony of Essex