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