S2 Actual reading list

Genesis, Creation and Early Man: The Orthodox Christian Vision

Seraphim Rose

Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood · 2000

Amidst the creation/evolution debate that is now raging, with evidence being offered for both sides, few have made use of what Fr. Seraphim Rose called "the missing evidence": the teaching of the ancient Orthodox Holy Fathers on the events of creation, the first-created world, the natures of created things, and the original nature of man. Now for the first time in the English language, this teaching has been gathered together and set forth in a thorough, detailed, and above all honest manner. Perhaps more than anyone else in our times, Fr. Seraphim Rose searched, studied, prayed and suffered to understand how the ancients noetically apprehended the creation in the light of the God-inspired book of Genesis. Having acquired their mind, he has presented to the modern world the harmonious Patristic vision of the cosmos. A vital answer to the contemporary "crisis of meaning," this book sheds startling new light on the mysteries of our origin. The Divine vision of the ancient Fathers opens up unforeseen dimensions of the creation: deeper levels of reality that cannot be reached through rational or scientific means.

God's Revelation to the Human Heart

Seraphim Rose

St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood · 1987

What does man seek in religion, and what should he seek in it? How does God reveal Himself in order to bring man to a knowledge of the Truth? How does suffering help this revelation to occur?These and other questions were discussed by Fr. Seraphim Rose, an Orthodox Christian monk from the mountains of northern California, during a lecture he gave at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1981. The contents of this lecture comprise God's Revelation to the Human Heart. Drawing from a variety of sources -- the Holy Scriptures, patristic writings, the lives of both ancient and modern saints, and accounts of persecuted Christians behind the Iron Curtain -- Fr. Seraphim goes to the core of all Christian life: the conversion of the heart of man, which causes it to bum with love for Christ and transforms one into a new being.

Monastic Wisdom: The Letters of Elder Joseph the Hesychast

Elder Joseph the Hesychast

This collection of Elder Joseph the Hesychast’s letters, presented now for the first time in English, makes the wealth of his wisdom and experience available to readers from all walks of life. As his extreme ascetical sturggles and hesychastic lifestyle unfold througout the pages, one witnesses his difficlut trials and lenghty battles with the demons, his profound visions and inspired spiritual guidance, his martyric endurance in illnesses, and finally his holy repose - leaving one with the certainty that Elder Joseph was a rare example of sanctity for modern times.

On Marriage and Family Life

John Chrysostom

St. Vladimir's Seminary Press · 2003

Christian tradition often seems to give only grudging approval to the married life, particularly its sexual aspect. In these sermons of St John Chrysostom we find an important corrective to this view. Although himself a monk, Chrysostom had a profound understanding of the needs of his congregation. Inspired by the epistles to the Corinthians and Ephesians, he discusses the reasons God instituted primarily to promote holiness of the husband and wife, and only secondarily to produce children. Chrysostom goes on to discuss sexual relations, the mutual responsibilities of marriage, and parenting. While parts of Chrysostom's sermons may seem limited to his own time, the vast majority of his advice has timeless relevance for the Christian family.

Orthodoxy and the Kingdom of Satan

Spyridon Bailey

The signs of our age point to the nearness of Antichrist. Assessing the evidence of a corrupt world, Father Spyridon, a Greek Orthodox priest, draws together the different strands that reveal how the institutions and international organisations are preparing humanity for the end. The first half of the book deals with the United Nations, the arms industries, banking, the Freemasons, and the various secret elite groups hat control our world. He then gives a clear explanation of the means by which we are being attacked and manipulated through television, education, culture and philosophy.Finally he presents the prophecies of various Orthodox saints who told us what else we should expect. Father Spyridon's warnings will comfort some and anger others, This is a book that many will try to dismiss, while others will find in it comfort and confirmation of what they already suspected was happening. Written in a sober style, Orthodoxy And The Kingdom of Satan is a wake up call for all those who believe that time is running out. "It's Later than you think" we once heard, and the hour may be later than we dared imagine.

Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future

Seraphim Rose

Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood · 1999

The psychic phenomena of today are symptoms of the emergence of a new spirituality that is molding the world religion of the future—phenomena such as Yoga, Zen, Tantra, Transcendental Meditation, Guru Maharaj-ji, Hare Krishna, UFO’s, the Charismatic Movement, and Jonestown. “None of these by itself … has a crucial significance in the spiritual makeup of contemporary man; but each one in its own way typifies the striving of men today to find a new spiritual path, distinct from the Christianity of yesterday, and the sum of them together reveals a frightening unity of purpose whose final end seems just now to be looming above the horizon.” –Fr. Seraphim Rose This work is a concise and unequivocal Orthodox statement on contemporary trends; its urgent message rings loud and clear. Viewed from the foundation of patristic teaching, many of the spiritual movements of today are seen to be spiritual deceptions which have existed since the beginning of the Church—and not achievements of a “new religious consciousness.” Addressing soberly and directly the trends of pseudo-spirituality which appear enticing today, ORTHODOXY AND THE RELIGION OF THE FUTURE provides a beacon of discernment in these times of widespread deception. ORTHODOXY AND THE RELIGION OF THE FUTURE examines a broad spectrum of issues facing modern Christians—each from the perspective of the early Church Fathers. As the “New Age” is becoming a household concept and is moving into wider acceptance by mainstream society, the “new religious consciousness” can be seen progressing precisely along the lines described by the late Fr. Seraphim. Included in this edition is an epilogue that chronicles the signs of the religion of the future that have made their appearance since this book was first published.

Small Steps into the Kingdom

Spyridon Bailey

FeedARead.com · 2016

Father Spyridon explores the richness of Orthodox faith and practice to reveal a tradition that is both ancient and alive. He demonstrates how Orthodoxy is the continuing self-revelation of God to man and how the way we live can enable us to receive God's grace. This is a book that will encourage the faithful, inspire those on the verge of conversion, and challenge those outside of Orthodoxy to look again at the Orthodox claim to being the one, true Church of Christ.

The Ancient Path

Spyridon Bailey

Modern culture has lost touch with authentic Christianity. In order to discover the truth of the Gospels the Orthodox priest Father Spyridon guides the reader through reflections on how to rediscover that ancient path to Christ. Together with quotations from the Church Fathers he highlights how far from the teachings of Christ and the Apostles so much of what passes for Christianity has become. Dealing with issues such as the saints, the family, sex, theosis, repentance, wealth and others, he demonstrates that the faith of the Early Church is alive in our world and to be found in Orthodoxy. A challenging read, The Ancient Path pulls no punches in its call for Christians to return to the authentic path of faith and encourages us all to see the dangers of modern ife.Please note - the page numbers in the contents page refer to the paperback version.

The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology

Kallistos Ware

Faber & Faber · July 31, 1997

A spiritual anthology drawn from the Greek and Russian traditions, concerned in particular with the most frequently used and best loved of all Orthodox prayers--the Jesus Prayer. Texts are taken chiefly from the letters of Bishop Theopan the Recluse, along with many other writers.

The Complete Works of St. John Chrysostom (36 Books)

John Chrysostom

St. John Chrysostom was born in Antioch in the year 349 AD. His father died soon after his birth and he was raised by his deeply pious mother. Under her influence St. John became devout as well, and took to studying scripture under the guidance of the bishop of Antioch who would later be the one to baptize him. St. John was drawn to become a monk, and when he mother died he withdrew to the wilderness. There he wrote a number of works on the ascetic life. After a number of years he went to a cave to live in complete silence. He lasted for two years until his health declined and he was forced to come back into the world. He was ordained a priest in 386, and eventually earned the name, 'Chrysostom' (Golden-Mouthed) for his brilliant sermons. He was known for his love of scripture, and many of his sermons were compiled into commentaries. In 397 he was chosen to be the bishop of Constantinople, which was perhaps the most important Christian office of its day. Although an extremely busy position, he nevertheless continued his literary output in the form of sermons, which he delivered in the great church, Hagia Sofia. Unfortunately his often fiery sermons did not sit well with the royal court. He was banished from the city once by the empress. Then a second time the empress had him removed and forcibly walked to a remote location. St. John did not survive the journey and died on Sept. 17, 407. St. John Chrysostom left a tremendous mark on the Christian church. His liturgy is celebrated by Eastern Orthodox Christians almost every Sunday, and his homilies are considered by many to be the best every produced. This collection brings together the full range of his extant works in the English language. The following works are provided: 1. Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew 2. Homilies on Acts 3. Homilies on Romans 4. Homilies on First Corinthians 5. Homilies on Second Corinthians 6. Homilies on Ephesians 7. Homilies on Philippians 8. Homilies on Colossians 9. Homilies on First Thessalonians 10. Homilies on Second Thessalonians 11. Homilies on First Timothy 12. Homilies on Second Timothy 13. Homilies on Titus 14. Homilies on Philemon 15. Commentary on Galatians 16. Homilies on the Gospel of John 17. Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews 18. Homilies on the Statues 19. No One Can Harm the Man Who Does Not Injure Himself 20. Two Letters to Theodore After His Fall 21. Letter to a Young Widow 22. Homily on St. Ignatius 23. Homily on St. Babylas 24. Homily Concerning "Lowliness of Mind" 25. Instructions to Catechumens 26. Three Homilies on the Power of Satan 27. Homily on the Passage "Father, if it be possible . . ." 28. Homily on the Paralytic Lowered Through the Roof 29. Homily on the Passage "If your enemy hunger, feed him." 30. Homily Against Publishing the Errors of the Brethren 31. First Homily on Eutropius 32. Second Homily on Eutropius (After His Captivity) 33. Four Letters to Olympias 34. Letter to Some Priests of Antioch 35. Correspondence with Pope Innocent I 36. On the Priesthood

The Orthodox Way

Kallistos Ware

St. Vladimir's Seminary Press · 1995

This book is a general account of the doctrine, worship and life of Orthodox Christians by the author of the now classic THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. It raises the basic issues of theology: God as hidden yet revealed; the problem of evil; the nature of salvation; the meaning of faith; prayer; death and what lies beyond. In so doing, it helps to fill the need for a modern Orthodox catechism. Yet this book is not a mere manual, a dry-as-dust repository of information. Throughout the book, Father Ware shows the meaning of Orthodox doctrine for the life of the individual Christian. Doctrinal issues are seen not as abstract propositions for thological debate but as affecting the whole of life. A wealth of texts drawn from theologians and spiritual writers of all ages accompanies Father Ware's presentation. They too reveal Orthodoxy not just as a system of beliefs, practices and customs but indeed as the Way.

The UFO Deception: An Orthodox Christian Perspective

Spyridon Bailey

When Second World War pilots described seeing small globes flying outside their bombers, military leaders began what would become decades of research, cover-up and misinformation. Father Spyridon explores the key players in this strange phenomenon, identifying how movies, technology and philosophy have been used to guide public perception of what is happening. But as a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, he demonstrates a much longer history that lies behind it, and how a terrible deception is at work.

Thirty Steps to Heaven: The Ladder of Divine Ascent for All Walks of Life

Vassilios Papavassiliou

Many laypeople have attempted to read the great spiritual classic, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, but have been frustrated in attempting to apply the lessons of this monastic text to their everyday lives in the world. In Thirty Steps, Archimandrite Vassilios interprets the Ladder for the ordinary Christian without sacrificing any of its beauty and power. Now you too can accept the challenge offered by St. John Climacus to ascend closer to God with each passing day.