As everything else on this website, the following opinions
are those of Father Kurt Burnette. No one else is responsible for
any errors found here. Or check out my new personal
reading list (no religion).
Recommended Reading
Why not learn about the Christian East? Too many people
think that "eastern religion" is all pagan. If you would like to learn
about a true eastern alternative to paganism, read on!
Here are some books which cover a wide variety of areas,
and vary from simple to expert. They are grouped by topic. Some are
practical and some are theoretical. You can scroll through this page
to see all the books, or you can click on the links below to go to
particular parts of the page. Click on the link at each book to
order it now from Amazon Book Store!
This page is under construction, so only the beginning
of the reading list is finished. Check back soon for more recommendations!
The Church Fathers
The "Church Fathers" is really an advanced topic, however,
the most authoritative and complete source for our church is still
the Bible and the writings of the Church Fathers, so they are listed
first. The Church Fathers are a group of Christian men who lived from
about the time of Christ himself into the eighth century. (No, no
single one of them lived for eight hundred years.) Because they lived
closer to the time of Christ than we do, and because many of the early
ones knew the Apostles or other eye witnesses or the early successors
to the Apostles, we consider them to be the most reliable source after
the Bible itself. When we aren't sure how to interpret the Bible,
we look to their writings for guidance.
The earliest group of writers is called the Apostolic
Fathers. They include St. Polycarp who was an early bishop in Asia,
and who knew Saint John himself and other eyewitnesses. He was martyred
in 155 or 156 A.D.after 86 years following Christ. Another is Saint
Ignatius of Antioch, the second or third bishop of Antioch, and therefore
a successor of Saint Peter. Saint Ignatius was martyred around 107
A.D. On his way to be martyred in Rome, he wrote seven letters which
show a great deal about the early Christian understanding of the Church
and the sacraments. There are also two letters from Clement, one of
the first Bishops of Rome, and other early writings, some anonymous.
You can buy the Apostolic Fathers in several good editions.
Harvard publishes a two volume set in the Loeb Classical Library which
is very nice because it has the original Greek on left-hand pages,
and a good English translation on the facing pages.
Apostolic
Fathers, Volume 1, Loeb Classical Library
Apostolic
Fathers, Volume 2, Loeb Classical Library
Apostolic
Fathers, J.B. Lightfoot, one volume
The next group of Fathers is called the Apologists because
they tried to explain Christianity to the pagans during the second
century. The two most important writers are St. Justin Martyr and
St. Irenaeus. St. Irenaeus of Lyon is one of the most important Christian
writers outside the Bible. He wrote a lengthy exposition of Christian
teaching as well as a refutation of many false beliefs in his time,
130 - 200 A.D. It's fascinating to see the similarities between the
false beliefs that he talks about and the modern "New Age" movement.
He learned Christianity in Asia from Saint Polycarp who knew Saint
John himself, but he lived as an adult in southern France where he
became Bishop of Lyon. He was an early defender of the canon, that
is, the list of books in the Bible, and he laid great emphasis on
the authority of all four Gospels.
St. Justin wrote a dialogue with a pagan philosopher
and a dialogue with a Jew. He also wrote an open letter to the emperor
refuting the many slanders against Christians. Unfortunately, the
dialogue with a Jew contains many passages which are anti-semitic
by our standards. It's important to remember that at the time it was
written, Christianity was an outlawed minority and Judaism was a state
recognized religion. Justin could hardly have imagined that his writings
would survive into an era when the roles were reversed. In spite of
his ignorance about Judaism, his writings are important evidence of
the beliefs of Christians at the time.
One place to read the writings of the Apologists, as
well as the Apostolic Fathers is in the first volume of Schaff's collection
of the writing of the Church Fathers, the Ante-Nicene Series. Or you
can buy some individual editions:
1st
and 2nd Apologies, Justin Martyr
Writings
of Justin Martyr
Ireneaus
of Lyon
After these earliest writers, the most important are
a group of men from the so called Golden Age. Although they are more
removed in time from Christ himself, they are much closer then we
are. When Christianity became legal, there was a great flowering of
monumental writers and preachers. They were schooled in the age of
persecution, but used their new freedom to proclaim the gospel boldly
and completely. It is called the Golden Age for good reason. The most
important writers are Saint Basil, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Athanasius,
Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, and Saint Gregory of Nyssa in the East,
and Saint Gregory, Saint Jerome, Saint Ambrose, and Saint Augustine
in the West. Their writings fill an encyclopedia, but here are a few
short books available in inexpensive editions. Because they are so
important, there is a separate web page for each one.
(Before going on, may I take this opportunity to thank
Saint Vladimir Seminary Press for making so many wonderful books available
on Eastern Christianity, both original sources and modern books. On
judgment day, Christ will say, "Well done, good and faithful servants!")
On the
Holy Spirit, St. Basil. In this short work, Saint Basil uses the
entire force of his classical Greek education to prove that the Holy
Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit is God.
On the
Incarnation of Our Lord, St. Athanasius. After the persecutions,
the first great heresy was from a man named Arius who taught that
Jesus Christ was a creature. (A "creature" means someone who was created.)
St. Athanasius proves the absurdity of this claim. St. Athanasius
was Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt and suffered persecution throughout
his life for defending the truth that Jesus is really the Son of God.
On Marriage,
St. John Chrysostom. It's easy to see why St. John was called
"Golden-Mouthed". His sermons and writings are so deep, and yet so
clear and easy to read. In an era where marriage is degraded, this
little book will make you think, and will improve any marriage by
basing it on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
On Wealth
and Poverty, St. John Chrysostom. What could be more appropriate
for spoiled Americans than some good Bible-thumping preaching from
the early church on wealth and poverty.
On the
Priesthood, St. John Chrysostom. Finally, Saint John engages us
with a witty and compelling dialogue in which his best friend tricks
him into receiving ordination. St. John as always teaches the most
profound doctrines in an easy to read exposition.
Dialogues,
St. Gregory the Great The only writer in this section who was
also Pope of Rome, his writings carry especial weight. The Dialogues
are very readable lives and miracles about Christian heroes like St.
Benedict.
Letters,
St. Jerome. Saint Jerome was one of the two greatest Bible scholars
in the ancient Church. He was an expert in all the biblical languages,
and of course, had access to many early copies of the Bible that we
no longer have. This little book of letters gives some insight into
his zealous personal life and his extreme devotion for the Gospel.
Many of his contemporaries found him "too much for them".
Letters,
St. Ambrose. A lay man and a civil functionary who was forced
to be Bishop of Milan, St. Ambrose became one of the greatest leaders
of the Church. He even confronted the great Emperor Constantine, and
forced him to do public penance for massacring a village. When will
an American preacher confront our own Presidents with such authority?
Confessions,
St. Augustine. One of the most popular books ever written, the
Confessions is a personal journey through pain and sin to salvation
in Jesus Christ, written by one of the greatest minds in human history.
The
Confessions is also available on audio tapes. Or it can be ordered
in the Latin-English edition from Harvard: Loeb's
Classical Library, volume 1, Loeb's
Classical Library, volume 2
The
City of God, St. Augustine. When the Roman Empire was collapsing
in the west, it was a time of unimaginable fear. As the barbarians
swept through western Europe and north Africa, they tortured people
to find out where their savings were hidden. If you didn't have any
savings to reveal, well so much the worse for you. The pagans accused
the Christians of causing the collapse of the empire, and Augustine's
inspired defense is a massive treatise on both Christianity and pagan
religion. What better reading for today, when ignorant neo-pagans
attack the Church, blaming their own wickedness and superstition on
everyone except themselves? This book is also available in many editions.
A fine hardcover edition from Modern Library, or an less expensive
paperback from Viking Press. It comes in audio tapes also. And (for
a lot more money) you can buy it in the Latin-English edition from
Harvard in Loeb's Classical Library: Books
I - III, IV -
VII, VIII
- XI, XII
- XV, XVI
- XVIII, XVIII
- XX, and XXI
- XXII.
Finally, some other important writers who lived after
the Golden Age are Saint Maximos the Confessor and Saint John of Damascus.
Saint Maximos defended the truth about Jesus Christ even against a
heretical emperor. Because he refused to be silent, he ended his life
in exile with his tongue cut out and his right hand cut off. Maximos
the Confessor: Selected Writings Saint John of Damascus also defended
the truth against imperial attacks, but he wrote from outside the
territory of the Emperor. He is considered by some to be the summary
writer of Eastern theology, similar to Saint Thomas Aquinas in the
West. On the
Divine Images, St. John of Damascus
Theology and Teachings
A very good introduction to the theology and worship
of our church for beginners is a beautiful two volume work with color
icons, The Living God, published by Saint Vladimir Seminary Press:
volume
1, volume
2, or both
volumes.
For a more serious introduction to Eastern Theology,
The
Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, by Vladimir Lossky is
the acknowledged classic. It is recognized all over the eastern world.
A big thank you to Saint Vladimir Seminary for making this classic
available again. (It is also the first book I studied on Eastern Theology
when I was in high school, taking a class at Saint Thomas University
in Houston, Texas from Father Anselm Walker.) Two other classics of
Vladimir Lossky are also available: In the
Image and Likeness of God and Orthodox
Theology: An Introduction.
Like Vladimir Lossky, John Meyendorff is recognized
by both Catholic and Orthodox experts as an authority on Eastern theology.
His book Christ
in Eastern Christian Thought is a scholarly exposition of the
theology of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, with many useful
references to the original sources.
An excellent book on the doctrine of the papacy is Jesus,
Peter, and the Keys. This book covers every ancient text concerning
the papacy. If you can read this book, and still believe that the
papacy is not an ancient Christian doctrine, then you must be the
Red Queen from Through the Looking Glass. One of the authors, Father
David Hess, is a deacon in my diocese, the Eparchy of Van Nuys.
Another interesting book on the papacy from an ancient
perspective is Ten
Greek Popes by Dennis Michelis. Written by an Orthodox pastor,
it shows the international nature of the early papacy through biographies
of ten Greek men who succeeded to the Chair of Peter as Bishop of
Rome.
A beautiful book that unites theology with spirituality,
in the best Eastern tradition, is Basic
Orthodoxy: Key Words of the Faith, by Anthony Coniaris. While
it might sound like a dictionary, it is actually a collection of profound
essays on Eastern thought which define a handful of key concepts such
as "theosis", "uncreated light", and "synergy". This book seems to
be out of print. However, everything that Father Coniaris writes is
worth your time. He is both a fine scholar and a fine pastor. Amazon
Books carries quite a few titles by him.
If you are looking for a dictionary of Eastern vocabulary,
the only one I know of is in French, Vocabulaire Theologique Orthodoxe
published by Les Editions du Cerf of Paris.
A book which is useful for all theological terms is
The
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. It is one of the most
authoritative and unbiased sources for all denominations. Of course
it covers other topics such as history and liturgy and it has brief
biographies. It is often the first source that I turn to when I find
a hole in my knowledge (almost every day). I apologize for recommending
such an expensive book. This book used to be available from discount
publishers for $30. There is a brand new edition, so you might shop
around, or you might look in a good Christian used book store.
A recent entry into the field of Catholic doctrine,
and one by which all others will be judged, is the Catechism
of the Catholic Church. It's creation was ordered by the authorities
after Vatican Council II, and it was worth the wait. It is a compendium
of the teachings of the Church together with references to the Scriptures
and the Church Fathers. It is valuable for both Western and Eastern
Catholics. In fact, an early criticism of the book was that it neglected
the Eastern Church, and that deficiency was corrected in the final
version. There is also a valuable supplement
which contains the text of all the references of the Catechism. This
supplement allows you to read the actual words of the Scriptures or
the Fathers without having to look them up elsewhere. (And with the
references to the Fathers, you might not even be able to find the
references in English otherwise.) The Catechism together with the
supplement are valuable for reading or for reference works.
Finally, if you would like to have a reference book
of original sources for doctrinal statements, there is the Enchiridion
Symbolorum. "Enchiridion" is a fancy Greek word which means "handbook".
"Symbol" is a Greek word which has many meanings, but in this context
it is roughly equivalent to "creed". The Enchiridion Symbolorum contains
the most important creeds and council pronouncements of the Church
in the original languages. You are probably wondering why Symbolorum
has a Latin ending, if both words are Greek; well, you'll have to
buy a copy so you can find out for yourself. Warning--this book is
in the original languages. If you need a book in English, this is
not it.
Spirituality
and Prayer
Of course, I plan to make this section much larger,
but in the meantime here is an enjoyable and easy-to-read classic
that captures the essence of the Byzantine and Slavic tradition of
prayer and spirituality. In The
Way of the Pilgrim, an anonymous Russian wanders around Russia
on a journey of the Spirit. His many adventures form an engaging backdrop
for his prayer life. This book has introduced many people all of the
world to the eastern treasures of Prayer of the Heart. It is available
in a different edition The
Way of the Pilgrim, and also on audio
tapes.
A more serious classic of Eastern spirituality is The
Ladder of Divine Ascent by Saint John Climacus. Saint John is
often called John Climacus in reference to this book. Almost nothing
is known for sure of his life, but according to one source, he was
tonsured on Mount Sinai at the age of sixteen. He lived for a few
years as a monk and then for forty years as a hermit. He returned
to Mount Sinai as abbot, and it is then that he wrote his great work
on the monastic life. The years when he was abbot are possibly as
early as 590 A.D. or as late as 650 A.D. His great work on the monastic
life is an treasury of spirituality. It covers every aspect of prayer
and virtue. It cannot be absorbed in a single reading, but like the
Bible, must be appreciated a verse at a time over a lifetime. It is
called the Ladder because it describes spiritual progress as 30 steps.
You may well ask why ordinary people should read a book for monks.
It is Eastern tradition that all of us should look to monks for spiritual
guidance. My own favorite translation is by Archimandrite Lazarus
Moore.
I am continually amazed at the number of people who
claim to be Christian, and claim to pray, who do not use the Book
of Psalms. The Book of Psalms is a book of 150 prayers included in
the Holy Bible itself. If you would like to pray, there is no better
place to start or to finish. Everything you might ever need to pray
about is mentioned somewhere in these prayers. People often argue
about what it is proper to say in prayer, well you can trust that
the Psalms were especially written for us by God Himself to help us
pray. Like any thing worthwhile, they may not be easy to use at first,
and you may not understand everything the first time, but with time
you find yourself immersed in an ocean of spirituality if you read
the Psalms regularly. You can find the Book of Psalms in any Bible,
or you can buy the Book of Psalms in a separate volume. Like the rest
of the Bible, there are many traslations into English, and you should
choose one that suits you. You may wonder why the numbering is different
in some Bibles. There are two systems of numbering the Psalms, both
systems come from the ancient Jews. One system is based on a Hebrew
version of the Old Testament, and the other system is based on a (Jewish)
Greek translation of the Old Testament.
"A psalm draws tears from a heart of stone!
Psalmody is an angelic work--a spiritual incense!
Where you have psalm recited with penitence,
you find God accompanied by the angels." St. Ephraim of Syria
"Singing psalms embellishes the soul, summons angels for assistance,
drives devils away, dispels the darkness; makes a person holy. It
strengthens the mind of a sinful man, blots out sin, makes us worthy
of mercy. It increases faith, hope, and love. It is as brilliant as
sunshine, it cleanses like water, it burns like fire, it soothes like
ointment. It shames the devil, it reveals God, it wilts the lusts
of the flesh. It is the oil of mercy, the pledge of joy, a portion
of the angels' lot. It reduces rage to ashes, disaster to tranquility,
and anger to peace. It is the never-ending praise of God! Psalmody
is as sweet as honey!" St. Augustine
If you would like to buy a Book of Psalms instead of
using the one in your Bible, I suggest that you search Amazon Book
Store. I found over a thousand references. One beautiful edition of
the
Book of Psalms is a large hardback as used by a Trappist monastery.
But Amazon carries the Psalms in all price ranges starting at $3.
You can also get many versions on audio. Amazon carries an audio version
read by Michael York on cassettes
or on CD's
in the King James translation. One version of the
Psalms that can be relied on for accuracy is the new edition by
the JPS, that is, the Jewish Publications Society. All of their editions
of Scriptures as are respectful, unbiased, and faithful to the original
Hebrew. Finally, the edition of the psalms that I am currently using
is a translation by Jose De Vinck called Septuagint
Psalms. I like it because it almost the same as the one we used
at my seminary, and because it uses the Greek numbering system to
which our liturgy is keyed.
One of the characteristics of our Eastern tradition
is an unwillingness to divide theology from spirituality. We believe
that you cannot be a theologian unless you are also a man of prayer.
An important book that shows the overlap of the two is the writings
of the great Father of the Church, Gregory of Nyssa. In his book The
Life of Moses, Saint Gregory teaches theology at the same time
that he leads the reader into contemplative prayer. If you know your
Western spirituality, you may recognize this book as a profound influence
on Saint John of the Cross.
Another ancient book intended for monks, but valuable
for everyone is the Conferences
of Saint John Cassian. Like the Ladder of Divine Ascent, this
book covers all aspects of spirituality, both prayer and virtue. I
would like to thank the publishers, Paulist Press, for making so many
of these great spiritual classics available to us in reasonably priced
English editions. I'm always a little puzzled though about why they
call their many eastern books "Classics of Western Spirituality".
If you're looking for a prayer book in our tradition,
an excellent one is the Byzantine
Daily Worship. It contains the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
and of Saint Basil, the changeable parts for the year, and a simple
version of the Divine Office. It also has prayers for other occasions.
It was produced by Jose De Vinck and Archbishop Joseph Raya. Archbishop
Raya is the Archbishop of Galilee, and a great spiritual master of
the East. He has written many books which are both profound but easy
to read. Like all good Eastern masters, he does not divide theology
from spirituality, and you will learn Eastern thought at the same
time that you are raised to contemplation. Other books available by
Archbishop Raya include The
Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. The Transfiguration
is considered to be an event of great significance in our theology.
It is more than just a pre-Resurrection show, but also foreshadows
how we will be changed by God's divine life in us. It was also a public
show of Christ's divinity before the Resurrection, as our hymn says,
"When You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God, You
showed your disciples as much of your divinity as they could behold,
so that when they saw You crucified, they would understand that you
suffered willingly." -- what a refreshing contrast to the "low-christology"
popular nowadays! In his book Theophany
and the Sacraments of Initiation, Archbishop Raya explains how
the sacramental mysteries come from events in the life of Christ,
and make us participants in that life. Archbishop Raya explains the
beautiful Eastern understanding of the Mother of God in his book Theotokos:
Mary Mother of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. In the East,
there is a much greater emphasis on the mystery of the Incarnation,
and therefore a realization of the essential role of Mary in the history
of the world, a unique grace given to her by our Creator. Finally,
if you would like an informative mixture of history, culture, and
religion, there is Archbishop Raya's Byzantine
Church and Culture.
The Holy Scriptures
Someday, this will be a long section. For now, I just
want to mention a few books especially in tune with our ancient eastern
approach. There are some exciting new books coming out which are based
on the patristic view of scriptures. Because the "church fathers"
lived closer to the time of Jesus, and because many of them spoke
ancient Greek as their native language, we are especially interested
in how they read the scriptures. There is new series of books which
is devoted exclusively to these sources published by Intervarsity
Press (if you follow the link to Amazon, be sure that you end up at
the discounted version, they have a page that lists a book for $27.99
and then another one that lists the same book for $40.00):
Mark:
Ancient Christian Commentary on the Scriptures, ed. Thomas Oden
Romans:
Ancient Christian Commentary on the Scriptures, ed. Gerald Bray
Galatians,
Ephesians, Philippians: Ancient Christian Commentary on the Scriptures,
ed. Edwards
and the newest addition, just now coming out in print:
1 and
2 Corinthians: Ancient Christian Commentary on the Scriptures, ed.
Gerald Bray.
They expect to print 28 volumes in this series.
Another book in the same vein that looks very interesting,
but I can't vouch for it (because I haven't read it) is:
Hellenistic
Commentary to the New Testament, by M. Boring.
An inexpensive book with commentary on the parables
drawn from the church fathers and other sources is:
The
Parables, by Archbishop Royster . Thanks again to St. Vladimir
Press for printing so many fine books!
Another inexpensive book (that I can't vouch for again)
is:
Reading
the Scriptures with the Church Fathers, Christopher Hall .
Worship and Liturgy
In The
Byzantine Liturgy, Hans-Joachim Schulz explains the meaning of
our liturgy, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, in a historical context.
He shows how the different prayers evolved and were added to teach
true theology to the people and to eradicate heresy.
Another detailed work on our liturgy, on a much larger
scale, is The
Byzantine Slav Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom by the Ukrainian
Catholic priest Father Casimir Kucharek. Father Kucharek has also
written an eastern exposition of the sacraments in Sacramental
Mysteries, A Byzantine Approach.
Probably the most respected writer today on the Byzantine
liturgy is Father Robert Taft, S.J. His collection of essays Beyond
East and West covers a variety of themes on liturgy, always referring
to the earliest traditions for guidance. For example, he shows the
anti-communal nature of "taking" communion for oneself because, in
the early church, not even the Pope gave himself communion. The
Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: Origins of the Divine Office
and Its Meaning for Today is the best introduction to our Vespers
and Matins services, services which have much more significance in
the Byzantine tradition than in the West.
A superb book which explains the structure of many Byzantine
hymns and prayers is A History of Byzantine Music and Hymnography,
by Egon Wellesz. It was published by Oxford, but unfortunately is
out of print. You may find a copy in your local library.
Music
Unfortunately, I only know of one book on the music
which we use in the Ruthenian church. It is a very good book, but
a bit pricey: The
Plainchant Tradition of South West Rus' by Sister Joan Roccasalvo.
The Ukrainians and Russians follow a tradition of choral music which
most people associate with the slavs. In our church, however, we follow
a tradition of plainchant which allows the entire congregation to
participate.
Another superb book on Byzantine music and liturgy is
A History of Byzantine Music and Hymnography, by Egon Wellesz. It
was published by Oxford, but unfortunately is out of print. You may
find a copy in your local library or used bookstore. why not check
out Portland's own famous bookstore which carries both new and used
books: Powell's.
