Recommended reading
Essential books to live the Orthodox faith
- Works introducing Orthodox spirituality and its practice (* easy to read)
- The Way of a Pilgrim and the Pilgrim Continues His Way*
- Prayer of Jesus, Prayer of the Heart by Alphonse and Rachel Goettmann*
- Beginning to Pray by Archbishop Anthony Bloom*
- Philokalia—The Eastern Christian Spiritual Texts: Selections Annotated & Explained (SkyLight Illuminations)
- The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church by Vladimir Lossky
- Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way by Matta Al-Miskin
- Saint Silouan, the Athonite by Archimandrite Sophrony
- The Orthodox Way by Kallistos Ware
- The Deification of Man: St. Gregory Palamas and the Orthodox Tradition by Georgios I. Mantzaridis (Author),
- Monastic Wisdom: The Letters of Elder Joseph the Hesychast
- The Eucharist: Sacrament of the Kingdom by Alexander Schmemann
- St Gregory Palamas and Orthodox Spirituality by John Meyendorff
- Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Saint Porphyrios*
- Woman and the Salvation of the World: A Christian Anthropology on the Charisms of Women
- Of Water and the Spirit: A Liturgical Study of Baptism by Alexander Schmemann
- In the World, of the Church: A Paul Evdokimov Reader
- Woman and the Salvation of the World: A Christian Anthropology on the Charisms of Women by Paul Evdokimov
- The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection*
- Way of the Ascetics: The Ancient Tradition of Discipline and Inner Growth by Tito Colliander (no longer published)
- My Life in Christ: The Spiritual Journals of St John of Kronstadt
- School for Prayer by Anthony Bloom*
- An Inner Step Toward God: Writings and Teachings on Prayer by Father Alexander Men *
- Two publishers publish the main Orthodox books: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press (SVS Press) and Holy Cross Orthodox Press.
Orthodoxy and Creation
- Living in God's Creation: Orthodox Perspectives on Ecology (Foundations, 4) by Elizabeth Theokritoff *
- Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration: Orthodox Christian Perspectives on Environment, Nature, and Creation by John Chryssavgis
- Man and the Environment: A Study of St. Symeon the New Theologian by K Anestis
Celtic Orthodox Church
The Way of a Pilgrim and the Pilgrim Continues His Way
This classic of world spiritual literature is the firsthand account of a pilgrim's journey as he endeavors to live out Saint Paul's instruction to “pray without ceasing.” The narrator, an unnamed nineteenth-century peasant, sets out on his pilgrimage with nothing but a Bible, a rosary, and some dried bread. As he walks, he recites the Jesus prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me”)—a prayer that is said to quiet anxiety and fill the heart with love for all creation. With this prayer constantly on his lips, the pilgrim undergoes a profound spiritual education.
Celtic Orthodox Church
Philokalia—The Eastern Christian Spiritual Texts: Selections Annotated & Explained (SkyLight Illumi
The Eastern Christian "Love of the Beautiful" can be a companion on your own spiritual journey
A collection of writings by monks from the fourth to fifteenth centuries, the Philokalia more than any other text reflects the Eastern Church's interpretation of the Bible’s meaning. Simply translated, the title means “love of the beautiful,” which reflects the text’s emphasis on mystical and contemplative practices to engage all of our senses in the acts of worship and prayer.
This introduction to the wisdom of the Philokalia illuminates a text that until now has intimidated the general reader in its scholarly translations from Greek and Russian. Allyne Smith focuses his thoughtful selection on seven themes that recur throughout the five-volume work―repentance, the heart, prayer, the Jesus Prayer, the passions, stillness, and theosis. Smith’s enlightening, accessible facing-page commentary fills in the historical and spiritual context, clarifies core teachings, including the Eastern understanding of salvation, and draws connections to modern-day practices, such as contemplative prayer.
Now you can experience the spiritual wisdom of the Philokalia even if you have no previous knowledge of Eastern Christianity. This SkyLight Illuminations edition takes you on a journey through this beloved text, showing you how the teachings of Eastern monks can help you become by grace what God is by nature.
Celtic Orthodox Church
The Prayer of the Heart: The Foundational Spiritual Mystery at the Core of Christianity
"The Prayer of the Heart Prayer" combines deep insights into the meaning of the Bible, the teachings of the earliest Christian saints, and practical step-by-step information for individuals seeking genuine spiritual transformation. This book will enlighten seekers of truth from all walks of life and assist the Christian world in finding the source of its renewal.
Celtic Orthodox Church
Beginning to Pray Paperback by Archbishop Anthony Bloom (Author)
Beginning to Pray has established itself as a modern spiritual classic. Hailed by both Catholics and Protestants, it was written by an Orthodox archbishop for people who had never prayed before, and has been read and loved by persons at all levels of spiritual development.
"The realm of God is dangerous," says the author. "You must enter into it and not just seek information about it... The day when God is absent, when he is silent―that is the beginning of prayer."