An Insider's Look at the Liturgy and Beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox Church
If you buy this book hoping for an explanation
of the Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church, you will not be disappointed. In
a style that is fresh and approachable, Fr. Vassilios takes the reader through
every step of the Liturgy, explaining in detail their primary themes, their
meaning and purpose. However, I have to disagree with the author when he writes
that “this book could be regarded as
a form of liturgical catechism.” It should
be regarded as a form of catechism, for that is precisely what it really is. Already
by the third chapter, the reader has been provided with a concise and
wonderfully clear exposition of Orthodox Triadology, Christology, and the
incarnational theology behind icons (the major themes of the 7 Ecumenical
Councils), as well as the role of the laity and bishop in forming the Church’s
catholicity, among other things. An overview of Church history is obviously
beyond the scope of this work, but that aside it is as complete a catechism as
any other. What makes this book so much more engaging than other catechisms or
introductions to the Orthodox Church, though, is that, being structured around
the Divine Liturgy, it is connected to something dynamic and tangible, to
sights and sounds, ‘smells and bells’. It thereby avoids the theoretical
abstractions and dry formalities that put so many people off the study of
theology. This book is theology in action. Fr. Vassilios presents the teachings
of the Church in a way any reader can relate to, and shows us that they are not
irrelevant philosophies contained in dusty old books, but are deeply practical
and meaningful to every Christian. Through the prayers and structure of the
Liturgy, he also brings out the major themes of Christian spiritual life –
love, humility, sin, repentance, etc. – presenting the timeless wisdom of Orthodox spirituality in a way that, once
again, is engaging and relatable. His explanation of the traditional Orthodox
understanding of ‘temptation’ – a word most of us probably think we know the
meaning of - in his chapter on the Lord’s Prayer, for example, is one many will
probably find surprising and refreshing.
Furthermore, one of the things that have always
irked me about many introductions to the Orthodox Church is that what these
books and articles really concern are the obvious differences between Orthodoxy
and Roman Catholicism and/or Protestantism – veneration of icons, intercession
of the Mother of God and the saints, conciliarity vs. papacy, etc. – rather
than what Orthodoxy actually is: a living and personal relationship with Jesus
Christ. While Fr. Vassilios addresses all those issues, this book, by
approaching the Orthodox Church through its worship, shows you Orthodoxy on its
own terms, rather than in comparison to something else. It is therefore much
more balanced than many other works, never allowing itself to be sidetracked by
exotic peculiarities and lose sight of the ‘one thing needful’. In a time when
people are increasingly unaffiliated with any kind of Christian confession,
this is very important indeed.
Those who are already familiar with Fr.
Vassilios’ essays and articles will know that he has a talent for presenting
difficult and complex subjects in a way that is simple, but not simplistic.
This book is no exception. Everything he writes is expressed in a way that is
clear, straight forward and easy to understand, but without any sense of
‘dumbing down’. Each of the 20 chapters is short – around 10 pages – which
makes it easy to get through without feeling tired, and makes it particularly
well suited for use in catechism classes. A good way to get the most out of the
book would be to sit down with the text of the Divine Liturgy and read the
relevant sections after each chapter. I also really liked the use of caption
boxes to explain words and concepts mentioned in the text, rather than
relegating them to the forbidding realm of bulky footnotes. The beautifully
drawn treasure map on p.7 provides the reader with a wonderfully original way
of learning and remembering the structure of the Liturgy, while the photographs
that accompany each chapter will be particularly helpful for inquirers who have
yet to attend an Orthodox service.
In short, this is an excellent book, equally
suited to inquirers and lifelong Orthodox Christians, and one I have already
recommended to several people belonging to both those categories.
For more information, sample pages, and other reviews, please see the Amazon.com entry.
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