The Orthodox Way - Classics Series Vol. 2

Must read for new converts imo. Both of Timothy Wares books are good foundational books that every catechumen should read that provides a solid outline and understanding for your journey. Easy to follow along with even if you dont have a background in faith. Information heavy yet unlike a textbook read, although our copy has been heavily highlighted.

As a Protestant Christian, I share much theology in common with Eastern Orthodoxy; however, Protestantism's emphasis lies more with justification than with Trinitarianism and Christology. Eastern Orthodox theology and spirituality tend to ground themselves in the nature of God. In this book, Kallistos Ware shows how the Orthodox maintained the emphasis of the early church's creeds all the way to the present day. This book is simultaneously faithful to the Eastern Orthodox tradition and open to dialogue with the West and Western culture. It, thankfully, does not fall into the trap of being militant towards other Christian groups while still maintaining its clear integrity and center. Ware's scholarship of the church fathers and of Western Christians taught me a few thoughts and references that I hadn't thought through before. It's hard to evaluate religious books in a way that's deeper than just, "I agree with it" or "I don't." Ware presents the tradition well - so well that even thoughtful Protestants can gain from his presentation. He is clear in the doctrine but open to critique. He's not condemning but thoroughly positive. For anyone interested in Eastern Orthodoxy or just for religious practices built upon Trinitarianism and Christology, just like the early church did, I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly. It can deepen your own faith; it certainly did mine.

I carry this book with me everyday. It is magnificent and beautiful. Ware explores some of the most complex truths with simple language and a teacher’s heart. The beauty of Christ’s holy Church burns like a candle in these pages.

This is by far the best book I've read as an inquirer and could not recommend this more. It is such an easy and engaging read while also maintaining depth and covering many questions and concepts. I feel like I want to highlight every other sentence while reading. Fantastic book!

Best book to read if one is wanting information on the Orthodox Christian Church.

The print is wonderful as so are the contents. Metropolitan Ware does a great job at breaking things down in terms simple enough for people new to the faith to understand. I also appreciate his use of quotes from the church fathers. Buy this book and find out about the Orthodox Way.

The Orthodox Way was an interesting read. It was kind of different from the other Orthodox books that I have read. It takes time to learn about Orthodoxy if you aren’t too familiar with The Orthodox Faith already. I’m going to trust God and pray that he will help me understand more!

I would like to clarify: I am not formally condemning Met. Kallistos of heresy, as I am a nobody and have no authority to do such a thing. However, there are several SEEMINGLY Heterodox and even Heretical views in this book. For the sake of brevity I will keep this review to only two critiques. The first is so self-evidently wrong, in my opinion, that I don't see a big need to go in too much detail about it. The second will be the majority of the review because the topic is far more nuanced. Firstly, he writes on the descent into Hades: "And if the cry 'my God, my God...' is to signify anything at all, it must mean that at this moment Jesus is truly experiencing the spiritual death of separation from God. Not only does he shed his blood for us, but for our sakes he accepts even the loss of God." (pg. 112) Do I need to explain why this is wrong? Christ was in no sense separated from God. He was completely victorious and swallowed death whole and destroyed Hell. He never in any way at all suffered "spiritual death". I'm not sure how to read His Eminence in an Orthodox light here. Secondly, His Eminence seems to make the philosophy of Original Sin, as held dogmatically by Rome, not that big of a deal. I believe fellow reviewer "canceled" missed my point here. I understand that His Eminence of blessed memory is calling their view of the Immaculate Conception only well off assuming their viewpoint is correct. These quotes are not "out of context" as he claims. But anybody who understands this Dogma of Original Sin understands that it necessitates the view that the Theotokos was never subject to death, but may have only died willingly in a like manner to her Son, as dogmatically defined by Pope Pius IX (for Roman Catholics). Pope Pius XII says in his "Munificentissimus Deus", where the Assumption was defined Ex Cathedra, I quote: "4. That privilege has shone forth in new radiance since our predecessor of immortal memory, Pius IX, solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the loving Mother of God's Immaculate Conception. These two privileges are most closely bound to one another." "5. She, by an entirely unique privilege, completely overcame sin by her Immaculate Conception, and as a result she was not subject to the law of remaining in the corruption of the grave" "14. Christ's faithful, through the teaching and the leadership of their pastors, have learned from the sacred books that the Virgin Mary, throughout the course of her earthly pilgrimage, led a life troubled by cares, hardships, and sorrows... it was not difficult for them to admit that the great Mother of God, like her only begotten Son, had actually passed from this life. But this in no way prevented them from believing and from professing openly that her sacred body had never been subject to the corruption of the tomb, and that the august tabernacle of the Divine Word had never been reduced to dust and ashes" "26. the most pure body of the Virgin Mary, preserved and exempt from all the corruption of the tomb" "32. as God had preserved the most holy Virgin Mary from the violation of her virginal purity and integrity in conceiving and in childbirth, he would never have permitted her body to have been resolved into dust and ashes." "38. And, since it was within his power to grant her this great honor, to preserve her from the corruption of the tomb, we must believe that he really acted in this way." "40. the revered Mother of God... finally obtained, as the supreme culmination of her privileges, that she should be preserved free from the corruption of the tomb " "45. Hence if anyone, which God forbid, should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which we have defined, let him know that he has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith." His Eminence Ware says on the Immaculate Conception, as defined by Roman Catholicism in The Orthodox Way, "As it is, our terms of reference are different; the Latin Dogma seems to us not so much erroneous as superfluous." (pg. 108) Original sin, according to the Orthodox view, still has it's grip on the Virgin. In fact, the Latins take Saint Germanus' quote completely out of context, for St Germanus also writes in the same passage: "'You live in beauty,' as the Scripture says, and your virginal body is all holy, all pure, all the dwelling-place of God. As a result, it is also a stranger to all dissolution into dust. IT HAS BEEN CHANGED, in its humanity, to the highest incorruptible life; it is preserved and extremely glorified. ITS LIFE ENDED, it remains unsleeping, since it was impossible for what was God's vessel, the living temple of the all-holy godhead of the Only-begotten, to be conquered by the lethal confinement of the tomb." (emphasis added) Later in the very same homily he says, "the God who was born of you came forth as a complete human being, the son of a real mother who was SUBJECT TO THE LAWS OF NATURAL NECESSITY… to the temporal limitations of our life. You had a body just like one of us, and therefore you could not escape the event of death that is the common destiny of all human beings." (emphasis added) Finally, Germanus also says in the same homily: "when you had suffered the death of YOUR PASSING NATURE" (emphasis added) It it not merely "superfluous" as His Eminence says, it is completely alien to Orthodox theology and should never even enter the mind of the Orthodox Christian. His Eminence pushes back against the Saints. St. John Maximovitch of Shanghai and San Francisco writes: "The teaching that the Mother of God was preserved from original sin, as likewise the teaching that She was preserved by God’s grace from personal sins, makes God unmerciful and unjust; because if God could preserve Mary from sin and purify Her before Her birth, then why does He not purify other men before their birth, but rather leaves them in sin?" And, "This teaching, which seemingly has the aim of exalting the Mother of God, in reality completely denies all Her virtues... There is no victory without an adversary." And, "This teaching contradicts also Sacred Tradition, which is contained in numerous Patristic writings, where there is mentioned the exalted sanctity of the Virgin Mary from Her very birth, as well as HER CLEANSING by the Spirit AT HER CONCEPTION OF CHRIST, but not at Her own conception by Anna." (emphasis added) Can, I ask, the "Immaculate Conception" be simply "superfluous" as His Eminence says, if it makes God unmerciful? If it contradicts our Sacred Tradition, then how can it be "superfluous?" The Immaculate Conception is an affront to God, and nothing less than blasphemy and slander of our Most-Holy Lady, the Theotokos. How can a slanderer of the Mother of God be holy or wise? Obvious Ecumenism was leaking throughout this book.

This is a must read for any English speaking, Orthodox Christians or catechumens. It breaks on the major arguments and reasons for Orthodox Christianity.

Its style is very clear and in simple language teaches you the beliefs of orthodox Christianity. Recommended for those who start to learn about this faith

Perfect

An excellent read, for someone who is newly Orthodox this is a must have. Finding something new each time I read it.

Beautiful. A deep and rich introduction the theology of the Orthodoxy. I enjoyed greatly and feel as though I learned so much in such a short time. God bless you.