The Eastern Orthodox Bookstore

The Philokalia

Orthodox Introductions

The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the 4th & 5th centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox tradition. Over the past century, the Philokalia have become very popular among Orthodox Christians and others seeking instruction in the deeper aspects of prayer & the spiritual life.

Orthodox Christianity is now a global phenomenon and one of the fastest growing Christian traditions in the US. In this introduction, the author presents "a reasonably wide-ranging account of modern Orthodox beliefs primarily for non-Orthodox readers."

Iconography

Studies on the Theotokos

For many Christians the question of icon veneration may seem a marginal issue. To Theodore the Studite, in the midst of the iconoclastic controversy of the 8th and 9th centuries, it was clear however, that rejection of venerating icons effectively denies God's incarnation, which alone makes human salvation possible.

Some Christians have elevated the mother of Jesus so high it rivals that of her Son. Still, others ignore the Virgin Mary entirely. But what was the view of Mary among the earliest Christians? Mathewes-Green opens up the Virgin Mary's early life, offering a window into her centrality to the Christian faith.

The Popular Patristics

Mystical Theology

A brilliant fourth-century defense of orthodoxy against Arianism that has come to be regarded as one of the gems of patristic thought. Athanasius provides a simple, yet profound explanation of the God-man, and refutes common arguments brought about by both Gentiles and Jews.

This 3rd Volume of Symeon's Ethical Discourses seeks to place the overall teachings in their proper context with regard to his sources in the Mystical tradition. Included is a sketch of Symeon's life and times, together with an extensive discussion of his thought, particularly against the background in the ascetical, mystical, and theological literature of the Christian East.

Hesychasm & Prayer

Deification/Theosis

Ladder of Divine Ascent was the most widely used handbook of the ascetic life in the ancient Greek Church. Here St. John describes a ladder which each aspirant must ascend, each step being a virtue to be acquired, or a vice to be surrendered. This work had a fundamental influence in the development of monasticism, particularly in the Hesychastic movement.

Gregory Palamas - monk, archbishop, and eminent theologian - wrote nine treatises entitled For The Defense of Those Who Practice Sacred Quietude, considered to be his most important work. Since these treatises are written in three groups of three books each they are often referred to as the Triads.