THESE ARE WONDERFUL; THE BRACELETS WITH ELASTIC ARE "NOT GOOD " AND THIS ONE IS FLYING OFF OUR PARISH BOOKSTORE SHELVES. What a smart design and also visually pretty. What a great Christmas gift...even as a stocking stuffer. thank you for offering this.

I really enjoyed this audio book- though perhaps it would be a book that I would like a hard copy of to take more notes and review the information more thoroughly. Despite that, I found it highly educational and academic without becoming unapproachable. I liked that it had recommendations for particular translations of the Bible and the reasoning why as well as providing practical tips for how to go about reading the Bible. The pace and length of the book were easy to take in, even with my hectic schedule lately.

And this is one of the books that got me there. I can't adequately explain my entire change of heart, but essentially in the past few years I have heard a few very smart/famous atheists, who are excellent at pointing out where we are going wrong in the world, admit that there is something going on today that they just can't put there finger on. We can go around in circles forever trying to figure it out using our rational minds to their full extent, or we can acknowledge and explore an alternative, spiritual way of thinking. If you don't know what Eastern Orthodoxy is and how it's different from Western Christianity, this is a great introduction.

Some reviewers (Protestants) have noted a simplistic (I prefer simplified) or incorrect view of Protestantism, from "cradle" Orthodox, but I hear the same simplified view from converts to Orthodoxy from Protestantism. Why? Because in spite of Martin Luther's intentions, Protestants have such a variety of views that there is no way to summarize them without simplification, and Protestants from one denomination may even know the beliefs of another . That's the problem.

This is a beautifully written book. It is both informative and inspirational. After all these years in the Church, I still have learned so much about the liturgy. Even more important, I've been able to see all the more clearly how beautiful and profound is the Orthodox liturgy. Its allowed me to see deeper into the richness of our worship, and has brought the liturgy to new life for me. In short, its an encounter with the divine. It would be a fabulous book for a group study, or even encourage an entire parish to read together. This book invites you to a deeper and more profound encounter with God through this book.

“All these sources allow access to the depth and riches of the biblical tradition, as these manuscripts represent just that: a tradition. The preservation of the text of the Scriptures is the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church… For Orthodox Christians, all these manuscripts represent a part of our shared scriptural heritage, and their study increases our appreciation of that heritage.”

For those converting to the Faith from Protestantism and Papal Protestantism; and for those in the Faith who have wondered what difference it makes between the Biblical translations: The Whole Counsel of God is a good, short handbook to guide one towards and appropriate approach to the Holy Scriptures.

I shared recently that I used to get hung up on “what the Greek says” or “what the Hebrew” is, making claims based on my study. This is so common among studious heterodox - with or without a degree - and is a symptom of hyper-individualism as Protestantism allows one to become an arbiter of truth and discernment concerning the Holy Scriptures.

Fr Stephen says, to the benefit of studious converts, that “language study is not even necessary for the average layperson to read the Bible seriously. In fact, a little language knowledge can be a dangerous thing… Many people choose to dabble in the biblical languages in order to help them understand the Scriptures. While their intent is good, they often over-interpret and over-apply the bits and pieces of Hebrew or Greek that they learn, yielding false insights. It is much better to read an English translation and live with an imperfect or less-than-detailed understanding of the text them to become confident in bad interpretations.”

He also discusses the various translations of Scripture, their development, and potential benefit. In case you’re wondering, he says, “[The Living Bible or the Message are] not suitable for the study of the Scriptures by Orthodox Christians. In many cases, in attempting to simplify, they distort important theological points concerning, for example, the Holy Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ.”

The Orthodox Church has preserved Tradition with Scripture, as a circular icon for our lives and praxis. With lots of well-written information, I recommend this book for those who have a propensity for ‘headiness’ approaching Scripture, and for the simple-minded simply wanting to better understand what there is to be found in our Holy Scriptures.

Wonderful book about the true sad story that happened to Metropolitan Peter from Russia during the communist times. So simple, so beautiful told, combined with the Jesus prayer, just wonderful! Glory to God for this book!

No complaints and I am very happy I got it.

They are beautiful!

I look forward to sharing our holidays with the fantastic items I get from the Ancient Faith Store!

Sarah’s academic background and professional achievements indicate that she could write a theological treatise on the Orthodox perspectives on grief, death and dying. However, her real and practical approach has been honed by years working with people and with the humility of her own experiences. Although this book is steeped in theology is is approachable for the academic, the Sunday school teacher, the grieving widow and everyone in between. Because we have all experienced grief and loss this is a book for everyone. Whether we enjoy it as a book club in church or alone, curled up on the couch, this book is a tremendous resource for the English-speaking Orthodox community and shouldn’t be missed

I was gifted this excellent book years ago by my dear mother-in-law, when I was a new convert to Orthodoxy.

This book is a gem. It reveals the loving heart and brilliant mind of a modern man of God elected to lead his archdiocese in the New World as a Metropolitan. He was beloved by all and faithfully served his people of North America for more than four decades with true grace, wisdom, and vision.

Metropolitan Phillip+ Saliba of blessed memory was warm, open, approachable, and an exemplary model of Christ'and of modern leadership in the Orthodox Church.

A true visionary who understood how to administer, manage, and grow a thriving nonprofit, he welcomed tens of thousands of converts. He established systems, departments and organizations for the leadership and appreciation of women, clergy, children, and parish life including creation of a campground and conference retreat center in the mountains of Western PA, which continues to energize and foster the spiritual wellbeing with the experiential love of God, Christ, and the Saints.

This book containing his writings, homilies, philosophy, and energy clarifying the portrait of a man who I predict will be recognized a saint.

May the church, her laypeople and leaders be inspired for generations to come by the spiritual wisdom and guidance of Metroplotan Phillip+.

Love these!

I’m only halfway through, but am very impressed with how thoroughly researched this topic is. It’s very digestible given the subject matter! In addition, it is deepening my understanding of Who God really is and the great love that He has for us! I highly recommend this informative and enlightening book! This author has identified a great need and has hit the mark with this work! Glory be to God!!

I bought it as a gift for a graduate student.
The student liked the book very much.

After losing my mom in March, shortly after my birthday, I desperately tried to find an Orthodox book to help me with my grief and the mixed bag of emotions I was dealing with. When the opportunity to arise to review this book, I jumped on it because I’m still harboring lots of unresolved feelings which I thought should’ve been gone by now. After reading, Memory Eternal by Sarah Byrne-Martelli, I instantly felt validated that the feelings I’m holding on to are normal, that questioning my faith is normal. It’s comforting knowing that grief isn’t something you’re cured of, but through prayer and the liturgy and community, the pain will ease. The real life stories helped me feel supported in my grief process. One quote from those stories, amongst many, that stuck out, “Treat this like a wound that needs constant attention and steady healing.” I’m grateful for this book and plan to read it over and over again. Highly recommend!

NIce overview of the book of Job.

My 9-year-old 4th grader (who reads on a 6th grade reading level) read this first, and then I read it. We both have a review:

9yo: I'm glad this was a chapter book, but it was still an easy read for me (I read it in a couple of hours). I love reading about the lives of saints, and this book helped me to see how repentance means a complete change of heart. The darkness was scary, but I liked reading about how St Seraphim prayed every day and the bear (Joy) was able to help him to do that. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to other children my age.

Adult: Although this is listed as a book for teens and young adults, I also gleaned quite a bit. I think there are multiple layers to the text (reading "in between the lines" is fairly easy when you're steeped in Orthodoxy already), and while Joy is "only a bear", seeing things from her perspective is a bit like looking through my own - it is only at the end of things that she really "get it" and sees things in a new light. I found myself in her very much - trying to make sense of something so much greater and deeper than she could fathom through the lens of her own experiences and understandings while bumbling around a bit and unwittingly making a mess of things. This is not a light read (although it is easy - I read it in an afternoon with countless interruptions), and it definitely leaves the reader with thoughts to chew on. I highly highly recommend it!

This is an excellent discussion-launching work for those, especially Roman Catholics and other liturgical churches, considering Orthodox Christianity as their spiritual home. It also sells well amongst those who are already baptized Orthodox Christians. Fr. Theodore Pulcini has written a classic. Glory to God!

I have the audiobook and love Annalisa Boyd’s reading voice.
Sometimes readers are irritating and distract from what I’m listening to.
Annalisa has a soothing voice that’s perfect for a prayer book.

This is a beautiful, concise, daily read that is very relatable to day-to-day life. God bless the author! Very highly recommend having this on hand.