My kids instantly liked this book and now they are more attentive to the colors of the vestments and understand what they mean.

Beautiful! Both the cross and the chain are of wonderful quality.

What better way to remember the Last Supper than to have a magnet depicting Jesus and the Deciples on your refrigerator door. When I am in my kitchen eating or preparing dinner I am reminded of Christ's sacrifice to us.

I am happy I made the purchase.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to receive a copy of this book for my truck-obsessed preschooler. He did enjoy the book, especially the trucks and construction elements, so it does succeed in holding a young child’s attention. He had fun pointing to every single object and having me name them, and now likes to talk about building churches.

I did find the writing and overall approach a bit different from what I expected. I was anticipating more of a simple introduction to church construction or architecture and the spiritual aspects of building a church, but the book instead focuses heavily on drawing spiritual parallels throughout the building process.
While I appreciate the intent behind these connections, they didn’t always feel as natural as I had hoped and sometimes interrupted the flow of the story as a read-aloud.

This may be a great fit for families specifically looking for strong, consistent theological connections, but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting from a truck-themed story. That said, my son genuinely does love the book and we bring it along in his church bag every Sunday.

To be fair I have not finished this book yet. So far it is well written but skims over things that I think deserve more development. The information on the parallels with temple and synagogue worship are good but need a more in depth presentation. The textual examples from the Bible and the Fathers are well done. They add depth to this work.

The 2 or 3 sentence summary on the development of the vestments for the clergy is woefully inadequate. There is a lot to say about vestments and the reasons for their continued use beyond not wanting to change and it just happened.

I have more to read. Please consider this a preliminary review. Overall this might be a good introduction for someone in the early stages of inquiring into the Orthodox Church.

We purchase these books for all our families at St. Andrew. It is a wonderful resource for them to teach the faith to their children. Our daughter’s family finds it easy to use daily. I highly recommend it.

When this book arrived to review, I admit - I was reluctant to pick it up. In this nourishing and challenging season of Lent, the idea of a catechism seemed too intellectual.

But when I finally attended to this, it surprised me how deeply nourishing it is - perfect for this season of Great and Holy Lent.

Written by Archpriest Pavel Soucek of blessed memory, it is a book for all those who hunger to understand what it means to live as an Orthodox Christian. Fr. Pavel was a priest for over twenty-five years, who gave his life to the Church in ways both visible and invisible. This catechism, released now by Ancient Faith Publishing, feels like a last gift from a priest who clearly loved his flock, which, thanks to the reach this slender volume has, is anyone who desires to live more deeply in Christ.

The book covers the Nicene Creed, the Holy Mysteries of the Church, and the role of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition in Orthodox Christian life. The experience of reading it isn't rushed...it reads like a lovely, slow, unrushed conversation with a good spiritual father.

Unlike some catechetically-oriented books, this one doesn’t assume too much of the reader or flatten the faith through striving to be technically accurate. The use of “we” and “our” throughout the book invite the reader into a posture of reflection over one’s own life, rather than the comfortable distance of analysis or purely intellectual examination of the details of Orthodox theology. Reading this reminds me of how we read the Gospel - how does the essence of our faith reveal me? And how does it offer to heal me?

This is a lovely book for new inquirers and long-time Orthodox Christians alike - while in our modern, messy attempts at language, we might say it covers the basics of the Orthodox Christian faith, I do in fact prefer the title’s use of “essentials.” Yes, it covers that which is *necessary* in one usage of the word, but in a deeply resonant way that surely is borne out of Fr. Pavel’s long ministry as a priest, it covers that which is the *essence* or *nature* of Orthodox Christianity. I am already making a list of people I want to share this book with!

I was raised protestant and that is what I have been my entire life. I have always found the book of Revelations/Apocalypse intensely interesting and have always enjoyed reading all the bizarre interpretations that people come up with. However, until I started looking into Orthodox Church I had never seen any book written on Revelations that actually makes sense. The book is well written with TONS of scriptural references. This is a book I would recommend to anyone who wanted to understand Revelations. This book and the authors approach to Revelations could be appreciated by all denominations. I cannot recommend this book enoigh

On of the best summaries of what suffering is, does, why it is allowed to continue that I have ever read. Very helpful, insightful as can be comprehended by a lay person.

This is essentially a great, concise introduction to the teachings and practice of the Orthodox Church. While it might not go into as much detail as some would like, in my opinion this will be an excellent little volume to hand to a family member or friend who is curious about but unfamiliar with the Orthodox Church. It’s much more accessible and less daunting given to its small size than other introductory books on the faith. I can also see this possibly being used in connection to catechetical instruction. It certainly will not replace such instruction as the book mentions the necessity of being a part of a community. Not only that but the section on fasting mentions the needs of some requiring a relaxation of the fasting rules which of course requires one’s spiritual father to give one guidance based on his/her particular situation. Overall, I recommend this book for those who are ortho-curious and have not read other introductory books. If you have read widely, there is not much in this volume that will be new or worthwhile. Nevertheless, if you wanted a little book to hand to family and friends who have questions or concerns. This is certainly a book you can hand to them without reservations.

This book is very good at answering many questions about the Orthodox mindset, what it is, how it was formed, dangers, and application. It is very much in the modern context, a must read both for cradles and newbies.

I am a reader who is newly encountering the orthodox church. The author has helped to make this ancient book relevant to our times. I am sure to be referring back to it for many years to come.

As a convert, the Essentials has been such a resource to have on hand to refresh the knowledge of the foundations of the faith. Fr. Pavel (blessed memory) explains topics in a simple and clear way. Not theologically dense, this is perfect for a parent who is looking to teach their children about the foundations or an inquirer who is interested in learning about Orthodoxy.

This book is fantastic! Building on a theme very relatable for children, Bethany Marr equates construction concepts to experiences common in the life of an Orthodox Christian. The illustrations are childlike without losing reverence. Without being forced, the illustrations reflect intentionality towards different cultures and disabilities. Any reader will see themselves in this book! Preschoolers will enjoy the first few pages with lots of labels of common construction and Liturgical objects. While this book leans toward preschool, toddlers will enjoy the illustrations and simple text, older elementary will enjoy the metaphor! As a board book, this would be a great companion for little ones in church. I highly recommend this book to help build a child's Orthodox book library.

As a homeschool parent I have struggled to find a concise way to catechize the kids. Then this book came out. Wonderful book that is short and concise enough to share with children but has the beautiful depth of Orthodoxy contained within. Highly recommend this book for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Orthodox faith.

This is a sweet board book to read to your little ones before tucking them into bed.

This set is perfect for the whole family to use throughout the year!

Very interesting especially as a someone new to orthodoxy

I have only looked thru it and think it is really good . I can’t wait to sit down and read it . A lot of really good information ICXC NIKA

This is such a great book. It teaches not only that prayer can be constant, but also all the types of prayer and times. It also has a part in the back of the book that shows the hours of prayer. Such a good book for children but also adults! Can’t recommend this enough. Our church also got this for the children’s Pascha baskets this year. So excited!