An informative, satisfying listen on Orthodox theology and practice. In this timeless book, Fr. Shanbour clearly lays out the teachings of the Orthodox Church. I especially enjoyed how the author organized the book to open with those topics that will be of most interest and help to inquirers, converts, and others. The first four chapters (covering the church, grace, salvation, and justification by faith respectively) clearly lay out the fundamental doctrines of the Orthodox church. As I am a convert from Protestantism, I found the author's inclusion of Roman Catholic and Protestant doctrines to be incredibly helpful. It is amazing how much greater the differences are between Eastern and Western Christianity than between the two main branches of the Western Church.

I did find the audiobook version of this book to be a bit of a challenge, given the content's depth. If one is just starting their exploration of Orthodoxy I recommend they get a physical or electronic copy of this book. However, if one is already fairly familiar with Orthodox teachings and practice, this is a solid listen that I highly recommend. The narrator is engaging without being overly dramatic.

I highly recommend this book in any edition to those who want to learn more about the Orthodox faith, especially if they are coming from a Roman Catholic or Protestant background.

"Know the Faith" by Fr. Michael Shanbour exceeded my expectations. I've been Orthodox for over 15 years, and explaining what we believe and why can be kinda tricky. However, with the information contained in this book, I feel like I now have a simpler way of talking through topics such as the priesthood and icons with those who didn't grow up in the faith. I also appreciate that Fr. Michael included scripture references as well as those from the Church Fathers. Don't think you can listen to this book once and get everything within its 345 pages. This is a guide that should be revisited at least yearly, which is why I also bought the hard copy. It's truly a "Handbook for Orthodox Christians and Inquirers!"

I'm so glad I found this little gem while I was snooping around. My kids LOVE it. It's just right to help us all focus on little ways to serve God on a deeper level throughout the Lenten season. We'll made, reasonably priced, sweet illustrations and great suggestions and useful tips.

100% recommend this book.
Really reflects where our world may end up in the near future

Praticing Prayer: A Daily Workbook by Alexander Goussetis is an excellent book that will be beneficial to people beginning to develop a rule of prayer as well as those who have one well established already. Much to my pleasant surprise, it was not a program that starts with one task and adds on an additional task each day until you have a robust prayer rule at the end. Rather, Fr. Goussetis explores many facets of prayer and other elements that can be incorporated into your prayer life. By the end of the 28 days, you will have tried a variety of practices and, with the help of your spiritual father, be able to integrate the practices that work best for you. To aid you in deciphering what is working for you, Fr. Goussetis sets aside a few reflection days with questions to help you slow down and evaluate what is drawing you into deeper prayer and what may not be working as well. He incorporates many different aspects of prayer, such as creating a dedicated space (a prayer corner), journaling, silence, specific prayers, reading patristics, etc.
Overall, this book is a wonderful resource, well laid out, and a terrific means to developing a solid prayer life tailored to you. Personally, I was most pleased with the silence and journaling aspects of the book which allowed me to process my prayers and readings. These and others have been added to my personal prayer rule with noticeable benefit.

Gives me a clearer understanding of how the Bible should be understood and how we are to act with that knowledge.

A great little book to carry in your purse (or gentlemen, in your coat or jeans pocket) for "anywhere, anytime praying". Perfect for traveling and keeping faithful to a daily prayer time.

A great little book to carry in your purse (or gentlemen, in your coat or jeans pocket) for "anywhere, anytime praying". Perfect for traveling and keeping faithful to a daily prayer time.

This devotional is a great little resource to be used during Great Lent. It’s very well structured and user-friendly. It starts with Clean Monday and ends on Palm Sunday. Each day is allotted specific Scripture readings, along with a meditation from Archpriest Belonick, Patristic bits of wisdom, a portion of a hymn, and a story of the life of a saint.
What I liked most about it was that the structure and writing was basic enough to where I wouldn’t get overwhelmed (I tend to set unrealistic reading expectations for myself during Great Lent), but also it provided enough depth through the various readings that it didn’t seem too simplistic or watered down.
The content is very family friendly and the book could be used as a read aloud in the mornings or evenings, depending on each family’s idiosyncrasies. Being the mother of a 5-year-old and a 16-month-old, I preferred to use the book early in the morning, when everyone is asleep, as part of my routine for Great Lent. Once the little one is a bit older, I will probably do read-aloud.
I especially liked Archpriest Belonick’s commentaries to the scriptures as they triggered a sort of introspection into my own mindset and overall mood when attempting to read the scriptures.
No matter how you use this book (whether you read the full chapter each day, or only parts of it, to yourself or to your little ones), it is a little treasure to be kept for future generations. Especially in today’s day and age, when everything seems so relative and ever-changing, this book will be a constant reminder of the Truth.

What a remarkable book! There just isn’t another book quite like this one. The author, who is steeped in Orthodoxy, presents this day by day devotional in such a way that one truly feels the journey of Lent. During this Holy Season we long for a book such as this to not only put us on the right path, but to keep us in check, the remind us, and to help us persevere. Blessings

Have you ever made time for prayer and then thought, “Where do I begin?” In Practicing Prayer: A Daily Workbook Father Alexander Goussetis provides a framework for making your prayer time more meaningful. Over 28 days, Father Alexander introduces various approaches and techniques to prayer for you to incorporate into your prayer time. Although the workbook is set up to be done in 28 days you can work at your own pace. The workbook was not made as a stand alone resource. Father Alexander recommends working through the practices along with your spiritual father or spiritual director in order to find what works best for you.

Not everything that is suggested will work for you and your circumstances. Certain days are set aside to review and reflect on the practices incorporated so far and see what is working and what isn’t. While providing an outline to establish a meaningful prayer time the workbook also provides the flexibility to alter the practices to suit your needs.

One practice that Father Alexander suggests is journaling your prayers. I have never been one for journaling, but I found the practice to be quite helpful. It afforded me the time to slow down and meditate on how my prayer time was effecting my thoughts and attitude. It opened up feelings and thoughts that were always there, but which had never been given the chance to come out and be examined.

If you struggle with prayer I highly recommend Practicing Prayer. You will discover tools that deepen your prayer life and help you discover who you are and who God is in your life.

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

"Of Such is the Kingdom" provides an eye opening view into the struggles many Orthodox Christians with disabilities face in parish life.

As someone without disabilities, I found this to be a valuable "inside look" at the crosses (seen and unseen) that many of our fellow Christians bear. Frequent patristic citations and relevant anecdotes work together in painting a picture of what an inclusive parish should look like.

From a practical point of view, this book lives up to its name. The chapters are divided into easily digestible segments, and include a recap / discussion questions to drive home key points. I was also impressed by the audiobook narrator's inclusion of the end notes without interrupting the overall flow of the narrative.

This book would work very well for a "book club" to start conversations within a parish. I would recommend this book to any Orthodox Christian looking for a fresh perspective on how to include all members of our parishes in community life.

This is an amazing cook book! A must have for Great Lent especially! I am discovering new tastes and love my lenten meals. Most importantly I do not feel tempted to eat meat of dairy thanks to these great recipes. My husband is enjoying it as well even though he doesn't keep Great Lent in Orthodox tradition. I just finished my plate of Thai Curry. Awesome! I've also loved lentils taco filling, creamy chowder, even made a vegan cake with coconut icing! Every recipe is great! I thank the author for keeping us not bored with the same stuff every day! Highly recommend not only to Orthodox Christians but to everyone seeking a new way of cooking .

My 7 and 5 year olds loved this book and as soon as we were done asked me to buy the rest of the series!

Wow! Finished reading the book and immediately started reading it again and loving it even more. I've known the writings of St. Theophan for many years, particularly as I encountered his views in the "Art of Prayer," another marvelous book compiled by Igumen Chariton. But "Turning the Heart to God" puts it all together in such a complete, well-organized, and readable format that Theophan's message comes through loud and clear. And what is that message? To experience our life lived in and from the grace of God requires waking up to who and what we truly are; seeing the reality of our life in light of God's truth; repenting and reforming every way in which we deviate from that truth; and opening to the purifying and transforming power and grace of God as the absolute source, substance, essence, and truest expression of our lives. If you want a book that shows you how to "First clean the inside of the cup," this is that book. Buy it! It's an incredible guide book for getting through the "narrow gate."

This book is hugely fundamental to having a comprehensive understanding of the Orthodox Faith. I now have a new recommendation for inquirers to Orthodoxy, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is Orthodox for any amount of time, but wants to understands how vastly different Orthodoxy is from both Catholicism and Protestantism (the Western Faiths). In this format, audio, the narrator is clear and concise, easily understood. His voice is a little monotone, but I sped up the listening speed to 1.2 or 1.3 and it was easier to not get distracted away from what he was saying. I listened to this book almost exclusively on car rides, and also played it while doing chores. I loved listening to it so much, I bought the hard copy!

This book is hugely fundamental to having a comprehensive understanding of the Orthodox Faith. I now have a new recommendation for inquirers to Orthodoxy, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is Orthodox for any amount of time and wants to better understand how vastly different Orthodoxy is from both Catholicism and Protestantism (the Western Faiths). In this format, audio, the narrator is clear and concise, easily understood. His voice is a little monotone, but I sped up the listening speed to 1.2 or 1.3 and it was easier to not get distracted away from what he was saying. I listened to this book almost exclusively on car rides, and also played it while doing chores. I loved listening to it so much, I bought the hard copy!

"When You Fast" by L Joseph Letendre is such a gift to anyone who is seeking to learn not only "why" fasting is a classic discipline for Orthodox Christians, but also looking for some practical advice on "how" to fast. I was not familiar with the author's previous literary work, but before I was half way through this small volume I had already ordered his earlier book "When You Pray." The author's style is easy to read, filled with inspiring quotations and Scriptural references, and immensely practical for those who want to practice these disciplines in their daily walk with the Lord. "When You Fast" points us all to the ascetic call of Christianity, of denying oneself and taking up ones cross in order to follow Jesus.

As a priest I often encounter questions from parishioners, as well as seekers and curious visitors, about Orthodox fasting customs and the reasons behind them. I am so pleased to have this book available to offer as a resource for all who want to learn more about fasting and how to more deeply experience the appointed times of fasting in the Orthodox calendar. "When You Fast" is now a part of our recommended reading for catechumens as well.

I really enjoyed this book: well written, the story is engaging. I haven't heard of St. Cuthbert before coming across this novel. After, I went to read on about his life, and then further came across many other Western Orthodox saints, like St. Patrick, St Bridgid, St. Chad and many others.
It has opened a whole new world for me :)
Highly recommend this book to other young people and adults.
Thank you to the author!

Very good book that gives someone wanting a deeper relationship with God many answers. So happy I made the purchase