Loved the book. I’m reading it a second time through now.

This book was an answer to prayer for me. 💜

This book is very informative and well written. It's a big help for anyone exploring Orthodoxy. It explains very well how Orthodoxy differs from Western churches. My only criticism is that she is too simplistic in explaining Orthodoxy's understanding of the cross. There are "Anselmian", sacrificial themes in the Fathers and the Liturgy, even if they're not as important as they are in Western churches.

This book is immensely helpful for establishing a prayer rhythm (morning and evening) when new to the Orthodox Faith. It is also organized in a way that assists in finding Orthodox prayers for most life circumstances.

“Toolkit for Spiritual Growth” answers many questions surrounding the spiritual disciplines of the Orthodox Christian Faith. As a former Protestant Christian who recently came into Orthodoxy, this book explains the “why” and history behind unfamiliar areas of these disciplines such as the use of icons in prayer, the fast leading up to receiving the Eucharist, and why giving alms is an essential part of our walk with Christ. Thank you Father Evan for making these timeless traditions in our spiritual growth understandable and more accessible to those of us who are newly embracing the Orthodox Church.

I must start this review by saying that I wish this book had been in print 20 years ago when I entered the Orthodox Church, it would have likely saved me some struggle, or not, but it would have been very beneficial. Now this book is available it will be very useful for those seeking to enter the Orthodox Church, for a convert or cradle Orthodox, or those who want a better understanding on the differences between the Orthodox and Western Christian mindset, or phronema. Our phronema impacts how we do theology, our mindset, and how we interact with the world around us. We all have one, and Dr. Constantinou carefully lays out what it is, how it is developed and nurtured, some of the differences between the Orthodox and Western Christian phronema and how these differences developed. Conversations between Eastern and Western Christians are often fraught, and this book provides context to understand why that is.

The second part of the book focuses on the Orthodox understanding theology itself, what it is, and what it is not. This is one of those differences between East and West. Attention is given to why “armchair theologians”, (those who dabble in theology and provide opinions and criticisms yet have only a cursory understanding and no formal training in Orthodox theology), can place themselves in spiritual danger and potentially others as well. While this is not new, in these days of social media the number of armchair theologians has increased exponentially, I really appreciated the discussion. There are times to speak, and times to be silent, and this is addressed as well.

Dr. Constantinou obviously went to great effort to make this book as accessible as possible for the average reader, Orthodox or not. Deep topics are discussed clearly and placed in context with clear sources and a great bibliography and index are provided. This is not a book you will read once and set down, it is thought provoking and you will return to it time and time again.

It needs to be said at the outset that Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Christian Mind, by Dr. Eugenia Constantinou, is not exactly a book of Orthodox theology (though it contains much). It might be described as a book about Orthodox theology. But it is better described as a book about how to begin to think and understand like an Orthodox Christian, and so to understand Orthodox theology, while avoiding traps, heresies, and dangers along the way.
The book is guide to understanding how the very culture we live in is imbued with a mindset (a phronema, to use the Greek idiom the author introduces) and spirit that is very often hostile to, or at least at odds with Orthodox Christianity. Even Western Christianity, in both its Catholic and Protestent forms, has a very different mindset. In this the book is a valuable guide for converts, inquirers, and even cradle-Orthodox who may not be aware how different that understanding is. But the book is of great value even for non-Orthodox Christians, for much of it is a guide for our times, where Christianity is in retreat, and where the internet can deceive us all into thinking ourselves experts after half an hour on Wikipedia, or lure us towards extremists and zealots who seek division. Much of Dr. Constantinous book should indeed be read by all Christians who could find themselves arguing theology with strangers through a keyboard.
Who is this book ultimately for? For Orthodox converts and inquirers, Thinking Orthodox is a gentle but firm guide into understanding why older ways of thinking need to be changed to better enter into the life of the Church. For cradle Orthodox, the book puts into words why so often the rest of the world, and even the rest of the Christian world, finds Orthodoxy difficult to understand. For non-Orthodox Christians, the book likewise illuminates why theological arguments that seem airtight are still utterly unconvincing to the Orthodox, or are perhaps even ignored as arguing about the wrong things. And for anyone who finds themselves arguing online, particularly on theology, the entire second part of the book is an encouragement, a chastisement, and a guide all at once. The book is well ordered and organized, and easy to read, but it is challenging and not to be read lightly.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review.

This book is an essential text for those interested in Orthodoxy, for recent converts, and even for cradle Orthodox. Dr. Constantinou's examination of the Orthodox Phronema in contrast with the Western Christian Worldview opened my eyes, but importantly my heart to the differences. It will be a great help to me as I work to shed my Western thinking and to embrace the depth of Orthodoxy.

Lovely!

I could not hardly put this down. It is an Orthodox Flannery O'Connor meets Wendell Berry meets the image of God in each person. Convicting, funny, heart-warming. Stories of how our high faluntin theology actually gets applied to us in our brokenness. I would recommend this to both the older cradle Orthodox and those just embracing the faith. Just a beautiful book. love love love.

They’re beautiful. One of my favorite Nativity cards I’ve purchased through the years from Ancient Faith.

The book was enjoyable but gives false hope that there is an established path for Protestant clergy who deeply desire to fully convert to Orthodoxy. An archpriest who was part of this large conversion to the Antiochian Church told me those doors are now closed. Do not expect them to be open if you are Protestant clergy just because they were for a small select few in the past. The spiritual let down after this book created hope to enter as did those in it was massive and led to despondency because it does not exist. Realizing that hurt deeply.

I am new to Orthodoxy and have several prayer books. This is my least favorite by far. If keeping a prayer rule daily is one of the most important spiritual practices, then the quality of the book should reflect that. The content is great. But the print is so small it is difficult to read. If someone got serious and gave this a real leather cover, nice print, and well done icons, it would be a lifetime book to use everyday. But the print is so bad and so small, I don't desire to use it. It was likely made this way to carry everywhere in a pocket, but ultimately is discouraging not in content but usability and making prayer time feel special and sacred.

When I became an Orthodox Christian, Father Evan was one of the priest I turned to for many of the "ABC's" of Orthodoxy. His podcast on Ancient Faith Radio were and still are a huge resource for me to learn how to enter into the traditions of the Orthodox faith. Oh how I wish I had this book 5 years ago. What I pieced together from different podcast and random homilies has been beautifully gathered in this practical guide. The guide begins with a very practical tour through the traditions of the Church lived out through the services and at home. What seems simple and what's seamlessly passed down to one born into the Orthodox Christian Church is sometimes missed to a convert like myself. This book sheds light on many of those practices such as setting up an icon corner at home, why and how we prostrate and so much more. I particularly loved the section on fasting and the journey Fr. Evan takes us through the Church calendar and the different fasting periods of the Church. As an inquirer I never fully understood why my friends who were Orthodox spent so much time fasting. This book clearly explains the why for many things we do as Christians. The section on Alms giving was the part I approached with a bit of fear. It's been the one instruction of our Lords that I never fully had a grasp on. I knew it's more than just tossing money at a charity though that may be good. After reading the chapters on Almsgiving I have a much better grasp on the mind of the Church concerning this. Again, I do wish this book was written 5 years ago. However I'm extremely thankful that I've found something that will be included with all gifts to any future friend or godchildren entering into the Church. It's the perfect toolkit.

Beautiful cards!

It needs to be said at the outset that Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Christian Mind, by Dr. Eugenia Constantinou, is not exactly a book of Orthodox theology (though it contains much). It might be described as a book about Orthodox theology. But it is better described as a book about how to begin to think and understand like an Orthodox Christian, and so to understand Orthodox theology, while avoiding traps, heresies, and dangers along the way.
The book is guide to understanding how the very culture we live in is imbued with a mindset (a phronema, to use the Greek idiom the author introduces) and spirit that is very often hostile to, or at least at odds with Orthodox Christianity. Even Western Christianity, in both its Catholic and Protestent forms, has a very different mindset. In this the book is a valuable guide for converts, inquirers, and even cradle-Orthodox who may not be aware how different that understanding is. But the book is of great value even for non-Orthodox Christians, for much of it is a guide for our times, where Christianity is in retreat, and where the internet can deceive us all into thinking ourselves experts after half an hour on Wikipedia, or lure us towards extremists and zealots who seek division. Much of Dr. Constantinou’s book should indeed be read by all Christians who could find themselves arguing theology with strangers through a keyboard.
Who is this book ultimately for? For Orthodox converts and inquirers, Thinking Orthodox is a gentle but firm guide into understanding why older ways of thinking need to be changed to better enter into the life of the Church. For cradle Orthodox, the book puts into words why so often the rest of the world, and even the rest of the Christian world, finds Orthodoxy difficult to understand. For non-Orthodox Christians, the book likewise illuminates why theological arguments that seem airtight are still utterly unconvincing to the Orthodox, or are perhaps even ignored as arguing about the wrong things. And for anyone who finds themselves arguing online, particularly on theology, the entire second part of the book is an encouragement, a chastisement, and a guide all at once. The book is well ordered and organized, and easy to read, but it is challenging and not to be read lightly.

Wish I had ordered more. They were beautiful!

I loved it. I bought 3 copies. For my daughters and my daughter-in-law, as Christmas gifts.

Beautiful cards, very nice paper.

This is a must read book. It is great fro anyone at any stage of their life in the Church. For those who have been Orthodox for a time it is a great reminder of why we think the way we do and a refresher in what makes up our phronema. It is an essential read for as new convert or a catechumen. Dr. Constantinou knows her subject very well and her writing style is easy to understand even if one does not have theological training. She explains very complicated concepts in ways that anyone can grasp. I am glad I purchased it. Thank you Dr. Constantinou, it is a great Christmas present for me.