I bought this and a handful of other board books for my parish's small children to look at when they are antsy during the service. I have noticed that while parents like the look of this one, and the kids like to have the pictures inside (icons) explained, kids who are beginning to read avoid it because of the many words per page (unavoidable). Maybe they could use it while practicing singing/saying the creed during that part of the service, in unison, but in general it gets a really quick look and then they pivot to the other board books (also Orthodox and from this website).

Beautiful Christmas Cards to send to family and friends.

A great weapon in my spiritual warfare. This censor really delineates sacred space.

This and a red glass were upgrades over my painted glass for my vigil lamp. Nice rich color.

This is a really high-quality, well made journal with a clean, simple layout. It can be started at any time and is for a whole year. It has really sweet quotes from St. Maria of Paris, St. John Chrysostom, Fr. Alexander Schmemann, St. Seraphim of Sarov amongst others. It has little suggestion lists for inspiring gratitude, pages to draw for those so inclined, prayer lists, reflection pages and more. I received this and was looking forward to a quiet advent time of reflection and Thanksgiving. My 11 year old discovered this and begged to keep it. She has already begun journaling and drawing in it. She loves it! I recommend it for adults and kids alike, great stocking stuffer gift for pre-teens and teens(add some stickers and glitter/gel pens). I also see it as a great addition to our homeschooling particularly for our kids who veer towards a more introverted, deep thinking temperament. An excellent exercise in cultivating a spirit of gratitude!

This journal is a great way to establish your practice of gratitude, or to add consistency to/continue a practice you may already have. The journal has a velvety soft-feeling cover. Inside you’ll find daily opportunities to reflect on what you’re grateful for, with the ability to start on any day of the year. Throughout the journal, there are spaces for guided reflection, as well as quotes from the Psalms and various saints, among others, to inspire your reflection. There are also thoughtful lists that you can follow to grow your practice of gratitude, and to grow in service to others. Additionally, you will find blank bullet-style pages throughout, so you can make your own lists or collections as well. Establishing a focused gratitude practice can be challenging, but the payoff is immense. Cultivating a regular practice of gratitude can regulate stress hormones, stimulate the production of dopamine and serotonin, and even reinforce neural pathways associated with positive emotions. With the sweet balance of structure and space in this journal, you have exactly what you need to grow your practice of gratitude.

As a newly converted Orthodox Christian who is deeply hungry to see others discover the beauty of the ancient faith, this book has become a wonderful resource. It offers a clear window into the sacramental life of the Church, helping inquirers understand what it means to be active participants in worship and to embrace a life of repentance that restores us to the truest expression of our existence in the cosmos.

Dr. Porcu presents profound philosophical and spiritual truths in a way that is both approachable and compelling. This work captures the wonder of experiencing God not only as the source of life but as reality itself. It bridges academic insight with a readability that invites those who are simply curious, making it valuable for both scholars and seekers.

I strongly recommend this book as something worth sharing with family and friends who are exploring Orthodoxy or who want to understand why the sacramental life is so transformative.

Beautiful, handy wall crucifix with decent craftmanship. Just be careful with the casing, as it could get caught and rip off if one is inattentive transporting/storing it.

The icon of Christ and His Mother is very beautifully done…and heartwarming.
The quality of the card is excellent…. A card that I will enjoy sending to my friends and loved ones.
All the cards from Ancient Faith have been of this same quality. Thank you for producing such great
cards…

This book is wonderful! I'm excited to start my gratitude journey. The way the book is arranged is perfect. I can enter my reflections and create my prayer list. There are pages to help me inspire gratitude. It's a good quality hardcover book that I am excited to use. I might buy a couple more to give as gifts.

Very nice.

So beautiful and perfect for our Christmas Bookstore!

I received a copy of this book in return for my review, but my opinions are my own.

First off, I would like to say that I am grateful that Dylan Pahman has taken the effort to start this discussion on Orthodox Christian social thought. Through this book I was introduced to a plethora of new information and ideas that has initiated my own exploration of social thought. There are a lot of sources I would not have come across in my typical research. I am impressed with the volume and breadth of reading the author has compiled to create this work. Truly, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to read this book, and I believe I will be mulling over its topics for a long time to come.

That being said, I believe the author took on far too much for one book. There are a number of topics addressed that I was not formerly acquainted with, but I could not help but feel at times that the discussion was too flavored by the author’s own opinion. It was difficult at times to differentiate his opinion from facts about the topic at hand. This was particularly apparent to me during the Church history section. It felt like a lot of nuance was missed partly because of his writing style, but also because of the constraints of the medium. History is my favorite subject, but I found myself lost and apprehensive of some of the analysis he made. He was simply taking on too much for one book.

I also don’t agree with some of his conclusions. Some of this I attribute to personal differences, but some things seem to come from holes in his research. For example, I would have liked him to dive less into church history and the theories of long dead men and more into the effectiveness of foreign aid. It is something he briefly mentions a number of times but never dives into the complexity of it. This is something that is deeply relevant to Orthodox Christians in America due to their multi-national backgrounds. I also think he should have confronted how theology has been twisted in ways that harms the very people it is claiming to help. This could have included discussion of residential schools, work houses, the Irish potato famine, slavery, etc. It is absolutely vital that we understand these distortions so we can avoid them in our own social outreach. It can then be contrasted with successful projects (beyond monastic work) to inspire our own work in our communities. In general, I believe he focuses too much on economics and not enough on the holistic well-being of communities. Sometimes, economic and political systems need reform to better take care of the people and environment around them. Not everything that is worth doing will be financially profitable and our economies and policies need to leave room for those things as well.

While I have many quibbles with this book, I believe respectful critique is a healthy approach to this type of work. It should be read and responded to by others (academics and nonacademics) to create a conversation beyond the words of one man. If as Orthodox Christians we want to be taken seriously on a complex academic topic, we need to invite the opportunity for review and critique. It makes our work better and keeps us honest. The last thing we need is this to be the only strain of thought that represents Orthodox Christian social thought for the English speaking world. The ideas we are discussing have serious real world consequences and should be undertaken with a good deal of discussion, research, and (most importantly) prayer. May the discussions we have today prepare us for the ministry we start tomorrow.

Reading The Kingdom of God and the Common Good felt like reading a foundational Christian text—one that will be studied and built upon by Christians for centuries to come. It offers a wealth of meticulously researched history, observations, facts, and insights into how Christianity as a whole interacts with culture socially and economically.

Pahman takes time to explore various denominations’ views on Christianity and social thought, while offering an Orthodox perspective on those viewpoints. He goes further into Scripture and church history, emphasizing the depth of resources and wisdom available to us. Throughout the book, Pahman shares stories of saints and historical figures who have demonstrated the love of Christ in practical and sacrificial ways.

In reflecting on the Christian understanding that every person bears the image of God, this quote stood out to me the most: “As the Fathers teach, the honor paid to an image passes on to the original. The honor—or dishonor—paid to the image of God in everyone we meet passes on to God” (328).

The discussion questions throughout the book encourage intentional self-reflection, which is especially helpful given the richness of the material. This is definitely a book that invites deep thought and careful digestion. The Kingdom of God and the Common Good would be an excellent choice for a group study or for anyone seeking to further develop their thinking in Orthodox Christian social thought.

Beautiful. I will give as a gift!

Lovely and inspiring. It could use afirm backing because jtjs rather limp

This purple cross tapestry bookmark is so beautiful and well made.

Well made and quite beautiful!

Dylan has researched and wrote an amazing book. There is so much in this book, I learned a lot. He covers the bible, church history, modern economics, contemporary sources, challenges and modern social thought. I learned about Roman Catholic Social thinking, as well as Lutheran and Neo-Calvinist social thinking. He gives an Orthodox Assessment throughout the book. He summarizes and provides discussion questions after each section so this book would be good for group book reading meetings to spark further discussions. This book got me thinking about Orthodox Christian social thought.

Dylan Pahman’s "The Kingdom of God and the Common Good" is a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to Orthodox Christian social thought -- something that has long been needed in our contemporary theological discussions. Pahman blends scholarly depth with pastoral sensitivity, offering readers a compelling vision of how Orthodox tradition can engage meaningfully with modern social, political, and economic issues.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is the author's ability to bring complex theological principles into conversation with real-world challenges without oversimplifying either. He presents the Orthodox understanding of the human person, community, and moral responsibility in a way that is both theologically grounded and practically relevant. His reflections on freedom, virtue, and the common good are especially insightful, providing a framework for thinking about social engagement that avoids both ideological rigidity and vague idealism.

Pahman writes with an admirable fairness toward viewpoints outside our own tradition. Rather than proposing a rigid program, he encourages the reader to cultivate the virtues and discernment necessary to navigate social life faithfully.

"The Kingdom of God and the Common Good" will appeal to Orthodox Christians seeking guidance on social questions, but its accessibility also makes it valuable for readers from other Christian traditions -- or anyone interested in moral theology and public life. It is a timely, engaging contribution to Christian social thought.