Really enjoyed this work. The blending as the author says of "ancient theology, spiritual memoir, and self-help practicality" was very well done and getting acquainted with Evagrius of Ponticus was extremely valuable. This is a book I'll need to read a few times, but feel if I can grasp and integrate it's message into my life, it will have a significant affect on my own battles with despondency and my broken relationship with time. Thank you for this work!

I bought these coloring books for my children. They love them. The icons are beautiful and they enjoyed coloring them. I saw these books as a way to help my children learn about icons and to love them as I do. Thanks for making such a wonderful product.

Didn't buy on Amazon, but from a festival. This book is great, comprehensive, and humbling. Constantina tells the stories with humility and there are plenty of lessons that are applicable to laymen, women, all Christians alike. The only thing I did not enjoy was that one "knot" (chapter) would jump from one time period to another. A timeline of events would be great. Other than that, fantastic read! Took me less than a day to finish this as I could not quit reading. Would absolutely recommend.

Despondency is not a word that we use very often in the twenty-first century. It is our loss since we are just as plagued by this silent evil as our ancestors. In her book, Time and Despondency Nicole Roccas, places the concept of hopelessness as it was understood through history and the Church.

i long to be really present. i carry the ubiquitous phone everywhere. In fact, it is right beside my computer as i write this post. i feel torn. There is real struggle between living in our society and being an authentic Christian. Life is hard for everyone. There is an honest tension that we all need to live with unless we are in a Monastery. Living fully alive to the present-tense is in some ways harder now than in any time in the past.

What is most distinctive about this book is that she postulates that despondency is the rejection of the present time. When we become despondent we think about the past or the future and refuse to contemplate our current reality. It is incredibly easy to be lulled into fretting over past problems, future worries or enticed by fantasies about the life we wish we were living. Many of us have had the experience of falling into a reverie and losing our sense of time as we live out our dreams of the glorious future we should have or rewrite history by telling off our nemesis after some past encounter.

How many of us have behaved like Walter Mitty for a season? That time is all lost time. When we are dreaming or demanding justice we are missing the present time. This idea startled me. God is present-NOW! When Moses asks God to give His name God tells Moses that, 'I AM!' God is in the present. He is in the future and the past also, but He engages with us in the present. When we let our dreaming become despondency we are no longer engaging with God. It is no wonder those who fall into despondency have a hard time making it to Church to worship. The physical struggle is compounded by allowing ourselves to be lured away from communion with Him for so much time.

Roccas says, 'Potential time becomes actualized (Kairos) time when we respond to God's love'. Actualized time consists of re-sponding, unfulfilled time of de-sponding.'

i believe she is on to something when she refers to the time we give in to despondency as unfulfilled time. In my experience, it is singularly unfulfilling in every way. From this perspective, real/actualized time is all the time when i am open to and/or engaging with God. St. Paul told us to pray without ceasing. This challenge is the subject of countless books. What Time and Despondency has done is carve out the idea that the only time in which we are real and present is actualized. Too much of my life has been wasted!

In our culture, it is hard to remain focused on the present for more than a few minutes. Our multi-tasking, smartphone checking, disorganized, yet highly self-controlled minds are rarely focused and open to God. Whether hyper and distracted or despondent and trying to escape our present reality we cultivate extremes.

i thought the book Time and Despondency was engaging and profound.

'Whatever the present looks like at any given moment, there are only two possible ways of responding to it: to enter or exit, to respond or despond. To enter the present is to surrender with thanksgiving to the time and circumstances God has placed before us, to abide in God's presence in time and space. To exit, by contrast, is to reject this gift-really, to reject reality. Despondency begins when we step away from the present and fashion reality on our own terms.'

May i interject one word- Pinterest?

Time and Despondency goes on in part two to offer ways of combatting despondency. The book is not large (177 pages) and well worth the read.

Travel-friendly. Lightweight. Readable typeface & font size. Helpful introduction.
I'm no scholar, so I'm not speaking with any authority, but I liked the translation.

Ostensibly for Young Adults, this compelling book is also a great choice for adults who know or love (or have ever been) a teenager. In this dystopian future, faith and religion are outlawed and a teen girl struggles against the new authorities. Twelve-year old Euphrosyne has been renamed Hillary by the anti-religious government in the new “Era of Tolerance.” Her family has been killed, on Pascha, and she goes to live with her grandparents. Her teachers, psychologist, and even her grandfather want her to forget her past life and embrace the new secular tolerance. Euphrosyne struggles to hold onto her faith and identity in a new America hostile to religion. Extremely well done. Inspires the reader to hold fast to our own faith. One caution: a parent/friend has suggested this may not be a good choice for overly-sensitive children. Some tense dramatic situations; some violence.

This book is considerably more detailed than I anticipated. I have been reading books about the Orthodox religion and found many to be good resources, particularly the books written by bishop kallistos ware. Then I read this book and was blown away. Damick writes with clarity and an obvious depth of knowledge. His writing is very accessible and fun to read while also being educating and thought provoking. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Orthodoxy.

I have discovered how little I know though this book and the podcasts, delivered by the author, based on the book.
Written in a comfortable, friendly, even loving manner, the knowledge shared regarding each religion is revealed with a purpose that is not confrontational, but rather simply instructive. An underlying respect for the reader is present even as the author intends to correct.
Highly recommend.

When I read, I like to use a pencil and underline portions that really impact me...but with this book, I found myself wanting to underline every single sentence! Anyone who interacts with children at all should read this book. I will go back to it again and again.

I found this book very helpful and of great value for anyone who has the desire to learn about world religions.. The author is very knowledgeable about the subject and is able to explain the subject in a way that is easy to understand. His coverage of the Christian religions is exhaustive and can be a little overwhelming but if you take it slow you can learn a lot from the discussion.

This is a great text for those who want to pray the psalms and are looking for a version in modern English. I agree with several of the others that it might have made more sense to go directly from the Septuagint in the translation but it's nonetheless an excellent text.

This book is without question, the most profound thing I have read in 20 years! My life is forever changed by the perspective I have gained from reading this work over the weekend. If you struggle with what it really means to be 'present,' I encourage you to read this book. The insights and practical advice shared by the author are outstanding.

Love this book. Very helpful in answering questions while in the process of converting to Orthodox Christianity.

Spiritual growth

This book is a must read for any and all parents attempting to raise children in a Christian environment. Dr. Mamalakis is the type of guy who can throw down impressive amounts of knowledge both in the realm of psychology and theology (doctorate and MDiv, respectfully), but does not beat the reader over the head with his vast expertise, opting instead to write a book that is easily understood by all.

My one caveat to the book is not that it has a short-coming (it doesn't), but rather that it is best understood if read in conjunction with another work he draws from: "Parenting From the Inside Out" by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel and Mary Hartzell. Read these two together and you will gain a truly profound understanding of parenting -- both from a scientific and theological perspective -- that will be humbling, rewarding, and (hopefully) life-changing.

I am happy to give as many stars as possible to this book because it was truly a great read and very helpful. Thank you, Dr. Mamalakis.

Excellent!

A translated well put sermons for any christian to read

What an excellent review of the world's major and minor religions and how they compare to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Put together in a easy to follow, well written, excellently researched, non-polemic, just the facts-fashion.

an explicit and detailed account of the journey to Orthodoxy from a dedicated pastor and American son....who searched for the true church and found it after years of researching and studying church history and the Bible....informative and inspiring.

A must read for anyone contemplating the 12 steps no matter what faith you follow or if you follow none at all.