It grabbed me from the first page, and I couldn't put it down. I cried a lot while reading -- the beauty of the Liturgy, the beauty of the representation of Orthodoxy, sadness, joy, recognition. One of my favorite parts was Euphrosyne during Liturgy, when she noticed that the church was fuller than could logically be accounted for. I love discovering fiction that portrays Orthodoxy positively and accurately. I've started recommending the book to friends.

Great Book!

I was not raised Orthodox nor did learn anything about fasting growing up. I converted to Orthodoxy as an adult and on the food side of things, fasting has always been a confusing struggle with a barrage of meals that give the tastebuds and stomach a "meh" or a more unbearable "bleh." As I've been learning to fast, I've spent countless hours pouring over vegan internet recipes and the like. While a few gems exist on the inter-webs ((i.e. alwayslent.wordpress.com), I have not yet found, all in one place, the treasure of information and recipes that Fasting as a Family provides.
When I received this book, I practically read it cover-to-cover within days and I immediately started making recipes from it (all with great success). It features a concise and very useful intro and first part with valuable spiritual, meal-planning, and recipe inspiration. The recipe instructions thorough and clear, great for someone like myself with somewhat inept cooking abilities.
I'm in my first years of learning to cook as a parent for my small family and I also have multiple dietary restrictions. Preparing fast-friendly food has always been a guessing-game with many kitchen failures because I can't eat many of the oft-used meat/dairy alternatives in vegan recipes.
When I read the book description and noticed that dietary restrictions and food budgets are discussed, I was thrilled. I am so pleased with how thoroughly these topics are addressed, particularly food restrictions. This book contains gluten free, nut free and nightshade free recipes and recipe options. Furthermore, so many recipes are soy free, which is amazingly fantastic in a vegan world where tofu is so prominently used, yet it is something I cannot eat.
This book is such a blessing in my life right now and I'm sure it will be a great resource and help through other fasts in the future.
The only thing I want to add that I did not see mentioned is the wonderful process of sprouting legumes, nuts and grains. I've found great digestive and flavorful joy from sprouting as many fast-friendly food ingredients as possible (beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, rice, etc.) This extra step may not be for everyone (takes a bit more prep time) but as one who heartily struggles with digesting legumes, sprouting allows me to consume even more bean-filled fasting dishes (well, sprouting AND fermenting things too).
Thank you Mrs. Naasko and all others who contributed to making this book available. May God grant you many years!

P.s. I am lactose-intolerant and so, at all times of the year, I often peruse and use vegan recipes, or variations of, for their lack of dairy content. Many less-common food ingredients used in this book are already commonly used in my kitchen. I also have many friends with special diets and food needs, so I'm used to making recipe adjustments to accommodate food intolerances and allergies. All of this was a huge help as I began cooking the recipes in this book. Without this particular background knowledge, I may have been slightly more at-a-loss when encountering the recipes and cooking from this book.

I was not raised Orthodox nor did learn anything about fasting growing up. I converted to Orthodoxy as an adult and on the food side of things, fasting has always been a confusing struggle with a barrage of meals that give the tastebuds and stomach a meh or a more unbearable bleh. As I've been learning to fast, I've spent countless hours pouring over vegan internet recipes and the like. While a few gems exist on the inter-webs ((i.e. alwayslent.wordpress.com), I have not yet found, all in one place, the treasure of information and recipes that Fasting as a Family provides.
When I received this book, I practically read it cover-to-cover within days and I immediately started making recipes from it (all with great success). It features a concise and very useful intro and first part with valuable spiritual, meal-planning, and recipe inspiration. The recipe instructions thorough and clear, great for someone like myself with somewhat inept cooking abilities.
I'm in my first years of learning to cook as a parent for my small family and I also have multiple dietary restrictions. Preparing fast-friendly food has always been a guessing-game with many kitchen failures because I can't eat many of the oft-used meat/dairy alternatives in vegan recipes.
When I read the book description and noticed that dietary restrictions and food budgets are discussed, I was thrilled. I am so pleased with how thoroughly these topics are addressed, particularly food restrictions. This book contains gluten free, nut free and nightshade free recipes and recipe options. Furthermore, so many recipes are soy free, which is amazingly fantastic in a vegan world where tofu is so prominently used, yet it is something I cannot eat.
This book is such a blessing in my life right now and I'm sure it will be a great resource and help through other fasts in the future.
The only thing I want to add that I did not see mentioned is the wonderful process of sprouting legumes, nuts and grains. I've found great digestive and flavorful joy from sprouting as many fast-friendly food ingredients as possible (beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, rice, etc.) This extra step may not be for everyone (takes a bit more prep time) but as one who heartily struggles with digesting legumes, sprouting allows me to consume even more bean-filled fasting dishes (well, sprouting AND fermenting things too).
Thank you Mrs. Naasko and all others who contributed to making this book available. May God grant you many years!

Some of my friends and I have been on a journey to find the true church. Disenchanted by the products of Protestantism and struggling to believe that what Jesus came to found as His church is an invisible bond between hundreds of different groups professing different teachings and often condemning each other, we have recently begun to investigate Orthodoxy. In that investigation this book has proved a powerful tool. I would have paid the full price for this book if it had only contained the authors exploration of the Protestant presuppositions (the Solas) and their logical consequences and historical fruits and then happily paid the full price again for the rest if the book.

Excellent book! It is clear and beautiful, challenging and hope-filled. Do yourself a big favor and get it.

good book!

great book!

This is a book that easily catches ones attention. It is well written and contains practical, helpful guidance for everyone.

Respectful, engaging, and informative discussion of comparative religion from an Orthodox point of view. This is one of the best books to come out of the Ancient Faith Ministries publishing arm, and it is a rare bird of a book. Orthodoxy in the Anglophone world hasn't always been the most engaging of other faith traditions, apart from people telling their conversion stories, or the occasional official dialogue among clergy of several faiths. And for that matter, Orthodoxy is often not treated with seriousness by other Christian confessions, and is sometimes dismissed as a sort of exotic Roman Catholicism with no pope.

In this regard, Fr. Andrew breaks new ground and seeks to respectfully engage major Christian confessions, theological "cults," and non-Christian religions. The book is hefty, though accessible. There are no footnotes, but that doesn't mean it doesn't pass the test of properly cited and vetted material, as Fr. Andrew is a bright thinker, and he includes references and citations within the body of the text. As a second edition, this book went through the scrutiny of public and private feedback before being redrafted to nearly twice the length of the original. Most of his claims that do not contain citations are widely known by adherents of those faith traditions, and are easily recognizable by the adherents.

And while it is possible to read it cover to cover with great benefit, it can also be sampled in sections. A priest friend of mine says he uses it as a handbook when counseling with mixed-faith couples in his pastoral ministry, so he can understand a little bit of where the non-Orthodox spouse is coming from. I have used it to look up basic differences in perspective between Orthodoxy and the faith traditions of my past or of my friends and family, and have found it serves well for that usage.

One of the strongest editorial changes made in the second edition was to treat Pentecostalism with its own chapter, rather than lump it in with the rest of Protestant and Evangelical Christianities. Due to historical lineage, this movement is usually treated as a subset of Protestantism, but reading Fr. Andrew's chapters show numerous significant differences in emphases of spirituality and doctrine, justifying a separate treatment.

The book is *fair*, and seeks to address "heterodox" faiths according to their own terms. The book is *respectful*, and free of the polemics that sometimes emerge in comparative religion conversations. Yet the book is *honest*, and also seeks to address those faiths with a clear Orthodox comparison and evaluation.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in comparative religion, but I would especially recommend it to those Orthodox Christians who want to understand their friends, relatives, and neighbors who are not Orthodox. Similarly, for those interested in understanding Orthodoxy better, this is a really great place to get to know Orthodoxy in sort of a compare and contrast format with other traditions they may be more familiar with.

Full disclosure: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Fuller disclosure: The author has become a friend of mine since the publication of the first edition, and I offered feedback on drafts of several chapters, and consequently am acknowledged in the book. Any significant criticisms I might have offered in this review were addressed already by the author prior to the book's publication.

Roccas explains the noonday devil in today's culture of distraction and disconnect.

Jonathan has a lot to say about faith and art, and puts it in a way that may be surprising to many people. His dedication to his faith is inspirational and makes one want to look into the Orthodox Christian denomination even closer.

The title of this book caught my attention. Anyone with the desire to rise out of superficial faith practices and find hope for faith and practice that takes on heavenly meaning will benefit greatly reading this book.

Phenomenal parenting book. My sons are 2.5 and 6 months and I am so glad I am reading this now (although it would be appropriate for parents with kids of any age! A few of the highlights I got from it were the importance to when parenting be calm, kind, firm, and consistent. Also I liked how it talks a lot about how parenting is not intended to force your child into your mold but rather to help them grow well. So so much more in this than just that. My husband and I honestly dont read a lot but both of us found this book incredibly easy to read and flows very well. A definite must read for parents who want to raise kids even if you are not Orthodox.

A fantastic overview of the christian/post christian world as it relates to the Holy Orthodox Church and her teachings. Highly recommended for western Christians who want to learn where their church tradition comes from as well as Orthodox Christians who want to know how the Holy Orthodox Church compares and contrasts with western christian beliefs. This would make a great gift for those seeking the Holy Orthodox Church.

Excellent book! Great speaker and all around good person!! God bless and thank you.

By translating ancient wisdom into modern language, 'Time and Despondency' is an amazing contribution not only to the area of theology but also to the understanding of holistic approaches to health and wellness. As both a psychology and theology major, I unreservedly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand the inner mechanisms of the human soul and its relation to others and the world in general. (disclaimer* Nicole is my wife :)

This is a great book! It helps understand others on the religious landscape and where Orthodoxy stands among them. A general but accurate description of the beliefs of others as well as where Orthodoxy differs from others on key elements.

This book was refreshing in the sense that it wasn't written polemically, there is no apparent ax to grind by the author. It genuinely seeks to present other religions and belief systems accurately.

One of the best books for those in recovery, family members, clergy, Christians to life the life they profess to have faith to be true and right.

Fr. Andrew did a great job with this book. It is an easy read but very informative. The title of the book says it all!