I am a collector of prayer books. This is truly one of the best I own. It's words are elegant and meaningful without the use of self degradation to appease God. Traditional orthodox prayers in modern English without changing the meaning of the prayers. All together, this book gets an A+

Excellent book! Full of helpful information and analysis. Arrived quickly.

My wife and I watched this video together this week. It is a highly engaging documentary about the NONES. We were completely unaware of how many young adults have fallen away from organized religion and no longer attend a Christian Church and who now consider themselves to be part of this movement in America. Regardless of what denomination of Christianity you belong to this video is designed for you. Basil's journey home by turning to 'The Eastern Writers' will hopefully inspire others who have lost their way to engage in discussion and to re-connect with the Church and a renewed spiritual life.

Summary: If you are an Orthodox Christian who wishes to seriously engage others in discussions of faith, dogma, and doctrine, this book is required reading. If you are not an Orthodox Christian and are looking for insight into how your faith adheres to (or diverges from) the Ancient Faith, there may be no better starting point in terms of information and accessibility.
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I read the original version of O&H, and used it in teaching apologetics to my 9th-12th grade church school class. It also came up often in discussions with my heterodox and non-Christian friends. This was the beauty of the book; that it could be used to discuss faith with such a diverse array of people. From teenagers learning the basics of apologetics to seasoned armchair theologians, O&H contained enough information that one could carry a conversation with anyone after a thorough reading. The balance between detail and accessibility was perhaps my favorite aspect. Having relied so heavily on the original version, I must say that I am thrilled with the updated version. The revised version contains a wealth of greater detail, particularly when it comes to some of the denominations that I have a harder time grasping, such as Pentecostalism. Again, the information contained is thorough enough to give one a solid foundation from which to engage others, while still being accessible enough that it doesn't read like a graduate-level theological textbook. For those looking for an Orthodox "here's why you're wrong now join us" polemic, this book isn't for you. Father Andrew's presentation and handling of other faiths is engaging and respectful, while still maintaining and affirming the Orthodox position on matters of doctrine and practice.

The best part of the new edition, however, is the epilogue telling of how he found Orthodoxy. Father Andrew's conversion mirrors that of many people coming from other denominations, but he captures the mystery and the beauty of it far better than I could tell my own conversion story. It highlights what is so disaffecting about mainstream Christianity in America today, and what is so real and beautiful about Orthodoxy. It is a sincere and beautiful story that--God-willing--will draw many more to the Ancient Faith.
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Full disclosure: I know the author personally and received a free copy of the book in exchange for posting an unbiased review on Amazon.

Love the book

30 years an Episcopal priest, 5 years Catholic, now (at age 63) making the journey to Orthodoxy. Am becoming familiar with new authors, among them Fr Damick. Am enjoying this book, and his writing style. Very interesting analysis of how Protestantism is what it is today ("Jesus and me," etc.). 5 stars for a wonderful book.

Humbling and inspiring reading. That such a holy man (Abba Matta) existed in our day and age is a miracle of grace.

Excellent book for laity to learn from.
Not a huge theological tome-but thorough and concise.
Definetly recommend to anyone.

Excellent. Many books in this genre tend to be a bit redundant and somehow unsatisfying. Mamalakis is poignant, clear, deeply thoughtful, and very practical.

I bought this cross for my Husband (at the time my fiance) for his Baptism day. This cross suits his personality and his journey into Othodoxy perfectly. He is a soldier for Christ against the unseen warfare. This cross is well crafted and looks great on him. We are so satisfied with this purchase. We bought a 24inch chain to go with it and I think that's the best size chain for a man. The cross lays right at his chest over his heart. He never wore jewelry before this but, it seems as though it is a part of him now. Many people complement the uniqueness of this cross. We love it.

I just received this beautiful prayer book and am already putting it to use; it is simply so well-made that I've been carrying it around all day. It is beautiful, well-formatted, with quality paper, binding, and text. The prayers are also in modern English; frankly I can't be bothered with the idea that language no one actually speaks somehow equates to reverence, so this was essential for me. Highly recommended.

Almost finished. I love Gilqquist's books. Very informative.

I learned so much reading this book.

Still reading but very good.

This is a splendid, gentle book on prayer. I have struggled for years with the very idea of prayer, and this book finally put things into perspective for me. At last I'm spending less time studying theology and church history and more time just doing the actual work of prayer.

Great book!

I see that this book has a unique depth and beauty in it. It gave me a profound sense that the Orthodox church is truly a beautiful treasure trove full of the early church's great heritage handed down to us from the hands and mouths of apostles and the early chuch fathers.

Even though other branches of Christianity all carry valuable truths and have great value, I believe Eastern Orthodoxy is second to none when it comes to the riches of the early church's original tradition and teaching. For me, this book definitely brought a rethinking on a personal level. For the first time I began to see some errors and mistakes made by both Protestant Christians and Catholic Christians down through the ages.

For example, the theological concept of "satisfaction" or "substitution" was understood a little differently in the first thousand years of Christian history. In the Western tradition, both Protestantism and Catholicism hold a view that one of the main reasons why God had to send His only brgotten son to the fallen sinful world was because Jesus needed to remove the righteous wrath of the Judge (Father God) from the earth.

According to Orthodoxy, the sacrifice of Christ focuses on more of God's "voluntary", "unconditional" act of love designed to set mankind from the bondage of sin, Satan and death. In this society where passing fads are constantly whizzing past us like a whole bunch of cars on the highway, that kind of unchanged, unbroken history and tradition is a real gem and blessings for those who are left high and dry in their pursuit of truth and a more fulfilling relationship with God. I found it really comforting to know that there's one church out there that has kept its order and tradition intact from the time that the church emerged on the earth. In that sense, this book is a little gem of a book, in my humble opinion.

It debunks some theological concepts and doctrines that many contemporary churches have tried to understand in quite a different way--- compared to the way that the early church Christians approached their beliefs. For those of you who want to see a new light cast on your understanding of the early church and its tradition and beliefs, this book can help you better understand your Christian life. Even though it primarily focuses its attention on the writer's conversion to Eastern Orthodox Christianity from Protestantism, it still can shed fresh light on our modern system of interpretation of the Word in our dealings with the Scriptures and tradition.

My only complaint is that "in every way" it might give the impression that Orthodox church is a top notch above Protestantism and Catholicism in an attempt to put a special emphasis on the Orthodox church and its teachings. Having said that, I also understand that the writer had no option but to declare dominance over the other churches because it's a known fact that other branches of Christianity have changed their liturgical forms and made some doctrinal changes in some areas. Not that they are heretical or intrinsically bad in any kind of way but that they are just somewhat different than the early church.

I had so much fun reading his eventful journey out of Protestanism into Orthodoxy and his personal blunders and struggles in quest of his spiritual adventure. In a word, this one is highly readable. It's a fun, informative read for any serious Christians regardless of their background and denomination.

I own both the original and now the updated versions of this book, and the updates are more than worth the price! Fr. Andrew has beautifully contributed to the worldwide religious conversation, and weaves a thread of Orthodoxy throughout this book: both in response to other faith's and showing the points of connection with Orthodoxy. Worth every penny and moment spent.

Poetic and thought-provoking, this is an exploration of growth: physical & spiritual through the metaphor of garden cultivation. Cultivation because it's purposeful. A beautiful book that can be enjoyed by anyone, whether you are Orthodox or not. I look forward to leading our Women's Book club discussion on this in a few weeks!

This is a thoughtful, moving story of a contemporary American woman's journey into the Eastern Orthodox faith tradition. I loved how Carlson takes such a finely-crafted approach to the memoir, eschewing a chronological approach for a braiding of her life at different times into a more surprising narrative. This construction creates powerful thematic connections and makes such compelling emotional sense. I have no personal history with the Eastern Orthodox tradition, but I identified strongly with the author's position, and personal struggles, as a feminist, mother, and spiritual seeker, and I loved following her conversion experience and learning where it took her. The insightful, courageous ways she takes on potentially opposing aspects of her own perspective and values--the way the story weaves punk rock, feminism, and ancient/traditional Christian practices and prayer--are both moving and enlightening. The writing is distinguished by a strong prose style that captures a sense of exploration and introspection beautifully. Carlson writes with a lyrical flair that allows for layering of her imagery and music, presenting her insights in a way that makes them develop organically, and that does justice to their complexity.