The book of Luke is coming alive for me again, I want to read all in this series.

I love this book. I just finished reading it for the second time. There are wonderful portraits of Holiness and models of Christian Life bundled in its pages. What a rare and special insight it provides. Highly recommended!

It might be helpful to read other books on Orthodox Spirituality before reading this one. (Such as the Philokalia or any of Metropolitan Hierotheos' books on the cure of the soul). This is not a book about doing arts and crafts with your children. This is about salvation and deep concern for the soul of your child and how to develop a child who is freer from the control of the passions. In a sense, it's about being a spiritual physician for your child, sensing problems/passions and helping the child not to develop them. I bought this books many, many years ago when my children were very young. I wish I would have better understood this book at the time. With hindsight being 20/20 and my better understanding today of Orthodox spirituality, I now realize the wisdom of this saint's advice to parents. The book is short and easy to read. And although the concepts seem easy to understand, the foundation for these concepts is quite deep. If you haven't read the Philokalia (or other Orthodox spirituality books) or had a spiritual father, or understand Fall of man according to Orthodox teaching (and I'm not saying I understand all these things--but I certainly understand them better than 20 years ago), then it is easy to misunderstand the strictness of St. Theophan's advise and approach. A wonderful booklet that parents may also enjoy is "On the Upbringing of Children" by Bishop Irenaius. This is another book I've reread and appreciated much more, now that my children are grown.

The play mat is adorable, and provided a nice quiet toy for my girls as we waited for church to begin (their dad is a priest so we arrive very early!).

However, my two year old was too rough for it and pulled several of the glued pieces off. She thought every piece needed to move I guess! But I will glue the priest's head back on and perhaps sew down some of the larger bits. I also had to take away the candles as she was too tempted to put them in her mouth.

Ultimately, heed the age warning- my five year old loved this and was gentle with it, but the small pieces are too much for my two year old.

Having served as a Mennonite missionary for many years, I had been taught in my missions training to love first, and to only endeavor to share the gospel when true friendship and trust had been established. It was less "here's what I'd like you to hear from me", and more "I see you; I want to know you. I respect you, and I listen not just to respond, but to know you." Eventually we came to a place of deeper sharing and trust when I could say, "Would it interest you to study this with me?" It was truly beautiful to see how God opened and softened hearts through real, disinterested friendship and, even though flawed, love. Fr. Andrew has given us a great gift in his labors; to be able to "see" the beliefs of others, that our interactions with them wouldn't be uninformed nor polemic. As I am hoping to soon be a catechumen in the Orthodox Church, it has been extremely difficult to engage with gentleness and patience with those who are almost entirely ignorant about, but nonetheless vehemently opposed to, Orthodoxy. Oh how I'd appreciate if they took the time to know, even if they do not come to the same conclusions, what the Orthodox Church actually teaches and does, instead of relying on their preconceived ideas and assumptions. I wish to extend this same respect and honor to those whom I interact with; to be able to articulate their beliefs back to them with such understanding that they could say, "Yes, that is what I believe." To quote Fr. Andrew: "It is possible to be faithful, serious, and traditional while also seeking deep engagement with member of other Christian confessions and even non-Christians, while making space for them in our hearts and in our lives. But such engagement has to be based on love and the desire to know and understand the other, to build relationship. If we make agreement a prerequisite for love and relationship, then we turned Jesus Christ into an ideology." (Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy, p.364). This work is less some sort of ammo for polemics than it is lenses with which to see, which is where love begins.

Excellent book for (as the title says) Orthodox Christians and Inquirers. I agree with one of the reviewers that this is probably the best book of its kind. Each chapter deals with a topic (The Church, Grace, Salvation, etc.) where Rev. Shanbour discusses the Orthodox teaching on the subject. This is followed by supporting quotes of Holy Scripture, not just listed (where you have to go research them) but written out so you can easily see the fullness of the support for the theology. For example, the chapter on Tradition lists 14 Bible quotes supporting Holy Tradition. After the section on Scripture verses there are supporting quotes by Church Fathers and saints. Excellent clarity and depth. Very informative. If someone is considering Orthodoxy, you also would find this book extemely helpful because Rev. Shanbour often writes according to how Orthodoxy differs from some of the concepts in Catholicism and/or Protestantism.

This helps! Gives good perspective on life and helps in one's spiritual journey.

This helps! Gives good perspective on life and helps in one's spiritual journey.

Great read. Enjoyed and learned from this book

Excellent book! I highly recommend this book to all those who are looking for answers to all questions about Christianity and other religions of the world!

Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy, in its newly expanded and revised edition, offers Christians a contemporary study of comparative religion in an impressive single-volume book for study and reference. Fr. Andrew undertook quite an ambitious task to examine so many religious groups, Christian and non-Christian, in light of the teachings of Holy Orthodoxy. In doing so, he offers a fair and balanced approach, avoiding unfair criticisms or obviously slanted perspectives and polemics, presenting instead the history as well as doctrines of teachings of other faiths in light of Orthodox. In this work, heterodoxy is used to describe the status of a group not as an insult which, in the age of the internet, is welcomed to those of us with a fondness for the study of other beliefs.

I thoroughly enjoyed additions to this edition, like Fr. Andrew's Appendix II, in which he discusses what drew him to Holy Orthodoxy. As someone who has followed his podcasts, subscribed to his blogs, and read his books, it was a pleasant insight. As a former Charismatic, I was impressed with the attention given to this movement that seemed overlooked in the previous edition. Fr. Andrew presented, for example, speaking in tongues, discussing how it is integrated into the practice of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians and their churches, presented the opposing views of the late Fr. Seraphim Rose, and then offered a balanced conclusion with his own personal reflections. This reflective tone is present throughout the book.

This is a work that is great for personal reading, study, and reflection but is equally valuable as a guide for discussion or the basis of a class. Not only does it examine teachings of other groups, but observes them from an Orthodox perspective, helping the reader to identify with the teachings of the Church and grow in one's Orthodox faith. I whole-heartedly recommend this book without any reservations and hope it can enlighten those looking to understand their faith or those looking into Orthodoxy. That being said, I commend Fr. Andrew for the sheer amount of time and study it took to produce this work and thank him for his continued contribution to the Church.

- Dn. Thom Crowe

Full disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book to review, which I have done without allowing that to influence my evaluation of the text. I enjoyed it so much I will buy a few copies as gifts and am planning to purchase the e-book version to keep my notes easily accessible and handy.

A thoughtful, easy to understand exploration of Christian doctrine across churches and denominations. As a student of religious beliefs (BA, Humanities/Religious Studies) who came to Orthodox faith by way of a Roman Catholic upbringing. I was delighted to begin reading this new edition of Fr. Andrew's book. The original podcast series was very helpful during our family's initial inquiries into Orthodox Christianity; I suspected the book would be enriching as well. As a homeschooling mom of a crew that now includes a teen, I wanted to find a well-researched written resource that would give us a starting point to begin discussing Christian doctrine and how it has changed throughout the ages, especially during the various splits within Christianity.

Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy certainly fits that bill. I especially appreciate the tone that the author has taken in this new edition - more thoughtful and reflective in an attempt to avoid polemics. I suppose as an Orthodox Christian myself, I come to the book with a bias such that I am less sensitive to any potentially polemical statements. That said, Fr. Andrew's stated goal to avoid such attacks was itself instructive for my teen daughter and myself as we began reading and discussing the text together.

Fr. Andrew clearly has a wealth of knowledge on his topic, and the book is well documented with ample citations to support his writing. That said, he works hard to make this book accessible to readers of multiple levels, not just academics.

This is a worthy reference for students and families alike.

Insightful, encouraging, re-centering.A return to one's center, a guide to renewing the experience of being present.Our healing presence to others starts within our own center.

A must read book for spiritual healing and will improve your life to become a better human and a more positive life

Amazing words of wisdom.

Well-written at a level most people can understand. Farley's commentary is always interesting and informative with some little know facts.

As an Orthodox Christian, I found this book an interesting read; it was refreshing to see the journey to the Ancient Faith as described by the Author. I would recommend this to any protestant who is interested in the Ancient Faith. The Author has a way of getting across the most relevant information in a clear and direct manner. High level points were well made by diving only deep enough to have a sufficient understanding of these points. This provides the reader with just enough context to understand the authors perspective as he describes his journey to the Ancient Faith.

Such a great resource!!! And, one of my favorite books. It's as fun to read as it is practically usefull. The original version was part of the reason that my little brother, my wife, and I became Orthodox Christians.

Our beloved Father Coniaris has assembled a wide variety of Orthodox prayers for every conceivable need. They are wide ranging, encompassing even a passage from The Brothers Karamazov, a bracing prayer by Saint Patrick and other welcome surprises. I have bookmarked at least 20 of them for frequent use, and always discover new ones.

Our beloved Father Coniaris has assembled a wide variety of Orthodox prayers for every conceivable need. They are wide ranging, encompassing even a passage from The Brothers Karamazov, a bracing prayer by Saint Patrick and other welcome surprises. I have bookmarked at least 20 of them for frequent use, and always discover new ones.