Very well written, slight lack of practicality towards the end.

I was thoroughly impressed after a friend recommended this book to me. I had already read the original by Saint John Climacus, titled "The Ladder of Divine Ascent," a truly wonderful book. Initially written for monks, its literary style is mind-blowing. This version, however, is rewritten to captivate the reader's attention and simplifies complex monastic concepts for the everyday person. It's both engaging and impressive.

I became Orthodox because of the nearness of Christ in the worship and life of the Church. Dr. Porcu just expanded my understanding of how and why this happens in the Church. This book might be my new favorite book to give inquirers as it is an easy to read, yet articulate, view of the Christian Life. For those of us that live in the world (i.e. all of us) we can compartmentalize Sunday Liturgy from the rest of the week. Dr. Porcu wonderfully shows how what happens on Sunday MUST expand into every aspect of our lives, as Christians, in order to "become fully human."

Thankful for such an insightful book.

As it says in the author bio of this beautifully-illustrated book, this is a "simple story of contemplative prayer." We find the pilgrim just setting off on his way to discover the secret of ceaseless prayer. Along the way he gets little hints, meets various helpers and fellow pilgrims, and faces obstacles just as we all do. I love the inviting rhythm of the book - nothing is rushed, and the words feel almost like poetry. I think this book would make a perfect bedtime story for children at home, or it could work well for church school after the teacher sets the students up with the question, "How can we pray without stopping?" and gets the students to suggest various answers. In the end, as Dr. Albert Rossi says in his afterword, the pilgrim finds that the treasure he seeks "already lives in our heart to be discovered."

We would have liked to order St. Patrick's Day greeting cards.

I find this a good resource for the young and the newly acquainted. It restores faith in fighting the good fight to be introduced to so many who have overcome the world with holiness.

This was a helpful book for those who come from either background seeking to understand the other. Obviously, the book is an apologetic for Orthodoxy and critiques the general Protestant views of various theological topics. Because Protestantism ranges so vastly in belief, the general critiques are limited in their helpfulness. I would hope to see a similar book aimed at specific streams of Protestantism (perhaps denominationally) so that there positions can be more closely identified and specific arguments be made for orthodoxy. All in all a good primer in comparative discussion of Protestant and Orthodox teaching.

For the Life of the World by Alexander Schmemann is a remarkable book. For me, it was deep material; I think, in part, because much of it relates to the lived experience of correct belief. A belief that is not just understanding on a rational level, but experiential noetic knowledge. Something we in the West and modern mind have forgotten. This is a challenging perspective. Christian belief is more than personally transformative, but of cosmic significance. I have been a Christian for 20+ years and feel I am merely at the beginning of this journey.

The challenge for me is how do I apply this to my daily life? For starters, relying on spiritual council and guidance of a true shepard of the Kingdom is important. I think God for the good discipleship I have found. Also, a simple being active in the life and time of the Body of Christ through time and in time seems of critical experiential importance. I am not sure how these insights would apply outside of the Eastern Churches perspectives and may raise many questions for denominations that do not view Christ in the same way. Personally, I am excited about my journey into ancient faith.

If you're like me, someone who is Catholic but admires the Orthodox Church, and someone who just began to appreciate the Orthodox Psalter (and pray it daily), this audible version is a must. It explains how the Orthodox Psalter is broken up and how it can be read, chanted, or sang.
So the voice actor reads the psalms it with such devotion. And the latter part is chanted. There is a rhythm to it. Like I said, this is a must. And such a bargain. If you're Catholic, or Protestant, or just plain a vanilla Christian, reading the Psalter as the Orthodox do is just a blessing. It brings such peace. And it completes wholeheartedly your prayer routine. If I could give it ten stars, I would. _ __ __ _ __ __ _ __ __ _

I love the Russian classic The Way of the Pilgrim, so I was excited to get a copy of this new children's book based on the classic. The Little Way of a Pilgrim presents a modern young pilgrim in his Chuck Taylor tennis shoes asking the same question, "what does it mean to pray without ceasing?" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) He travels down the road, asking the people he meets if they can teach him about ceaseless prayer. When the monk teaches him the Jesus Prayer, he is overjoyed and begins his practice. He is filled with gratitude and joy. The book doesn't attempt to retell the story exactly, but clearly refers to passages from the classic. Older children might enjoy reading more of the encounters told in the original. But this picture book offer younger children a similar sense of watching this wanderer search and grow in a life-long quest for prayer and love for Christ.

I'm always particular about illustrations, and I just adore these by Diana-Elena Popescu. My daughter enjoyed the animals and tiny details. We both appreciated the child-friendly language, that wasn't overly flowery. It led to a nice conversation about prayer ropes and the Jesus Prayer. My 8 year old daughter was aware of both, but it seemed to illustrate their purpose and practice more clearly. She doesn't have a prayer rope of her own, but now would like one. Seems like a nice way to begin Lent!

The Resurrection Icon is one of my favorites, and this gilded icon looks great. The only thing I would say I opened up the frame to see if I could remove the glossy "glass" over the icon to avoid reflections, and it's not really possible because this is just a gilded paper print. With the frame, it's beautiful and I'm overall very happy with this purchase.

The audiobook was a super quick listen that felt comprehensive, but also approachable for someone who isn't deeply knowledgeable about theology. I think a lot about Constantinou's Thinking Orthodox and the idea that when you're steeped in the Orthodox tradition, it can be hard to see from outside of your own phronema. In many ways, Living Faith did that for me.

Thank you to Ancient Faith Publishing for a complimentary copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Nothing short of incredible! Michael thoroughly challenged my presuppositions about what the Bible is saying and forced me to look at it through a different lens (I come from a non-denom background). The author referenced a lot of Scripture, which I think is a solid approach if you're writing to a "sola scriptura" audience. Even if you don't end up converting to EO, this is still a great reference to keep on the bookshelf!

CLEAR CONCISE GOOD PICTURES. LOVE THESE BOOKS FOR YOUNG ORTHODOX. THANK YOU

Excellent

The diptych arrived quickly, and was helpful for our particular need.

These cases are not only beautiful but well made and hardy.

Anybody that wnats to read from about sacrifes from Moses through today in the orthodox church, this is the book to read.

An Orthodox view of orthodoxy to those who don't know. Very helpful.

Excellent product! Beautifully crafted! - Fr. David Masterson