Good News, Bad News is a wonderful story about honesty and generosity, individuality and strengthening the nuclear family. We listened to the audio book version, and found it to be a perfectly timed story of integrity and brotherhood. I think this book is an important read because it is filled with realistic scenarios and biblical parallels that apply to the lives of my 5 and 7 yr old sons. What do we do when no one is looking? Is it better to disobey and win, or be obedient to what is right and trust God for all we need? This story makes biblical virtues tangible in an age appropriate way, and I would highly recommend this book to any Orthodox friends with children between the ages of 5-10. As a bonus for the audio version, the book was read aloud by a boy of that same age range; my boys enjoyed listening to a story read by their peer.

I absolutely loved this book. I was raised in an evangelical home and there was a strong aversion to seeing Creation as something that would be redeemed, rather as I was frequently told everything in the world was set to burn. After becoming Orthodox, I have been slowly learning what the Church has actually taught through the centuries on God's creation and our role in it. This book challenged a lot of what I was taught as a protestant and opened up a wonderful vista of what the Orthodox Church teaches regarding the role of matter in God's redemptive purpose. God doesn't just love our souls; He loves our bodies and all of creation and has redeemed it all.

I found Mr. Phillips approach to be very accessible for those with and without a strong theological background. I especially found the chapter summaries and discussion questions to be very useful, especially in an audiobook. I also think Ms. Wenger's narration to be incredible. I enjoyed listening to her and thought she did an exquisite job.

As with all audiobooks, especially non-fiction ones, you worry that you will miss out from important footnotes or other pieces of information. Ancient Faith did an excellent job of incorporating the important footnotes into the narration without them feeling shoehorned or disruptive to the flow of the narration.

I highly recommend this book and the audio edition of that is your cup of tea.

In Face to Face: Knowing God Beyond Our Shame, Fr. Stephen Freeman writes that “modern America is a shame-bound culture in which the topic of shame is often taboo.” He also notes that “shame is often a public or relational reality, and its treatment requires assistance.”

Events in Fr. Freeman’s life prompted him to grapple with shame through therapeutic, researched, and pastoral lenses. As a result, he balances the nomenclature of therapists and synergizes the study of toxic and healthy shame with the teachings of the Church. I first heard the term “healthy shame” in one of his blog posts on Glory to God For All Things. Healthy shame seems to be a psychological warning system, and like pain that becomes chronic, it can send destructive messages that require rewiring.

In his introduction, Fr. Freeman sets out questions like “Does God create shame? Does Faith require shame? What place does shame hold in the life and work of Christ? How do we speak of shame in a manner that is consistent with Orthodox teaching?” He’s concerned about the place of shame in individual lives.

As an Orthodox Christian, his question land. Sundays as I walk to liturgy, I recite the pre-communion prayers, which are chockful of phrases about myself that include “useless,” “unworthy,” “insufficient,” and ascribe all manner of failure to my internal and external behaviors. One of our parishioners came to despise the pre-communion prayers, saying the language ground her down with shame. When that woman pressed me about that language, I had no ready answer. Part of that reaction, which I see in myself, has to do with American culture. We prefer pride, control, success, and dignity – even at the cost of inauthenticity – to humility. I know a high-powered fundraiser in Washington D.C. who feels so ashamed of the conservative college she attended and her low-income childhood, that she refuses to discuss this with colleagues. In D.C., the influential can help people from low incomes and mingle with those of other political persuasions, but can’t originate from such a background.

“I’ve been a convert all my life,” Fr. Freeman writes in Chapter 7, then he recounts his conversions including the final movement into Orthodox Christianity which required setting aside his priesthood in the Episcopal Church. He follows up his history with an anecdote about baptizing an older Russian woman who rankled when he said she “converted” – I did not convert. Conversion means I had a choice. That’s what Americans do. – We have built our cultural ecology on the right to, even the wealth of, choice. The dark side of all this choice is the onus we take on ourselves, and we tend to hold ourselves and others responsible sometimes to the point of shame. After all they “chose” It.

Fr. Freeman tackles shame in multiple facets of our lives but doesn’t cover it exhaustively. Some of his blogs evoked more visceral wrestling with shame for me, but blogs don’t last like books, and this book’s topic is undertreated by priests and laity alike. We all have to bear a little shame, he quotes, and the sacrament of confession should be a safe space to do that. I’ve had pastoral confessors who let confession be the tool that even therapy cannot be – but it doesn’t work alone. – Yet I’ve heard other Orthodox Christians say they avoid confession because their father confessors are so punitive. Do they know that they’re weaponizing a person’s shame against them? I wonder. I’ve always felt that therapy gives me techniques to address unhealthy thought patterns, while confession lets me lay down my shame. I’d hope that a book like this would prompt other priests better understand shame so they become more pastoral.

I bought a Kindle version and the Audiobook. Sometimes Biblical Studies, especially Introduction or Survey level material, can seem dry. Father Stephen manages to make an interesting, yet complex topic and make it open up the sense of awe and wonder again. I'm often lost where to start with studying the apocryphal books. Most of the material out is from a critical perspective mostly by non-Christians. This book finally explains so much for me and helps me not only better understand the place and material of the apocryphal books - but to apply it in my journey of a life of repentance. This is THE book to go for Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike. I hope it finds more mainstream success outside of Orthodoxy as well. Thanks again, Father Stephen.

I love history, especially Church history and this series is the best I have yet encountered. John Strickland writes with elegance, detail, and knowledge in an engaging way that make history into a classroom; but a classroom one hesitates to leave. The book is a story one cannot put down.

This is a very beautiful and well constructed bible. It is easy to read and the information at the bottom of each page is excellent.

Author Stephen De Young provides a helpful introduction to biblical apocrypha beyond the books that Roman Catholics and Protestants generally consider or argue over being called apocrypha. De Young’s main point is that there is a third class of book between “Canonical Scripture” and heretical books: apocrypha, “books that are useful for private reading in the home but are not for public reading in the churches.” Part One explores Old Testament Apocrypha and Part Two explores New Testament Apocrypha.

Some helpful highlights: De Young begins with an introduction to this third category of literature with a minor defense of it and the use of pseudepigrapha. Then, for each book he offers an overview of its historical / cultural context, authorship, contents, and its relationship with the Bible, the Church Fathers, and the Tradition of the Church. De Young also often brings out the teachings of the book, making it immediately applicable to the listener.

De Young limits his content to the apocrypha that is not found in Roman Catholic bibles. This keeps the focus on lesser known texts from Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity that inform the Church’s understanding of the scriptures, and it keeps the book away from strict debates on what should or should not be considered part of the Bible. De Young does have a section on canonicity that is helpful if you are curious as to his views and general Eastern Orthodox views on Canon.

The book’s narration by the author is excellent. He is able to draw out emphases in his writing as they are intended to be conveyed vocally.

The print or ebook versions would be more helpful as a reference to the apocrypha given the ability to jump to specific pages or search text.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in reading the books that influenced the Scriptures and the Early Church, whether that be 1 Enoch, the Twelve Patriarchs, or the Shepherd of Hermas. De Young’s book is accessible to the mildly interested and the deeply invested alike. I have already made it halfway through my second listen.

Useful

This book provides a comprehensive overview of ancient Jewish and Christian texts that fall outside the traditional biblical canon. The book explores the category of "apocrypha," a term he uses to refer to texts that were meant to be read privately in the home rather than being hidden or secret. These aren't the books that Protestants exclude from their bibles but Orthodox and Catholics include, but those books read in priviate study in antiquity by Christians but are no longer commonly read. Fr. Stephen is an Eastern Orthodox priest (Antiochian), and this is the audience he is aiming for- and he skillfully connects elements of Liturgy, Scripture, iconography, and patristic writings found in these texts, enabling readers to deepen their understanding of the Orthodox Christian Faith. But this book could be read by anyone interested in an overview of these texts.

Something Fr. Stephen draws out while discussing the Old Testament era works is the diversity of Judaisms throughout history, particularly focusing on the first century, but also in earlier periods. He sheds light on contemporary rabbinical Judaism, which emerged as a response to the destruction of the Second Temple and as a rejection of the Christian element that had influenced Judaism in the first century following the life and ministry of Jesus. The unique canon of the Ethiopian Judaic community and its impact on the Ethiopian Orthodox Church also gets frequent mention, as Fr. Stephen spends a significant portion of the book discussing the Enochian literature that has a more settled inclusion in the Ethiopian tradition.

Fr. Stephen's scholarship is evident throughout the book, offering a valuable gateway for studying apocryphal and pseudoepigraphic books. The overview provided encompasses both texts written in what we could call Old and New Testament eras. Fr. Stephen delves into various works, including 1 Enoch, 2 Enoch, 4 Ezra (2 Esdras), 4 Maccabees, the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and many others. Each text is introduced, summarized, and accompanied by brief commentary, ensuring readers gain a comprehensive understanding of their content.


The book also explores the significance of these texts within the early Church and their connections to liturgical practices, scriptural interpretations, and patristic writings and why they should matter to the contemporary Orthodox Church. Fr. Stephen highlights how familiarity with these apocryphal works can help explain puzzling readings in liturgy, unusual expressions in Scripture, and surprising interpretations found in the writings of early Church Fathers.

Apocrypha: An Introduction to Extra-Biblical Literature succeeds in being accessible to readers with varying levels of knowledge on the subject. It is not a dry academic text but rather an engaging resource suitable for both the scholarly and the modern Christian seeking spiritual enrichment. Fr. Stephen presents the historical background, reactions from Church Fathers and surrounding cultures, and the practical takeaways from each text. This approachability ensures readers can engage with the material effectively. This book does not replace reading these texts, but instead says that we have too long ignored them and should take another look. He is peepling back the covers and providing a solid introduction to someone that wants an over view of the literature.



The texts covered:

-1 Enoch
-2 Enoch
-3 Enoch
-The Book of Giants
-The Book of Jubilees
-Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
-4 Ezra (2 Esdras)
-4 Maccabees
-2 Baruch
-3 Baruch
-4 Baruch
-The Apocalypse of Abraham
-The Ascension of Isaiah
-The Assumption of Moses
-Joseph and Aseneth

-The Protoevangelium of James
-The Gospel of the Hebrews
-The Gospel of Peter
-The Gospel of Thomas
-The Gospel of Nicodemus
-The Acts of Peter
-The Acts of Paul
-The Acts of John
-The Acts of Thomas
-The Shepherd of Hermas
-The Didache
-The Epistle of Barnabas
-1 Clement
-2 Clement
-Clementine Homilies
-The Apocalypse of Peter

The subject of sacrifice is key to understanding how Christ fulfilled the hopes of Israel and continues to fulfill God's people. Fr. Davis admirably enlightens the subject from the Old and New Testament and early Church fathers. His presentation is profound, balanced and accessible. Even the learned reader will encounter new insights from the spiritual integration of the sources.

Beautiful!

Love this little prayer book!

Icon is a skillfully written and thought provoking novel. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter as a read the preview and I couldn't wait for the book to arrive when I ordered it immediately after. It is rare to find a teen/young adult novel that is unafraid to present true suffering and evil as Icon does and yet leave the reader filled with hope and joy. This story is so powerful because, while 2023 America isn't quite at the level of dystopia presented in Icon, we could easily get there in 15-20 years. The language Dr. Snead uses is eerily similar to the words and phrases surrounding us in our everyday lives as is the steady disappearance of books such as A Wrinkle In Time and the rise of "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas". A must read for anyone between the ages of 13 and 30!

I am a space systems engineer,so I appreciate the message.

Stunning. And perfect for travel

Beautiful icon and filato, and the oil is very fragrant. Makes a great gift!

As an inquirer of Orthodoxy, it is very useful especially since I am reading it to my mother. God willing I will soon be a catechumen soon, and hopefully more of my family will follow.

great resource and size to take anywhere

I read this book at the perfect time! I think we all have some ‘healing work’ that we need to do in our lives, but I’m currently in the midst of a very trying time. While I’m not at the point of healing yet, I am so thankful to know I have the tools that I will need when the time comes. I really enjoyed how thorough the approach Josh Makoul took in his book. He guides the reader through looking at their entire life. Not only that, but he highlights psychological aspects of childhood that helps the reader better understand the what’s and why’s of their past. The appendix section is also extremely helpful for someone like me that needs an example to follow before diving in to a task. I enjoyed the easy to follow step by step guidance through the process of ‘healing work.’
What I really enjoyed about this book was how helpful it was for my life for many different reasons. For one, it gave me insight for how to heal from hurtful memories in my past. An unintended benefit of the book is that it helped me understand some of the perspectives of my own children. Life is crazy right now and I’m thankful to have some extra insight into how my children can be internalizing life events. And as mentioned before, this book is helpful to me right now as I navigate through life’s issues.
I would absolutely recommend this book for everyone! We all have our own healing work to do!

A free copy of this book was provided to me in return for an honest review of this book.

This is an illuminating read by Fr. Freeman, worth a second read, which I gave it. He explores the subject of shame (the "master emotion") thoroughly and sometimes beyond my comprehension. Then again, scripture is like that: the understanding often comes in due time as revealed.

The book is rich in Orthodox teachings along with scripture and gainful in my understanding of the faith.
Plenty of examples and anecdotes to supplement the case that Fr. Freeman makes so well.

I was pulled in different directions, not realizing the root nature of shame in so many contexts. This is indeed helpful in knowing God. Fr. Freeman tied up many loose threads.

The "Last Thoughts" final chapter is a fitting closure to the book and a summary of some key points.

I will read the book again and highly recommend it to anyone seeking to know God more closely. I have a new awareness of shame and was often reminded when reading of my own experiences. A light turned on.