Welcome to the Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity (Mathewes-Green)

Item No. 008874

by Frederica Mathewes-Green

There are other introductory books about Orthodoxy. This one comprehensively covers the history, theology, and practice, but with a twist: readers learn by making a series of visits to a fictitious church, and get to know the faith as new Christians did for most of history, by immersion. Mathewes-Green provides commentary and explanations on everything from how to “venerate” an icon, to the Orthodox understanding of the atonement, to the Lenten significance of tofu. It’s the perfect book for inquirers and newcomers, but even readers who have been Orthodox all their lives say they learned things they never knew before. Enjoyable, easy-to-read, and leavened with humor, Welcome to the Orthodox Church is a gracious guide to the ancient faith of the Christian East. Inviting rather than argumentative, this is a book Orthodox Christians will be giving to their friends.

Praise for Welcome to the Orthodox Church:

Plenty of books deal with Christian theology in weighty and abstruse ways, but few apply the theology so wholly to the everyday lived realities of life, and in such easily accessible prose, as does Welcome to the Orthodox Church. Take warning, though: if you do read this thoughtful, passionate book, you run the risk of having to take the claims of Orthodox Christianity very seriously indeed.

-Philip Jenkins, Baylor University

With exhilarating clarity, Frederica Mathewes-Green introduces the profound mystery at the heart of the Orthodox Christian faith, which is also our common inheritance: it is a way of life to be encountered and performed; it is not reducible to a range of propositions to be considered. With great charm and with characteristic wit and humor, she prepares the way for those who arrive at an Orthodox church for services, letting them know what to expect, what to watch for, how to lean in—letting them know how best to open their hearts to this worship that is both ancient and ever new.

-Scott Cairns

In her own warm and engaging way, Frederica takes you on a journey into a strange and exotic world for those unfamiliar with it but a spiritual refuge and oasis for those who have embraced it. This just may be the Church you have been looking for and didn’t even know it existed.

-John Maddex, CEO Ancient Faith Ministries

Author: Frederica Mathewes-Green

Format: Paperback

Dimensions: 5.5 X 8.5 inches

Page Length: 386 pages

Publisher: Other publisher

AFP SKU: 008874

Retail Price: $19.99