Rock and Sand by Archpriest Josiah Trenham T he title of this book originates from the teaching of Christ about the different houses, with the one founded on the sand collapsing but the one founded on the rock being secure. This metaphor outlines the key aim of the book, which highlights the differences between Protestantism and Orthodoxy and shows how the Orthodox Church is founded on the rock and the Protestant denominations on sand. Rock and Sand approaches this task of explaining the differences between Orthodoxy and the various strands of Protestantism methodically. It starts by explaining the origins of [...]

The Mountain of Silence Kyriakos C. Markides Published by Doubleday, 2001 The Mountain of Silence explores the conversations of Kyriacos C. Markides and Father Maximos concerning the relevance that Athonite spirituality holds for those living in the world today. It centres around the spiritual knowledge acquired by Father Maximos during his time spent on Mount Athos as the spiritual child of Saint Paisios, which he passes on to Kyriacos through a series of discussions throughout the book. The book begins with Kyriacos’ quest to find a mystical spiritual tradition, which leads him to explore various forms of yoga and meditation. [...]

Ascetics in the World - Volume 1 English Translation by Fr. Nicholas Palis Published by Saint Nicodemos Publications Asceticism involves self-denial. It means to struggle against physical and spiritual temptations in order to grow closer to God. We often think of the ascetics as hermits and as monastics, living alone in deserts and caves and as people who achieved sainthood because of their great struggles. However, Ascetics in the World shows us the lives of mothers and fathers, priests and workers who lived in the world, yet were able to grow so close to God through their daily sacrifices that [...]

The Garden of the Holy Spirit: Saint Iakovos of Evia by Professor Stylianos Papadopoulos Published by Orthodox Witness 2018   The Garden of the Holy Spirit is a spiritual biography describing the life of a contemporary Greek Orthodox Elder, Iakovos Tsalikis, abbot of the Monastery of Saint David in Evia, Greece. The Elder’s biography begins with his family’s flight as refugees from Asia Minor to the island of Evia. It follows with a description of the Elder’s early life, especially his upbringing in the faith by his pious mother, his asceticism, and his love for prayer and the sacred Church [...]

On the Prayer of Jesus by Ignatius Brianchaninov. Published by Nicolas-Hays, Inc. 2006   The words of the Jesus prayer are familiar to all pious Orthodox Christians: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner. St Ignatius Brianchaninov was a 19th century Russian Orthodox bishop. He begins his work by placing the Jesus prayer firmly within the tradition and teaching of the gospels. He recalls multiple examples from Holy Scriptures to show that the prayer has scriptural origins; that it is not conceived by monastics of later centuries. The main idea conveyed in his work is [...]