Suggestion: an Eastern Christian Studies Collection

William Baptiste SFO
William Baptiste SFO Member Posts: 21 ✭✭
edited December 2024 in English Forum

May the Grace and Peace of Jesus be with everyone on Logos Forums!

I am pleased that my Logos resource suggestion for the critical edition Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, edited by Norman P. Tanner, was endorsed by some of the Logos Forum MVPs as "a resource that belongs in Logos," and that several people heartily agreed with my suggestion that Johannes Quasten’s Patrology would make "a superb resource."

I do not know how long it may take for such Forum interest in my suggestions to actually materialize into a Pre-Pub offering of these works (which I am sure would find buyers enough to produce these high-quality and highly sought after works). However, emboldened by that interest, I here wish to suggest my own personal "wish list" for several small titles related to Eastern Christian Studies, which is a greatly neglected area among Logos titles.

I admit my particular interest at this time comes from being invited to take my Ph.D. at the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute for Eastern Christian Studies (MASI), but I hope that Logos will find in my suggestion an easy way to start publishing more books on Eastern Christianity, broadening Logos’ horizons eastwards, since these are all small books that would be easy to produce, compared to Patrology or Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils.

Western Christianity’s Roman Catholicism and Protestantism has dominated the history of Christianity and of theology largely because Eastern Christianity (Catholic and Orthodox) spent most of history defending itself from or living under Muslim conquest. Its non-Western but unshakeably orthodox (and deeply spiritual) approach to and perspectives on the Christian faith add a tremendous amount to current discussions on Christian theology, unity and ecumenism. Logos users would be greatly enriched by more offerings in Logos from an Eastern Christian perspective which puts many of the Western Christian disputes or discussions in an entirely new light. Although many of the Eastern Early Church Fathers theological works are well-represented in current Logos resources, especially the 38-Volume Early Church Fathers collection, these works lack the context of Eastern Christian worship and spiritual life from ancient to modern times which these books I suggest would help provide, enriching the usefulness of those Early Eastern theological works already available in Logos.

So, without further ado, here is my current "Eastern Christian Studies Collection Wish List" (everyone feel free to add more suggestions):

The Christian Churches of the East, Volumes I and II.  Donald Attwater.

The Orthodox Church (1993 Update). Kallistos (Timothy) Ware.

The Orthodox Way.  Kallistos (Timothy) Ware.

These Are My Rites: A Brief History of the Eastern Rites of Christianity.  Edward E. Finn.

The Uniate Eastern Churches: The Byzantine Rite in Italy, Sicily, Syria and Egypt.  Adrian Fortescue. 

Ending the Byzantine Greek Schism: The 14th Century Apologia of Demetrios Kydones for Unity With Rome.  James Likoudis.

The Eastern Catholic Churches: An Introduction to Their Worship and Spirituality.  Joan L. Roccasalvo.

After 900 Years.  Yves Congar.

The Byzantine Rite: A Short History.  Robert F. Taft.

Glory be to Jesus Christ!  Glory be Forever!

-- brotherunity@ymail.com -- http://christian-unity-in-diversity.ourchur.ch/

Comments

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 55,602

    Eastern Christian Studies

    I am delighted to see someone else request Byzantine resources and Congar [:)] If I were to make a list if would have a bit more John Breck, Alexander
    Schmemann, Johanna Manley, and Sebastian Brock. But you've put together a nice list.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • James W Bennett
    James W Bennett Member Posts: 308 ✭✭

    [Y]

    ---

    James W Bennett

    http://syriac.tara-lu.com/

  • Friedrich
    Friedrich MVP Posts: 4,772

    Great post and list, Peter (btw, your name is as long as some Latinos I know! [;)]).  And MJ, I like your additional authors, as well.  Here are a couple others:

    imageBecoming Orthodox. Fr. Peter Gilchrist

    Thirsting for God in Shallow Wells.  Matthew Gallatin.  (This displays more of a polemic against Protestantism, I am told)

    I like Apples.  Especially Honeycrisp.

  • T MacLeod
    T MacLeod Member Posts: 112 ✭✭

    Those are some wonderful suggestions.

     

    I also think Vladimir Lossky's The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church would be a wonderful addition.

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 55,602

    T MacLeod said:

    I also think Vladimir Lossky's The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church would be a wonderful addition.

    Of course! I'm almost embarrassed that I omitted him.

     

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Al
    Al Member Posts: 105 ✭✭

    As I recall, Lossky had about eight authored books - I've got all (I think) and would strongly argue  that all of his books would be welcome additions.

  • William Baptiste SFO
    William Baptiste SFO Member Posts: 21 ✭✭

    May the Grace and Peace of Jesus be with all of you!

    Thanks to everybody for your support of my "Wish List" and for your additional suggestions, especially Lossky's Mystical Theology.  I'm glad to see the Eastern interest, and I hope and pray Logos notices ...

    Glory be to Jesus Christ!  Glory be Forever!

    -- brotherunity@ymail.com -- http://christian-unity-in-diversity.ourchur.ch/