Top 5 Best Orthodox Books for Protestant Inquirers 

I'm not a Catholic, Protestante nor Ortodox. I was an atheist who found the absolute truth that GOD does exist. I'm trying to find the right denomination. Could you pray for GOD to help me find the truth and lead me and my family to salvation?

For those inquirers that are not too sensitive and wants straight claims to evaluate: 1. Rock & Sand - Fr Josiah Trentham 2. The Way - Clark Carlton

Thanks for the plugs, my friends!

you know its a good day when Fr and Luther upload

Coming from a very low church, iconoclastic, reformed Presbyterian Church into ROCOR, the top 2 would be: 1. Religion of the Apostles by Father Stephen De Young (theology) 2. Rock and Sand by Fr. Josiah Trenham (history)

One of my favorite channels. I have all of the books you mentioned and will be sure to share this one. Thanks! I also enjoyed "Thirsting for God in a land of shallow wells".

I have a lot of those books. Fortunately, "Know The Faith" and "Becoming Orthodox" are both offered in digital form for FREE from Ancient Faith. Rock and Sand and Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy are definitely on my list of books to get.

Excellent lists! I will add the one by St. John of Damscus to my own reading list. A few others that really helped me were Welcome to the Orthodox Church by Frederica Mathews Greene, Mountain of Silence by Kyriacos Markides, A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology by Dr. Eve Tibbs, and finally, the text of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Crysostom. Nothing speaks stronger and more effectively than the Liturgy itself. ☦️😊

Y’all really nailed the RU-vid algorithm thumbnail haha love to see it!

My 5 for protestants are in this list. Fantastic lists!

I'm still a protestant learning about Orthodoxy but some of my favorites (that weren't mentioned have been: Truth Matters, Life Matters More The Mountain of Silence Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future

An Orthodox YT where the host Luther says "Sup Father"? It seems the algorithm knows me far too well 😅 love it

Dr. Constantine Cavarnos write numerous excellent books in English that inquirers would find beneficial.

Before watching, this is my top 5 for Protestants Rock & Sand - Fr. Josiah Trenham The Religion of the Apostles - Fr. Stephen De Young Orthodox Worship: A Living Continuity with the Synagogue, the Temple, and the Early Church - Benjamin D. Williams & Harold B. Anstall The Orthodox Study Bible The Truth of our Faith - Elder Cleopa

I would add the first two volumes of Fr. John Strickland's Paradise and Utopia as they are imperative to understanding that rome and protestantism are two sides of the same coin. Especially for those with an interest in history.

I'm subbing, not because of the content but because of the positive vibes I'm getting from the two of you. Keep sharing the good message ❤☦️🙏🇦🇺

Love the energy of this duo! So much of orthodoxy is serious and I really appreciate the fun yall have with this. Well done.

I’m currently reading St. John’s On the Orthodox Faith. So much treasure in that book. I do confess that I found it to be very dense in many parts and it is taking me quite awhile to get through it but I am blessed to be able to read this.

It is amazing how many introductory books there are now. Thirty years ago there was just Introducing the Orthodox Church, Becoming Orthodox, and Fr. Thomas Hopko's "rainbow" series. As a new Orthodox, I remember getting a lot out of Journey to Heaven by St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.

Thirsting for God in a Land of Shallow Wells by Matthew Gallatin was greatly influential on my journey to Holy Orthodoxy.

Great list! For protestants, these were my top 5 that seem to explain the faith particularly to protestant inquirers not in any specific order. 1. The orthodox veneration of the mother of God -St. John Maximovich 2. Christ the conquerer of hell - Metropolitan Hilarion 3. Truth matters, life matters more - Hank Hannegraph 4. Orthodoxy and the religon of the future - Fr. Seraphim Rose 5. The mystical theology of the eastern orthodox church - Vladimir Losskey But... if we were talking writtings of the earliest saints that speak to the faith without protestantism in mind id say 1. Apostolic fathers 2. 50 spiritual homilies - St. Macarius 3. Conferences - St. John Cassian 4. Philokalia 5. Eccumenical councils

Great recommendations, thanks.

Arise O God and Rock and Sand. I’d encourage to listen to Rock and Sand, it just hits different.

I recently asked my priest which of the Church Fathers would he recommend as the first to read by an enquirer or catechumen. He instantly replied "St John of Damascus", for the very same reasons Luther explained in the video. When I was enquiring, over 30 years ago, as a former Roman Catholic, the 2 books recommended to me were 'The Orthodox Church' and 'The Orthodox Way' by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware. These are very straightforward books dealing with the history and the faith of the Church in great detail. That's the sole reason for the books, and they are very easy to read. They were my first books, and I'd highly recommend them to anyone.

Dancing Alone by Frank Schaefer I think is way underrated. It is a very strong polemic against American evangelicalism, so it's not for everyone. I understand Schaefer is controversial and has gone astray, but if you can look aside from that, it's great.

Mine are: Thinking Orthodox, Faith of the Apostles, The Orthodox Way, The Age of Paradise, Division, Utopia & Nihilism (4 Volumes), Rock & Sand

As a Protestant inquirer into Orthodoxy, my literary journey began with Daniel B. Clendenin's two-part series *Eastern Orthodox Christianity* and Eastern Orthodox Theology. They are from a "Western perspective," but the second volume in particular is mostly essays by Orthodox theologians. I have read *Know the Faith* and appreciated it for the same reasons Luther enumerated. *Becoming Orthodox* by Fr. Peter Gillquist is another one. *On the Incarnation* by Athanasius has also been very influential for me. I listened to Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick's *Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy* lectures in podcast format. I need to go back and re-read the Apostolic Fathers from a perspective of inquiring into Orthodoxy. But St. Ignatius' comment on the real presence in the Eucharist hit me hard when I read that. From my own exegesis of John 6, I would say Jesus is clearly speaking metaphorically there. But when I read St. Ignatius, a disciple of John the Apostle, attesting to the real presence at the turn of the second century, I have to consider that I have missed something. That I could very well be wrong.

Thinking Orthodox by Dr. Eugenia Constantinou has been hugely helpful to me as a convert on so many levels.

New sub. Religion of the Apostles is definitely a good read.

I agree, Fr. Jonathan cheated. Seriously, I’m no Scholar but I get the sense that reading the Church Fathers can be difficult or even problematic without already having the foundation of Phronema and trust in the rightness and trueness of Holy Orthodoxy as a guide. Every heresy ever uttered has been accompanied by Bible quotes adding the Church Fathers can either cure that problem or exacerbate it.

Love recommending Protestant inquirers to read our contemporary saints on what differentiates Orthodox Christianity from their understanding of the Faith. For example, A Protestant’s Walk Through an Orthodox Church by Hieromartyr Daniel Sysoev is excellent!

My top 5 were: Thinking Orthodox by Dr. Jeannie Constantinou; The Orthodox Way by Kallistos Ware; Silence on the Mountain and also, Gifts of the Desert, by Kyriacos Markedis; Religion of the Apostles by Fr. Stephen DeYoung.

Can we get a pinned comment with the list of both of your guys's recommendations

"Light From the Christian East" By Western Christian! Great chapters on Icons and "grace" and Theosis and the mysteries etc!

I have never read St. John of Damascus in its entirety. Although I have read the chapters on terminology many many times.

Just a note about Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy- be sure to pick up the second edition. It has a lot of new material in it as well as re-edited material.

Great books! Thanks! Another new one i am reading now that could be added to the list is, Journey to Reality, Sacramental Life in a Secular Age, by Zachary Porcu.

I have only read one Orthodox book so far and it made me return to Christianity. That book is The Orthodox Way by Kallistos Ware.

Glory to God ❤

The letter that made me think was "Preaching Another Christ" by St. Theophan the Recluse. It's very blunt. The other one I recommend is "Religion of the Apostles" By Fr. Steven De Young.

Coming to Orthodoxy in 2000 when many books were not available yet and the internet just took off with America Online, my OCA priest gave me: 1- The Truth (Clark Carlton) 2-Of Water & The Spirit (Fr. Alexander Schmemann) 3- The Orthodox Church (Kallistos Ware)

Fr. Lawrence Farley just released “Living Faith: An Orthodox Christian Conversation with Evangelicals.” Excellent resource.

Orthodoxy is the one and true church. The one and only church God created and promised to preserve until the end of times. Glory to God ❤

In my hometown we have an Antiochian Orthodox church, guess what it was before? Evangelical Orthodox. St Peters of Madison MS. I did not know the story behind the book "Becoming Orthodox", with how it was former leaders of CRU then Evangelical Orthodox and then finally Orthodox, though I would really like to read it now. I mean St Peters Church is right up the street from my parents place maybe 5 minutes, always drove past it and never gave it a second thought, how cool. I am a protestant inquirer.

Great recommendations but several of the ones they suggest are way too expensive (i.e. The Apostolic Fathers and The Way).

Would you guys like to do a collaboration at some point?

I currently have no label other than Christian. Grew up Pentecostal Church of God. Been part of different denominations and non-denominational churches. Seen so many different things that I just have to go by what my Bible says as it’s the only sure thing. I believe the Reformation and Protestantism got a lot of things wrong. Like Luther said, created a whole other religion. EO intrigues me. I can honestly say we are brothers and sisters in Christ. But I have a hard time accepting things that aren’t at least expressed in some way in scripture. I see the Trinity in scripture, but I don’t see Calvinism. I see water baptism as a practice of those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit through their faith, I don’t see that that water baptism itself does the regenerating. I have so many questions and no one to ask. There isn’t an EO church in my area. I’d love to hear Luther’s story on his journey to EO. I’ll find one of these books as well.

Thanks for the lists. Will check out Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy. My Top 2 are "The Orthodox Church" by Timothy Ware and "The Religion of the Apostles" by Stephen de Young.

Hey do you know a good place to buy orthodox book other than amazon? I can't find clarks books and Rock and sand.

I want to add to this list “The Orthodox Understanding,” by Phillip Lebsack and James T. Dolemen. I made videos about it on my channel.

$71.39 for The Apostolic Fathers used on Amazon!!!

This was really enjoyable to watch, God bless.

Im curious how people in the Orthodox Church feel about Ben Shapiro. Just as a person. Only asking because my orthodox friend starts to shake and turn red when he speaks about him.

good video

Hello sincere questions. As I'm on this journey as an Evangelical Pastor exhausted. I am faced with the challenge of is it Catholic or the Orthodox church for me? Both claim they are the original, historic, founded by Christ church. It becomes for me a consideration of man's ability to corrupt things in an organization. Proverbially. There were 5 Brother Patriarchs leading the churches in their care. Which sin occurred between these brothers: The sin of pride of the Bishop of Rome, claiming he had all the authority over the four brothers, or the sin of rebellion and scisim where the four brothers wouldn't submit to Romes central leadership? As a Protestant I have seen BOTH these play out in churches on a much less global and historical scale. Pastors leave, throwing off authority and leadership, establishing their own works. Or some pastor gets a big ego thinking he's in charge of other pastors and everyone is appalled by the arrogance and over stepping. Please pray for me.

What version of The Apostolic Fathers do you recommend? There are a lot of options online and I'm not sure which to get.

The apostolic fathers book - who is it by? I can’t seem to find that one

KJV Bible + 1828 Dictionary Done!

Clark Carlton’s The Way for $47.64 Amazon price.😮

Can you please provide the list? Book names , authors , links to purchase? Thank you 🙏

IMHO what my brothers in Christ who have converted to Orthodoxy to stop doing is intellectualizing Christianity. No one knows God better than Satan. Knowledge of God is not going to save our souls. We have to try to live the life of Christ. The beauty of Orthodoxy is that its teachings bring us closer to Christ. This is why the lives of the saints are so important for our spiritual growth. They explain to us why important aspects of spiritual growth, like humility, are necessary. They become our role models on how to handle adverse situations. These are the books we should be reading.

Hello! Where do y’all get your books? I’ve seen some Orthodox book that have been suggested for over $200 on Amazon. Is there a better place to order them? Thank You!

☦️☦️☦️

What church is shown at 17:19?

If God's real and wants worship why do we have to go looking for the right way to do it in a dusty old book? Millions of goofballs writing their contradicting opinions about God, meanwhile he stays suspiciously silent on the issue.

Top 66 books for pagan Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox enquirers; the Bible 📖. 😉

*footnote on the Channels ‘Disclaimer’ > Orthodox Christians learn to think with our HEARTS and stay out of our HEADS. *Learning all about you from a essay is not meant to replace having a cuppa with you. ☦️♥️🌀☕️

Best book for them is Answering Orthodoxy by Michael Lofton 😃

If you want to know God. Get a KJV bible.

Luther, you do not know Jesus' teachings by proving it just from the beginning of this interview. Matthew 23:9 KJV: "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven."