Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian

By Jordan Bajis

Eastern Orthodoxy is not just another version of what you heard in Sunday school or saw on tv. It is the ancient faith of the apostles and their followers handed down through the centuries, rooted in the worship and experience of the God who has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ. If I had one book to give to someone interested in Eastern Christianity who was coming out of a Roman or Protestant background, this would be it! After rereading the book a few times over the past 15 years, I am more convinced than ever that this is the best book to give to friends who are interested in the Eastern Church, or to read for yourself if you are looking eastward!

Why read this book? He's done his homework! If you read this book several things will happen. You'll get a great introduction to Eastern Orthodoxy, geared to the Protestant and Catholic mindset. You'll get an incredible reading list by reading the very extensive endnotes (almost another book). In addition, you will most likely learn more about your own history, whether you're Protestant or Catholic. It will challenge your assumptions and sterotypes as well as help you rethink what the New Testament actually is for and about. You cannot go wrong with this book. Please buy it. Light and Life publishers sells it currently as a 2006 reissue.

Other books of interest: "Not by Scripture Alone" by Sungenis, "The Orthodox Way", "The Orthodox Church", and "How are We Saved?" by Bishop Kallistos Ware. Congar's "Tradition and Traditions" is a great work of Catholic scholarship by one of the masters. "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church" by Vladimir Lossky will reshape your brain (and your nous)! For those of you who are more daring and looking to bite into something more meaty: "Being As Communion" by John Zizioulas; "Energies of the Spirit" by Duncan Reid; "The Ground of Union" by Williams. They deal with east/west theologies of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit, but they touch on everything else in between! Very deep stuff, takes time to read, but highly recommended!

Discovering the Rich Heritage of Orthodoxy

Discovering the Rich Heritage of Orthodoxy
By M. Charles Bell

Bell does an excellent job in presenting the ancient Tradition. A former Protestant himself, Bell takes up the following issues with honesty and faithfulness:1)The True Church? 2)Worship in the Church 3)What About Mary? 4)Saints Alive! 5)The Physical Side of Spirituality 6)The Eucharist 7)Scripture and Tradition 8)The Path of Spirituality. He does this in the context of his own search. This is very strongly recommended for any Prostestant who is interested (or fighting against) the Church since the author is very winsome.

If you want something more "in your face" but along the same lines, sort of, you may want to check out Frank Schaeffer'sDancing Alone: The Quest for Orthodox Faith in the Age of False Religion. Bishop Kallistos Ware's The Orthodox Way is very readable, but it doesn't interact with Protestant theology in the same way as Bell since it is meant more for Orthodox. If you want to chew on something for a while or if your friend is more critical and needs some strong documentation, I would always go with Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian by Jordan Bajis. A recent addition to this discussion, from the Protestant perspective, is Light from the Christian East: An Introduction to the Orthodox Tradition which I found very useful.