These Things We Believe — Deacon Ezra

Available March 25, 2010. This is a book with the big answers to the big questions every person asks themselves about faith, science and doubt. It is perfect for individual or group study, high school seniors and up.

From Baptist to Byzantium — James Early

Available March 25, 2010. This is the compelling story of a Protestant American missionary sent to convert the Orthodox to his evangelical faith who insteads converts to Orthodoxy. A powerful testimony to the spiritual truth of the Orthodox faith.

Journey to God — Jean Hoefling

Available April 25, 2010. Jean Hoefling is honest about the effort true Christian pilgrimage requires, and candid about its disappointments and elations. Each chapter encompasses the reader with the universal appeal of the pilgrimage experience, without false piety or glib analysis.

The Way: What Every Protestant Should Know About the Orthodox Church (Faith Catechism) — Clark Carlton

Whether you’re seeking to become Orthodox or not, if you’re an unhappy Evangelical Christian you should find a day to read this well-written and concise volume. It is very scripturally-based and the author does a good job of weaving his own story into the discourse. My wife, raised Freewill Baptist, found this book so stimulating that she devoured it in a few hours and had us off to Vespers at an Orthodox church within 2 days!

The Way’s main failing point is that Carlton starts out nasty. Maybe, as a former Baptist preacher himself, he felt that was necessary to get our attention. But it is worth slogging past the first half-chapter and getting into his discussion. Several reviewers have dismised the volume because, well, they missed the point.

Carlton’s big point is that Protestants broke from Rome and ostensibly sought to restore the original church of the apostles, but didn’t even come close, and, in fact, that Church was there all along in eastern Orthodoxy. He documents this with records dating to 70AD!

Carlton’s subsidiary point is that the reason for Protestant failure was that Calvin, Luther, etc. were actually strong individualists with preconceived notions and that Protestants have genrally followed their error of trying to make the church fit them, rather than the other way.

Carlton spends much time on the sola scriptura argument. While there is much to be said both ways, he does a good, meaty summary of the Orthodox position on the relationship and origins of Holy Scripture and Apostolic Tradition. Absent, unfortunately, is a good chapter on Sola Fide; as one Orthodox priest recently told me, “You Protestants and Catholics think it has to be either-or on everything.”

So, yes, buy this book. It isn’t perfect but it’s an excellent, thought-provoking read.