If until this day you have been postponing the regular reading of Christian literature all the time, then there are two whole reasons for this grace-filled work. At first, March 14th— orthodox book day... The holiday is quite young, introduced 4 years ago. But reading for a Christian is an important part of spiritual work. And now the other day begins, a wonderful time for spiritual exploits!
The most important book for a Christian should undoubtedly be the Holy Scriptures. In addition, these are patristic works, the lives of the saints. In addition, many different books by Orthodox authors have recently appeared on the book market. And, of course, you need to remember that not all of them are equally valuable. Among these books there are those that are completely non-Orthodox in essence, there are those in which genuine Orthodox teaching is mixed with occult or pseudoscientific ideas. Each person has their own favorite books. According to the website lib.pravmir.ru we offer you 10 most read modern books useful in spiritual work.
1. - a book by Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov. Published in 2011. The book aroused great interest among the reading public. So, by October 2012, the total circulation of the book was one million one hundred thousand copies. As Archimandrite Tikhon himself said: “Almost all the stories that were included in the book, I told at sermons. All this is part of our church life. "
2. - the last work of the Orthodox author Viktor Likhachev, who passed away in 2008. The writer did not manage to finish his book, but he hoped that everyone who reads it, recognizes himself in it, feels that boundless love for Russia, for the Russian village, which the author nourished, admit faith in God and hope into his heart, that the Angels, our heavenly patrons, will never leave us ...
3. " Prologue in teachings for every day of the year "—The book was compiled in 2007 by Archpriest Viktor Guryev. The Prologue is an Old Russian collection of hagiographies, which originates from the Byzantine monthly passages, in which the lives of the saints are arranged in accordance with the days of their church memory. In addition, the "Prologue" is adorned with understandable and often entertaining excerpts from the ancient Patericons, parables imbued with thoughts of repentance, mercy, Christian love for one's neighbor, spiritual perfection and soul salvation.
4. "Father Arseny"- this book, published by an unknown author, clearly shows the reader the triumph of love over evil, life over death. Father Arseny is the image of a holy elder - a zealous prayer book, sober, meek, completely surrendering himself into the hands of God. The first editions spread throughout Russia and abroad and made the book "Father Arseny" one of the most beloved in the Orthodox world.
5. "Soul after death"(O. Seraphim Rose) - probably, there is no such book that so clearly, accessible and understandably reveals the posthumous experience of a person and gives an idea of the angelic and otherworldly world. The book contains two thousand years of experience of the holy fathers. The publication has a twofold purpose: first, from the point of view of the Orthodox Christian teaching on the afterlife, to provide an explanation of the modern "posthumous" experiments that have aroused such interest in some religious and scientific circles; secondly, to cite the main sources and texts containing the Orthodox teaching on the afterlife.
6. "Easter Red"(Pavlova N.A.) - it was after this book that the author became widely known. The book is already 11 years old, but it does not lose popularity. It tells about three Optina new martyrs - hieromonk Basil and monks Ferapont and Trofim. These are three completely different people, their paths to God were special. The ascetic life is amazing, many readers note that after this book they immediately want to visit Optina Pustyn.
7. "Who will hear the Linnet?"(Likhachev V.V.) — a novel about the Motherland and the Russian soul. He leads the reader along the roads of the Russian province. The main character is drawn into real adventures: he carries a miraculous icon, evading a bandit chase ... And internally, he goes through the path of spiritual growth: from unbelief to faith, from confusion to blessed peace, from mental blindness and deafness to insight and hearing miracle of God.
8. "Heavenly Ways"(Shmelev I.S) - a novel about the fate of the skeptic-positivist engineer Viktor Alekseevich Veidengammer and the believing, meek and internally strong Darinka, a novice of the monastery, who left the monastery to link her life with Viktor Alekseevich. Through suffering and joy, in mysterious and incomprehensible ways of the worldly mind, these heroes are led to the Source of Life. The internal plot of the book is "spiritual warfare" with passions and thoughts, temptations and attacks of dark forces.
9. "Chief of Silence"(Vsevolod Filpiev) - the book is addressed to eternal questions - love and hate, loyalty and betrayal, truth and lies. The heroes of the book solve these questions differently and sometimes unexpectedly. An action-packed, realistic narration takes the reader into the events that take place in the winter of 2002 in Moscow and North America. Together with the heroes, the reader finds himself in St. Petersburg of the 19th century and in the historical times of princes Boris and Gleb. The story-parable is designed for a wide range of readers, and everyone is free to interpret it in their own way.
10. "Repentance has been left for us"(Abbot Nikon Vorobyov) - letters addressed to his spiritual children, laymen and monastics. Father Nikon edifies, instructs, calls for repentance and patience, shows what needs to be done, what thoughts need to be kept, comforts, teaches us to treat sorrows correctly: “The Fathers said about our times long ago that people will be saved only by sorrows and diseases. The healthy and the happy forget about God, about the future life: they live as if they will live forever on earth and never die. And sorrows and illnesses force a person to break away from earthly interests and turn to God ... Save your souls by repentance, patience and humility. "
Enjoy reading!
Prayer before reading spiritual books:
Lord Jesus Christ, open my heart's eyes, so that when I hear Your Word, I may understand it and do Your will. Hide not Thy commandments from me, but open my eyes, that I may understand the miracles of Thy law. Tell me the unknown and secret of Thy wisdom! I trust in You, my God, and I believe that You will enlighten my mind and meaning with the light of Your mind and that then I will not only read what has been written, but also fulfill it. Make it so that I do not read the Lives of the Saints and Thy Word into my own sin, but for renewal and enlightenment, and for holiness, and for the salvation of the soul, and for the inheritance of eternal life. For Thou, Lord, the enlightenment of those lying in darkness and from Thee is every good gift and every perfect gift. Amen.
Veronica VYATKINA
The new book by Archpriest Pavel Gumerov "", published by the publishing house of the Sretensky Monastery, provides in an accessible form the initial knowledge necessary for those who are preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism or are just starting to live an Orthodox life. The book presents the main provisions of our faith, tells about the Sacraments, the commandments of God and about prayer.
The purpose of the life of an Orthodox Christian is union with God. The word "religion" is translated from the Latin language - the restoration of communication. Hence the word "league" (in musical literacy - an arc connecting notes).
The Christian religion is also called the Orthodox faith. The words "faith", "trust", "confidence" are cognate. We believe in God and trust Him, we have the confidence that the Lord is always near, always close and will never leave his children turning to Him. Precisely confidence, not self-confidence, that is, the hope only for their own weak forces. The Christian knows that the Providence of God is at work in his life, which leads him, sometimes even through difficult trials, to salvation. And therefore, an Orthodox person is not alone in this world. Even if friends and family turn away from him, God will never leave him. This is how he differs from people who are unbelievers or of little faith. Their life is accompanied by constant stress, tension, fear: how to survive in this cruel world? What will happen tomorrow? and so on. An Orthodox person should not have fear of the present and the future: perfect love to God, faith in Him casts out fear(cf .: 1 John 4:18). But faith is not just a recognition that there is a certain cosmic Reason, the Absolute; it is a living connection with the Living God.
Without faith, the operation of not a single sacrament or even ritual is impossible. The grace of God, which heals and strengthens us, is given only according to our personal faith. The sacred action is not a magical ritual: they did something for us, and now everything will be fine with us. No, you need to open your heart to God, personally turn to Him. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; and whoever does not believe will be condemned(Mk. 16, 16).
Unfortunately, very many modern people, who consider themselves Orthodox, begin the sacraments and other sacred rites of the Church without understanding, faith and personal appeal to God. In any case, they baptize children, out of fashion or respect for traditions, they get married and go to church for.
If we turn to the Gospel, we will see that the Lord performs miracles, healings only by the faith of those who turn to Him or by the faith of those people who ask for the sick. For example, once Christ taught the people in a certain house and a relaxed, paralyzed person was brought to this house. Unable to enter the house because of the crowds, those who brought them tore down the roof and lowered the bed with the sick person through the roof. Jesus, seeing their faith, says to the paralytic: child, your sins are forgiven you. And healed him(see: Mark 2, 1–12). That is, the miracle was accomplished by the faith of the relaxed person's friends, who really wanted his healing.
And here is an example of a personal appeal. One woman, who suffered from bleeding for twelve years and spent all her possessions on doctors, had a strong belief that, only by touching the Savior's clothes, she would receive healing. And her faith was not put to shame. Having touched the robe of Christ, she received healing. The Lord Himself praised her faith, saying: dare, daughter! your faith saved you(see: Matthew 9, 20-22). And there are many such examples in the Holy Scriptures.
The most important question: how to acquire faith and how to strengthen it in your heart? Faith is acquired through turning to God, through prayer. While praying, a person begins to feel the presence of God in his life, and he no longer needs other proofs of the existence of God, he knows that, turning with a prayer to the Lord, he receives through his prayer. The second thing that strengthens faith is gratitude to God. It is necessary to notice in your life the blessings and gifts of God that are poured out on us.
Moreover, one must thank the Lord not only for the pleasant moments of life, but also for the trials sent. “Did good things happen? Bless God and the good will remain. Has anything bad happened? Bless God and the bad will end. Thank God for everything!" - is talking .
Prayer Rule
So, prayer for an Orthodox Christian is a way of connecting with God, talking, communicating with Him. Turning to the Lord in prayer is the need of the soul of a believer; it is not for nothing that the holy fathers called prayer the breath of the soul.
There are two things to keep in mind as you follow your daily prayer rule.
Daily prayer is called a rule because it is obligatory for every Orthodox Christian.
First. Daily is called a rule because it is obligatory for every Orthodox Christian. Every Orthodox Christian should pray in the morning and before going to bed - read the morning and evening prayers set out in the Orthodox prayer book. Also pray before meals (read the Lord's Prayer "Our Father" or "The eyes of all trust in You, Lord ...") and after meals (read the prayer of thanksgiving). These prayers are also contained in the Orthodox prayer book. Christians pray before starting any business (work, study, other business) and after it ends. Before starting work, the prayer "Heavenly King" or special prayers for the beginning of any business from the prayer book are read. After the end of the case, the prayer is read to the Mother of God "It is worthy to eat." You can also read special thanksgiving prayers, which are also contained in the prayer book; they are read thanks to God for His good deeds.
There should be regularity and discipline in the prayer life. The daily prayer rule cannot be omitted and pray only when you want and there is a mood. A Christian is a warrior of Christ, in Baptism he takes an oath of allegiance to the Lord. The life of every soldier, soldier is called service and is built according to a special schedule and regulations. Arbitrariness and laziness are unacceptable in the service. And the Orthodox person also carries out his service. The prayer rule is not only communion with God, which should be the need of the soul, it is also a service to God, and this service is held according to the statutes of the Church.
The prayer rule is not only communication with God, which should be the need of the soul, it is also a service to God, and this service is held according to the statutes of the Church
Second, which should be remembered when fulfilling the rule: you cannot turn daily prayer into a formal proofreading of the prescribed prayers. It happens that during confession one hears the following: "I began to read the morning prayers and only in the middle did I realize that I was reading the evening rule." This means that the reading was purely formal, mechanical. Such a prayer is not necessary to God. So that the execution of the rule does not turn into an empty "proofreading" (read the rule for a tick, and you can safely go to do business), you need to read it slowly, better aloud, in an undertone or in a whisper, pondering the meaning of the prayer, standing reverently, because we stand before God Himself and talk to Him. Before praying, you need to stand for some time in front of the icons, calm down, drive away all everyday thoughts and concerns, and only then begin prayer. If during the reading of prayers attention is scattered, extraneous thoughts come and we are distracted from what we are reading, it is recommended to stop and start reading the prayer again, already with due attention.
It can be difficult for a novice Christian to immediately read a complete prayer rule. Then, with the blessing of a spiritual father or a parish priest, he can choose from the prayer book at least a few morning and evening prayers, for example, three or four, and pray so far according to this abbreviated rule, gradually adding one prayer from the prayer book. As if rising from strength to strength(cf .: Psalm 83: 6-8).
The understanding and skill of prayer will surely come with time if a person sincerely strives for this and does not stand still in the prayer life.
Of course, it is not easy for a person taking the first steps in the spiritual life to follow the unabridged rule. He still does not understand much, the unfamiliar Church Slavonic text is still difficult for him to grasp. To understand the meaning of the readable texts, you should acquire a small dictionary of Church Slavonic words. The understanding and skill of prayer will surely come with time, if a person sincerely strives for this and does not stand still in the prayer life. Here is a comparison. Everyone who starts to play sports starts with light loads. For example, he runs short distances, exercises with lightweight dumbbells, but then gradually, more and more, he increases the load and eventually achieves good results.
Christians always read prayers in the morning, asking God for blessings for the day to come and thanks to Him for the past night, they pray to Him every evening, fulfilling the rule that prepares for sleep and is a confession of the sins of the past day, that is, it has a repentant character. But the whole day of an Orthodox person should also be inspired by the memory of God. This memory is very well strengthened by prayer. You can do nothing without me- says the Lord (John 15: 5). And every business, even the simplest, must begin with at least a short prayer for invoking God's help for our labors.
It is very good when we do not limit ourselves only to reading the prescribed morning and evening rules, but constantly turn to God with prayer throughout the day.
Many mothers of babies complain that they have no time to read the daily rule at all. Spiritual life suffers from this: a person rarely begins to remember God. Indeed, when a child is a lot of trouble, you need to constantly get up to him day and night, feed him and take care of him - it can be very difficult to fulfill the complete prayer rule. Here you can advise to constantly call on the name of God throughout the day. For example, if the mother is preparing food, - pray that the dinner will turn out delicious; read "Our Father" before breastfeeding; after - a prayer of thanks. If there are especially many things to do, you should pray that the Lord will help, give strength and time to redo all matters. So our life will pass with a constant memory of God, and we will not forget Him in the vanity of the world. This recommendation is suitable not only for an Orthodox mother of young children, but also for any Orthodox Christian. It is very good when we do not limit ourselves only to reading the prescribed morning and evening rules, but constantly turn to God with prayer throughout the day.
Prayers are conventionally divided into supplication, repentance, thanksgiving and praise (although repentance is also a request for forgiveness of sins). Of course, we must turn to the Lord not only with requests, but also incessantly thank Him for His countless blessings. And most importantly, to be able to see them, notice them in your life and appreciate the gifts of God. It is very good at the end of the day to make yourself a rule to remember all the good things that were sent from God on the last day, and to read thanksgiving prayers. They are found in any complete prayer book.
In addition to the obligatory prayer rule, every Orthodox person can also fulfill a strict rule. For example, read the canons, akathists, the Psalter throughout the day. This is especially necessary to do in difficult, mournful or simply difficult periods of life. For example, the canon of prayer to the Mother of God, which is found in the prayer book, is read “in all sorrow of the soul and circumstances,” as the very title of this canon says. If a Christian wants to take upon himself a constant prayer rule (read the canons or, for example, say the Jesus Prayer - "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" - on a rosary), he must take the blessing of his spiritual father or parish priest for this. Before the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, Orthodox Christians fast, that is, they fast and read the canons: penitent; prayer to the Mother of God; canon to the Guardian Angel and canon before Holy Communion with prayers.
It should also be added that in addition to a constant prayer rule, a Christian should regularly read the word of God - Holy Scripture. One can hear such an opinion: why bother God with our requests, prayers, the Lord already knows what we need. You need to turn to God only in special cases when it is really necessary.
This opinion is a simple excuse for their own laziness. We cannot bore God with our prayers. He is our Heavenly Father, and, like every Father, He wants His children to communicate with Him, turn to Him. And God's grace and mercy towards us can never fail, no matter how much we turn to God.
There is one parable on this topic.
In the home of some rich people, they stopped praying before eating. Once a priest came to visit them. The table was laid very exquisitely: the best food was brought out and the best drink was served. The family gathered at the table, everyone looked at the priest and thought that now he would pray before eating. But the priest said: "The father of the family should pray at the table, because he is the first prayer book in the family." There was an awkward silence because no one in this family prayed. The father cleared his throat and said: “You know, dear father, we do not pray, because in prayer before meals the same thing is always repeated. Prayers out of habit are idle chatter. This repetition is every day, every year, so we no longer pray. "
The priest looked at everyone in surprise, but then the seven-year-old girl said: "Dad, don't I need to come to you every morning and say" Good morning "?"
Dear reader! Before you is not an article, but a small manual that I compiled at the request of one parishioner. He asked: “Now, I am just beginning my path in the Orthodox faith. I don't know what to read? Which authors you can trust and which ones to watch out for. Could you, father, make a list of authors whom you recommend for reading? "
I fulfilled the boy's request. And then he gave this memo to other people. And she helped someone a lot.
I warn you right away: this is a subjective guide. There is no need to find fault if I have overlooked some of the most worthy authors. But still, in my opinion, this memo gives an idea of what to read to a person who wants to get acquainted with Orthodoxy.
The most important book for a Christian should undoubtedly be. You need to start reading the Bible with the New Testament. Then you can get acquainted with the Old Testament. There are a lot of wonderful things about the New Testament, and it itself is not difficult to understand. But the Old Testament is difficult to read without explanations. The best textbook in this matter will be the excellent three-volume book by Archpriest Alexander Men "How to Read the Bible." Father Alexander made a selection of the most important Old Testament texts (a kind of anthology) and commented on them. This work is also available on the Internet.
Recently, many different books by Orthodox authors have appeared on the book market. And, of course, you need to remember that not all of them are equally valuable. Among these books there are those that are completely non-Orthodox in essence, there are those in which genuine Orthodox teaching is mixed with occult or pseudoscientific ideas. About this I advise you to read the excellent work of Deacon Andrei Kuraev:.
Some believers are guided by the following principle: they look to see if there is an inscription on the book: Published with blessing…
But this vulture - Published with a blessing - does not protect against counterfeiting. I personally know publishers who cynically put this stamp on all their publications, they say, no one will check anyway. But I must say: there is a stamp that is put on books that have passed the real church censorship at the highest level. This is the inscription on the title page: Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church... You can not be afraid of such books.
I offer you a list of the best Orthodox authors.
For convenience, I evaluate the works of authors on a five-point scale for theological complexity:
- 1-2 - very simple, accessible compositions;
- 3 - works written for the general reader;
- 4 - you need to read carefully, with concentration, something may seem incomprehensible;
- 5 - complex theological works, it's hard to read without some preparation.
Of the Russian ascetics of faith and piety, I recommend St. Theophan the Recluse (,), St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, St. right. John of Kronstadt (,), the Monk Seraphim of Sarov (), saint. Ignatiy Bryanchaninov (,).
Arsenyev Vladimir. Theologian. 2,3,4.
Afanasyev Nikolay, Protopresbyter (,). Liturgist, theologian, historian. 3-4.
Bulgakov Sergius, archpriest. Theologian. From his work, I recommend, first of all, the book -3-4. In other of his works, there are non-Orthodox thoughts.
Vasily (Krivoshein), archbishop (). Theologian. 3-4.
Voznesenskaya Julia. Contemporary writer, author of wonderful popular fiction novels. 2.3.
Nikolay Glubokovsky. Biblical scholar. 4, 5.
Dvorkin A. Specialist in sects (,). 2,3,4.
Elchaninov Alexander, priest. I especially recommend his book 3.
John (Shakhovskoy), Archbishop (,). Theologian. 3.
Justin Popovich, archimandrite (,). An excellent Serbian theologian and writer. 3.4.
Callistus (Ware), bishop. (,). Theologian. 3-4.
Kartashev Anton. Church historian. 3-4.
Cassian (Bezobrazov), bishop (). Biblical scholar. 4, 5.
Cyprian (Kern), archimandrite (). Theologian, patrologist. 3-4.
What kind of literature is called sinful and what kind of literature, besides spiritual, can you read? Evgeniy.
Dear Eugene!
How to distinguish sinful literature from mere literature? The sinful literature includes literature that promotes all kinds of vices, occult sciences, fortune telling, etc. This also includes trivial, completely empty, useless literature, It is classified as "reading" by the consumers themselves. It is read to kill time. But there is classic literature. Pushkin and Gogol, Lermontov and Griboyedov, Tyutchev and A.K. Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Leskov ..., the classics of recent times - Akhmatova, Shmelev - how can a cultured Orthodox person live without them? The choice of reading circle depends both on your requests and on what you expect from what you read. Nothing can replace spiritual literature, but nothing can replace classical literature, which can be of great benefit with selective and careful reading. There are also excellent examples of entertaining, adventure literature - Walter Scott, Mine Reed, Conan Doyle, Chesterton ... Even Dumas the father ... is it really bad if "one for all, and all for one", like his Musketeers. But this, if we take from such literature, is really the best. As for the choice of profession. All professions are good, except for those that are inherently criminal (gambling, etc.). Therefore, if there is an opportunity to acquire a profession according to one's heart, such a profession that would be useful to people, society, then any of them could become yours.
priest Alexander Ilyashenko
How to relate to the Strugatskys' books? Are they occult?
Regarding the books of the Strugatsky brothers, it can be noted that this is, first of all, talented literature, often very well-aimed satire. Another thing is how to read books by talented authors. You can, if you try, and "The Queen of Spades" by Pushkin in a "mystical" key, not to mention some of the works of Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky. As literary works, the Strugatskys' books deserve unconditional attention. But it is impossible to give them some exclusive, self-sufficient meaning, otherwise you can read up to what is in them neither on the surface, nor according to the author's intention. For a Christian, reading them, of course, is not necessary, but if read correctly, it is not harmful. Their place is among the authoritative authors of literary fiction - Ray Bradbury and others. You need to have a fairly wide range of reading. Any cultured person should know, first of all, classical literature, which, in general, is a manifestation and an integral part of Christian culture.
How do you feel about the work of Pestov and Nilus? Can you learn from these books? Tatiana.
Hello Tatyana, Nikolai Efgrafovich Pestov is the godfather of my wife. I treat him with great respect, he is a wonderful and deep person, with a huge spiritual and practical experience.
SA Nilus is a deep, interesting thinker, an Orthodox person. Much of what he has written may be helpful. But, in my opinion, there is a certain one-sidedness in his work, since he attaches great importance to the last times.
Best regards, Priest Alexander Ilyashenko
Advise what laymen read from spiritual literature ..? I am interested in monastic teachings, but they are for monks! You have to “filter” them, and this is a very difficult and dangerous business - something important can be missed. Ilya
Dear Ilya! You are right that monastic teachings should be read with discernment. However, there are also wonderful patristic works written specifically for the laity, for example, conversations and interpretations on the Gospel of St. John Chrysostom. One of the brightest ascetics of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (Blum), writes beautifully, in a very deeply modern language. Then - the "Words" of the Athonite elder Paisios: they carry the wisdom of patristic creations and are written in a surprisingly simple way. His four-volume collection of works was recently published. It is very useful to get acquainted with the lives, teachings and letters of the Optina elders, with the works of St. Theophan the Recluse. Read the book about the ascetic of the XX century "Father Arseny". You can learn a lot of useful information from the letters of Archimandrite John Krestyankin.
Best regards, Priest Alexander Ilyashenko.
How should an Orthodox treat such a genre of literature as “fantasy”? In particular, to John Tolkien? Stanislav
Dear Stanislav!
The fantasy genre itself is neither good nor bad. It is not the genre that matters, but the content of specific books. If a book teaches good, then there is nothing wrong with it. John Tolkien is a deep and serious writer, so his books can be read too.
Best regards, Priest Alexander Ilyashenko
I read the novel-parable by A. Camus "The Plague". Unfortunately, I did not understand the episode when a little boy dies of the plague. Why did the plague punish the baby? Vitaly
Hello Vitaly!
Fiction does not need to be seen as part of real life - it is a figment of the author's imagination. The novel “The Plague” reflects the difficulties of A. Camus' spiritual quest: he himself was seriously ill with tuberculosis in childhood and had to die, but he survived. But he carried the idea of infant death through almost all creativity. The death of the boy was in this case - in the will of Camus, he could save his character's life. The French editor's commentary on the novel explains this episode as follows: "The innocent child has always been the main argument of the opponents of Christianity."
In The Plague, this dispute is reflected in the discussion between Dr. Rie and the priest Panlu, whose mission is especially difficult - to urge people to believe in the mercy of God at the epicenter of the plague epidemic. And the priest says: "The main thing is to rely on the mercy of God."
This is how Camus himself answers the question: man is faced with a choice: either to love God or to hate.
If we talk about the suffering of the innocent in general, then these questions are perfectly answered by Met. Anthony Surozhsky in conversation: Best regards, Priest Alexander Ilyashenko
I suddenly had an irresistible desire to read at least one book by Y. Voznesenskaya, although my believing friends do not advise me. Yuliya.
Hello Julia!
Read something from Voznesenskaya - some of her works are interesting, someone is forced to think. Try it - after all, not only classics feed our aesthetic and moral senses. Read, think, analyze - test everything, hold on to the good!
Best regards, Priest Alexy Kolosov
- You can adhere to the order of reading, which is observed during worship. It is listed in the Orthodox Church calendar for every day. In the Bible of the Moscow Patriarchate Publishing House at the end of the Old Testament there is an index of the Old Testament readings, and at the end of the New Testament there is an index of the Gospel and Apostolic readings.
- To the daily prayer rule, you can add the reading of the Gospel, Apostolic Acts and Apostolic Epistles, Psalms.
- It is necessary to read the Holy Scriptures while living in the Church, for only the Church - since the Holy Spirit is always present in her - is a true teacher in reading; and in order to avoid the risk of falling into error due to misunderstanding of the texts, one should resort to their church interpretation. Recognizing their limitations and sinful impurity, which hinder the soulful ...
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To help the beginner: how to choose Orthodox literature?
If something prevents a modern person from following the path of salvation, it is certainly not the absence of Orthodox literature. The novice Christian is rather disoriented by the abundance of pamphlets and books. It seems that life is not enough to study the experience accumulated by the Church. Where to start? Choosing books on his own, a new convert runs the risk of buying a low-quality, biased publication, published without the blessing of the Church.
Even a good book, but read at the wrong time, can harm a person's soul ... As in any field, advice from a specialist - a clergyman, spiritual mentor - is needed here. Which books do the novice Christian need first, and which ones should he delay? What is the best way to use audio and video sources? What are the principles of reading? These and other questions were helped by the rector of the Temple in honor of the icon "The Assistant of Sinners" Archpriest ...
- One becomes a member of the Church through Baptism, before which it is desirable to undergo a course of public discourses. After Baptism, one must regularly participate in divine services and proceed to the Sacraments. Whoever misses a church service for three Sundays in a row without a good reason excommunicates himself from the Church.
What books should a believing Orthodox Christian have?
- The Bible, the Law of God, the Orthodox prayer book, the interpretation of Holy Scripture, the lives of the saints and books containing patristic instructions in the Christian life.
Any Christian should deepen his knowledge of faith. Reading the ascetic and dogmatic creations of the holy fathers, a Christian comes into contact with the depth of faith that the saints acquired through their ascetic life.
In what literature can you read about the ten commandments?
- A detailed explanation of the ten commandments is given in the Law of God (compiled by archpriest ...
Foreword
This work is dedicated to my first mentor in church ministry, Archpriest Vasily Vladyshevsky, with love and gratitude.
Currently, a large number of people who have understood with their minds or who have felt in their hearts that God exists, who realize, albeit unclearly, their belonging to the Orthodox Church and who want to join It, are faced with the problem of churching, that is, entering the Church as a full and full member of Her. ...
This problem is very serious for many, since, entering the temple, an unprepared person is faced with a completely new, incomprehensible and somewhat even frightening world.
The clothes of priests, icons, lamps, chants and prayers in an obscure language - all this creates in the newcomer a feeling of his own foreignness in the temple, leads to reflections on whether all this is necessary for communication with God?
Many say: “The main thing is that God should be in the soul, and go to church ...
22.1. How and in what order to read the Bible? You can adhere to the reading order that is observed during worship. It is listed in the Orthodox Church calendar for every day. In the Bible of the Moscow Patriarchate Publishing House at the end of the Old Testament there is an index of the Old Testament readings, and at the end of the New Testament there is an index of the Gospel and Apostolic readings. 22.2. What can you read from the Scriptures in Lent? To the daily prayer rule, you can add the reading of the Gospel, Apostolic Acts and Apostolic Epistles, Psalms. 22.3. What if not everything you read in the Bible is clear? It is necessary to read the Holy Scriptures while living in the Church, for only the Church - since the Holy Spirit is always present in her - is a true teacher in reading; and in order to avoid the risk of falling into error due to misunderstanding of the texts, one should resort to their church interpretation.
Recognizing their limitations and sinful impurity, which hinder the penetrating knowledge of the word of God, ...
Today, Orthodox shops are filled with a huge assortment of printed publications. Unfortunately, among them there are often books of non-Orthodox content. About why this is happening and by what criteria it is necessary to choose spiritual literature for reading, we asked the rector of the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign”, Archpriest Nikolai Maslov.
Father Nikolai, what can you say about the unusually wide range of literature in church shops these days?
Thank God these are the times. I remember that in Soviet times it was difficult to get the Bible, not to mention the books of the Holy Fathers. But perestroika changed society. Now people have received imaginary freedom. I do not want to praise those times, because then I myself suffered a lot, but earlier the state followed morality, although at the same time it prohibited religion and persecuted the Church. Now the state does not care about the younger generation, all around absolutely ...
I, in due time, graduated from the medical institute. We studied the structure of the human body. It is interesting that we did not begin to study it from the top of the head, gradually descending to the heels, but taught by systems (skeletal system, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, etc.). The Bible is easy and understandable
study also by topic (creation of man, loss of perfection, resettlement
imperfect people on earth and Satan's power over them, the coming to earth of Jesus Christ, the overthrow of Satan from heaven to earth in the last days, the end of Satan's reign, the coming to earth of the Kingdom of God headed by Jesus Christ, Armageddon, the restoration of Paradise ....). If you really made a decision to read and understand the Bible, it will be very useful to find a partner in the study, since during the discussion of topics and related issues it will be of great help to compare opinions and ways of arguing ...
For many people, the world of Orthodox, spiritual literature is mysterious. After all, we do not get to know him at school or at the institute. The abundance of books published today by Orthodox publishing houses raises many questions: where to start your self-education? Are all books useful for a layman to read? We talk about this with Bishop Pokrovsky and Nikolayevsky Pachomius.
Vladyka, please tell me which books are related to spiritual literature? How can this concept be defined?
The concept of "spiritual literature" is quite broad. This is a whole series of books on various topics. Often, the works of holy ascetics are referred to as spiritual literature, who set out in them the experience of their spiritual life. The main criterion for the spirituality of literature is its conformity with the gospel spirit. These books help to understand the Gospel, to know the Divine world, to improve spiritually, to learn prayer, and most importantly, to learn how to compare your actions with the commandments of Christ.
In the modern world, concepts ...
What books should an Orthodox Christian read?
Good afternoon, our dear visitors! Surely many of you are asking how EI Tavrina from Yekaterinburg asked them - “Which books are preferable? What is the most important thing a Christian needs to know? "
The famous theologian, Archpriest Alexander Shargunov, answers these questions.
In addition to the Holy Scriptures and prayer books, the lives of saints, especially those close to us in time and, of course, the martyrs and confessors of Russia, the most important are books that warn us against a false spiritual path. Such, for example, as the creations of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), St. Theophan the Recluse, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, the writings of Elder Silouan the Athonite, the letters of Hegumen Nikon (Vorobyov), the letters of Archimandrite John (Krestyankin). Because the worst thing is to go in the wrong direction. Ultimately - not to God, but to the devil.
However, some ...
To the day of the Orthodox book
If until this day you have been postponing the regular reading of Christian literature all the time, then there are two whole reasons for this grace-filled work. First, March 14 is the day of the Orthodox book. The holiday is quite young, introduced 4 years ago. But reading for a Christian is an important part of spiritual work. And now Great Lent begins, a wonderful time for spiritual exploits!
The most important book for a Christian should undoubtedly be the Holy Scriptures. In addition, these are patristic works, the lives of the saints. In addition, many different books by Orthodox authors have recently appeared on the book market. And, of course, you need to remember that not all of them are equally valuable. Among these books there are those that are completely non-Orthodox in essence, there are those in which genuine Orthodox teaching is mixed with occult or pseudoscientific ideas. Each person has their own favorite books. According to the website lib.pravmir.ru we suggest ...
You can adhere to the reading order that is observed during worship. It is indicated in the Orthodox Church calendar for every day. In the Bible of the Moscow Patriarchate Publishing House, at the end of the Old Testament, there is an index of the Old Testament readings, and at the end of the New Testament there is an index of the Gospel and Apostolic readings.
To the daily prayer rule, you can add the reading of the Gospel, Apostolic Acts and Apostolic Epistles, Psalms.
What if not everything you read in the Bible is clear?
It is necessary to read the Holy Scriptures while living in the Church, for only the Church - since the Holy Spirit is always present in her - is a true teacher in reading; and in order to avoid the risk of falling into error due to a misunderstanding of the texts, one should resort to church interpretation. Recognizing our limitations and sinful impurity, which hinder the penetrating knowledge of the word of God, we must humbly pray ...
Christian and Literature. Answers on questions
What kind of literature is called sinful and what kind of literature, besides spiritual, can you read? Evgeniy.
Dear Eugene!
How to distinguish sinful literature from mere literature? The sinful literature includes literature that promotes all kinds of vices, occult sciences, fortune telling, etc. This also includes trivial, completely empty, useless literature, It is classified as "reading" by the consumers themselves. It is read to kill time. But there is classic literature. Pushkin and Gogol, Lermontov and Griboyedov, Tyutchev and A.K. Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Leskov ..., the classics of recent times - Akhmatova, Shmelev - how can a cultured Orthodox person live without them? The choice of reading circle depends both on your requests and on what you expect from what you read. Nothing can replace spiritual literature, but nothing can replace classical literature, which can be of great benefit with selective and careful reading. There is…
And my first book was “The Monk Barsanuphius of Optina. Conversations. Cell notes. Poems ”I read it, and my world turned upside down! Thank God for everything!
Once they remembered the Optina Elders ... at the very beginning of my journey, reading made a great impact on me
Diary of the last elder of Optina Pustyn. Hieromonk Nikon (Belyaev).
and
Testament to spiritual children. Hieromonk Nikon (Belyaev).
(from the library of the Optina Hermitage site)
They left an indelible mark on my heart. They are very easy to read and filled with such indescribable sincerity, light, simplicity and humility, which you cannot even find in a simple life, probably only in a monastery or skete. If someone asks me: show me humility; Father Nikon will be the first person I recommend to read.
From the notes:
2. About fighting yourself and keeping yourself from temptations
A person who does not restrain himself in trifles, thinking that a trifle does not mean anything, weaned himself from fighting ...
Iolanta: YoLka, it's not even a matter of miracles, but the syllable there is so uncomplicated, not rich in literature, sort of like in tabloid novels.
aaaa .. I just understood "popular" in a slightly different sense.
Kind of like our topic is “Marriage. Desired and real .. "
Or as a two-dimensional picture, but the reality is much more multidimensional ..
Praskovya: Designed, apparently, for such a circle of readers who will simply discard a more complex syllable, and the foundations of Orthodoxy are woven into this fairy tale quite well
Oh yes, something like that ... here we have everything here, thank God, the girls are literate, one might say, the color of parishionership
but in life there are women for whom such books are understandable and accessible ... especially when they are strongly recommended in the church shop ...
Maybe you won't believe it - but these lovely women WRITE out quotes from books in their notebook ... well, they don't have an Internet, or they don't know how to use it - to download ...
I was only asked today, “And Flavian actually serves somewhere, is ...
Holy Scripture: Kiss More Than Read?
An important component of the reading circle of an Orthodox person cannot but be - although it often turns out that he is not there - the Holy Scriptures. It often turns out that among the Orthodox the entire Bible was read only by those who specially studied biblical studies or moved from various Protestant or sectarian communities (“which cannot be attributed to the shortcomings of these associations; you think: if I knew the Holy Scripture, I could answer that way, ”noted Archpriest Maxim Kozlov).
“If the Holy Scripture is a book that we kiss more often than read, then this is absurd,” the priest emphasized. If we listen to the same Gospel passages on Sundays, but during the week we never open the Gospel; if the apostolic readings completely pass us by, like a pause before the Gospel at a service, if the so-called “problem of incomprehensibility ...
