Books published by Conciliar Press

This volume is the first appearance in English of a selection of the informal talks Abba Matta gave to his fellow monks and to visitors. In simple, accessible language, he addresses a wide range of subjects. To read these talks is to sit at the feet of one of the greatest spiritual teachers of our age.About Abba Matta: Known in the West as Matthew the Poor, Abba Matta is widely regarded as the greatest Egyptian elder since St. Antony the Great. He produced a huge and varied body of work in Arabic, only a little of which has been translated into English. In addition, a great many of his informal talks to monks and visitors were recorded. He had a marvelous ability to communicate the deepest spiritual truths in the simplest and most practical language, making them accessible to laypeople as well as monastics. He speaks to the heart rather than the head, gently exhorting the reader to pursue a deeper life in Christ.

St. Paul's epistles to Timothy and Titus contain the apostle's instructions to the pastors under his care about how they, in turn, should care for their flocks in wisdom and love. As the last epistles St. Paul wrote in anticipation of his martyrdom, they remain as a testimony to his pastoral love and as an inspiration for those in the Church, both the shepherds and the flock, to walk in holiness and love themselves. About the Orthodox Bible Study Companion Series This commentary series was written for the average layperson. Working from a literal translation of the original Greek, the commentary examines the text section by section, explaining its meaning in everyday language. Written from an Orthodox and patristic perspective, it maintains a balance between the devotional and the exegetical, feeding both the heart and the mind.

Do you ever find yourself feeling bored in church? Don't despair-you're not alone, and there is hope!Fr. David Smith offers four compelling reasons for going to church regardless of how we feel. He then explores • six reasons people sometimes feel bored in church,• five ways to think about your priest,• four ways you can participate more fully in services,• three kinds of waiting,• two kinds of prayer, and the• one thing truly needful in our relationship with God.This book will help you see church as the best place you could possibly be-and the place you most want to be.

The Book of Revelation has inspired controversy ever since it was written in the first century. It was the last book to be accepted into the New Testament canon, and today a myriad of mutually contradictory end-times speculations claim to be based on its teachings. Fr. Lawrence Farley provides a sober, patristic interpretation that reads Revelation in its proper context of Jewish apocalyptic literature. He demonstrates that the most important lesson we can learn from Revelation today is the need to remain faithful in a time of widespread hostility to the Christian faith.One volume in "The Orthodox Bible Study Companion" series. This series was written for the average layperson, for the nonprofessional who feels a bit intimidated by the presence of copious footnotes, long bibliographies, and all those other things which so enrich academics. Working from a literal translation of the original Greek, this commentary examines the text section by section, explaining its meaning in everyday language. Written from an Orthodox and patristic perspective, it maintains a balance between the devotitonal and the exegetical, feeding both the heart and the mind.

A beautiful widow risks her life to defend her people while men cower in fear.A young man takes a journey with an archangel and faces down a demon in order to marry a woman seven times widowed.A reprobate king repents and miraculously turns back toward God. A Jewish exile plays a game of riddles in a Persian king's court. Young men and widows become martyrs in the face of idolatry. Wisdom is detailed and exalted.Christ is revealed.These and many other stories make up the collection of writings explored in this book-authentic books of the Bible you've probably never read. Dubbed "Apocrypha" and cut from the Bible by the Reformers, these books of the Greek Old Testament were a vital part of the Church's life in the early centuries, and are still read and treasured by Orthodox Christians today. The Rest of the Bible provides a brief and intriguing introduction to each of these valuable texts, which St. Athanasius termed "the Readables."

Fr. Lawrence Farley explores the Acts of the Apostles as St. Luke's sequel to his Gospel—an apology for the Christian Faith as the fulfillment of Judaism, a gospel for all peoples, and a faith that poses no threat to Roman government or society. It's also the greatest adventure story of all time.About the Orthodox Bible Study Companion Series: This commentary series was written for the average layperson. Working from a literal translation of the original Greek, the commentary examines the text section by section, explaining its meaning in everyday language. Written from an Orthodox and patristic perspective, it maintains a balance between the devotional and the exegetical, feeding both the heart and the mind.

Is the Church too negative about sex?Beginning with this provocative question, Fr. Lawrence Farley explores the history of the Church’s attitude toward sex and marriage, from the Old Testament through the Church Fathers. He persuasively makes the case both for traditional morality and for a positive acceptance of marriage as a viable path to theosis.

The community Paul founded in Corinth gave him both joy and grief, for he was to encounter problems there of disunity, sin, and arrogance including the rejection of his own apostolic authority by some of his flock. His two epistles to the Corinthians come straight from the heart, as he appeals to them to live in peace, in righteousness, in generosity, and not to resist his God-given authority. His Corinthian correspondence abides as a lasting legacy and a challenge for all churches everywhere.About the Orthodox Bible Study Companion Series:This commentary was written for your grandmother and for your plumber. That is, it was written for the average layperson, for the nonprofessional who feels a bit intimidated by the presence of copious footnotes, long bibliographies, and all those other things which so enrich the lives of academics.Working from a literal translation of the original Greek, this commentary examines the text section by section, explaining its meaning in everyday language. Written from an Orthodox and patristic perspective, it maintains a balance between the devotional and the exegetical, feeding both the heart and the mind.

Does “Orthodox evangelism” sound like an oxymoron? It shouldn’t. The Orthodox Church has an unbroken tradition of evangelism that goes back to the Apostles. But Orthodox evangelism does look rather different from the Protestant variety.With his characteristic straight­forward and humor­ous style, Fr. Michael Keiser covers the history of Orthodox evangelism, the rationale and the methods for continuing this tradition in our contemporary Western post-Christian society. 

At a time when so many disaffected Christians are trying to recreate the Church from scratch, Fr. James offers a clear and accessible apology for simply returning to what Christ's Church was always meant to be.

The writings of the Church Fathers constitute the "first story" of the Christian faith, built upon its apostolic foundation. Patristic scholar James Payton makes the Fathers more accessible by selecting passages that are easily applicable to the average Christian's life. With his help, we can all find stimulation, comfort, challenge, and inspiration in the Church Fathers.

Spirituality is in! Monks go platinum with recordings of chant, and books on self-help spirituality overflow on supermarket bookracks. But what is the meaning of true spirituality? Aren't we all a little confused? Genuine spirituality keeps us in balance with God, our neighbor, and the material world.Fr. Michael Keiser walks us through the Orthodox Church's timeless teachings and practices on the ancient understanding of Christian spirituality with humor and keen insight. He outlines how ascetic practices, personal and corporate worship, confession and repentance, overcoming the passions, and opening ourselves up to God's grace can lead us to transformation,and to our ultimate destiny-Jerusalem, the heavenly city.Fr. Michael Keiser is also the author of "A Beginner's Guide to Prayer" and "Spread the Word: Reclaiming the Apostolic Tradition of Evangelism."

In the Gospel of Luke, we hear the angel's timeless proclamation to Mary, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women" (Luke 1:28). Every generation of Christians must contemplate these angelic words, for Mary is the Theotokos and Mother of our Lord. Every culture must confront her mystery. Through its worship services, the Church gives us many opportunities to consider the place of the Mother of Jesus Christ in our lives. The Paraklesis service, sung every day during the Virgin's Lent, offers the perfect vehicle to do just that. Sung from the first to the fifteenth of August, and at other times of illness and distress, the Paraklesis is a supplicatory song, a canon of praise, a series of poems celebrating with honor the Mother of Jesus our Lord. Fr. David Smith shares with us his own personal meditations on Mary, based upon his reflections on the Paraklesis service.

Walking in Wonder blends patristic Orthodox teaching with practical suggestions for parents, resulting in a book that is not only inspirational but full of common sense. Elizabeth White draws from her extensive experience as an educator, parent, and faithful Orthodox Christian to outline not only what the virtues are, but how their development can be encouraged in the lives of children. Each chapter ends with a list of practical ideas any parent might try to help cultivate character qualities such as attentiveness and silence. This small jewel could very well be called "the Holy Fathers applied to parenting." This workbook will help parents, teachers, and all caregivers provide an environment that helps develop Orthodox attitudes toward self, others, the world, and Christ. Written with children under the age of eight in mind.

"Deep in a northern Russian forest of jade and brown, far from any hint of civilization, Valaam Monastery sinks into the seasons of the year as it has for a thousand years before. . . ." So begins the story of John Oliver, a young evangelical American on a journey of discovery-a journey that leads him to an ancient Russian monastery, a place of peace and a place of struggle. For on Valaam, he encounters Orthodox Christianity and is reminded that the Christian life is not for the faint of heart. And on Valaam, the treasure of stillness requires a fierce guarding. Foreword by Fr. Jonah Paffhausen, abbot of the Monastery of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, in Northern California.Excerpts from book reviews:Lyrically, eloquently, and with great wisdom, this book speaks to the soul. Part spiritual autobiography, part penetrating description of what Orthodox spirituality can and should be, John Oliver's words evoke in the reader's mind and heart a longing for God, at once fierce and tender. "Great art, great architecture," he says, "always leads us inward and upward." This marvelous book does no less. It leads us inward and upward, until, for a moment at least, we even touch heaven. -Fr. John Breck, Author, professor of biblical interpretation and ethics at St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in ParisTouching Heaven is a lovely book, quiet and contemplative, and full of peaceful revelations. -Frederica Mathewes-Green, Author of Facing East, National Public Radio commentator This is a gripping and finely written account of what drew John Oliver into the deeper waters of Christianity and made him an Orthodox Christian. -Jim Forest, Author of Praying with Icons, lecturer

"Our Hearts' True Home" presents fourteen warm, inspiring stories of women coming into the Orthodox Christian faith. These women come from a wide variety of backgrounds, yet ther's a common thread: no matter how they struggled, their journeys are infused with the love and mercy of God.