Books published by Conciliar Press

Examines the lives of almost 150 saints and heroes from the Scriptures. These men and women represent that ancient family into which, by baptism, all believers have been incorporated. They compose that great "cloud of witnesses" cheering us on and inspiring us through word and deed.About the Author:Patrick Henry Reardon is pastor of All Saints' Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois, and a senior editor of Touchstone. He is the author of Christ in the Psalms: The Trial of Job: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of Job; Creation and the Patriarchal Histories: Orthodox Christian Reflection on the Book of Genesis; Wise Lives: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Wisdom of Sirach; Chronicles of History and Worship: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Books of Chronicles, as well as more than 500 articles, editorials, and reviews, published in Books and Culture, Touchstone, The Scottish Journal of Theology, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Pro Ecclesia, St. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly, and other journals on three continents.

There is enormous tension between the desire to enter fully into the life of the Church and the many pressures of society and everyday life. We sometimes find ourselves walking a tight rope between what we think is the ideal of a holy life and the demands of our post-modern world. The beauty of the Church seasons is that they teach us how to balance our life. The Christian life is a whole life, an expansive life, a life in Christ-the one who gives Himself for the life of the world. Seasons of Grace is author Donna Farley's own view from the tightrope. These short yet thoughtful reflections, written in an insightful and sometimes humorous style, will help weave together the great feasts into the fabric of your life. Matushka Donna is a priest's wife, mother, and prolific writer. She is a published poet and science fiction writer.

One of the most profound works on repentance in all of Christendom. St. Theophan, a beloved Orthodox bishop from nineteenth-century Russia, speaks not only from a deep knowledge of the Church Fathers, but also from a lifetime of experience in turning his heart to God-and guiding others on this glorious Way that leads to our salvation. His writings are unique in that he combines centuries of Church wisdom with keen psychological insights for us today. Repentance is not a popular term here in the West, yet it is the cornerstone of the Lord's gospel, and the entrance into God's kingdom. Turning the Heart to God is a manual of true spiritual transformation in a world of often cheap grace . . . a classic book that has the power to change our lives, if we let it.

Many Christians see the Old Testament as "the other Testament": a source of exciting stories to tell the kids, but not very relevant to the Christian life. The Christian Old Testament reveals the Hebrew Scriptures as the essential context of Christianity, as well as a many-layered revelation of Christ Himself. Follow along as Fr. Lawrence Farley explores the Christian significance of every book of the Old Testament.

This is a book for those struggling to establish an effective life of prayer. Written neither for seasoned monastic nor lofty scholar, "A Beginner's Guide to Prayer" speaks to the average man or woman on the street who desires a deeper relationship with God but is unsure how or where to begin. Drawing from nearly 2000 years of Orthodox spiritual wisdom, the author offers warm, practical, pastoral advice whose genius is to be found in its homespun simplicity and straight­forwardness of style. If you've been desiring to make prayer a meaningful and regular part of your life, this book will help set you on your way. But be careful! Prayer can be habit forming! In fact, the advice offered in this book may just change the course of the rest of your life. So, in the words of the author, "What are you waiting for? Start to pray!"

The Old Testament Books of Chronicles contain some of the most neglected passages in all of Scripture. Understanding their message can be a difficult and daunting task for the modern reader. Patrick Reardon brings these important books to life, unfolding their powerful message for our own day. Like any family history, the story of Chronicles is told with a distinct purpose in mind. It asks the question: "What was the real and lasting significance of King David and his house?" Beginning with the long list of names of the first chapter, this heritage is revealed in cosmic significance. It has in fact become the family tree of every true believer.One volume in the Orthodox Christian Reflections series, which also includes:Creation and the Patriarchal Histories: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of GenesisThe Trial of Job: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of JobWise Lives: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Wisdom of Sirach

Saint Theophan, while from a different era and country, has an uncanny ability to communicate with modern Westerners. Raising Them Right provides both practical and spiritual insight into a variety of areas of concern to parents, such as baptism, guiding the spiritual and psychological development of children through their teens, and preserving grace in a child's life. A fresh redesign of a spiritual classic. "What good fortune therefore it is to receive a good, truly Christian upbringing, to enter with it into the years of youth, then in the same spirit to enter into the years of adulthood." --Saint TheophanFind practical advice for reaching these goals for your children in RAISING THEM RIGHT.

Subtitle: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of GenesisThe Book of Genesis is foundational reading for the Christian, concerned as it is with the origins of our race and the beginnings of salvation history. Its opening pages provide the theological suppositions of the entire biblical story: Creation, especially that of man in God's image, the structure of time, man's relationship to God, the entrance of sin into the world, and God's selection of a specific line of revelation that will give structure to history. Early Christian writers such as St. Paul saw no dichotomy between the writings of the Law, of which Genesis is the beginning, and the Gospel. Rather, the Gospel is the key to understanding the Law. In "Creation and the Patriarchal Histories," Fr. Reardon shows clearly how the proper understanding of Creation and the Fall informs all of Christian doctrine, and how the narratives of the patriarchs from Noah to Joseph pave the way for the salvation history that continues in Exodus.