What are you reading?

[Ah_Tibor]

'The Station', by Robert Byron. An account of his visit to Mount Athos in 1927 with a couple of friends

(originally three).​

Why 'The Station'? Deliberately obscure, I think, but the final words of the book are "This is the Holy Mountain Athos", station of a faith where all the years have stopped."

Not super obscure, that's in my pile! I picked up his "First Russia, Then Tibet" from Goodwill one day, which is very interesting-- it's an account of an intermediary period when they're trying hard to build up the Communist state, the monarchy is dead, and he's travelling around, wanting to see iconography.

I don't think he "gets" the Russian sensibility (he makes a claim "there is something Messianic in every Russian"-- uh, ok) but the outsider perspective is interesting, especially as I feel we're in another intermediary period, although even idealistic Communists seem preferable to whatever equivalent we have now (in some cases).

 

[messaggera]

About to start Orthodox Dogmatic Theology - Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky - translated by Hieromonk Seraphim Rose.

Has anyone read this book?

 

[christie2]

I am reading 'Practical Female Psychology for the Practical Man by Joseph South, David and Franco.
I'm always open to reading on the topic of male and female relations to each other.
Wow. What a great book.

I got to the section of Double Bind and realised this is something that I have done to a man. I have mixed feelings admitting this but I am on one hand relieved that I do indeed have the feminine trait of manipulation....I'm not as much of a tomboy I thought I was....and I have horror that I treated a man this way.
Insanity.

I'm almost elated, that I think I identified a major character default in myself. If there's others that are on a self-improvement journey you may grasp how I feel right now.

It's like I've identified something to work on, a goal to work towards, in not practicing double binds

 

[messaggera]

@christie2 You will have to let us know more about the book you are reading; it sounds like the content covers human behaviour. I would be interested to hear more about the feminine trait of manipulation - perhaps it would make for a productive discussion in the Human Behavoiur thread?:

Human Behaviour

A thread for discussing human behaviours. Often there are topics in recommended books/articles that present behaviours that are to be identified and to be righteously judged. There is a difference between sinful judgement and righteous judgement as presented in this RVF article: “If a...

www.rooshvforum.com

About to start reading (parallel with Orthodox Dogma Theology) Thoughts for Each Day of the Year by St. Theophan the Recluse:

In the present book, Thoughts for Each Day of the Year, St. Theophan takes us through the yearly cycle of Gospel and Epistle readings, humbly and reverently offering us brief but powerful daily meditations on the word of God. He also addresses the problems of his day—lack of faith, coldness of heart, trust in the rational mind rather than in the revealed Truth of God—which are problems of our day as well.

Contemplating the sacred texts together with St. Theophan, the reader will learn to penetrate more deeply into Holy Scripture, and will receive answers to many dogmatic, moral, and spiritual questions which touch upon our salvation. Thoughts for Each Day of the Year can help us to more closely connect our lives with the life of Christ in His Holy Church, and to gain a better knowledge of how to fulfill His commandments. By reading St. Theophan’s daily exhortations and taking them to heart, one can be changed by the grace-filled power of our Savior, in accordance with the teaching of the Apostle Paul: Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2).

I am interested to hear what is to be said about "coldness of heart, trust in the rational mind rather than in the revealed Truth of God."

 

[christie2]

That book sounds interesting @messaggera; those are problems of our day.
Although I'm baptized in one Orthodox jurisdiction already, I begin an inquirer/catechumin class at a new Orthodox church this Saturday. I am refreshed into learning more and your book sounds interesting. I will look for it.

Keep us updated how you like the Saint's thoughts for each day of the year and maybe share a few with us here.

 

[Owlet]

Privacy is Power: why and how you should take back control of your data, by Carissa Véliz, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and the Institute for Ethics in AI, University of Oxford. Written and published in 2020, during the first year of lockdown, so it doesn't cover issues of vax passports and QR codes as Government weapons of control. I hope she will update it.

Well referenced, but the resources mentioned in the 'What you can do' chapter are mainly to printed publications, journal issues of a given date etc., which may not be easy for most people to access. I can understand why she avoided giving web references, but things move so fast in this area that it would have been good to have pointers as to how to keep up-to-date with recent developments. so a list of trusted websites and bloggers would have been helpful.

 

[messaggera]

For 5 - 10 minute daily reads, non devotional. I came across this online writer back in 2021.

It is very difficult finding female online writers who are credible and concise.
Helen Roy's writing is worth giving a read, and it would be interesting to hear others opinions.
https://americanmind.org/author/helen-roy/

An example of her online published work was cited in the following thread:

Indoctrination question

An observation about what it means to have students follow a formal curriculum would be to teach material that is aligned with a state or local set of standards to achieve. Unions and politicians determining curriculum. And there are the problems. Society, culture, politics, etc. in this...

www.rooshvforum.com

 

[IconWriter]

I'm about to buy this book: Dakota, a Spiritual Geography, by Kathleen Norris after hearing Fr. Alexander Webster's homily Sunday, about the allure of the desert and alluding to St. Anthony the Great of Egypt (254 A.D.). Having lived myself in the desert for a number of years I find it very appealing and her poetic style of writing is beautiful.
"A beautiful meditation on life in the Great Plains from award-winning author and poet Kathleen Norris.
Kathleen Norris invites readers to experience rich moments of prayer and presence in Dakota, a timeless tribute to a place in the American landscape that is at once desolate and sublime, harsh and forgiving, steeped in history and myth. In thoughtful, discerning prose, she explores how we come to inhabit the world we see, and how that world also inhabits us. Her voice is a steady assurance that we can, and do, chart our spiritual geography wherever we go."

Here is a link to Father's short homily:

 

[Ah_Tibor]

Martian Time-slip by Philip K. Dick, but I keep falling asleep

 

[messaggera]

Started reading The Church and the New Order, William Patton (1941), and came across the footnote for the following quote:

Every possible consideration ought to be shown to the desire of government to have their own unity, their own customs, their own language, and their own authority respected…..the countries ruled by governments mainly or wholly controlled by the Roman Catholic Church.

Now I am reading the document that was the footnoted to the above quote: The Church and the state: International Missionary Council meeting at Tambaram, Madras, 1938, V11. (IMC)

The IMC document is interesting and discusses how church missions’ activities were impacted differently; due to divisive political conditions within countries (Muslim- Church and State; RCC receiving same privileges as countries governed by Protestant powers, etc). Found this quote interesting about "narrowing down rights of religion" from Stalin, documented in the the IMC document:

Some say that there is danger that there may creep into the supreme organs of the country elements hostile to the Soviet power, perhaps some of the former white guards, kulaks, priests, etc. But what is there actually to fear? ‘Those who fear wolves should not enter the forest. In the first place, not all former kulaks, white guards or priests are hostile to the Soviet power. In the second place, if the people here and there should elect hostile persons, that will only mean that our agitation (propaganda work) is badly handled, and we fully deserve such shame ; but if our agitation work is carried on in Bolshevik manner, then the people will not let hostile persons get into their supreme organs. This means we must work and not whimper. We must work and not simply expect that everything will be provided ready-made by administrative order.

The book also devoted a chapter to Social Problems – 1) Religious Freedom and 2) The Jews.

The International Missionary Council (IMC) merged with the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 1961. Both the book and IMC document are historical documents that are interesting during these times:

Christians (and all others who seek to apply to secular affairs the principles, criteria and spirit of true religion) must face and answer the questions raised by the fact of power and the part it plays in human affairs; that the key to the future lies in the use we make of the present emergency and the instruments it called into being...

 

[messaggera]

What are community members reading now?
Has anyone read The Ladder of Divine Ascent, an ascetic work written for monastics, by John Climacus around 600 AD

An angel fell from heaven without any other passion except pride, and so we may ask whether it is possible to ascend to Heaven by humility alone, without any other of the virtues. St. John Climacus

 

[Starlight]

The bulk of my reading is this forum and children’s picture books lol . Currently reading the “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” series on repeat with my daughter. I was reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius but the kids put it away somewhere when they were tidying up the other day and now I can’t find it. Oh well, I’ll probably find it in a few years… lol

 

[Ah_Tibor]

The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire by Edward N. Luttwak, probably won't finish it though

 

[BasilSeal]

The bulk of my reading is this forum and children’s picture books lol . Currently reading the “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” series on repeat with my daughter. I was reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius but the kids put it away somewhere when they were tidying up the other day and now I can’t find it. Oh well, I’ll probably find it in a few years… lol

I recommend "If you give a Moose a Muffin" and "Goodnight, goodnight, construction site".

 

[Zima]

Just recently I've finished The Open Society Playbook by Scott Howard.
The book examines in great detail how powers that be, through a George Soros foundation, are controlling the world of politics and reshaping the society as we know it into something menacing.

And I'm about to start reading Mere Christianty by C.S. Lewis.

 

[doodydota]

I pity those who don't read Polish, because you are missing out massively on the genius of Józef Ignacy Kraszewski.
"Boleszczyce" is a historical novel set in the 11. century. The Polish tribes have been unified and the country has been just recently baptised. The elites are Christian, but the people are still rooted deeply in their pagan ways.
The feudal society is based on multiple power vectors. Sources of authority are the King, the Church and your tribe elders. It's a fantastic setting for drama. The dialogs and characters are superb. There is unfettered masculinity, knights, clank of swords, honour, respect, brutality, but also female amorality and submission to dominance. The story is rooted in truth, both historical and physiological, with hard consequences of your choices, but also redemption and mercy. Fantastic!

 

[messaggera]

Why Does the Russian Orthodox Church Support Vladimir Putin? — The Rest of the Iceberg

Vladimir Putin hardly has the cleanest reputation after Russia's interventions in Ukraine and Syria. Yet the Russian Orthodox Church supports him enthusiastically--its leader called Putin a "miracle from God." Why? You have to go back more than a thousand years to get the answer

restoftheiceberg.org

 

[messaggera]

Currently reading and will be using as part of a social studies unit for homeschooling.

The Royal Passion-bearers of Russia Their Life and Service.

If anyone has a great interest in Tsar Nicholas II and Russia this is a beautiful and easy to read book compiled by the St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood - St. Herman Press . The book also provides the the Great Vespers celebrated on 4 July by the Holy Church in memory.

The family was greatly devoted to Christ, and served in many roles helping citizens.
It is very sad to read the death of this family given the great impact they had on their country serving Christ.

Description of Book:

Tsar Nicholas II, Tsaritsa Alexandra, and their five children, glorified by the Orthodox Church as the Royal Passion-bearers of Russia, are now among the most widely venerated saints in Russia and are likewise extremely popular among Orthodox Christians of other lands. This popularity is due in large part to their profoundly pious characters and the way that piety was expressed in their lives, both public and private. Superb examples of Orthodox rulership, they also present a model of harmonious and truly Christian family life, something especially needful in the present godless era.

Although the Bolsheviks, hating both Orthodox monarchy and all things Christian, martyred this family and tried in every way to eradicate all traces of them from the earth, in the end it is the Bolshevik legacy that is being forgotten, while icons of Tsar Nicholas and his family can be found in every church in Russia. Likewise, although the house in which they were murdered in 1918 was bulldozed to prevent their veneration, there is now a magnificent cathedral on that site and a museum commemorating them.

Presented here is a Life of Russia’s Royal Passion-bearers, compiled from the many writings on them in both Russian and English, as well as a complete Church Service to the saints, published by the Moscow Patriarchate in 2002 and translated from the Church Slavonic.

 

[Theodora Gee]

Spiritual Struggle by St Paisios the Athonite.

 

[IconWriter]

A very interesting book: The UFO Deception: An Orthodox Christian Perspective. by Fr. Spyridon Bailey. He discusses the connection between UFO's and demonic activity, as Fr. Seraphim Rose did in his writings. If you have not thought of this connection before it's a real eye-opener.