Saint George Orthodox Church
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
Orthodox Book Club

Mission: To share a good book and encourage each other in our Christian journey, deepen our faith and friendships and have some snacks and fun.

Currently (Fall 2023): 

  • We have been meeting monthly since the first of the year and have read three books (see below)
  • We are active in both "live and in person" and "Zoom" formats (actually combining those formats into one group now)
  • Our approach is to have everyone read the book and then meet once or twice to discuss

Where: Saint George Church / Online Zoom by invitation

 

Time: Each MEETING is scheduled once we get a book distributed

 

Contact: Father Michael (989.627.9580 if you have any questions!


Books We Have Read

Our Current Book Club Activity:

  • May It Be Blessed ~ Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos (may be available in the USA from Dormition of the Mother of God Monastery)
  • Shepherd of Souls: The Life and Teaching of Elder Cleopa Master of Inner Prayer and Spiritual Father of Romania (1912-1998) - Archimandrite Ioanichie Balan
    • 10/12/2022 - We are currently in the process of ordering this book and distributing it. If you are interested contact Fr. Michael Bassett at the phone # above
  • Great Lent (Jan and Feb of 2023)
  • The Way of the Ascetic (June & July 2023)

Below are books we read prior to September 2022

  • The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality by Kyriacos C. Markides
  • The Life of Antony and the Letter to Marcellinus on Interpreting the Psalms ~ St. Athanasius
  • Theosis: The True Purpose of Human Life ~ Archimandrite George
  • Man of God: Saint John of Shanghai & San Francisco ~ ArchPriest Peter Perekrestov
  • The Path of Prayer: Four Sermons on Prayer ~ St. Theophan the Recluse
  • On The Incarnation ~ St. Athanasius the Great
  • The Lost Gospel of Mary: The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts ~ Frederica Mathewes-Green
  • The Passion of St. George ~ Bishop Theodotus of Ancyra
  • The Life of St. Raphael of Brooklyn ~ Antakya Press
  • The Island (Ostrov) ~ A Russian Movie with English Subtitles
  • A short study on the use of the Psalter in Orthodox corporate and private worship
  • Father Arseny: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father ~ Alexander (Author), Vera Bouteneff (Translator)
  • The Lord's Prayer and Three Meditations - St. Nicholai Velimirovic
  • Beauty for Ashes ~ Stephen R. Lloyd-Moffett
  • Witness in the Holy Land ~ Maria C. Khoury
  • The Inner Universe ~ Archimandrite Roman Braga
  • Worship
  • Same Sex Attraction:
  • The Meaning of Typikon ~ Archimandrite Vasileios and Georgios I. Mantzaridis
  • The Hermitess Photini ~ Archimandrite Joachim Spetsieris
  • Crazy John ~ Dionysios A. Makris
  • Dimitri's Cross: The Life and Letters of St. Dimitri Klepinin, Martyred during the Holocaust ~ Helen Klepinin Arjakovsky
  • Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica ~ Ana Smiljanic
  • The Orthodox Veneration of The Mother of God ~ Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco
  • The Gurus, The Young Man and the Elder Paisios ~ Dionysios Farasiotis
  • Thirty Steps to Heaven:
    • Description: Many laypeople have attempted to read the great spiritual classic, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, but have been frustrated in attempting to apply the lessons of this monastic text to their everyday lives in the world. In Thirty Steps, Archimandrite Vassilios interprets the Ladder for the ordinary Christian without sacrificing any of its beauty and power. Now you too can accept the challenge offered by St. John Climacus to ascend closer to God with each passing day.
    • About the Author: Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou is a priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. He was born in London in 1977 and holds degrees in pastoral and social theology, classics, and Byzantine music. He is the author of Meditations for Great Lent and Meditations for Advent (Ancient Faith Publishing), Journey to the Kingdom: An Insider’s Look at the Liturgy and Beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox Church (Paraclete Press), and numerous articles on Christian Orthodox faith and theology. (He is also the author of the Ancient Faith Prayer Book).
    • Regarding the Ladder of Divine Ascent itself: ​The Ladder of Divine Ascent is an ascetical treatise on avoiding vice and practicing virtue so that at the end, salvation can be obtained. Written by Saint John Climacus initially for monastics, it has become one of the most highly influential and important works used by the Church as far as guiding the faithful to a God-centered life, second only to Holy Scripture.
    • Ancient Faith Radio Interview with the author.
  • The Meaning of Suffering AND Strive & Reconciliation - Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev
  • The Forgotten Medicine: The Mystery of Repentance - Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev
  • The Life and Miracles of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg
  • Sayings of the Desert Fathers - Apophthegmata Patrum
  • The Jesus PrayerThe Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God, by Frederica Mathewes-Green.
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