The Orthodox Church is one of the three major branches of Christianity. There are over 300 million adherents throughout the world. The Orthodox Church is a fellowship of independent churches, which split form the Roman Church over the question of papal supremacy in 1054. The Orthodox adherents include people in: Greece, Georgia, Russia, and Serbia. There are an estimated one million members in the United States. This Advanced book explains the basic principles of Orthodox Christianity and describes in detail the holidays observed by the Orthodox Church. In addition, relevant book literature is presented in bibliographic form with easy access provided by title, subject and author indexes.

"St Maximus the Confessor (c. 580-662) expounds the meaning of the Divine Liturgy in On the Ecclesiastical Mystagogy. He draws on the tradition of the Celestial Hierarchy by Dionysius the Areopagite, and influences the subsequent tradition, beginning with St Germanus of Constantinople's commentary. Maximus situates his understanding of the liturgy within his bold synthetic theological vision, seeing Christ the Logos of the God reflected and manifested in the logoi of created things. For Maximus, all things are interrelated-the material and the spiritual, God and man, earth and heaven-and cohere in Christ (cf. Col 1.17)"--

A Distinguished Theologian on the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit Distinguished theologian Matthew Levering offers a historical examination of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, defending an Augustinian model against various contemporary theological views. A companion piece to Levering's Engaging the Doctrine of Revelation, this work critically engages contemporary and classical doctrines of the Holy Spirit in dialogue with Orthodox and Reformed interlocutors. Levering makes a strong dogmatic case for conceiving of the Holy Spirit as love between Father and Son, given to the people of God as a gift.

The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church is a multivolume study by Hughes Oliphant Old that canvasses the history of preaching from the words of Moses at Mount Sinai through modern times. In Volume 1, The Biblical Period, Old begins his survey by discussing the roots of the Christian ministry of the Word in the worship of Israel. He then examines the preaching of Christ and the Apostles. Finally, Old looks at the development and practice of Christian preaching in the second and third centuries, concluding with the ministry of Origen.

The bestselling author of The Lamb’s Supper continues his thoughtful exploration of the complex relationship between the Bible and the Catholic liturgy in a revelatory work that will appeal to all readers. Scott Hahn has inspired millions of readers with his perceptive and unique view of Catholic theology and worship, becoming one of the most looked-to contemporary authorities in these areas. In Letter and Spirit, Hahn extends the message he began in The Lamb’s Supper, offering far-reaching and profound insights into what the Bible teaches us about living the spiritual life. For both Christians and Jews, the texts of the Bible are not simply records of historical events. They are intended, through public recitations in churches and synagogues, to bring listeners and readers into the sweeping story of redemption as it unfolds in the Bible. Focusing on the Catholic Mass, Hahn describes how God’s Word is meant to open our eyes to the life-giving power of the sacraments, and how the liturgy brings about the “actualization” of the saving truths of Scripture. Letter and Spirit is a stunningly original contribution to the field of biblical studies and will help Hahn’s many loyal and enthusiastic readers understand the relationship between the Bible and the Mass in a deeper way.