Bajis, Jordan Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian. Minneapolis: Light & Life, 1991. An excellent, non-polemic comparison of Western Christian (Roman Catholic & Reformed) views with Eastern Orthodox / Byzantine Catholic approaches. ISBN: 0-937032-81-6
Cross, Lawrence Eastern Christianity: The Byzantine Tradition. Sydney: E.J. Dwyer, 1988. 0-855574-148-1. A good, one volume over-all introduction.
Lozynsky, T. (ed) He Dwells in our Midst. St. Catharines, Ont: St. Sophia Religious Organization, 1988. 0-9691657-6-5. Lavishly illustrated, with solid essays. The opening essay places the challenges of Eastern Christianity to the West in clear context.
Roberson, Ronald G. The Eastern Christian Churches Rome: Edizioni «Orientalia Christiana», 6th Edition 1998. 88-7210-293-6. Available through the NCCB/USCC Publishing Office, Washington DC. The one indispensable reference work on all Eastern Christian Churches!
Ware, Timothy (Kallistos). The Orthodox Church. Baltimore: Penguin.
The Art of Prayer : An Orthodox Anthology. Faber, 1997. (From the Publisher:) Expressed in unusually direct and vivid language, The Art of Prayer is a spiritual anthology drawn from the Greek and Russian traditions. The Jesus Prayer, the most frequently used and best loved of all Orthodox prayer, receives special emphasis. The Art of Prayer also examines the context of prayer in the spiritual life, from ordinary oral prayer to unceasing prayer of the heart, to the dangers of illusion and discouragement, to the need for seclusion and inner peace.
Chirovsky, Andriy (ed) Following the Star from the East. Chicago: St. Paul University, 1992 1-895937-03-5. Available from: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Hopko, Thomas. The Lenten Spring Crestwood: St. Vladimir's Press, 1983 0-88141-014-4
Hopko, Thomas. The Winter Pascha Crestwood: St. Vladimir's Press, 1984 0-88141-025-X
Kadloubovsky, E. Writings from the Philokalia on the Prayer of the Heart. Faber & Faber.
Meyendorff, John. Marriage: An Orthodox Perspective. Crestwood: St. Vladimir's Press, 19?? 0-913836-05-2
A Monk of the Eastern Church. The Year of Grace of the Lord. Crestwood: St. Vladimir's Press, 1980 0-913836-68-0. Also: The Jesus Prayer
The Philokalia: Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4. Faber & Faber. Other works about the Philokalia . This is the primary anthology of Eastern Orthodox (Byzantine Christian) practical writings on Mystical Prayer.
Schmemann, Alexander The Eucharist. Crestwood: St. Vladimir's Press, 1988 0-88141-052-7
Schmemann, Alexander Great Lent . Crestwood: St. Vladimir's Press, 1974 0-913836-04-4
Theophan the Recluse. The Spiritual Life and How to be Attuned to it. St. Herman Brotherhood, 1996.
Zizioulas, John Being as Communion. Crestwood: St. Vladimir's Press, 19?? 0-88141-029-2
Faivre, Antoine & Jacob Needleman, eds. Modern Esoteric Spirituality. Crossroads World Spirituality Series. From Amazon: "An excellent overview of spiritual movements throughout the last few centuries . . . a superb panorama" (The Book Reader), this book covers esoterica from its ancient beginnings through the alchemists to Gurdijeff and Jung."
Fowden, Garth. The Egyptian Hermes. Princeton, 1993. (From the Publisher:) Sage, scientist, and sorcerer, Hermes Trismegistus was the culture-hero of Hellenistic and Roman Egypt. A human (according to some) who had lived about the time of Moses, but now indisputably a god, he was credited with the authorship of numerous books on magic and the supernatural, alchemy, astrology, theology, and philosophy. Until the early seventeenth century, few doubted the attribution. Even when unmasked, Hermes remained a byword for the arcane. Historians of ancient philosophy have puzzled much over the origins of his mystical teachings; but this is the first investigation of the Hermetic milieu by a social historian. Starting from the complex fusions and tensions that molded Graeco- Egyptian culture, and in particular Hermetism, during the centuries after Alexander, Garth Fowden goes on to argue that the technical and philosophical Hermetica, apparently so different, might be seen as aspects of a single "way of Hermes." This assumption that philosophy and religion, even cult, bring one eventually to the same goal was typically late antique, and guaranteed the Hermetica a far-flung readership, even among Christians. The focus and conclusion of this study is an assault on the problem of the social milieu of Hermetism. Garth Fowden is a research fellow at the Center for Greek and Roman Antiquity of the National Hellenic Research Foundation in Athens, and the author of Empire to Commonwealth: Consequences of Monotheism in Late Antiquity.
Kingsley, Peter. In the Dark Places of Wisdom (From the Publisher:) The author of Ancient Philosophy, Mystery, and Magic : Empedocles and Pythagorean Tradition has unearthed a sensational, true story of a mystical and esoteric tradition that lies hidden at the roots of Western culture--and that gave rise to the world we live in: Parmenides and the Hesychast Movement among the Ancient Philosophers.
McIntosh, Christopher. The Rosicrucians: The History, Mythology and Rituals of an Occult Order.
Smoley, Richard & Kinney, Jay, eds. Hidden Wisdom : A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions. From Amazon.com: "The editors of Gnosis magazine present a fascinating primer on Western religious traditions. Since the early 20th century, seekers in America "were seized with a passion for the lore of mystic Asia," the authors explain in their introduction. Meanwhile, Western traditions seemed to slip out of vogue, especially in the recent realm of New Age spiritualism. But there is much magic and wisdom to be found in Western traditions, claim Smoley and Kinney, who have embarked on an ambitious mission: breaking down the fundamental differences between Eastern and Western traditions and then extracting the best of the West for today's seekers. Because the editors are diligent about keeping the narrative accessible, clean, and intelligent (they are magazine editors, after all), this weighty material reads exceptionally smoothly. Starting with "Jung and the Discovery of the Unconscious," each chapter delves into the intriguing--and often little-understood--mysteries of the West, including Shamans, Alchemy, Hermetism, and Sufism." --Gail Hudson
From Booklist May 15, 1999: "At a time of strong public interest in Asian religious traditions such as yoga and Zen, the season is ripe for an accessible introduction to the parallel Western traditions. Smoley and Kinney, editors of Gnosis magazine, provide just that. Chapters on the Cabala, shamanism, Rosicrucianism, alchemy, magic, and even Jungian psychology are thorough and well-researched. Especially good are the historical connections the authors draw between the various traditions. Yet the philosophical underpinnings of each tradition are amply described as well. Smoley and Kinney do not shirk from alerting readers to some of the less savory practitioners (rarely practices) of the various traditions, and provide short but extremely well chosen bibliographies for each. Recommended for general collections where there is interest in alternative religion." Patricia Monaghan
Williams, Michael A. Rethinking Gnosticism: An Argument for Dismantling a Dubious Category. Princeton, 1999. (From the Publisher:) Most anyone interested in such topics as creation mythology, Jungian theory, or the idea of "secret teachings" in ancient Judaism and Christianity has found "gnosticism" compelling. Yet the term "gnosticism," which often connotes a single rebellious movement against the prevailing religions of late antiquity, gives the false impression of a monolithic religious phenomenon. Here Michael Williams challenges the validity of the widely invoked category of ancient "gnosticism" and the ways it has been described. Presenting such famous writings and movements as the Apocryphon of John and Valentinian Christianity, Williams uncovers the similarities and differences among some major traditions widely categorized as gnostic. He provides an eloquent, systematic argument for a more accurate way to discuss these interpretive approaches.The modern construct "gnosticism" is not justified by any ancient self-definition, and many of the most commonly cited religious features that supposedly define gnosticism phenomenologically turn out to be questionable. Exploring the sample sets of "gnostic" teachings, Williams refutes generalizations concerning asceticism and libertinism, attitudes toward the body and the created world, and alleged features of protest, parasitism, and elitism. He sketches a fresh model for understanding ancient innovations on more "mainstream" Judaism and Christianity, a model that is informed by modern research on dynamics in new religious movements and is freed from the false stereotypes from which the category "gnosticism" has been constructed.
White, Ralph, ed. The Rosicrucian Enlightenment Revisited. From the publisher, Lindisfarne Books, December 6, 1999. "Prague, the Rosicrucians, and Rudolf II ... In 1995, the New York Open Center (in association with Gnosis Magazine and Oibibio in Amsterdam) invited students of Rosicrucianism and the Western Mystery traditions to Cesky Krumlow in the Czech Republic to discuss the historical backgrounds of Rosicrucianism. This gathering celebrated the role of Central Europe in the spiritual history of the West as well as the work of the Renaissance Hermetic scholar Dame Frances Yates. Two years later a second meeting was held in Prague to celebrate the Hermetic world of Rudolf II. This book is the result. John Matthews addresses the relationship between the Grail and the Rose; Christopher Bamford speaks of the prehistory of the Rosicrucian reformation in the late Middle Ages-among women mystics, alchemists, Cathars, Franciscan spirituals, as well as in Luther and the great Paracelsus; Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke tells the wild tale of John Dee's mission to central Europe; Joscelyn Godwin unfolds the paradigmatic Rosicrucian life of Michael Maier; Claire Goodrick-Clarke recounts influence of Comenius; Paul Bembridge speaks of Rosicrucian Resurgence at the Court of Cromwell; Rafal Prinke tells the story of the Polish alchemist, Sendivogius; Robert Powell brings together Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Rudolf II during the Prague Renaissance; and Christopher McIntosh speaks of the Rosicrucian Legacy. Also included are the texts of the two Rosicrucian Manifestos, the "Fama" and the "Confessio." Includes illustrations."
Yates, Frances. The Rosicrucian Enlightenment. From Amazon.com: "No brief review can do justice to the brilliant analysis of events, movements, relationships and consequences. Her book is compulsive reading, and forces the reader back not only to alternative accounts of early seventeenth century movements, which seem superficial, but to Dr Yates's other books."--New Scientist
"The best available guide to significant aspects of the thought of the
period."
--Teaching History
Amis,
Robin. A
Different Christianity: Early Christian Esotericism and Modern
Thought. Albany: SUNY Press, 1995. The single best place to start an
investigation of ancient esoteric Eastern Christianity. Amis lays out the ground
work in a deeply moving, thorough, yet completely readable study, with clear
application to late 20th and early 21st Century Western culture.
Atteshlis, Stylianos. The
Esoteric Practice and The Esoteric Teachings.
Works from the Author's Researchers of Truth Movement, based in Esoteric
Eastern Orthodox (Byzantine) Christianity. These books are available from their
web site: http://www.researchers-of-truth.org/.
See also Markides, Kyriacos, below.
Berdyaev,
Nicolas. Many works. Well-known 19th-20th Century Russian Philosopher whose Orthodox
Christianity gave him a unique perspective on many issues.
Bulgakov,
Fr. Sergius. The
Holy Grail and the Eucharist. Lidisfarne: Hudson NY, 1997. An
Eastern Orthodox (Byzantine Christian) meditation on the Holy Grail. Sophia:
The Wisdom of God. An Outline of Sophiology. A study of the Divine
Feminine Wisdom in Eastern Orthodox thought. Lidisfarne: Hudson NY, 1993. Both
highly recommended!
Decter, Jacqueline. Messenger of Beauty: The Life and Visionary Art of Nicholas Roerich. Inner Traditions: Rochester, VT, 1997. A most accessible and well illustrated volume documenting Roerich, one of the most intriguing Eastern Orthodox guru-artist-visionaries of the 20th Century. The Nicholas Roerich Museum in NYC is a gem to visit, in person, or on line, including an extensive catalog of his paintings. Search for Roerich at Amazon: Roerich, Nicholas -- Search Powell's for Roerich.
Evdokimov, Paul The Art of the Icon : A Theology of Beauty. A 'summa on beauty' by this great Orthodox Theologian. First, a presentation on the biblical and patristic vision of beauty, applied then to contemporary movements in art. A 'theology of the icon' from a personal point of view, as well as in the context of the Church. Finally, the author includes a section and commentaries on 10 icons, from Rublev's Holy Trinity to the Novgorod Angel. Also: The Sacrament of Love : The Nuptial Mystery in the Light of the Orthodox Tradition. Ages of the Spiritual Life This is a challenging, rich journey through our century's crisis of faith,Christian spirituality's development, especially monasticism's gifts, and how authentic spiritual life can be lived today.
Lossky, Vladimir The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. In his classic exposition of the theology of the Church, Lossky states that the Eastern Tradition..."has never made a sharp distinction between mysticism and theology; between personal experience of the divine mysteries and the dogma affirmed by the Church." The term "mystical theology" denotes that which is accessible yet inaccesible' those things understood yet surpassing all knowledge. The Meaning of Icons. (with Leonid Ouspensky).
Louth, Andrew. The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition. From Amazon.com: One reviewer of this book wrote, "it is not often that we chance to meet with a book so rich that it would be impossible to discuss it in full without writing another one at least as long." Originally given as a series of lectures in the Faculty of Theology at the Oxford University, The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition is a superb introduction to the sometimes fog-filled subject of Christian mysticism. Focusing on the early centuries of the faith, Louth first explores the influence of Plato and Platonism on Christian writers, and then devotes individual chapters to key theologians: Athanasius and Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine, and Denys the Areopagite, also known as Pseudo-Dionysius. In his final two chapters he looks at the relationship between the mysticism of the early church fathers and that of St. John of the Cross, perhaps the most influential mystic in the history of the church, and he explores the distinctive character of Christian mysticism. While challenging reading, Louth is a clear and straightforward thinker and writer. The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition will lead the discerning reader onto a path through some of the most exciting and ecstatic spiritual writing in any tradition. --Doug Thorpe
MacGregor, Geddes. Gnosis: A Renaissance in Christian Thought. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House, 1979.
Maloney, George. Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh : An Introduction to Eastern Christian Spirituality. Probably the best one volume general introduction. Uncreated Energy : A Journey into the Authentic Sources of Christian Faith. Many other works of both scholarship and meditations: George Maloney books at Amazon
Markides,
Kyriacos C. The
Magus of Strovolos. From an Amazon.com review: "This
book is an important work that depicts the life and teachings of the Daskalos, a
Christian-Mystic Healer. The only book authorized and approved by Daskalos takes
the reader deep into the esoteric teachings of Christianity. A great book for
those interested in learning and experiencing the healing process of this great
teacher." See also the works of Atteshlis, Stylianos, above.
Mouravieff,
Boris. Gnosis:
Study and Commentaries on the Esoteric
Tradition of Eastern Orthodoxy. 3vv. Newburyport, MA: Praxis Institute,
1993. A massive and dense work. One might attempt this study after the
introduction by Amis (above). Volume
1. Volume
3.
Nasr,
Seyyed Hossein. Knowledge
and the Sacred. Crossroad. NY, 1981. Man
and Nature. Kazi: 1997. The
Need for a Sacred Science. SUNY: NY, 1993. A revered Sufi Muslim
scholar and mystic, Nasr calls Christians back to the roots of their own inner
traditions. A timely reminder that Islam is not by nature fundamentalist! Search
Nasr at Powell's.
Needleman,
Jacob. Lost
Christianity; A Journey of Rediscovery to the Centre of Christian
Experience. Element:
Rockport, MA, 1990. A vivid and soul-stirring reminder that not all Christianity
is legalistic, linear and dogmatic. A classic study.
Ouspensky, P.D. In Search of the Miraculous : Fragments of an Unknown Teaching. An astonishing record of the author's search for the meaning of human existence and of his eight years' work as the pupil of G.I. Gurdijeff, one of this century's most profound and influential spiritual teachers. Search for PD Ouspensky Books at Amazon.com
Paulos
Mar Gregorios. A Bishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church of India, Mar
Gregorios offers wisdom and practical insights in several works: Cosmic
Man : The Theology of St. Gregory of Nyssa/ca 330 to 395 A.D.; The
Human Presence : Ecological Spirituality and the Age of the Spirit; and
Science
for Sane Societies .
St. Seraphim of Sarov
The Spiritual Instructions of St. Seraphim
of Sarov, a Spirit Baptizer in the Eastern Christian Tradition. Clearlake,
CA: Dawn Horse Press, 1991. This edition of St. Seraphim by Da Avabhasa includes
essays by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov and others on the spiritual techniques of
Eastern mystics.
Solovyov,
Vladimir. Russian Byzantine Philosopher and Theologian of Sophiology.
Many works, including Lectures
on Divine Humanity .
Temple,
Richard. Icons
and the Mystical Origins of Christianity. Element, 1990. An excellent
introductory text.
Versluis,
Arthur. TheoSophia:
Hidden Dimensions of Christianity. Lidisfarne: Hudson NY, 1994. Using
both eastern and western Christian esoteric traditions, Versluis provides a
sourcebook of valuable authors and mysticism.
Arthur Versluis.
Wisdom's
Book: The Sophia Anthology (2000). From the
Publisher: This is a remarkable collection of rare texts that reveal what we
well may call the Nag Hammadi Library of modern times. For there is a virtually
unknown spiritual Sophianic tradition that has developed since the seventeenth
century and that still exists today. Non-sectarian, often suppressed, this lay
mystical tradition is the Christian equivalent of Sufism in Islam, and of
Kabbalah in Judaism. Wisdom's Book reveals for the first time in a single
volume the texts of this rare tradition, many of which have never before been
published. This is the theosophic tradition of Jacob Bohme, and all the main
figures of the tradition are represented here, including many never before
published. Wisdom's Book is a treasure trove of Western esoteric
writings, and will be of great interest to a wide range of readers interested in
unveiling and understanding this hitherto hidden tradition of Christian
spirituality. Includes: The Book of Wisdom; Robert Ayshford: Aurora
Sapientae; Jacob Böhme: On Virgin Wisdom, Guidance to Holy Sophia;
Thomas Bromley: The Way to the Sabbath of Rest, or the Soul’s Progress in
the Work of the New Birth (1654); John Pordage: A
Philosophical Epistle on the True Stone of Wisdom, Sophia: The Graceful Eternal
Virgin of Holy Wisdom, or Wonderful Spiritual Discoveries and Revelations That
the Precious Wisdom Has Given to a Holy Soul (1675);
Gottfried Arnold: The Mystery of Holy Sophia (1700);
Johann Georg Gichtel: Theosophia Practica (1722 ed.);
Jane Leade: The Laws of Paradise Given Forth by Wisdom to a Translated
Spirit (1695); Anne Bathurst: Journals (1678-1679);
Friedrich Christoph Œtinger: Wisdom of God (Sophia), The Wisdom Out of God
in Man; Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin: Divine Wisdom and Spiritual
Ministry (1802); Georg von Welling: Eternal
Wisdom (1784); Johann Jakob Wirz:Testimonies
and Revelations of the Spirit Through Jacob Wirz; Franz von Baader:
Letters to Marie Robel, On the Relationship of the Logos to Sophia in
God, On a Lasting Spiritual Manifestation Herebelow (1839);
Leopold Ziegler: On the Mothergodhead (1953);
Nicholas Berdyaev:
Sophia and the Androgyne (1914).
Welburn, Andrew. The Beginnings of Christianity : Essene Mystery, Gnostic Revelation and the Christian Vision. From Midwest Book Review: "Recently discovered and deciphered texts such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi library, suggest that the boundaries between early Christian belief, Jewish tradition, and the ancient pagan Mysteries are not as well defined as has usually been believed. The Gnostic gospels clearly reveal that early Christianity had a powerful esoteric current. During the early centuries after Christ, Gnostic Christians tried to preserve this tradition, using the archaic Mysteries as a way to knowledge (gnosis) of higher cosmic truths. The Gnostic sects were finally suppressed . . . Andrew Welburn reveals a genuine kinship between our own age and the early Christians, and shows how we now have the chance to rediscover the spiritual world and meaning of the early years of the Christian era. Readers interested in the origins of Christianity and its hidden esoteric current will find The Beginnings of Christianity: Essene Mystery, Gnostic Revelation and the Christian Vision an outstanding and informative scholarly study."
Athanasius : The Life of Anthony and the Letter To Marcellinus
Gregory of Nyssa : The Life of Moses
John Climacus : The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Maximus Confessor : Selected Writings
Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain : A Handbook of Spiritual Counsel
Nil Sorsky : The Complete Writings
Origen : An Exortation to Martyrdom, Etc
Pseudo Dionysius : The Complete Works
Pseudo-Macarius : The Fifty Spiritual Homilies and the Great Letter
Faivre,
Antoine. Theosophy, Imagination, Tradition : Studies in Western Esotericism
(2000)
(From the Publisher:) Not only does this book present the current state of research in
esotericism, but it also explores three main aspects of the field from the
Renaissance to the twentieth century. Previously published in French and now
available in English for the first time, Theosophy, Imagination, Tradition
traces the history of the theosophical current, its continuity and shifts,
against the background of social and cultural events. The book also covers the
Paracelsian course, the romantic Philosophies of Nature and the Occultist
movement. The book provides glimpses into the notions and practices of the
so-called "active" and "creative" imagination, and questions
how they serve as a bridge into certain kinds of mystical experience. It also
examines the place that the notion of "tradition" occupies in some
major exponents of western esotericism.
Hanegraaff,
Wouter J. New
Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular
Thought. SUNY 1998. (From the Publisher:) Presents the first systematic analysis of the structure
and beliefs of the New Age movement, and the historical emergence of "New
Age" as a secularized version of Western esoteric traditions.
Lewis,
James R. & J.
Gordon Melton (eds). Perspectives
on the New Age. SUNY 1992. (From the Publisher:) Begins with a comprehensive historical
section that places the New Age within the context of its predecessor movements.
It then focuses on specialized aspects of this subculture, from essays on the
convergence of New Age spirituality with women's spirituality, to an essay on
how Evangelical Christians have responded to the movement. The book also
examines the international impact of the New Age.
Luckert,
Karl W. Egyptian
Light and Hebrew Fire: Theological and Philosophical Roots of Christendom in
Evolutionary Perspective. SUNY Press, 1991. (From the Publisher:) Focuses on the cosmology of
ancient Egypt and on derived traditions. The book outlines how the ancient
Egyptian world view affected Hebrew religion, Greek philosophy, Neoplatonism,
Gnosticism, and early Christianity. It traces ideological roots of Western
civilization back to its earliest known prototypes in the Pyramid and Coffin
texts of ancient Egypt. It challenges us to refocus some of our history of early
Greek philosophy, and it positively identifies Neoplatonism as a philosophized
and scarcely disguised neo-Egyptian theology.
Merkur,
Dan. Gnosis:
An
esoteric tradition of Mystical visions and unions. SUNY Press, 1993. (From
the Publisher:)
Traces the use of powerful Gnostic visionary techniques from Hellenistic
Gnosticism and Jewish merkabah mysticism, though Muhammed, the Ismaeilis, and
theosophical Sufism to mediaeval neoplatonism and renaissance alchemy.
Miller,
Timothy (ed). America's
Alternative Religions. SUNY 1995.(From the Publisher:) This is a single-volume source of
reliable information on the most important alternative religions, covering for
each such essentials as history, theology, impact on the culture, and current
status. The chapters of the book were written by experts who study the movements
they have written about. Includes a chapter on the Brotherhood of Christ the
Savior (formerly the Holy Order of MANS).
Van
der Broek, Roelof & Wouter
J. Hanegraaff. Gnosis
and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times. SUNY 1998. (From the
Publisher:) "This
collection presents in a clear and concise way a series of critical distinctions
that collectively map the field: Hermetism, Gnosticism, gnosis, Manichaeism,
Hermeticism, Catharism, Esotericism, Romanticism, and the New Age. These often
confused and misperceived phenomena have been delineated crisply, in a way that
permits this collection to serve nicely as a general introduction to the field.
This book articulates a new standard of precision and clarity." -- Review
by Dan
Merkur, author of Gnosis:
An Esoteric Tradition of Mystical Visions and Unions.
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