Catechetical Reading

I was made a catechumen on the Feast of Sts. Joachim and Anna in 2019. Though it is not the ideal situation, the bulk of my catechesis came from internet videos and reading books (in addition to attending many Typica services and a few Divine Liturgies). While books can be helpful, above all, the Orthodox faith is something that must be lived and learned in practice. It is not the prized possession of the learned and the scholars but asks of us a "simple, childlike faith as small as a mustard seed" that "drinks often of the rain falling upon it." That said, it is difficult to absorb the fullness of the divine services at parishes who, for whatever reason, do not have the blessing of full-time clergy. What began as my collection of "a few books here and there" has gradually led to the creation of an Orthodox library of over 1,000 titles (over 3,000 if we count all the digital books in Logos Bible Software). The following is a partial list of books I read during my "self-catechizing" period. Each title on this list was read in full, and some of them I have gone back and re-read multiple times:

Catechism & Doctrine

• Catechism of the Orthodox Church by St. Philaret of Moscow, St. John of Kronstadt Press, 96p.
• Entering the Orthodox Church: The Catechism and Baptism of Adults by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos, Birth of the Theotokos Monastery, 200p.
• An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith by St. John of Damascus, Veritatus Splendor, 312p.
• The Law of God by Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy, Holy Trinity Publications, 636p.
• The Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem Veritatus Splendor, 696p.

Orthodoxy & Heterodoxy

• Letters From A Convert by Marianna Friesel, SJKP, 48p.
• Service for the Reception of Converts OCA, 16p.
• Preaching Another Christ by St. Theophan the Recluse, Orthodox Witness, 52p.
• Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy by Andrew Stephen Damick, Ancient Faith Publishing, 212p.
• Missionary Conversations with Protestant Sectarians by Reverend Kyril Zaits, Holy Trinity Monastery, 48p.
• Christianity or the Church by Archbishop Ilarion, Holy Trinity Monastery, 48p.
• Sola Scriptura by Fr. John Whiteford, Conciliar Press, 48p.
• Reconsidering TULIP: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Historical Response to the Reformed Doctrines of Predestination by Alexander J. Renault, 120p.
• The Filioque: History of a Doctrinal Controversy by Ed Scicienski, Oxford Univ. Press, 355p.
• Popes & Patriarchs by Michael Whelton, Conciliar Press, 180p.
• The Myth of Papal Infallibility St. John of Kronstadt Press, 112p.
• The Place of Blessed Augustine in the Church by Fr. Seraphim Rose, St. Herman of Alaska, 144p.

Lives of Saints

• The Life of St. John Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco by Maria Naumenko, SJKP, 32p.
• Exodus: St John Maximovitch Leads His Flock out of Shanghai by John B. Dunlop, SVS Press, 270p.
• Papa Nicholas Planas: The Simple Shepherd of the Simple Sheep by Nun Martha, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 148p.
• St. Silouan The Athonite by Archimandrite Sophrony, SVS Press, 504p.
• The Hermitess Photini by Archimandrite Joachim Spetsieis, St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery, 160p.
• The Elder Ieronymous of Aegina by Peter Botsis, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 352p.
• The Life of Our Holy Father Maximus the Confessor by Christopher Birchall, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 82p.

Canon of St Andrew of Crete

Writings of Saints & Church Fathers

• The Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God by St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco, St. Herman of Alaska, 88p.
• The First Created Man by St. Symeon the New Theologian, St. Herman of Alaska, 122p.
• On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit by St. Seraphim of Sarov, Pantianos Classics, 24p.
• O Full Of Grace Glory to Thee by Igumen Gregory, New Zadonsk Press, 96p.
• Kindling the Divine Spirit by St. Theophan the Recluse, St. Xenia Skete, 160p.
• The Homilies of St. Gregory Palamas Vol. 2 by Christopher Veniamin, St. Tikhon’s Seminary Press, 302p.
• The Illustrated Sayings of the Holy Fathers by Monk John Vranos, St. Xenia Skete, 48p.
• On Prayer by St. Theophan the Recluse, SJKP, 16p.
• The Teaching of the Holy Fathers on Illness Nikodemos Orthodox Publication Society, 48p.
• Dictionary of Orthodox Intercessions by Claude Lopez-Ginisty, St. John of Kronstadt Press, 96p.

Orthodox Spirituality

• The Way of the Pilgrim & The Pilgrim Continues His Way Translated by R.M. French, by Anonymous, SPCK, 264p.
• Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives: The Life and Teachings of Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica translated by Ana Smiljanic, St. Hermans of Alaska, 208p.
• The Struggle for Virtue by Archbishop Averky (Taushev), Holy Trinity Publications, 142p.
• God’s Revelation to the Human Heart by Fr. Seraphim Rose, St. Herman’s of Alaska, 52p.
• On Earth We’re Just Learning How To Live by Archpriest Valentin Biryukov, St. Herman’s of Alaska Press, 168p.
• Unseen Warfare edited by Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, SVS Press, 280p.
• The Mountain of Silence by Kyriacos Markides, Doubleday Publishing, 256p.
• Introduction to the Jesus Prayer by H.R.H. Princess Ileana of Romania, Light and Life Publishing Company, 12p.

Christology

• On The Incarnation / Against the Heathen by St. Athanasius, Paterikon Publications, 174p.
• The Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit by Joseph P. Farrell, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 116p.
• Disputations with Pyrrhus by St. Maximos the Confessor translated by Joseph P. Farrell, STM Press, 128p.
• On the Person of Christ: The Christology of Emperor Justinian translated by Kenneth P. Wesche, SVS Press, 200p.
• On the Unity of Christ by St. Cyril of Alexandria, translated by John McGuckin, SVS Press, 148p.

Theology

• Orthodox Dogmatic Theology Vol. 1: The Experience of God by Dumitru Staniloae, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 280p.
• The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church by Vladimir Lossky, SVS Press, 252p.
• Free Choice in St. Maximus the Confessor by Joseph P. Farrell, ??p.
• The Life in Christ by Nicholas Cabasilas, SVS Press, 230p.
• Gregory Palamas: The Triads translated by Nicholas Gendle, Paulist Press, 174p.

Church History

• Light From the Christian East: An Introduction to the Orthodox Tradition by James R. Payton Jr., IVP Academic, 220p.
• The Orthodox Church by Kallistos Ware, Penguin Books, 368p.
• New Frontiers: The Orthodox Christian Church Through the Ages Vol. 2 by Sophie Koulomzin, ROCA, 122p.
• The Religion of the Russian People by Pierre Pascal, SVS Press, 130p.
• Which Came First: The Church or the New Testament? by A. James Bernstein, Conciliar Press, 22p.
• The Structure and Worship of the Early Church by Clark Carlton, Holy Trinity Orthodox Mission, 24p.

Ecclesiology, Ecumenism

• The Great Divide by Fr. Alexey Young, Nikodemos Orthodox Publication Society, 50p.
• Christian Unity and Ecumenism OCA, 16p.
• Christ and the Church by Archbishop Gregory Afonsky, SVS Press, 116p.
• Against False Union by Alexander Kalomiros, St. Nectarios Press, 124p.
• Contributions to a Theology of Anti-Ecumenism, Vols. 1-6 Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies, 506p.

Eschatology

• Apostasy and Antichrist by Holy Trinity Monastery, 46p.
• Antichrist by Archpriest Boris Molchanoff, 28p.
• On Miracles and Signs by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, translated by Natalia Challis, Holy Trinity Monastery, 32p.

Parenting

• Raising Them Right by St. Theophan the Recluse, Conciliar Press, 76p.
• Children in the Church Today: An Orthodox Perspective by Sr. Magdalen, SVS Press, 100p.

Misc.

• Orthodox Study Bible 1,750p.
• The Forgotten Medicine: The Mystery of Repentance by Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev, St. Xenia Skete, 72p.
• The Meaning of Suffering / Strife and Reconciliation by Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev, St. Xenia Skete, 112p.
• Irenaeus and Orthodox Apologetic Methodology: A Neopatristic Presuppositionalism by Joshua Schooping, St. Theophan the Recluse Press, 148p.
• Nihilism: The Root of the Revolution of the Modern Age by Fr. Seraphim Rose, St. Herman of Alaska Press, 124p.
• Akathist to the Mother of God St. Paisius Orthodox Monastery, 24p.
• Tithing by J. Richard Ballew, Ancient Faith Publishing, 18p.
• Seeds of Heaven and Hell in the Heart by Igumen Sergius, St. Tikhon’s Monastery, 12p.
• A Commentary of the Divine Liturgy by Nicholas Cabasilas, SVS Press, 120p.
• Ascent to the Summit: The Life and Martyric Death of Fr. Igor Rosin St. Herman of Alaska Press, 68p.

Page Count of Above List: 10,410