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First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew
Frederica Mathewes-Green | |
Paraclete Press (2006) | |
Paperback | |
1 copy available | |
Book Description One of today's most popular spiritual writers and commentators interweaves the Old and New Testament Scripture with prayers of hope and repentance, offering ancient ways of seeing Christ that will feel new to readers of all denominational backgrounds. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly In this fascinating and sometimes magisterial guided exploration of an eighth-century hymn that is central to Lenten religious practice for the Eastern Orthodox, Mathewes-Green encourages her readers not only to examine but also to personally apply fundamental Christian concepts like repenting, understanding the nature of sin and experiencing God in prayer. A skilled interpreter of the theology and history of the Orthodox tradition, Mathewes-Green arranges the Great Canon of St. Andrew, bishop of Crete, into 40 readings accompanied by scriptural references, commentary, theological reflection and questions. Mathewes-Green, who has clearly done her scholarly homework, sets the stage by giving a brief overview of Andrew's life and an abbreviated paraphrase of the life of St. Mary of Egypt. (This account of a female hermit's meeting with a monk on a Lenten retreat is also read during the service of the Great Canon. This gem from the early church is alone worth the price of the book.) While some readers may be put off by Mathewes-Green's apparent conviction that her denomination has preserved the soul of the early church while Western Christians have strayed, others will find her insights both evocative and provocative. (Jan.) Copyright ® Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Frederica Mathewes-Green is a columnist for Beliefnet.com and a commentator for National Public Radio. She has been interviewed in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Newsweek, and Time, among other publications, and is the author of several books, including At the Corner of East and Now (Tarcher) and The Open Door: Entering the Sanctuary of Icons and Prayer (Paraclete). Mathewes-Green lives in Maryland. |