Results of Survey:
Best Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Books
for Protestants to Read

EASTERN ORTHODOX BOOKS

• from Matt
  
  
• Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Orthodox Church
  
  
• Ware, The Orthodox Church [Albeit a bit dated now post cold war]
  
  
• Fedotov, G.P. A Treasury of Russian Spirituality
  
  
• from Paul Soupiset
  
  
• "Orthodox Spirituality: An Outline of the Orthodox Ascetical and Mystical Tradition" (1945)
  Anonymous ("by a monk of the eastern church")
  published by fellowship of saint alban and saint sergius
  SBN 281 00843 4 [ss: follow url; this book is available used thru amazon.com]
  
  
• from Chris Criminger
  
  
• Timothy Ware " The Orthodox Church" (one of the best books to introduce one to the many facets of EO theology and practices as "a way of life").
  
  
• Vladimir Lossky "The Mystical Theology of the Orthodox Church" (how Christian theology is done by those outside the West and particularly challenges some western conceptions of theology whether from the Catholic or Protestant tradition).
  
  
• John D. Zizioulos "Being as Communion" (if Protestants are ever to understand the liturgical, sacramental, and eucharist understanding of the ancient church then Zizioulos is the one to read on this topic).
  

ROMAN CATHOLIC BOOKS

• from Solly
  
  
• Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul;
  
  
• JH Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua;
  
  
• Brother John of Taize, God of the Unexpected
  
  
• from Anonymous
  
  
• THE MASS OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS by Mike Aquilina
  
  
• THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH by Mike Aquilina
  
  
• FOUR WITNESSES: The Early Church In Her Own Words (Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyons)
  
  
• CROSSING THE TIBER: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historical Church, by Stephen K. Ray
  
  
• from Matt
  
  
• Regula Sancti Benedicti [Rule of St. Benedict]
  
  
• Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
  
  
• J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines
  
  
• from Dave Graham
  
  
• "Rise, Let us be on our way" by John Paul II
  
  
• "Prayer" (i think that's the title...it was published circe 1997 or so)
  
  Excellent reading and the depth this guy has is amazing.
  
  
• from Matt Oskvarek
  
  
• Called To Communion. It is written by Joseph 'Cardinal' Ratzinger, who is one of the present pope's authorities on doctrinal matters.
  
  
• from Chris Criminger
  
  
• Catherine Mowry Lacugna "God for Us" (she shows the depth and breadth of Catholic thoelogy while also being an example of the direction some Vatican 2 Catholics are going from a more moderate perspective. For example, the Catholic Church is very conservative on the women priests issue whereas Lacugna would like to see the church change on this issue).
  
  
• Avery Dulles "Models of the Church" (probably one of the best works on ecclesiology that takes the best from history and tradition and applies it to the modern church. One of the greatest challenges and needs of the modern church is to come to grips once again with ecclesiology).
  
  
• Henri de Lubac "Scripture in the Tradition" (Lubac is an old time French Catholic who sought renewal in the Catholic church by "ressourcing" Christian theology by a return to the early church fathers and the Scriptures).