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Welcome to the Orthodox Church  By  cover art

Welcome to the Orthodox Church

By: Frederica Mathewes-Green
Narrated by: Frederica Mathewes-Green
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Publisher's summary

Welcome to the Orthodox Church - its history, theology, worship, spirituality, and daily life. This friendly guide provides a comprehensive introduction to Orthodoxy, but with a twist: listeners learn by making a series of visits to a fictitious church, and get to know the faith as new Christians did for most of history, by immersion. Mathews-Green provides commentary and explanations on everything from how to "venerate" an icon, the Orthodox understanding of the atonement, to the Lenten significance of tofu. It's the perfect book for inquirers and newcomers, but even listeners who have been Orthodox all their lives say they learned things they never knew before. Enjoyable, easy-to-listen-to and leavened with humor, Welcome to the Orthodox Church is a gracious guide to the ancient faith of the Christian East.

©2015 Frederica Mathewes-Green (P)2016 Frederica Mathewes-Green

What listeners say about Welcome to the Orthodox Church

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Oh my!

I wanted to learn more about the Orthodox faith and practices, and this book certainly gave me a whole lot to think about and research. The author/reader's style is the best I've ever heard in an audio book. I never got bored with this book - not once.

I wept. I laughed. I wept some more, at the beauty of this faith. When the book was finally over, I exclaimed out loud, "No!!"

This lengthy book has left me wanting so much more.

— 2022 edit: —
After doing much more research into Eastern Orthodoxy, I see that this book takes the same approach as most EO apologists: it completely neglects the more controversial issues within EO. This book is a white-washed version of EO and completely leaves out topics that become very important as you dig deeper into the tradition. If you listen to this book, please continue your research before signing up. Read something from former EO Christians.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Exceptional overview of Orthodoxy

If you could sum up Welcome to the Orthodox Church in three words, what would they be?

Orthodoxy is a treasure! "Dig for it!"

What was one of the most memorable moments of Welcome to the Orthodox Church?

The Conclusion puts it all into perspective.

Have you listened to any of Frederica Mathewes-Green’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No - this is the first of more to come.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

If you mean turning the bright light on in a world of half-lit images, then yes. Frederica's insight and simple explanations answered questions I didn't know I had.

Any additional comments?

This is a must read for the serious religious scholar to casual wonderer looking for a glimpse of the Church Jesus the Christ breathed into existence.

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3 people found this helpful

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Excellent introduction to Orthodoxy

At once spiritual and approachable I welcome everyone to read this book


God bless you

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2 people found this helpful

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Not what I was looking for

I was disappointed and unable to finish the audiobook. I must not have looked closely at it's content. i was looking for a history of Orthodox (Eastern) Christianity. This book would be more appropriate for an individual interested in joining a branch of the Eastern Church and the current practices. It is not without the usual stereotypes of the Western tradition and it's beliefs.

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1 person found this helpful

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Loved it

Kh. Mathewes-Green gives such an actual picture of life at an Orthodox Church. I especially liked all of her explanations of church etiquette. She has a beautiful voice that is soothing to listen to.

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1 person found this helpful

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Great intro to orthodoxy

This was a very helpful intro to understanding a lot of things I’d never encountered before growing up Protestant.

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  • Overall
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Just what I was needing in a book…

A thorough and accessible text for this not-yet-Orthodox inquirer. I learned a great deal from this author’s work.

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Overall Good

Good information. The details about make believe characters got annoying after a while, really made the story drag on.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantasic for beginners

This is the book I always recommend to anyone looking into Orthodoxy. I think it gives the best foundation to go on to learn more.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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wonderful

I absolutely loved this book. I highly recommend it to everyone seeking the truth about Orthodoxy.

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