Compared to most Portestants who examine the Orthodox faith, Clendenin seems to "get it." He is respectful, if not appreciative of the Orthodox liturgical expierence.He is aptly able to inform others on how the Orthodox Church understands scripture and tradition as the "witness of teh Spirit." His chapter on theosis is very good and his last chapter tries to evaluate the Orthodox perspective.

Like another reviewer, I ended up converting to the faith a few months later. If a Protetsant wants to get an idea of Orthodoxy, but does not want to read works by Orthodox Christians, then this is a good place to start.

Protestant Editor of Orthodox Roaster:
Daniel Clendenin, is an Evangelical student of Eastern Orthodoxy, who knows enough to amaze most of the Orthodox Eastern and Orientals. He is on InterVarsity staff at Stanford University. Clendenin included a balanced selection by outstnding theologians: Florovsky, Lossky, Meyendroff, and Schmemann, although his selection from Greek theology was short of Zizioulis and staniloae. The book's editor, proved authentic and knowledgeable of petrified Orthodox practice when he wrote; Why I'm not Orthodox, Christianity today, Jan. 6, 1997.

Essays Selection and Appreciation:
Although I am not a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church, I am a lay theologian and Didaskalos or teacher of Faith in the missionary Church of Alexandria. Since my early teenage I was interested in learning what other diophysites Orthodox had to say, I came to know specially the Neo Orthodox of St. Serge of whom Fr. Lev Gilet was very influential in the revival of Oriental Orthodox movement in the Middle east. Saying so, I could be more critical of some of the expressed views, but at least I am supposed to be no lesser an Orthodox than the Editor. I heatedly recommend this as a broad spectrum introductory readership to Orthodox teaching (doctrine: from Doctor i.e. Teacher of the church, Didache: basic teachings), inspite of being a monotonic rather than Chatechetical Didache (in the Alexandrine sense it should be Q & A dialogue) Some of these articles look somewhat controversial; that is because Oriental and Eastern Orthodoxy has a minimum common Dogmatic. Accordingly, it looks controversial to pre conceived strict doctrine in traditional archaic theology, although it considers Episcopalians (Anglicans) pseudo Orthodox.

Controversial Orthodoxy?
Whether this book is a full spectrum representative of contemporary Orthodox thinking? Sure it is, even though some of the authors are suspect and their opinions controversial in ecclesiastical Orthodox curia. The chapters are very well selected and cover a basic roaster of topics. Since the editor is Evangelical he skillfully included most of the issues of particular concern to Protestants, covering everything from the importance of the liturgy to the role of sacraments and Orthodox stances on the nature of God and such issues on salvation as Theosis (deification), the Eucharist, intercession of saints, praying with icons, and hesitant ecumenical relations with the Romans, and at least upper Church Protestants.

So What is Orthodoxy?
Although I am reservedly fascinated with Byzantine ontological theology yet this is scholastically remote from the authentic Orthodoxy, the spirit of the desert fathers and their mysticism. Proff. Thomas Torrance expresses it well: the knowledge of God comes through the remarriage of Ontology with Epistemology. Surprisingly, they have never been divorced in real AlexandriAntnochine Orthodoxy. Alexandria cataphatic based apophatic allegory, biblical mysticism garnished with Nitria's practical Christianity of partaking in divine nature (Theosis) through ego mortification to self forgiveness, and being in continuing presence of the Lord,in praying unceasingly the arrow prayer of Makarius (adopted as the Jesus prayer): this is the only authentic Orthodoxy of sharing being in Christ Victor.

Contemporary Orthodoxy:
Alas they were both (onto/Epistemology) very much dead although miticiously conserved like Saints relics, even petrified in ritualistic iconography,incense, and candles, etc. I would recommend, being a dumb beast (not Ox), for Noia-centered lay theologians Metropolitan Zizioulas'; "Being as communion", and for mystic seeking Christians the Christocentric essays of the contemporary Coptic abbot of St. Macarius; Matthew the Poor; 1. Communion of Love, 2. Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way