Ask for the Ancient Paths: Discovering What Church Is Meant to Be

by James Guirguis

At a time when so many disaffected Christians are trying to recreate the Church from scratch, Fr. James offers a clear and accessible apology for simply returning to what Christ s Church was always meant to be.

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2013

Reviews

[Erica Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted to squeeze in one more book before the end of 2025! Recommended by Julian - a quick and easy read, walking through the principles behind the Orthodox Christian faith and the Scriptural and early church writings to support them. This book touches on how to read the Bible, how faith works, Biblical leadership, and the major sacraments (Baptism and Chrismation, Confession, Unction of the Sick, Holy Matrimony). Still trying to get a better understanding of what the Orthodox believe in - lots to sit on, think through, and pray about!

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meant mostly for someone interested in converting to the Orthodox faith, this is still a very good and engaging read. I read it in about 3 hours as I am a very slow reader, but the entire time the book offered me interesting questions and trains of thought that I took to my own faith as a Catholic. Some parts seemed to ignore the entire Catholic Faith and also seemed to act as if the Orthodox faith was the hip thing for people who really want to get into heaven, though not really.

All in all, it was a great read and highly recommended to anyone interested in learning a bit more about the Orthodox faith, although I'm sure there are much better and more comprehensive sources out there.

[Sarah Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for someone who has a Protestant background who is curious about the Orthodox Church. This is an introduction to the faith, teachings and sacraments. A good place to start, very short and easy to read.

[Jason Carlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Answers my difficult questions

I have had questions about how we “do church” in the west. I belong to the evangelical community. This book has opened my eyes to many of the misunderstandings I had about Orthodoxy and it tackles scriptures that I have not found good answers to inside the Protestant faith. I really liked the red pill reference too. I’m at the very beginning of exploring orthodoxy but, the more I read the more it seems to fit. Will be attending a Divine Liturgy this Sunday (God willing) for the first time!

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an quick and easy read coming from a Protestant evangelical background. It covered everything well. My only complaint is the tone felt somewhat dismissive and combative. I was already convinced Orthodoxy is for me, but I would not recommend this to someone who might feel a little afraid of Orthodoxy. If you can read it as an invitation, it’s worthwhile.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly a fascinating and insightful read on Orthodoxy. Of course, coming from a Protestant background and current situation, I didn’t come to all the same conclusions! But I found it helpful and and thought provoking. Will prompt further contemplation and research on some topics.

[Heather Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for traditional Protestants or evangelicals who are curious about the basics of the Orthodox faith. It’s a down-to-earth, practical, and easy-to-understand introduction to the doctrines and practices of the ancient church.

[Lydia Burris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Simple yet effective. I enjoyed the biblical references and early church references to back up the Orthodox beliefs on things regarding sacraments, worship, salvation, etc. A must read for any Protestant looking into Orthodoxy.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, straightforward book for those new to Orthodox Christianity or wanting to know more about it. It has a lot of information in few pages, but is not overwhelming. Will definitely recommend!

[elora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent introductory/cursory into the Orthodox Christian faith. I particularly found the chapter on confession very good. I'm eager to speak with my Spiritual Father more on this!☦️

[lilaclover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read about half of the book, mostly because I have read other books that cover the same information. But for someone new to Orthodoxy, this is a great choice for a first book.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit late on this review but I really enjoyed this book. Although I grew up Orthodox and I think this book is probably intended more for people who are new converts or are looking to learn more about Orthodox Christianity, I decided to read it because I’ve been wanting to better understand why I believe the things I do - and, more importantly, what parts of my faith are important for me to preserve and carry forward in my own life.

One thing I’ve been thinking about more recently is how important it is to understand the why behind your beliefs. Not necessarily so that you can convince other people, but so that you can be confident that you’ve actually chosen these beliefs for yourself rather than simply inherited them. Growing up in a particular tradition can make it easy to accept things because “that’s just how we’ve always done it.” I think there’s something really meaningful about taking the time to learn where those traditions come from and deciding what you want to hold onto for yourself.

I also really appreciated how the book highlighted how complicated Christianity actually is. From the outside, it can be easy to assume that all Christians believe the same things, interpret Scripture the same way, and share the same history. But Christianity has a long and complicated history, with significant differences in theology, tradition, worship, and practice.

I thought Guirguis did a great job of breaking some of that history down into sections that were actually easy to digest. I especially enjoyed the discussions around how and why we read the Bible, how early Christians lived after Christ’s death, the development of the Church, and the importance of the sacraments. Even though some of this was familiar to me, I appreciated having it explained in a way that encouraged me to think more deeply about things I’ve grown up with.

A reminder that sometimes learning more about where you come from is also a way of figuring out what you want to carry with you into the future.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful for new catechumen

You can tell the author really understands what the evangelical experience is like in America and he comes from a very loving patient but firm when necessary standpoint. I read it once early on in my inquirer stage and now once again as I near the end of my catechumen stage and I got a bunch of value out of it each time.