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The Law of God: For Study at Home and School
This is the English edition of the classic Russian textbook designed for parents to teach their children "all the fundamental points of the Orthodox Christian faith and way of life." Because children are growing up quickly in a society that raises serious and agonizing questions the author does not teach in naive stories that remain stories only. It offers an overview of the whole of the Old and New Testaments as well as instruction on prayer, worship and what it means to live by the teaching of the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. Lavishly bound and made to last. Well illustrated with black and white photographs and icons.
651 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 17, 2017
The Law of God is a work that makes an excellent study tool for home and school. This is a great book designed for new followers of the Eastern Orthodox faith. It is written by a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), which is part of the Russian Orthodox Church who is one head of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Saying that, this book can be used by any Orthodox faithful, whether OCA, Greek, Antiochian, or others. Catholics can also find similar aspects of their faith and enjoyment in this work although it is not about their faith.
The book is split into five sections: Basic Concepts, Prayers, Sacred History of the Old and New Testament, Christian Faith and Life, and the Divine Services of the Orthodox Church. Each section is a brief overview of a section of the Orthodox faith, whether it be standard prayers that one can use in the prayer rule or the history found in the Holy Bible.
Section One deals with basic concepts, such as God, Prayer, the Sign of the Cross, and the architecture of the Orthodox Church. Section Two includes a large group of prayers and the meanings behind them; the Lord's Prayer, Nicene Creed, prayers before and after meals, and others are given. Section Three is the paraphrased history of Christianity as told in the Holy Bible, starting with Genesis and ending with the Acts. It also discusses the conversion of Russia to Christianity. Section four is a small section of theological discussions, included are the seven Ecumenical Councils and their reasons for happening and a discussion of the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments. The final section discusses actual Orthodox practices and services. Practices included are the clergy and meanings of their vestments, the Holy Feasts, and breakdowns of the Divine Liturgy and major services.
The book, which is hardback is made very sturdy. The binding holds up quite well and the pages are of good quality. The typeset is great for reading. There are a few misspellings but nothing that would detract from the work itself or as a study aid.
Having read both "The Orthodox Church" by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware and this one, I definitely would recommend the Book of Law as a better book for those new to the Orthodox faith or wanting to learn about the Orthodox faith. Metropolitan Ware is extremely gifted but his book is more of a history of the Church, while this is more helpful with understanding Orthodoxy as a faith. I definitely learned more about the practices of Orthodoxy from this book.
The book is split into five sections: Basic Concepts, Prayers, Sacred History of the Old and New Testament, Christian Faith and Life, and the Divine Services of the Orthodox Church. Each section is a brief overview of a section of the Orthodox faith, whether it be standard prayers that one can use in the prayer rule or the history found in the Holy Bible.
Section One deals with basic concepts, such as God, Prayer, the Sign of the Cross, and the architecture of the Orthodox Church. Section Two includes a large group of prayers and the meanings behind them; the Lord's Prayer, Nicene Creed, prayers before and after meals, and others are given. Section Three is the paraphrased history of Christianity as told in the Holy Bible, starting with Genesis and ending with the Acts. It also discusses the conversion of Russia to Christianity. Section four is a small section of theological discussions, included are the seven Ecumenical Councils and their reasons for happening and a discussion of the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments. The final section discusses actual Orthodox practices and services. Practices included are the clergy and meanings of their vestments, the Holy Feasts, and breakdowns of the Divine Liturgy and major services.
The book, which is hardback is made very sturdy. The binding holds up quite well and the pages are of good quality. The typeset is great for reading. There are a few misspellings but nothing that would detract from the work itself or as a study aid.
Having read both "The Orthodox Church" by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware and this one, I definitely would recommend the Book of Law as a better book for those new to the Orthodox faith or wanting to learn about the Orthodox faith. Metropolitan Ware is extremely gifted but his book is more of a history of the Church, while this is more helpful with understanding Orthodoxy as a faith. I definitely learned more about the practices of Orthodoxy from this book.
February 24, 2015
This book is a lot like the Cliff Notes version of the Bible from an Orthodox perspective. It helped me immensely during my catechism and by the time I was baptized into the Greek Orthodox Church I had a firm grasp and understanding of the beliefs of the Church. It summarizes all of the stories from the Old and New Testament and explains the lessons with a modern voice.
September 12, 2023
A good book for the intended purpose. This was written as a catechism textbook for young Orthodox Parish Schools. It is a very good basic overview of the entire bible and the Orthodox Church and services in General.
Slobodskoy writes this from the perspective of his surroundings which was in the Russian Church that had to counter Soviet Atheist arguments whether in Russia or in the West. There is a very good section at the end about the Christian Faith and Science and how both complement each other. There are very good answers to modern Atheist attacks or questions. This is a good basic overview and text book with some very good sections to go back to time and again.
This is not a good introductory book for inquirers familiar with the bible, especially from a Protestant or Catholic background. Some questions from inquirers may be addressed, but you will have to read through two thirds of this heavy book first, going through the basics of the Old Testament before getting to Orthodox specific theology. Slobodskoy does not directly address differences between Orthodox, Catholic and Protestants. And that was not his purpose of writing this book.
It really is a basic text book which must be built off of with more reading if you want to understand Orthodox Theology in an adult understanding. I grew up with this book as the only catechetical explanation of my faith, and only now (20 years later) am I discovering the wealth and treasure of my faith which this book just cannot cover in its scope.
My only real disagreement is on the end of the first page, in the Forward he writes "In view of the fact that many of those studying may never take up the Holy Bible, but will be satisfied with this textbook alone, such a situation demands absolute correctness in transmitting the Word of God." This goes completely against the Apostles and Fathers of the Church and stems from the lazy and worldly Cultural Orthodox perception as opposed to a perception of Orthodoxy as the real faith and Truth to live out. The author should not have written this, it is not in the spirit of the Orthodox Church. Instead, he should have strongly encouraged the reading of the Holy Bible in conjunction with or after reading this book. If an Orthodox Christian has the ability to read and to read this book, then are they really Orthodox Christians if they never read the bible?
Slobodskoy writes this from the perspective of his surroundings which was in the Russian Church that had to counter Soviet Atheist arguments whether in Russia or in the West. There is a very good section at the end about the Christian Faith and Science and how both complement each other. There are very good answers to modern Atheist attacks or questions. This is a good basic overview and text book with some very good sections to go back to time and again.
This is not a good introductory book for inquirers familiar with the bible, especially from a Protestant or Catholic background. Some questions from inquirers may be addressed, but you will have to read through two thirds of this heavy book first, going through the basics of the Old Testament before getting to Orthodox specific theology. Slobodskoy does not directly address differences between Orthodox, Catholic and Protestants. And that was not his purpose of writing this book.
It really is a basic text book which must be built off of with more reading if you want to understand Orthodox Theology in an adult understanding. I grew up with this book as the only catechetical explanation of my faith, and only now (20 years later) am I discovering the wealth and treasure of my faith which this book just cannot cover in its scope.
My only real disagreement is on the end of the first page, in the Forward he writes "In view of the fact that many of those studying may never take up the Holy Bible, but will be satisfied with this textbook alone, such a situation demands absolute correctness in transmitting the Word of God." This goes completely against the Apostles and Fathers of the Church and stems from the lazy and worldly Cultural Orthodox perception as opposed to a perception of Orthodoxy as the real faith and Truth to live out. The author should not have written this, it is not in the spirit of the Orthodox Church. Instead, he should have strongly encouraged the reading of the Holy Bible in conjunction with or after reading this book. If an Orthodox Christian has the ability to read and to read this book, then are they really Orthodox Christians if they never read the bible?
August 9, 2024
"The Law of God" by Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy is an extraordinary work that not only offers a profound chronological and biblical exegesis of the law of God but also serves as an essential guide to the practical aspects of Orthodox worship. The book delves deeply into scriptural foundations, providing quality, in-depth analysis that illuminates the historical and theological significance of God's law. Beyond this, it equips readers with the fundamental knowledge necessary for approaching Orthodox worship, from understanding the allegorical patterns of the services and the meaning of liturgical hymns to the intricate details of vestments and church bell patterns. It is the perfect introductory resource for anyone looking to grasp both the spiritual and practical dimensions of Orthodox life.
July 31, 2024
It started well with basic orthodox beliefs, then went through some select parts of the bible, even briefly mentioned Jesus's teachings. But otherwise the rest was filled with many made creeds and the form of the orthodox church their hierarchy bells etc. almost nothing was dedicated to the personal transformation of becoming more like Jesus. So rather sad if this is supposed to represent modern orthodoxy.
October 2, 2021
For one I like that we have this tool if God forbid we lose access to our priests like what happened with the communists in Russia. Also, its great for building an excellent Christian foundation.
June 10, 2020
An excellent introduction to the basic theology, praxis, and Liturgical life of the Orthodox Church.
This was the basic textbook for my "Principles of Orthodoxy" class, and it should be read by all Orthodox Christians - especially those considering seminary formation. It provides the answer to many questions, the reasons behind many practices, and an introduction to many important theological concepts.
This was the basic textbook for my "Principles of Orthodoxy" class, and it should be read by all Orthodox Christians - especially those considering seminary formation. It provides the answer to many questions, the reasons behind many practices, and an introduction to many important theological concepts.
October 8, 2020
The best introduction to the Orthodox Church and the Bible I've read yet. Basic enough for beginners, deep enough for professionals.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews