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Made for Union: The Sacramental Spirituality of St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain
Made for Union, by Rev. Fr. George Dokos, presents a comprehensive study of the sacramental spirituality of St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain, a Saint of the Orthodox Church who flourished in the late 18th and early 19th century during the period of the Ottoman Occupation. Although a monk and serious ascetic himself, St. Nikodemos emphasized in his many works the centrality and necessity of the liturgy and sacraments in the life of the Christian.
From the Foreword (by V. Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas)
In a series of richly and meticulously documented chapters, Fr. Dokos details St. Nikodemos’ sacramental spirituality, providing us with a detailed presentation of the sacramental foundations of the saint’s thought and theology. After an introduction covering the saint’s life and work, the book begins with a general overview of St. Nikodemos’s ecclesiology, in which the Church is the locus of new life in Christ. This is followed by chapters on Baptism, Chrism, Eucharist, and Confession and Repentance. Fr. Dokos possesses a virtually unparalleled familiarity with St. Nikodemos’ writings, which he has studied both deeply and widely, bringing the full range of the saint’s teaching to bear on the subject. His book provides us with an important corrective to the specious separation of “private” ascetic prayer and “public” liturgy.
From the Foreword (by V. Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas)
In a series of richly and meticulously documented chapters, Fr. Dokos details St. Nikodemos’ sacramental spirituality, providing us with a detailed presentation of the sacramental foundations of the saint’s thought and theology. After an introduction covering the saint’s life and work, the book begins with a general overview of St. Nikodemos’s ecclesiology, in which the Church is the locus of new life in Christ. This is followed by chapters on Baptism, Chrism, Eucharist, and Confession and Repentance. Fr. Dokos possesses a virtually unparalleled familiarity with St. Nikodemos’ writings, which he has studied both deeply and widely, bringing the full range of the saint’s teaching to bear on the subject. His book provides us with an important corrective to the specious separation of “private” ascetic prayer and “public” liturgy.
- GenresTheology
229 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2020
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March 30, 2023
Filled with a systematic and extensive gleanings of St Nikodemos' exhortations toward full participation in the sacramentality of the Church, this is an exceptional encouragement toward proper Orthodox Spirituality -- as much concerned about personal prayer and individual actualization of the virtues as communal participation in the shared life as a Christian family. As a didactic piece, it would serve very well as an introduction to the main sacraments for catechumens, and as a proper corrective to any tempted to an excess of only one aspect of Church life. It also serves as a resource for directions toward further study on Baptism, Chrismation, Communion, and Confession.
It is beautifully bound, though the "window" on the front cover is quite annoying. My hope is that some subsequent edition will remove this hole and leave it a simple embossed cover over the whole surface. There would also be benefit in differentiating between footnotes that are simply given to cite sources, and those that elucidate or expound on the text itself. A separation of these into two different references places in the tome would be much less distracting.
It is beautifully bound, though the "window" on the front cover is quite annoying. My hope is that some subsequent edition will remove this hole and leave it a simple embossed cover over the whole surface. There would also be benefit in differentiating between footnotes that are simply given to cite sources, and those that elucidate or expound on the text itself. A separation of these into two different references places in the tome would be much less distracting.
Displaying 1 of 1 review