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Habitation of Holiness: Selections from the Writings of St. Nektarios
Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 24, 2022
I write this review on the holy island of Aegina in Greece, the site of the Holy Monastery of St. Nektarios the Wonderworker. My own well-known personal affection for this modern-day saint of the Holy Orthodox Church aside, I feel blessed to have been partially initiated into his stunning writing ministry. While it is true that most people familiar with St. Nektarios frequently speak about his holiness of life and countless miracles that have reached the far corners of the world, many are unaware of his theological and literary prowess. This book, excellently translated by Fr. Peter Chamberas, whom I know personally as a remarkable pastor and scholar, offers us an opportunity to savor the “spiritual filet mignon” of the holy Metropolitan of Pentapolis.
Veritably, this volume provides the reader with but a sample of St. Nektarios’ most profound teachings, all of which are collected, I believe, in five voluminous tomes in the original Greek. Among the themes covered are the privilege of loving and worshipping God, the relationship of moral freedom with true freedom, salvation through grace and free will, the dynamics and spiritual dimensions of worship, proper Orthodox ecclesiology, and the priesthood of the Church. With regard to this final theme, which is treated in the book’s longest chapter, I personally found it to be perhaps the most comprehensive and best analysis of priestly ministry, addressing the three major orders of the priesthood as well as collectively assessing the minor orders and their interrelationships. So valuable did I find this chapter that I have decided to henceforth include it as required reading in my graduate liturgy courses.
The clarity of the saint’s thought, his theological astuteness, his no-nonsense approach, and his pastoral sensitivity are well balanced and produce a perspective that is inviting, well received, and frankly, quite representative of the face that Holy Orthodoxy should project to those on the outside. Additionally, St. Nektarios’ encyclopedic knowledge of Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers of the Church who preceded him substantiate the development of his thought. Avowedly, a necessary note of acknowledgement must be made to Fr. Chamberas, for his careful and most helpful collection, classification, and inclusion of these sources, along with his own interpretive commentary, in the footnotes.
This book is necessary reading for all Orthodox Christians, clergy and laity alike. It is a succinct synopsis of who we are, what we believe, and what we do, expressed in an accurate and comprehensible way by the “Saint of Our Century.” Five stars, hands down.
~ FrDr Stel
Veritably, this volume provides the reader with but a sample of St. Nektarios’ most profound teachings, all of which are collected, I believe, in five voluminous tomes in the original Greek. Among the themes covered are the privilege of loving and worshipping God, the relationship of moral freedom with true freedom, salvation through grace and free will, the dynamics and spiritual dimensions of worship, proper Orthodox ecclesiology, and the priesthood of the Church. With regard to this final theme, which is treated in the book’s longest chapter, I personally found it to be perhaps the most comprehensive and best analysis of priestly ministry, addressing the three major orders of the priesthood as well as collectively assessing the minor orders and their interrelationships. So valuable did I find this chapter that I have decided to henceforth include it as required reading in my graduate liturgy courses.
The clarity of the saint’s thought, his theological astuteness, his no-nonsense approach, and his pastoral sensitivity are well balanced and produce a perspective that is inviting, well received, and frankly, quite representative of the face that Holy Orthodoxy should project to those on the outside. Additionally, St. Nektarios’ encyclopedic knowledge of Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers of the Church who preceded him substantiate the development of his thought. Avowedly, a necessary note of acknowledgement must be made to Fr. Chamberas, for his careful and most helpful collection, classification, and inclusion of these sources, along with his own interpretive commentary, in the footnotes.
This book is necessary reading for all Orthodox Christians, clergy and laity alike. It is a succinct synopsis of who we are, what we believe, and what we do, expressed in an accurate and comprehensible way by the “Saint of Our Century.” Five stars, hands down.
~ FrDr Stel
March 20, 2023
A most beautiful book for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. The wisdom that originated with Jesus Christ and promulgated by the Apostles and Holy Fathers for us plebs.
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