Our Father

by Alexander Schmemann, Alexis Vinogradov

This commentary on the Lord's Prayer has been compiled from a series of broadcasts made by Fr Alexander Schmemann on Radio Liberty to listeners in the Soviet Union. Because this single short prayer of Christ has everything that needs to be said about God, his kingdom, this life - about all of us - it is not an exaggeration to suggest that in this commentary Fr Schmemann provides us with a map for seeing anew the purpose and measure of our whole life. Fr Schmemann awakens in us a fresh understanding of these familiar petitions.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Christian, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion, Faith

93 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann was a prominent Eastern Orthodox theologian and priest of the Orthodox Church in America.

Reviews

[Julie Davis]

Short, simple, yet rich meditations on each line of the Our Father. Perfect for daily prayer.

[Matthew]

Perceptive and challenging look at the Our Father/Lord's Prayer, phrase by phrase. Written originally for broadcast into the Soviet Union, it is not too difficult or technical. Very good Lenten reading.

[Misael Galdámez]

Simple, succinct, yet profound and moving. I keep coming back to Schmemann and the world as communion with God, who is our Father. I also loved the chapter on forgiveness, which described forgiveness as bringing wholeness of relationship and healing.

[Dan Glover]

Schmemann originally delivered these chapters as part of a long-running series of radio talks, broadcast into the Soviet Union, to encourage Christians there to keep the faith in the face of an anti-Christian atheistic regime. These broadcasts started the year Stalin died.

These are fairly simple but they are so rich and devotional - pastoral. It is interesting that so many great pastors and teachers have seen it necessary to publish on the Lord's Prayer as a particular prayer for varied and various, specific times of crisis (others such as Simone Weil, Raissa Maritain, Romano Guardini, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer are others who come to mind).

Other than a large and glaring typographic mistake, this is an attractive little volume. Best to read (and pray) slowly.

[Angelina]

Varianta pe care am citit-o eu este cea în limba română - Tatăl Nostru - apărută în 2008 la Editura Sophia.
O scriitură deosebită, o adevărată bijuterie, în stilul inimitabil al Părintelui Alexander Schmemann care ne tâlcuiește singura și cea mai simplă rugăciune lăsată de Iisus Hrisos lumii, Rugăciunea Domnească. Rugăciunea aceasta nu este însă de loc simplă, sesnsurile ei fiind, așa cum spune părintele, inepuizable. „Ea se adresează fiecăruia dintre noi în mod personal ca și cum ar fi alcătuită pentru fiecare dintre noi în parte.”
Mie, personal cartea mi-a plăcut mult și mi-a deschis înțelesuri nebănuite. O recomand cu mare drag.

[Axel]

Short but sweet. The Lord’s prayer contains so much, and this book offers in not so many words a rich perspective on what Christ’s prayer offers, and how it can be approached, and what one ought to consider if one speaks it in truth, and how one could speak it truly.

Wonderful!

[Timothy Lawrence]

Pithy and insightful.

[Donald]

"In its deepest and original sense Christianity is the religion of fatherhood..."

[Ryan Denton]

Some good, some weird. Read for a project.

[Kathy Dimataris]

I’m going to need to read this book at least 3 times through. So deep!! So good! Worth the effort!!

[Emily Sparks]

A short book of reflections on the Our Father that were broadcast into Soviet Russia. Brief and edifying. They make for good listening or reading.

[Micah Douglas]

Excellent and insightful teaching.

[CN]

Not five stars primarily because I wanted more. I think Schmemann’s writing is Incarnational and he likely wants me to want more, in order to meditate upon it…

[Zach]

It’s hard to find a better, more succinct treatment of The Lord’s Prayer than Schmemann’s little edition here. Both a theology of the Lord’s Prayer and Schmemann need to be retrieved for evangelicalism.

[Ramon Dearmas]

A book I read for daily reflections and meditations a great book! Also finding new messages and meanings in the words.


Great spiritual read!

[Deborah Gonser-adams]

by Fr. Alexander Schmemann

[Prophet Elijah]

BV230 .S3413 2002