The Romanovs Under House Arrest (Holy Trinity Publications)

When we in the United States of America think of Russia, we think of Putin, election tampering, the Cold War, Sputnik, socialism, communism, Lenin, Stalin, and many other negative things. However, unless you are versed in European/World History, you quickly forget that just 100 years ago, Russia was not a socialist nation, but instead was ruled by Tsar Nicholas II. With his wife, Tsarina Alexandra, and their five children, they made up the Russian Imperial Romanov family. In February 1917, mass protests occurred (now known as the February Revolution) with discontent in the monarchy. The Romanovs (and those loyal to them) were captured and imprisoned in the Alexander Palace. In July of 1918, the Romanovs were brutally executed and over the next three months, friends and relatives of them also were. There has always been some shroud of mystery and conspiracy surrounding the time from their imprisonment to execution. Recently, Holy Trinity Publications released a book entitled The Romanovs Under House Arrest, which is the diary of the palace priest, Afanasy I. Belyaev.

The book begins by giving us a historical setting for what occurred. It went all the way back to 1881 when Tsar Alexander II was assassinated, the short reign of Alexander III, and the eventual succession of Nicholas II in 1894, when he was just 26 years old. We saw the events of Bloody Sunday, the first Russian constitution, and the eventual abdication and imprisonment of Nicholas II. The diary entries begin on March 2, 1917. In the initial entry, Fr. Belyaev recounts being called to the palace to perform a prayer service for healing of the Romanov children's cases of measles. The entries continue until August 3, 1917 where Fr. Belyaev recounted that the family had been forced to leave the palace and be exiled to the north in Tobolsk. The book closes with an epilogue, brief biography of Fr. Belyaev, and a brief summary of persons of interest mentioned in the diary entries.

The entries in this diary offer a first person account of what happened the first five months of the Romanovs exile. Within these accounts, we learn of the daily lives of the family and their faithful friends and servants. We see their daily struggles and daily sorrows. However, what is at the center of all these entries is Jesus. There are many accounts of Divine Liturgy, daily prayers, and the celebration of Pascha. Tsar Nicholas and his family took their sufferings with extreme grace and it was evidenced in the diary that they instilled the love of Jesus in each of their children. They did their best to carry on about their daily lives like normal citizens. Deep in their hearts, they knew they were not normal citizens but prisoners, and would not escape their eventual fate. This was a sad book to read when looked at through an earthly lens, but when looked at through a heavenly lens, it is a story of faithful martyrs of Jesus who received the greatest reward in the end. Truly a beautiful book!

The Epistles and The Apocalypse (Holy Trinity Seminary Press)

Archbishop Averky (Taushev) was the fourth abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York. He was one of the leading teachers of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 20th Century and is probably best known for his exposition on the New Testament. Holy Trinity Publications has published these books in three volumes, and I have been blessed to read and review each volume. Today, I am wrapping up this series with Volume Three - The Epistles and The Apocalypse. The book is a beautiful hardcover, like the previous two volumes and is divided into four main parts:

1. The Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul
2. The Pastoral Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul
3. The General Epistles
4. The Apocalypse (The Book of Revelation)

Part One contains Romans to Second Thessalonians. Part Two contains First Timothy to Hebrews, which is still debated if Paul wrote or not. Part Three contains James to Jude. Part Four is strictly Revelation. With the Pauline Epistles, we have an introduction that covers the significance of his epistles and why they are difficult to study, a context for the epistles, and a fascinating section covering the life of St. Paul. Each epistle is then given its own specific introduction, which covers subjects such as purpose, place and time, authenticity, structure, and the meat of the book - a lengthy section on exegetical analysis. The section on Revelation follows the same format. However, the exegetical analysis is much more in-depth, and feels verse-by-verse, as opposed to the briefer analysis given to the epistles. I imagine this is because Revelation has been so misconstrued and misinterpreted over the years that it needed an in-depth analysis.

This book is not only beautiful in its presentation and layout, it is also beautifully written. Even though, Archbishop Averky was a wise teacher in his own right, he also drew on the writings of other saints when doing Biblical exegesis. His primary two sources of wisdom and inspiration were St. John Chrysostom and St. Theophan the Recluse. However, for the Apocalypse, he also relied heavily on St. Andrew of Caesarea, who is THE best Church Father to read when it comes to reading the book of Revelation. If you are looking for a brilliant and approachable exposition on the New Testament, I highly recommend this three volume set from Holy Trinity Publications!

This book was provided to me for free by Holy Trinity Publications.

Striving Toward God (Holy Trinity Publications)

Anna Mikhailovna Sebriakova joined the Ust'-Medveditskii convent at the age of 17. She was tonsured with the name Arsenia and served as abbess of the monastery for 41 years. Her writings were influenced by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov (author of The Arena and On the Prayer of Jesus). Holy Trinity Publications has recently translated her writings and compiled them in a book entitled Striving Toward God. The book is approximately 100 pages and is composed of the following sections:

1. The Notes of Abbess Arsenia
2. The Letters to Peter Alexandrovich Brianchaninov
3. Letters to Other Individuals

Like every Orthodox book I have ever read, the book begins with a short biography on who Abbess Arsenia was. This is a feature I wish more genres would adopt as it proves useful in setting the context of the work. Her notes then begin by speaking on humility. "Humility is the only state of the spirit through which all spiritual gifts are able to enter an individual. There is also talk of a natural yearning for goodness and being still to know God's presence. The whole section is only seven pages long, but contains a depth of wisdom.

Part Two, Letters to Peter Alexandrovich Brianchaninov, is the bulk of the book at over 50 pages and 93 letters. The letters date from 1870 to 1890. These letters cover topics such as the path to salvation, faith, prayer, etc. Her letters seem to offer him spiritual counsel and advice along the difficult journey that life can sometimes be. I would have liked to read his letters too for better frame of reference, but the letters from other people are never provided when you publish someone's letters. The last section is another set of letters, but this one being to various individuals. A lot of these letters have recipients who are only identified by initials, probably to protect their identity. Just like the other letters, we see great spiritual wisdom and depth.

I really enjoyed reading this book, as it introduced me to a holy woman I was previously unaware of. It was also spiritually edifying to read as it provided practical daily advice, which is something we all can use. Lastly, is was interesting to see how useful her advice still proved to be, even though I am in a different country and two centuries removed from her time period. It just goes to show that good spiritual wisdom is timeless.

This book was provided to me for free by Holy Trinity Publications in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

On the Tree of the Cross (Holy Trinity Publications)

The doctrine of atonement is a tricky one as its origin in the English language is due to Tyndale improperly translating the Greek word for reconciliation. But what exactly is atonement? Some see it as the "at-one-ing" of God and man, by Christ's saving work. Others use it in conjunction with terms like expiation (making reparations for the guilt of wrongdoing) and propitiation (the act of appeasing God). When put with words like that, it's no wonder some scholars squirm and feel uncomfortable. In large part, Eastern Orthodoxy has steered clear of the term atonement and viewed it as an incorrect Western notion. However, one man, Fr. Georges Florovsky, devoted his life to clarifying and spreading the Orthodox teaching of atonement and showing that the division between East and West on the subject of atonement isn't as clear cut as many like to make it out to be. The book On the Tree of the Cross tackles this subject.

On the Tree of the Cross is divided into two parts. The first part of the book is a collection of papers which were delivered at the First Annual Patristic Symposium in Honor of Fr. Florovsky. The second part of the book is a collection of Fr. Florovsky's writings on atonement, much from previously unpublished and/or untranslated works. Some authors of the papers from the first part include Fr. John Behr (Dean of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary), Archimandrite Irenei Steenberg (Director of the Institute for Orthodox Studies), and Fr. Matthew Baker (Memory Eternal). In one paper, we see St. Irenaeus' view on atonement, with Jonah as a key example. In another paper, the Ascetic Fathers are our guides to atonement, both personal and intercessory. In the writings of Fr. Florovsky, we are presented with four writings that give us a small sample of his work. They were written over decades of time, but what is clearly seen in all of them is Christ's atoning sacrifice throughout all of Creation.

There were sometimes I had a difficult time reading Fr. Florovsky's works, but I attribute much of that too it being a translation from another language. That quibble aside, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the papers in the first part of the book. With all the references to Patristic writings, it felt like this book was compiled with me in mind. If you love Patristics, like myself, and want a better understanding of atonement, then I highly recommend this book. I leave this review wondering if there will be future books from other Annual Symposiums in Honor of Fr. Florovsky. I know I would be a customer if so!

This book was provided to me for free by Holy Trinity Publications in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

The Four Gospels (Holy Trinity Publications)

Recently, I received the book The Four Gospels in the mail to review. I knew the author's name, Archbishop Averky (Tasushev) by name, but I didn't know much about him. However, I have a great love for Scriptural commentaries, so I knew I wanted to read this work. Before I tell you about it though, let me tell you about Archbishop Averky (Taushev). He was born in 1906 to a noble family, and had a deep desire for monasticism at an early age. In 1931, he was tonsured a monk and ordained a deacon. The following year he was ordained a hieromonk. In 1951, he began teaching at Holy Trinity Seminary, and in 1960 he was elected the fourth abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery.

The Four Gospels is a beautiful, purple hardcover book that is billed as Volume I of the series "Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament." For some foolish reason, I thought this volume meant that there were individual volumes for each of the four Gospels, and that Volume I just covered Matthew. However, it instead encompasses all four Gospels in one and weaves them together to arrange the sections chronologically. The volume begins with an impressive 40 page introduction, which covers the New Testament canon, language of the New Testament, when the New Testament was written, why there are four Gospels, and the characteristics of each Gospel. This is one of the best introductions I have read to the New Testament and worth the price of the book alone. At the end of the introduction, Archbishop Averky (Tasushev) tells us about others who have attempted to synthesize the Gospels and the three part natural division of the Gospels - 1. The coming into the world of Jesus, 2. the preaching of Jesus, and the last days of the earthly life of Jesus. The book itself is divided (fittingly) into seven sections:

1. The Coming into the World of the Lord Jesus Christ
2. The Public Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ: Events of His Life Before the First Passover
3. The First Passover of the Public Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ
4. The Second Passover of the Public Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ
5. The Third Passover of the Public Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ
6. The Last Days of the Earthly Life of the Lord Jesus Christ
7. The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ

At the end of this work are sources, notes, a subject index, and a Scripture index. The two indices prove to be exceedingly helpful. Reading through this volume, you can see the immense knowledge of Scripture that Archbishop Averky (Taushev). For example, we all know that Jesus' ministry was three years, but more light was shed on Jesus' ministry by dividing it into Passovers and proved a useful framework. Some sections are found in all four Gospels, and where this happens Archbishop Averky (Taushev) points out little details that a certain Evangelist noted that the others didn't. Though this book was written by an archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, I find it suitable for Catholics and Protestants as well. So whether you have never read the Gospels or read them hundreds of times, you will be spiritually enriched with your reading of this commentary. I cannot wait for Volume II on The Epistles to be released.

This book was provided to me for free by Holy Trinity Publications in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Chosen for His People (Holy Trinity Publications)

As a Roman Catholic, I admit to being ignorant about many of the recent saints of Eastern Orthodoxy. However, one man that I have always been fascinated by was St. Tikhon of Moscow. I knew the basics of his life and mission here in North America, but that was it. With the updated release of his biography Chosen for His People, I knew I finally had found a book to fill in the details I was missing. Very little is actually known about his early life, except some schooling information and that he was one of three sons. The first chapter details his religious education and training, and his time in America. He never referenced his personal life much, but he seemed well-loved and respected by all including Roman Catholics.

Chapter Two deals with the revival of the Patriarchate. In order to do this, a council was called in Moscow that comprised 265 clerics and 299 laity. Apparently the Patriarchate was abolished in 1721. There were multiple votes for candidates for Patriarch, and the voting process described in the book reminded me a bit of papal election. After three candidates were chosen, their names were placed in a blessed urn in front of the Vladimir icon of the Theotokos. After Divine Liturgy was celebrated, a name was drawn out of the urn, and Tikhon was chosen. A true gem of the book was reading his "acceptance speech," for lack of a better term. The next few chapters are hard to read, as they deal with a famine that plagued Russia; Patriarch Tikhon gaining enemies from the government and within the Russian Orthodox Church; Tikhon's arrest; being stripped of his title; and his eventual death. The last chapter is a "will," which it was only called such because of his death. There is great debate over its authenticity, and the book presents both sides, but leans to the side of it being a forgery.

Chosen for His People is a very enlightening book and one that will grip you, so that you will not want to put it down. In addition to chronicling the life of this holy man, we also receive glimpses of Russia, both before and after the Bolshevik Revolution. It also contains ample primary sources in the form of Patriarch Tikhon's words as well as those of his enemies. If I had one complaint with this book, it was that I was hoping to read more about his time in America. That quibble aside, I feel blessed getting a better insight into the life and struggles of this humble man. It has been 90 years since Patriarch Tikhon was martyred for the faith he so strongly believed in, and this book is still one of, if not the only English source we have on his life. Therefore, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book.

This book was provided to me for free by Holy Trinity Publications in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Season of Repentance (Holy Trinity Publications)

Before the season of Great Lent begins in the Orthodox Church, it is preceded by five Sundays. They are Zacchaeus Sunday, the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Meatfare Sunday (or Judgment Sunday), and Cheesefare Sunday (or Forgiveness Sunday). After Forgiveness Sunday (which is this coming February 22nd), Great Lent has officially begun. If you are Orthodox and still looking for what to read this Lent, then I recommend you the book Season of Repentance: Lenten Homilies of Saint John of Kronstadt. For those unfamiliar with who Saint John of Kronstadt is, he was a presbyter of the Russian Orthodox Church, and one of the most influential Russian saints leading up to the Bolshevik Revolution.

The book, Season of Repentance, begins with homilies for the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible, and unfortunately the Roman Catholic Church only reads it in Church once every three years. In the first homily for this Sunday, he discusses how publicans and Pharisees still figuratively exist in today's day and age. He explains how pride and self-praise coupled with humiliation of others is a disease of the soul. In the second homily for this Sunday, he talks about not judging others sins, because we have our own sins. He also mentions that every time we do a good deed that we should forget it, because as the Bible says, "We have done what was our duty to do." These excerpts/summaries are just the tip of the iceberg with this book.

Most of the Sundays during and before Great Lent have several homilies associated with them, except for the Third Sunday which has one homily and the Sixth Sunday which does not have a homily at all. You can choose to read all of them for that particular Sunday or just read one a year and visit the other homilies the following years. There are also homilies associated with Great Monday, Great Wednesday, and Great and Holy Friday. There is also an epilogue or bonus homily for Thomas Sunday. My only wish for this book is that there were homilies for Palm Sunday and Pascha to accompany these great Lenten homilies. That small wish aside, these are great homilies filled with Scripture and practical advice that still applies one hundred years later. If you are looking for something to read this Great Lent, then pick up a copy of Season of Repentance.

This book was provided to me for free by Holy Trinity Publications in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

The Struggle for Virtue (Holy Trinity Publications)

Asceticism can be a scary word to laity. We tend to largely ignore it, and convince ourselves that it is something suitable for priests, sisters, and monks, but certainly not us! That thought process could not be further from the truth. Asceticism is, in fact, the "constant practice of good works." These works consist of love of God, love of neighbor, and any other works that show we are trying to love God and neighbor. All of this information is spelled out in the introduction of the book, The Struggle for Virtue.

The book then goes on to discuss subjects such as pride and humility, Christian love, conscience, and spiritual warfare. I am not bold enough to pick a section that spoke to me more than the others, because it felt like they were all shouting at me, not in a bad way, but in a you can do better in your spiritual life. You can be better. For example, Chapter Seven deals with the distractions of life. This is something that has always been present, and not a new phenomenon that just affects our current generation. Thus, we must work to shield our heart from seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling or feeling anything that will lead us to sin. Easier said than done. I know!

Chapter Eight: Resisting Evil and Chapter Nine: Waging Unseen Warfare are both vitally important to your everyday life. Four steps are given by the Holy Fathers, which I will briefly summarize:

1. Based on your life experience, know your weakness and know that you cannot do any good without God's help.
2. Ask God to reveal to you your weaknesses.
3. Fear for yourself and beware of Satan, knowing that you can only wrestle with him with God's help.
4. When you fall into sin, recognize your weakness and know that God allowed this fall so that you will recognize your weaknesses and rely on Him.

Overall, this was a very fascinating read. It was written in a clear and easily understood manner, but the content required you to read and re-read it, so that you could absorb the message. There was one confusing part in the book, which dealt with the trichotomy of man. I always understood man to be a dichotomy of body and soul, but this book touched on body, soul, and spirit. Perhaps one of these parts is meant to be mind, so that it would be mind, body, and soul. If that is the case, it makes a bit more sense to me. If you are a lay person in the Orthodox Church looking for practical advice on asceticism, this book is for you. Catholics and Protestant denominations could find value in this book as well.

This book was provided to me for free by Holy Trinity Publications in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Recollections of Jerusalem (Holy Trinity Publications)

Recollections of Jerusalem is the autobiography/memoir of Anya Berezina Derrick. Anya Derrick was born in Yugoslavia in the 1930s. She was named after her grandmothers, both named Anna, and her birthday was close to the feast day of St. Anna. Her mother was a nurse and her dad was stationed at a military base near Belgrade. Unfortunately, he took ill with tuberculosis. Anya and her mother were on a pilgrimage in Palestine when World War II broke out, and Anya's mother was hoping to bring back a garment for Anya's father to wear which had been blessed on Christ's burial place. Unfortunately, they were never able to see him again. They were unable to return to Yugoslavia, and were forced to seek asylum in Palestine in 1939. Her father died in 1944, and her mother died without ever finding out what happened to him or where he was buried.

The book isn't all heartache and tragedy, though there is a bit of it in this book. This book also is the coming of age of a young girl. We see and get to read her interactions with great spiritual fathers and mothers, like Fr. Lazarus Moore, St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, Mother Mary and Archbishop Antony. We also get introduced to her husband Wayne and her children. She tells a cute story about giving birth to twins, her 13 month old son hearing the birth sounds, and climbing out of his crib to come see what all the noise was. I can't imagine having that many children that young, but she was blessed. Other stories in this book include her visit to the Holy Land with her oldest son, and her family's eventual return to the Holy Land during President Carter's tenure in office.

I'm not really sure how to review this book in all honesty. It's like reviewing someone's life, and how do you do that? In this book I learned a bit about Serbia, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Holy Land in the time of World War II and afterwards. It was an interesting read, and one you should check out if you are interested in any of the subjects I just mentioned.

This book was provided to me for free by Holy Trinity Publications in exchange for an honest review.

Meditations on the Divine Liturgy (Holy Trinity Publications)

For the first 5 years of my life, when I was growing up Baptist, there was a Greek Orthodox Church literally on the other side of the road. I didn't even know that it was there, let alone who the Orthodox were and what they believed. Our Baptist church eventually "upgraded" facilities, and I didn't see that Orthodox Church again for another 10 years, despite living less than a mile from it. So lately it seems that I find myself leaping at every chance I get to learn about Eastern Orthodoxy. This does not mean that I am converting. It just means that I would like to understand my Eastern brethren more fully, in the hopes of one day being reunited. So today, I get the joy of reviewing a new edition of the book

Meditations on the Divine Liturgy is divided into three sections - "The Office of Preparation," "The Liturgy of the Catechumens," and "The Liturgy of the Faithful." Each section contains description and commentary of all that is taking place leading up to the Divine Liturgy and during the Divine Liturgy. It also contains, in bold typeface, the words spoken by the priest, deacon, and lay faithful in attendance. I found these parts especially helpful, as the book also contained the secret prayers the priest says and that the laity doesn't get a chance to hear.

The section I enjoyed the most was "The Office of Preparation." I never realized how much went preparation went into the Divine Liturgy. The prayers made you pause and reflect, and the great detail on how the bread is cut; what each piece of bread symbolizes; and the how and why of the way the bread is arranged on the diskos or paten. There is so much rich and beautiful symbology in this office that I never knew existed. I also appreciated how the book started. It begins, "The priest who intends to celebrate the Liturgy should be abstinent in body and spirit from the previous evening, should be at peace with all, and should avoid holding a grudge towards anyone." This is excellent advice for laity as well.

Most of the time religious books of this nature are written by the clergy or those with advanced degrees in theology. What is refreshing about this book is that it was written by a layman, Nikolai Gogol, who was one of the great Russian authors of the 19th Century. He understood the importance of the Russian Orthodox Church and used his talents to serve the Church. To read more about him, check out the publisher's page on this book or by clicking here for a PDF. If you're looking for an excellent introduction and thorough guide to the Divine Liturgy check out this book. In fact, I'd pair it with the book Journey to the Kingdom.

This book was provided to me for free by Holy Trinity Publications in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!