The Truth of Our Faith [Greek]

by Cleopa Ilie

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: Greek
• ISBN: 9608677807
• ISBN13: 9789608677807
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Uncut Mountain Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Must Have For An Orthodox Christian

This is a great book. It provides so many answers to questions that one new to Orthodoxy asks. This book was pivotal in building my understanding of the Orthodox faith. I saw on the publisher's website, that a second volume is forthcoming, which I am very excited about.

From the heart of the Church

Anyone who reads this book will understand how Christ preserves his Church. The Elder Cleopa himself describes and demonstrates the process of continuous renewal in the Church through the Saints. There is knowledge, and there is wisdom. Knowledge is something you get from a book, or by word of mouth. Wisdom is that which speaks directly from heartfelt and deeply personal experience. Within the Orthodox Church, this experiential wisdom that is the relationship between the Saints and Christ our Savior, which is cultivated within the disciple by the master before him, just as Saint Paul cultivated it in Saint Timothy. That this experiential wisdom is always present and accessible to us is the heart of the Orthodox hope, and the sustenance of the Church that our Lord has given to us. This is one of many possible understandings of the phrase "Apostolic Succession," and it is the most important one since through this the Church remains alive for us today.The Elder Cleopa, as is evidence from his simple, warm message in this book, speaks to us from that Church. His many answers to a fictictious inquirer anticpate the questions of many who are seriously considering the Orthodox life. The Elder lights a lamp for those who wish to see the Truth. Come and see for yourself.

Monastic Wisdom

"The Truth of Our Faith" by Elder Cleopa of Romania is an excellent Q & A between Elder Cleopa and inquirers about the Orthodox faith. In addition to the preface and a brief prologue about Elder Cleopa's life, there is an introduction by Elder Cleopa himself about his goals for the book. The main part of the book is broken down into 19 sections/chapters on different topics. It covers some of the Orthodox Church's teachings on the Virgin Mary and the Church's use of icons. The Elder also answers questions about fasting, the Second Coming, and speaking in tongues. The Elder's tone is warm and simple, although he speaks unequivocally on issues in today's world of relativsm. His in depth knowledge of the Bible is awe-inspiring and there are tons of references (thankfully the footnotes aren't done in an academic fashion that is distracting.)This is an excellent place for those that know something about Orthodoxy to probe deeper. Even though its not an ideal place for one to start reading about Orthodoxy...it would still be readily understood by one that knows virtually nothing of the Christian East. (The ideal place to learn about Orthodoxy is an Orthodox Church.) People that enjoyed St. Theophan the Recluse's "The Spiritual Life and How to be Attuned to It" or his "Path to Salvation" or Elder Joseph the Hesychast's "Monastic Wisdom" should enjoy this as it is in similar format. Not only that all these works share the fact that they were written out of love for the world by very holy men. Overall...highly recommended.

Modern Orthodox Wisdom

This book is a must-read for any Orthodox Christian. Whether you are already well-read in Orthodoxy or trying to educate yourself about your faith, you will find precious pearls within these pages. This book is particularly relevant to our modern times as the Elder Cleopa specifically tries to address many common criticisms or misunderstandings regarding the Orthodox Church voiced by the non-Orthodox Christian. I would highly recommend this book to Orthodox readers at any "spiritual" level. In addition, non-Orthodox who are interested in understanding more about what the Orthodox believe will find many answers here.

Grace-ful Conversations with a True Christian

Imagine the holiest person you can think of, according to the highest standard of holiness you possess (mine is that of the great saints of the early Church, like St. John the Evangelist, St. Polycarp of Smyrna or St. Anthony the Great (the father of monasticism) or of more recent saints like Seraphim of Sarov). Now imagine you were able to sit down and have a whole series of conversations with this saint, and in the course of your discussions, you could ask him all the burning questions that beset you as you struggle to live your Christian faith in the contemporary world; and, miracle of miracles, he was interested enough in your questions to give as much of his precious time to answer them as fully as possible and with all the depth of the hard-won knowledge of his spiritual experience and the God-given grace of wisdom he possesses. This is exactly what you will be getting when you open the pages of this wonderful book.Elder Cleopa was a living saint who died only in 1998. He was a man of our own time and gave a great deal of his last years to teaching contemporary people the timeless truths of the Christian faith. He was that rarest of rarities, a true Christian who lived the life of the Gospel as fully as is possible on earth. His discussions with seekers about virtually every important aspect of the faith are invaluable. Both simple and profound, his insights pierce to the very heart of what it means to be an Orthodox Christian, and how a believer can deepen his or her faith to the ultimate level. This is a book that is truly invaluable. It has only one flaw--it comes to an end. But then you can always read it again and be reinspired. Definitely five stars and then some!