A Beginner’s Guide to Spirituality: The Orthodox Path to a Deeper Relationship with God

by Michael Keiser

Publisher:

Ancient Faith

, 2007

Overview

Genuine spirituality keeps us in balance with God, our neighbor, and the material world. Michael Keiser walks us through the Orthodox Church’s timeless teachings and practices on the ancient understanding of Christian spirituality with humor and keen insight. He outlines how ascetic practices, personal and corporate worship, confession and repentance, overcoming the passions, and opening ourselves up to God’s grace can lead us to transformation, and to our ultimate destiny—Jerusalem, the heavenly city.

Key Features

• Provides an overview of Christian spirituality from an Orthodox perspective
• Discusses the purpose of Orthodox spiritual practices
• Uses accessible language and a straightforward style suited to the newcomer

Contents

• The Tender Trap
• Discipline and Training
• The Three-Legged Stool
• Kinds of Prayer
• Confession
• Asceticism I: Exterior Disciplines
• Asceticism II: Interior Detachment
• The Passions
• Go Towards the Light
• Jerusalem, the Heavenly City

Top Highlights

“This is the danger inherent in much of modern spirituality: it ceases to be a way of reaching out to God and becomes a method of focusing on myself.” (Page 8)

“Spirituality has become linked in some minds with a positive emotional response to something divine” (Page 6)

“In the fifth century we first encounter the Latin word spiritualitas, which referred to the quality of life imparted by the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Christ.” (Pages 5–6)

“Basically, a passion is a sin that has become so ingrained in our nature that it is really a sickness that dominates and drives our life.” (Page 81)

“Good spirituality keeps us balanced in our relationship with God, others, and the material world. Contrary to what some would have you believe, Christianity is a practical religion concerned with helping us overcome sin, draw closer to God, and become more like Him, so that we can bring others to Him.” (Page 9)

Product Details

• Title: A Beginner’s Guide to Spirituality: The Orthodox Path to a Deeper Relationship with God
• Author: Michael Keiser
• Publisher: Ancient Faith
• Print Publication Date: 2007
• Logos Release Date: 2015
• Pages: 112
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Spirituality › Orthodox Eastern Church
• ISBNs: 9781888212884, 1888212888
• Resource ID: LLS:BGNNRSGDRLTNSGD
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T19:12:40Z

About Michael Keiser

Michael Keiser is a convert to the Orthodox faith who was raised in the Western Christian tradition. He has studied in both the Western and Eastern traditions of Christianity, and has been actively involved in evangelism and outreach on behalf of the Orthodox Christian Church. An Orthodox priest for 30 years, he works in the Department of Missions and Evangelism of the Antiochian Archdiocese. During his career he has worked with 28 different congregations in the areas of renewal and growth and established new congregations. Keiser has written five books dealing with worship, spirituality, and an Orthodox philosophy of suffering.