Orthodoxy made simple

"The Orthodox Church" by Timothy Ware (also known as Kallistos Ware) is probably the best introduction to the history and faith of the Eastern Orthodox churches.

The author is an Orthodox bishop of British nationality, and his aim is to explain Orthodoxy to a Western audience. He succeeds relatively well in this. Of course, the book is partisan but some Orthodox believers nevertheless believe that Ware is too "soft". Another book by the same author, "The Orthodox Way", explains his view of Orthodox spirituality in more detail. That book is also quite easy to read.

It should be noted that the historical chapters mostly deal with the Byzantine Empire and Russia. Relatively little is said about other Orthodox nations such as Serbia, Romania or Bulgaria. Apart from the historical chapters, there is also an extensive section on liturgy, the sacraments and Church organization.

"The Orthodox Church" is recommended reading for the general reader who wants to know more about Eastern Orthodoxy in general and the Russian Orthodox Church in particular.