What are you reading?
We love to ask other people what they are reading, and we often get asked that question, too! Here are some highlights from our bookshelf.
The truth is we love these authors, not just these particular titles. Although only one or two of their books might be listed here, we haven’t stopped reading them at these initial title recommendations. Everything we have read by St. Gregory Palamas is amazingly rich and worthwhile, and has shaped our thinking and doing. Likewise for Met. Hierotheos, Archimandrite Zacharias, Met. Ware, Dostoevsky, and virtually all of these authors. Really, these recommendations are for the authors themselves, and are just a beginning into critical reading at the intersection of mental and spiritual health.
Did you know The Virtue Path is on Substack? You can read our latest thoughts and dialogue with us @TheVirtuePath.
Happy reading and thinking!
Orthodox Classics
It is imperative that we know our faith.
The Orthodox Study Bible
Published by Thomas Nelson
As former protestants, we thought we knew our Bible. We came to realize that what we actually knew was the protestant interpretation of their sola scriptura tradition, which… misses the mark as the saying goes. The Orthodox Study Bible is a game-changer. It offers patristic understanding of specific passages and themes, from the sacraments to theosis and everything in between. The Orthodox Study Bible will change and deepen your understanding of the Scriptures. Obviously, a must-read on the daily.
St. Gregory Palamas
The Homilies
In The Homilies, we hear St. Gregory Palamas in his own beautiful words, as applicable to us today as when he spoke them centuries ago. The book is structured according to the liturgical year, so it is easy to find St. Gregory Palamas’ homily for a particular Sunday of the year. This book is a delight to sit down with after Liturgy with a fresh cup of coffee, to hear what St. Gregory Palamas said about the Scripture of the day!
St. Athanasius
On the Incarnation
St. Athanasius gives a foundational explanation for Christ’s incarnation and ultimate resurrection. You may have heard this book colloquially summarized in the one sentence, “Christ became Man that we may become gods.” Indeed, St. Athanasius explains how God’s incarnation opened the path to theosis for us. This is a must-read.
St. Isaac the Syrian
Ascetical Homilies
St. Isaac the Syrian emphasizes the relentless pursuit of virtue for our salvation. These homilies, which were written for a monastic audience and are perhaps not as accessible a read as St. Gregory Palamas’ homilies, are dense with St. Isaac’s experience on the path to theosis.
St. Gregory of Nyssa
On the Soul and Resurrection
St. Gregory of Nyssa offers a foundational understanding of our Christian understanding of death. Written as a dialogue between himself and his sister, St. Macrina, as they both mourn the falling asleep of their brother St. Basil, St. Gregory gives the Christian explanation to what death is — the unnatural separation of the soul and body, which God permits in His lovingkindness, for our own good.
Unknown 19th Century russian peasant
The way of a pilgrim
An easy and engaging read, The Way of a Pilgrim is exceptionally deep as it follows the unknown 19th Century Russian peasant in his pursuit of ceaseless prayer. This book is instrumental in helping the modern believer begin to practice the Jesus Prayer in all its power.
Essential Modern Orthodox books
Archimandrite Zacharias
The Hidden Man of the Heart
Archimandrite Zacharias uncovers the importance and experience of repentance in the believer’s deep heart. Repentance is not to be understood in the simplistic, protestant use of dredging up everything I’ve ever done wrong. Rather, repentance is bringing the Light of Christ into the depths of one’s inner basement, decrepit though it certainly is. This book, and truly any content by Archimandrite Zacharias, gives a practical as well as insightful understanding of the Orthodox path of purification, illumination, and deification. We recommend reading this book in relationship with your spiritual father.
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware
The Orthodox Way
Met. Ware has published numerous books that are all easy to read and very useful for the understanding of Orthodox thought, history, and practice. This particular book presents the Orthodox understanding of God as Mystery, Trinity, Creator, Man, Spirit, and Prayer. A beautiful must-read.
Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra
The Mystical Marriage: Spiritual Life according to St. Maximos the Confessor
Elder Aimilianos’ beautifully brings St. Maximos the Confessor to modern readers in this warm and accessible volume that speaks to the heart. Reading this book is like hearing your spiritual father talk directly to you about how St. Maximos’ writings directly apply to your life. It’s a gem.
St. Porphyrios
Wounded by Love: The Life and the Wisdom of St. Porphyrios
St. Porphyrios is one of our most beloved modern saints, and with good reason. In this book, we get to know him and learn from his deep love and experience of God. This book helps us see how the way of thinking and living exemplified by St. Porphyrios is applicable to our own lives. A very dear book from a very dear saint.
General Mental Health
Metropolitan Hierotheos
The Science of Spiritual Medicine: Orthodox Psychotherapy in action
In this book and its prequel, Orthodox Psychotherapy, Met. Hierotheos integrates the Orthodox understanding of health and healing with the believer’s mental well-being. He defines the illness and health of the soul, and lays out the Orthodox path to health. These books are must-reads for Orthodox therapists hoping to bridge the gap between faith and psychological health.
Andrew J. Dobo and Friends
Transformational EMDR, the Manual: Shapiro’s aspiration for EMDR beyond the disease model
For therapists. This is the textbook for Transformational EMDR, and Melinda is a co-author! Transformational EMDR goes beyond trauma resolution to help clients become who they were created to be. We are happy to encourage therapists to pursue your Transformational EMDR training and certification through Dobo’s EMDR Educators.
Andrew J. Dobo
Unburdening Souls at the Speed of Thought: Psychology, Christianity, and the transforming power of EMDR
In this book and The Hero’s Journey, Integrating Jungian Psychology with EMDR Therapy, Dobo describes the power of Transformational EMDR™ in helping a person achieve individuation. Transformational EMDR can be very helpful for the believer to overcome traumas that are keeping them in unhealthy patterns of thought and thereby stifling their spiritual progress. Caveat: From our perspective, Transformational EMDR should only be pursued under the guidance of a trained professional and in dialogue with one’s spiritual father.
Francine Shapiro
EMDR Therapy
For therapists. This is the textbook for EMDR. We strongly recommend pursuing your EMDR training and certification through Dobo’s EMDR Educators. Since Melinda is an EMDRIA Approved Consultant, she would love to help fellow Christian therapists work toward becoming an EMDRIA Certified Therapist — please reach out!
Judith Beck and Aaron Beck
Cognitive behavior therapy: basics and beyond
For therapists. This is the textbook for CBT. We strongly recommend pursuing your CBT training directly through The Beck Institute.
Father Alexis Trader
Ancient Christian Wisdom and Aaron Beck’s Cognitive Therapy: A meeting of minds
Essential reading for all Christian therapists. Now Bishop ALEXIS examines CBT from an Orthodox perspective, delineating where it is helpful and consistent with the Orthodox ethos as well as dangers that a Christian therapist must recognize and navigate.
Important Fiction
Dostoevsky
Brothers Karamazov
A literary classic that epitomizes the difference between the Orthodox worldview and life without God at the center. If you read nothing else, please read “The Grand Inquisitor.” But really, please read this text in its entirety.
Victor Hugo
Les Miserables
A western classic, rich in its profound depth of understanding of the human condition. Of critical importance is its portrayal of existential crisis and our choice to find our identity in Christ, no matter the cost.
Francis Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden
A delightful children’s book that is equally delightful to the inner child of us grown-ups. Kindness, relationship, and love of other overcome trauma, isolation, and hatred.