Frederica Mathewes-Green

The Classic Story of a Family's Pilgrimage into the Orthodox Church Veiled in the smoke of incense, the Eastern Orthodox Church has long been an enigma to the Western world. Yet, as Frederica Mathewes-Green discovered, it is a vital, living faith, rich in ritual beauty and steadfast in integrity. Utilizing the framework of the Orthodox calendar, Mathewes-Green chronicles a year in the life of her small Orthodox mission church, eloquently illustrating the joys and blessings an ancient faith can bring to the worshipers of today.

A Pilgrim's Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy

Facing East

This resource is a complete introduction to one of the most mysterious prayers of Eastern Christianity, The Jesus Prayer. A conversational question-and-answer format takes the reader through practical steps for adopting this profound practice in everyday life.

The Ancient Desert Prayer That Tunes the Heart to God

The Jesus Prayer

A Modern Life in Ancient Christian Orthodoxy

At the Corner of East and Now

A Forty-Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew

First Fruits of Prayer

This book presents a unique opportunity for readers to visit an imaginary church and see icons "in action" throughout the year--to stand alongside worshippers for whom the use of icons is a natural part of their devotional lives.

Entering the Sanctuary of Icons and Prayer

The Open Door

Praying the Jesus Prayer

Three ancient texts--a brief prayer to Mary found on a scrap of papyrus in Egypt, "The Gospel of Mary," and "The Annunciation Hymn of Rejoicing"--reveal the life of Mary and her role in the church in a new way.

The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts

The Lost Gospel of Mary

Early Christians practiced the disciplines of prayer, spiritual direction, fasting, and repentance and believed they were on the path toward an illumined heart. Drawing on early writings, Mathewes-Green offers insight for how 21st-century Christians can incorporate those spiritual practices.

Capture the Vibrant Faith of Ancient Christians

The Illumined Heart

There are other introductory books about Orthodoxy, but they are all somewhat academic. This one comprehensively covers the history, theology, and practice without talking over your head. Mathewes-Green takes the original approach of bringing you into a typical church for a series of visits. That is how Christians learned the faith for most of history, by coming into a community and keeping their eyes and ears open. Designed primarily for newcomers to come to understand Orthodoxy and Orthodox Christians, this guide to the faith is also a non-threatening and accessible introduction to people already “in the pews.” Inviting rather than argumentative, Orthodox Christians will be giving this to their friends.

An Introduction to Eastern Christianity

Welcome to the Orthodox Church

Michael Horton

Erwin Raphael McManus

Andy Crouch

Brian D. McLaren

What should the church look like today?What should be the focus of its message?How should I present that message?We live in as pivotal and defining an age as the Great Depression or the Sixties–a period whose definition, say some cultural observers, includes a warning of the church’s influence. The result? A society measurably less religious but decidedly more spiritual. Less influenced by authority than by experience. More attuned to images than to words.How does the church adapt to such a culture? Or should it, in fact, eschew adapting for maintaining a course it has followed these last two millennia? Or something in between?These are exactly the questions asked in The Church In Emerging Culture by five Christian thinker-speaker-writers, each who advocate unique stances regarding what the church’s message should be (and what methods should be used to present it) as it journeys through this evolving, postmodern era. The authors are:Andy Crouch–Re:Generation Quarterly editor-in-chiefMichael Horton–professor and reformed theologianFrederica Mathewes-Green–author, commentator, and Orthodox ChristianBrian D. McLaren–postmodernist, author, pastor, and Emergent senior fellowErwin Raphael McManus–author and pastor of the innovative and interethnic L.A.-based church, MosaicMost unique about their individual positions is that they’re presented not as singular essays but as lively discussions in which the other four authors freely (and frequently) comment, critique, and concur. That element, coupled with a unique photographic design that reinforces the depth of their at-once congenial and feisty conversation, gives you all-access entrée into this groundbreaking discourse.What’s more, general editor Leonard Sweet (author of SoulTsunami and AquaChurch, among several other acclaimed texts) frames the thought-provoking dialogue with a profoundly insightful, erudite introductory essay–practically a book within a book. The Church In Emerging Culture is foundational reading for leaders and serious students of all denominations and church styles.

The Church in Emerging Culture: Five Perspectives

For Protestants or Catholics seeking to understand Eastern Orthodoxy, the Cross is a good place to start. In the West a multitude of different views sprang up over the last millennium, but Orthodox Christian beliefs have remained unchanged. The contrast between those views is suggested by the two images on the book's cover, showing how differently the meaning of the Cross was understood, East and West. Two Views of the Cross is a short, focused book, ideal for readers looking to grasp the overall picture (with some passages from Mathewes-Green's more-comprehensive classic, Welcome to the Orthodox Church). This volume adds a new title to Mathewes-Green's long list of helpful books about Eastern Orthodoxy. Looking at the Cross from Western and Eastern perspectives provides a concise introduction to the beautiful, mystical, and sometimes-surprising Orthodox faith. Praise for Welcome to the Orthodox Church: "Lucid writing marked by a strong sense of humor, but never escaping from the deepest spiritual realities." --Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Prof. of History, Baylor University "Completely accessible, but utterly honest...This is a wonderful book." --Fr Andrew Louth, Prof. of Byzantine Studies, Durham University "Few authors can take the mystery, beauty, and often-daunting complexities of Orthodoxy and transform them in such an inviting path of spiritual journey." --The Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, Chancellor, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary "No one alive today has done more to introduce ordinary Americans to the wonders of the ancient faith than Frederica Mathewes-Green. If not for her, I doubt I would be Orthodox." --Rod Dreher, Author, Senior Editor & blogger at The American Conservative

Orthodoxy and the West

Two Views of the Cross

Robert B. Gibson

In The Illumined Heart, Frederica Mathewes-Green encourages today's Christians to discover the ancient, timeless faith of the early church, exploring tools such as fasting, alms-giving, and prayer. Now, this study will enable individuals or groups to use The Illumined Heart in a group, Bible study, or retreat, thereby coming to a better understanding of the spiritual practices of the first Christian communities. Designed to be used by both teachers and students alike, this Companion Guide gives readers a key theme for each chapter, insightful quotations from the text, and reflection questions. Scriptures are also supplied which enable students to see the Biblical basis for the truths that The Illumined Heart presents. Learners seek deeper insights into the character and life of the early church, and the revitalization of their own spiritual practices.

A Companion Guide to the Illumined Heart

Why are modern Christians so indistinguishable from everyone else? Why don't they stand out in virtue and joy? How could the early saints fast valiantly, pray constantly, and love others? Drawing on Christian writings throughout the early centuries, Frederica Mathewes-Green illuminates the ancient, transcultural faith of the early church.

The Ancient Christian Path of Transformation

Join Frederica Mathewes-Green on a guided retreat through an ancient Orthodox text. Regardless of your denominational background, First Fruits of Prayer will bring to life the prayer experience of first millennium Christianity through immersion in this poetic hymn, an extraordinarily beautiful work that is still chanted by Christians around the world each Lent. It weaves together Old and New Testament Scriptures with prayers of hope and repentance and offers ancient ways of seeing Christ that still feel new today. “Fascinating and sometimes magisterial…. A skilled interpreter of the theology and history of the Orthodox tradition, Mathewes-Green arranges the Great Canon of St. Andrew…into 40 readings accompanied by scriptural references, commentary, theological reflection and questions.” —Publishers Weekly “Rick Warren gave us 40 days of purpose. Frederica Mathewes-Green gives us 40 days of deep prayer and reflection…. This is destined to become a devotional class for generations to come.”—Dallas Morning News

A Forty Day Journey Through the Canon with St. Andrew

The First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty-Day Journal through the Canon of St. Andrew

Providing pregnant women with alternatives that are practical, realistic, and life-affirming, this book examines some of the questions that surround abortion and the reasons many women choose abortion. Matthewes-Green explores the resources available to alleviate the problems that come with an unplanned pregnancy and tells how those resources can be improved.

Listening to Women, Looking for Alternatives to Abortion

Real Choices

"He was an Episcopal priest, but he was standing in an Orthodox church on this Saturday night and thinking about the Truth. At the altar a gold-robed priest strode back and forth swinging incense,...a small choir was singing in haunting harmony, voices twining in a capella simplicity...the ancient words of this vesperal service had been chanted for more than a millennium. Lex orandi, lex orandi; what people pray shapes what they believe.... "She was his wife, and she was standing next to him thinking about her feet. They hurt" Frederica Mathewes-Green became an unexpected companion on her husband's pilgrimage into a faith that is as novel to us in the West as it is ancient in the East. Like many Americans seeking a deeper faith, Mathewes-Green and her family found in Eastern Orthodoxy a faith both demanding and offering more in true devotion and spirituality. In this luminous, affectionate, and deeply personal account of her pilgrimage, Mathewes-Green reveals a church strongly rooted in the teachings of its early fathers and a tradition of principle and great beauty that has endured throughout the centuries. Following the framework of the Orthodox calendar -- from Lent to Pascha to Nativity, from Vespers to feasts to fasts -- Mathewes-Green chronicles a year in the life of her small Orthodox mission church. Discovering the splendor and solemnity of Orthodox ritual, exploring the daunting majesty of Orthodox services and customs, and sharing their daily anxieties, disappointments, and delights, the Mathewes-Green family and the members of the Holy Cross Mission Church reveal both the intricacies of Orthodox belief and the deep joy they have found in their new faith. At once entertaining, hilarious, and reverent, Facing East is an unforgettable portrait of the human vitality and divine essence of Eastern Orthodoxy.

Some Christians have piled the status of the mother of Jesus so high that it rivals that of her Son. Others ignore the Virgin Mary entirely. Behind all of the images is a girl who grew up to be the mother of Christ. How did the first Christians view her? What were the commonly understood facts about the Blessed Mother's early life --- before the Annunciation? How did Mary, the mother of Jesus, become the Theotokos? Frederica Mathewes-Green opens up the Virgin Mary's early life, offering a window into her centrality to the Christian Faith in new and sometimes startling ways. “Do you want to get to know Mary a bit better? Are you interested in entering a faithful Marian spirituality? Let Frederica Mathewes-Green facilitate a rich, traditional, authentic meeting of Mary. When it comes to spending time with the mother of our Lord, this book is second only to Scripture.” Lauren F. Winner, author of Girl Meets God, Mudhouse Sabbath, and Real Sex “The Mary that Frederica Mathewes-Green gives us in these winsome texts–a palpably real woman, at once humble and exalted--transcends the differences that persist even today among the main streams of the Christian tradition, not least because this Mary points beyond herself to the ultimate source of our hope and our joy. -John Wilson, editor, Books & Culture "Frederica Mathewes-Green is a sparkling writer. In The Lost Gospel of Mary, not only is her material fascinating, but so is her perspective as a thoughtful and irenic Orthodox Christian. There is much here to warm the heart as it engages the mind from here to warm the heart as it engages the mind from early in our comon Christian tradition." - Brian McLaren, author of A Generous Orthodoxy and www.brianmclaren.net.

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” This very simple prayer was developed in the deserts of Egypt and Palestine during the early centuries of Christian faith, and has been practiced in the Eastern Orthodox Church ever since. It is a prayer inspired by St. Paul’s exhortation to “pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and its purpose is to tune one’s inner attention to the presence of the Lord. This series of “little books” is designed to enable you to grasp the meaning of one ancient method of Christian prayer in a relatively short amount of time. In Praying the Jesus Prayer, one of today’s most respected voices on Orthodoxy in America introduces you to: • The history and meaning of this popular but rarely understood method of talking to God • What it means to really pray with both heart and mind • How to get started incorporating the Jesus Prayer into your life.

The author describes Eastern Orthodoxy and her life as a pastor's wife in Baltimore.

This insightful book offers readers of all denominational backgrounds an opportunity to walk through a classic Orthodox text from the Christian East in a series of 40 prayerful readings with accompanying commentary and questions for further reflection.

Frederica Mathewes-Green

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