Best Church Fathers' Works to Read?

[TheLostCoin]

There are so much books, epistles, treatises, commentaries by the Church Fathers, going from letters near the time of the Apostles to recent Saints like Saint John Maximovitch, as well as the countless works that individual Church Fathers have written (For example, the Cappadocian Fathers, Cyril and Athanasius, John Chrysostom, and Augustine have all written several treatises, epistles, and Bible commentaries)
that it's rather difficult to figure out which works are recommended to read to understand Orthodoxy better.

For lay-people, inquirers, and catechumens, what Books or treatises do you recommend to help one receive a better understanding of Orthodoxy - primarily theologically, but also in living it?

 

[dzheremi]

For lay-people, inquirers, and catechumens, what Books or treatises do you recommend to help one receive a better understanding of Orthodoxy - primarily theologically, but also in living it?

Why not get rid of the distinction between the two with the sayings and lives of the Desert Fathers and Mothers?

 

[Lukaris]

I think the writings of Sts. Maximos the Confessor & Thalassios in vol. 2 of the Philokalia are valuable https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/books/original/18400/18400-The-Philokalia.pdf

St. Maximos can be hard to fathom at times but his explanations of keeping the Lord’s commandments & salvation are invaluable. There is nothing harsh just a firm understanding expressed.

St. Thalassios was a friend of St. Maximos & is like him but more down to earth & his Trinitarian expression more succinct.

The Philokalia can be difficult in parts but I think these saints are rather user friendly.

 

[AMM]

Why not get rid of the distinction between the two with the sayings and lives of the Desert Fathers and Mothers?

seconded. The desert saints and early monasticism was my entry in to Orthodoxy. I picked up a copy of the Apophthegmata Patrum (Sayings of the Desert Fathers) at my school library and would pick it up, telling myself I'd read just a quote or two. And then I'd suddenly find myself several pages later, unable to put it down. They taught, they lived, and they did both at the same time. I've learned about humility from the life of Abba Sisoes, about temptation and spiritual warfare from the life of Abba Antony, and about obedience and prayer from the Rule of Saint Benedict

definitely worth checking out the desert saints

 

[peregrinus2017]

Agree wholeheartedly about the desert fathers and mothers. As far as other things, I suggest reading a bit of many different fathers online to find some that speak to you at this time in your life. Different people and different seasons are fed by different things.
I have a book called The Bible and the holy fathers for Orthodox. It follows the daily liturgical scripture readings and includes commentary from various church fathers. It's a bit of a tease in a way with only a little commentary on each reading, but it must have been a huge undertaking putting this book together. It has motivated me to seek out more from certain fathers, and has helped me to understand how some scriptures are understood in Orthodoxy.

 

[archer75]

Agree wholeheartedly about the desert fathers and mothers. As far as other things, I suggest reading a bit of many different fathers online to find some that speak to you at this time in your life. Different people and different seasons are fed by different things.
I have a book called The Bible and the holy fathers for Orthodox. It follows the daily liturgical scripture readings and includes commentary from various church fathers. It's a bit of a tease in a way with only a little commentary on each reading, but it must have been a huge undertaking putting this book together. It has motivated me to seek out more from certain fathers, and has helped me to understand how some scriptures are understood in Orthodoxy.

Would you share the title of this book?

Anyway, I agree that the Desert Fathers are a nice place to start. Here's a volume on St. Macarius the Spiritbearer.

Another volume you may like, also DF material.

St. John Chrysostom, On Wealth and Poverty

These popular volumes are really good because they contain some editorial apparatus that helps you get somewhat oriented to what you're reading. Of course, there's plenty of material at Christian Classics Ethereal Library, free, but I wouldn't start there, since a beginner (like me) is liable to get overwhelmed.

We also have a sort of reading club around here (current thread here ) for material of general interest. We've only done a few short readings so far, all modern saints: St. John of Kronstadt, St. John of San Francisco, and St. Mary of Paris. So, not "Fathers," strictly speaking (yet), but sort of a chance to check out or share readings that might be useful, that might give one ideas for talking to one's spiritual advisor, or friends, or something. (Ok, I kind of started this, but I'm not getting paid, so you know I'm just plugging it for good purposes.)

 

[archer75]

Why not get rid of the distinction between the two with the sayings and lives of the Desert Fathers and Mothers?

Seriously, it astounds me that this material (although I know so little of it) isn't pushed to a wider audience. I mean, in a coffeeshop library, you find all kinds of "inspirational" books, but I don't think I've ever seen a DF&M collection. Seems like the kind of thing that would make a good gift for "seeker" or "semi-inquirer" friends and family.

 

[ArmyMatt]

you can't go wrong with St John of Damascus.

 

[peregrinus2017]

Would you share the title of this book?

The book is literally called "The Bible and the holy fathers for Orthodox". Just reading the scripture readings and commentaries each day gives me the chance to digest a little bit at a time as well as follow the liturgical readings of the church.

 

[gzt]

I saw on the internet that Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart gave the following as an introduction to theology syllabus. Obviously it is wider than purely Orthodox and goes past the patristic era, but the patristic selections are something you may be interested in:

"As for theology, always start with the fathers: Gregory of Nyssa’s On the Making of Man and On the Soul and Resurrection, Ps-Dionysius Complete Works (a short volume), Cyril of Alexandria’s On the Unity of Christ, Athanasius On the Incarnation, St Isaac of Ninevah’s treatises (especially the “Second Volume”), Maximus the Confessor’s Chapters on Love and the SVS volume “The Cosmic Mystery of Christ.” Don’t bother with Augustine until later, because for all his genius he got so much wrong (because he couldn’t read Greek, in large part). For mediaeval and early modern theology, Symeon the New Theologian’s Mystical Discourses (or whatever it’s called in English), Bonaventure’s Journey of the Mind into God, and the Paulist Press volume of Nicholas of Cusa. Thomas Traherne’s Centuries and all three volumes of George MacDonald’s Unspoken Sermons are indispensable masterpieces. As for modern theologians, Bulgakov’s Bride of the Lamb, Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Glory of the Lord, Lossky’s Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, Schmemann’s For the Life of the World, part IV of Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics, Henri de Lubac’s Supernatural (currently being translated I believe, but if you read French go ahead), Rowan Williams’ Resurrection (2nd edition)."​

 

[TheLostCoin]

I saw on the internet that Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart gave the following as an introduction to theology syllabus. Obviously it is wider than purely Orthodox and goes past the patristic era, but the patristic selections are something you may be interested in:

"As for theology, always start with the fathers: Gregory of Nyssa’s On the Making of Man and On the Soul and Resurrection, Ps-Dionysius Complete Works (a short volume), Cyril of Alexandria’s On the Unity of Christ, Athanasius On the Incarnation, St Isaac of Ninevah’s treatises (especially the “Second Volume”), Maximus the Confessor’s Chapters on Love and the SVS volume “The Cosmic Mystery of Christ.” Don’t bother with Augustine until later, because for all his genius he got so much wrong (because he couldn’t read Greek, in large part). For mediaeval and early modern theology, Symeon the New Theologian’s Mystical Discourses (or whatever it’s called in English), Bonaventure’s Journey of the Mind into God, and the Paulist Press volume of Nicholas of Cusa. Thomas Traherne’s Centuries and all three volumes of George MacDonald’s Unspoken Sermons are indispensable masterpieces. As for modern theologians, Bulgakov’s Bride of the Lamb, Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Glory of the Lord, Lossky’s Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, Schmemann’s For the Life of the World, part IV of Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics, Henri de Lubac’s Supernatural (currently being translated I believe, but if you read French go ahead), Rowan Williams’ Resurrection (2nd edition)."​

Wait, "don't bother with Augustine until later", but Bonaventure and Nicholas of Cusa is okie dokie?

What?

At least Saint Augustine, going off his works against the Donatists and his sermons on Saint Peter (on Matthew 16:18 and his sermon on the feast-day of Saint Peter and Paul), got his ecclesiology right and died having lived a life defending the Church from the heresies of Donatism and Pelagianism.

I wouldn't mind reading Bonaventure or Nicholas of Cusa for secular purposes, but I would like Saints for Spiritual insights and information in regards to Orthodox theology.

For example, upon reading Saint Hilary Poitiers "On the Holy Trinity," I discovered I was accidentally holding to a Sabellian understanding of the Trinity.