Resources

Through this website we aim to resource each other in our mission and in our understanding of our different Christian traditions.  In this section you will fiXLnd some resources which can be accessed directly and also pointers to where many more can be found.

NB: Inclusion of a resource does not mean that we agree with everything in it, simply that we believe it is worth looking at and taking seriously. In the spirit of LOI, we seek to learn from one another and to respect one another, even where we disagree. That means we have to begin to understand one another first!

If you are aware of resources we should be listing here please send them (or information about them) here.

Orthodoxy & Evangelicals Dialogue Resources

The resources on this page focus on actual Evangelical – Orthodox dialogue

LOI Publications

  • Mark Oxbrow and Tim Grass (eds.), Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ: Orthodox and Evangelical Approaches to Discipleship and Christian Formation. Oxford: Regnum, 2021.
  • Bradley Nassif, The Evangelical Theology of the Orthodox Church, New York: SVS Press, 2021
  • Tim Grass, Jenny and Paul Rolph, Ioan Sauca (Eds.) Building Bridges between the Orthodox and Evangelical Traditions, Geneva, WCC, 2012.
    The Table of Contents and the Introduction are available here.
    This book is now also available in the Romanian language here.
  • ‘Report of the Orthodox-Evangelical Meeting, 8-12 February 1993, Bernhauser Forst, Stuttgart, Germany’, International Review of Mission 83 (1993), 631-4
  • Huibert van Beek & Georges Lemopoulos (eds), Proclaiming Christ Today: Orthodox-Evangelical Consultation, Alexandria, 10—15 July 1995, Geneva / Białystok: WCC / Syndesmos, 1995
  • Huibert van Beek & Georges Lemopoulos (eds), Turn To God, Rejoice in Hope: Orthodox-Evangelical Consultation, Hamburg, 30 March – 4 April 1998, Geneva: WCC, 1998
    Part  1 (pages 1-32)
    Part 2 (pages 33-79)
    Appendices (pages 80-109). Appendix 2, by Bishop Bjorn Bue (Norway), offers a particularly valuable reflection on this dialogue from a Lausanne Movement perspective.
    The WCC has kindly granted permission for LOI to scan the three titles above in order to make them available online; our website’s limitations on file upload size mean that the quality is not ideal, but they are easy to read.
  • Paul S. Fiddes, ‘Church and Salvation: A Comparative Study of Free Church and Orthodox thinking’, in Ecumenism and History: Studies in Honour of J.H.Y. Briggs, Carlisle: Paternoster, 2002, pp.120-48
  • Tim Grass, ‘Evangelical – Orthodox Dialogue: Past, Present and Future’, Transformation 27 (2010), pp.186-98
  • Tim Grass (ed.), Evangelicalism and the Orthodox Church: A Report by the Evangelical Alliance (UK) Commission on Unity and Truth among Evangelicals (ACUTE), Paternoster, Carlisle, 2001. For a summary, see ‘Evangelicals and Orthodox: Crossing Paths and Crossing Swords’, East-West Church & Ministry Report 9 (Fall 2001), pp.1-4
  • Tim Grass, ‘Evangelicals and Eastern Christianity’, a seminar presentation at Spurgeon’s College, London, in 2014  Link to YouTube Audio File
  • ‘Greek Orthodox – Southern Baptist Consultation’, special issue of the Greek Orthodox Theological Review 22 no.4 (1977)
  • Metropolitan Kallistos, ‘What can Evangelicals and Eastern Orthodox learn from one another?, lecture given at North Park University, Chicago, February 2011
  • Veli-Matti Karkkainen, One with God: Salvation as Deification and Justification, Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2004
  • S. T. Kimbrough Jr (ed.), Orthodox and Wesleyan Ecclesiology (Crestwood, NY: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2007)
  • S. T. Kimbrough Jr (ed.), Orthodox and Wesleyan Spirituality (Crestwood, NY: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2002)
  • S. T. Kimbrough Jr (ed.), Orthodox and Wesleyan Scriptural Understanding and Practice (Crestwood, NY: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2005)
  • Bradley Nassif, ‘Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism: The Status of an Emerging Global Dialogue’, in Eastern Orthodox Theology: A Contemporary Reader, ed. Daniel Clendenin, 2nd edition, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2003, pp.211-48. An earlier version appeared in Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 1 (2000), pp.21-55. Also available here.
  • Bradley Nassif, Orthodox Dialogues with Evangelical Communities, in Orthodoxy and Ecumenism: A Handbook of Theological Education, WCC-Volos Academy Publication, Geneva, 2014.  Short history of Orthodox-Evangelical dialogues to 2013 with helpful footnotes to further sources.
  • Bradley Nassif, ‘Orthodox Spirituality: A Quest for Transfigured Humanity’, and Evan Howard, ‘Evangelical Spirituality’, in Bruce Demarest (ed.), Christian Spirituality: Four Views, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.  The essays are dialogical and part of a larger conversation between Orthodox, Catholic, Mainline Protestant and Evangelical traditions.
    Brad Nassif and Tim Grass have guest-edited a special issue of the online journal Religions in 2021 on the subject of ‘Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism: Contemporary Issues in Global Perspective‘. It includes a number of articles on the dialogue between the two traditions, as well as other exploring comparisons / contrasts between them and possibilities for future engagement and co-operation. A number of articles relate to the Eastern European context. Content may be downloaded freely.
  • Paul Negrut, ‘Orthodox and Evangelicals: Cooperation or Confrontation?’, Perichoresis 2/2 (2004), pp.13-26
  • Grant R. Osborne, ‘The Many and the One: The Interface Between Orthodox and Evangelical Protestant Hermeneutics’
  • Ian M. Randall (ed.), Baptists and the Orthodox Church: On the Way to Understanding, Prague: International Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003
  • Edmund J. Rybarczyk, Beyond Salvation: Eastern Orthodoxy and Classical Pentecostalism on Becoming Like Christ, Paternoster, Carlisle, 2004
  • Edmund J. Rybarczyk, ‘Spiritualities Old and New: Similarities between Eastern Orthodoxy & Classical Pentecostalism’, Pneuma 24 (2002), pp.7-25
  • R.L. Saucy, J. Coe and A. Gomes, Eastern Orthodox Teachings in Comparison with the Doctrinal Position of Biola University
  • James Stamoolis (ed.), Three Views on Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004 (Romanian translation: Iaşi: Adoramus, 2009)
  • Theodore G. Stylianopoulos (ed.), God’s Living Word: Orthodox and Evangelical Essays on Preaching, Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1983
  • Orthodox and Evangelicals in the Arab East: A Historical Reading and Future Horizons, papers given at a conference in 2004 and published in 2006 by the Near East School of Theology and the Orthodox University of Balamand. This book includes many valuable studies of relations between Orthodox and Evangelicals/Protestants in the Middle East from the middle of the 19th century until today. 
    The Arabic title is: الأرثوذكس والإنجيليون في المشرق العربي. قراءة تاريخية وآفاق مستقبلية. أعمال مؤتمر أيار 2004. البلمند: منشورات جامعة البلمند، 2006. ص 219-242.

    If you are aware of resources we should be listing here please send them (or information about them) to us here.

These resources introduce and explain Orthodoxy for Evangelicals:

Journals:

SALT is an Orthodox Journal of Cross-Cultural Theology, Dialogue and Mission accessible at saltalas.com with a wide range of informative articles.

If you are aware of resources we should be listing here please send them (or information about them) to us here.

If you are aware of resources we should be listing here please send them (or information about them) to us here.

The following resources are also useful for those studying Orthodox-Evangelical relations

Since its founding in 1993, the EWC&M Report has covered all aspects of church life in post-Soviet states, with special attention devoted to the interface of Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic confessions. The report is included in EBSCO’s Academic Search International database.

  • In 2020, Mark Elliott (Editor Emeritus, East-West Church Report, www.eastwestreport.org) released a book with First Fruits Press, The Arduous Path of Post-Soviet Protestant Theological Education. This is a compilation of his articles on the subject from 1993 through 2020.  It is available to be read or downloaded freely at: https://place.asburyseminary.edu/academicbooks/35/.

The print version of this journal ceased to appear after 2012, but an online edition, Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, continues to appear. The website makes many relevant articles available for download.

  • Ion Bria, ‘Evangelism, Proselytism, and Religious Freedom in Romania: An Orthodox Point of View’, Journal of Ecumenical Studies 36 (1999), pp.163-201
  • Mark Elliott, ‘East European Missions, Perestroika, and Orthodox-Evangelical Tensions’, Journal of Ecumenical Studies 33 (1996), pp.9-20
  • Mark Elliott, ‘Orthodox-Protestant Relations in the Post-Soviet Era’, Religion in Eastern Europe 23 (October 2003), pp.31-50
  • Tim Grass, response to the Anglican-Orthodox dialogue statement, The Church of the Triune God (2008). This was written at the request of Martin Davie of the Church of England’sCouncil for Christian Unity.
  • D. Oliver Herbel, Turning to Tradition: Converts and the Making of an American Orthodox Church, New York: OUP, 2014. Includes two chapters on the Evangelical Orthodox Church which was led by Fr Peter Gillquist
  • Darrell Jackson, ‘Proselytism in a Central and Eastern European Perspective’, Journal of European Baptist Studies 8 (2008), pp.18-36
  • Darrell Jackson, ‘Inspiring Examples of Co-operation in Witness and Mission’, unpublished paper, 2007
  • Darrell Jackson, ‘Mission and the Orthodox Churches’, St Francis Magazine, no.2 (September 2005), online at
  • T. Keppeler, ‘Romania’s Army of the Lord’, Evangelical Mission Quarterly 29 (1993), pp. 132-8
  • Danut Manastireanu, ‘What should non-Orthodox Christians know about Orthodox Spirituality?’, unpublished paper, 2014
  • Constantin Prokhorov, Russian Baptists and Orthodoxy, 1960-1990: Theology, Liturgy, and Traditions, Langham Monographs, 2014
  • Ronald G. Roberson, The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey, 7th edn (Rome, 2010)
    From a Roman Catholic perspective, this useful survey covers Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, the Church of the East, and Eastern-Rite Catholic churches, with full statistical information.

This paper, hitherto unpublished in English, offers an Orthodox rationale for the necessity of evangelism, which it contrasts with what it sees as Evangelical propagandizing. Even those who disagree with aspects of its critique should welcome its positive exposition.

  • Walter Sawatsky, ‘Inter-Church Mission dialogue: Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical’, pages 164-86 [please e-mail if you can tell me which book this is from]
  • David P. Teague, Godly Servants: Discipleship and Spiritual Formation for Missionaries (revised edn Trinity Discipleship ministries, 2018), 194 pages, available as hard copy or e-book.

The Amazon page says:
‘The purpose of GODLY SERVANTS is to help evangelical missionaries to deepen their Christian spirituality. While many books are now available about spiritual formation, little has been written specifically for missionaries. Missionary life presents its own unique challenges that require a specialized treatment. GODLY SERVANTS explains spiritual formation clearly and has abundant, practical applications. Dr David Teague served as a missionary in the Middle East and is now a seminary lecturer and pastor. He especially brings to his writing a familiarity with the spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers of Egypt. This book is an outgrowth of the seminars on spiritual formation which his team conducted for Interserve, an evangelical mission with over 800 workers in more than 30 countries.’

Works on the Early Church Fathers

For Evangelicals wishing to explore the teaching of the Fathers, as well as Orthodox wishing to find out more about Evangelical approaches to the Fathers, the following may be helpful. There are other useful titles on the ‘Orthodoxy for Evangelicals’ page.

  • John Chryssavgis, Way of the Fathers: Exploring the Patristic Mind (Thessaloniki: Patriarchikon Hidryma Paterikōn Meletōn, 1998)
  • Christopher A. Hall, Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1998)
  • J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines (5th edition, London: Bloomsbury, 2014)
  • Thomas Oden, General Ed., Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (multi-volumes, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press)
  • Boniface Ramsey, Beginning to Read the Fathers (revised edition, New York: Paulist Press, 2012)
  • Maxwell Staniforth, revised by Andrew Louth (eds), Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers (London: Penguin Books, 1987)
  • Robert Wilken, The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003)

Evangelicals and the Early Church:

  • George Kalantzis and Andrew Tooley, Evangelicals and the Early Church: Recovery, Reform and Renewal (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2012)
  • Robert E. Webber and David Neff, Common Roots: The Original Call to Ancient Future Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009)
  • D.H. Williams, Evangelicals and Tradition: The Formative Influence of the Early Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005)

If you are aware of resources we should be listing here please send them (or information about them) to us here.

Orthodoxy & Evangelicals Mission Resources

The following resources relate more to the understanding and practice of mission in Orthodox and evangelical communities:

There are very many texts on both Orthodox and Evangelical Missiology so the twelve chosen here are merely representative of the rich literature on this topic.

ORTHODOX

EVANGELICAL

ROMAN CATHOLIC

Resources for Studying Syriac Christianity

The following resources relate more to the understanding Syriac Christianity:

Introductory texts

Sebastian Brock has done more than almost any other scholar to explore and promote the Syriac Christian literature, and he has written some excellent introductory texts, as well as numerous scholarly articles. We recommend especially The Luminous Eye as a way into Syriac spirituality and theology, but these other books are well worth reading.

Brock, Sebastian P, A Brief Outline of Syriac Literature. Vol. 9, Moran Etho. Piscataway NJ: Gorgias, Press 2011. (Old version from Internet Archieve)

  • The Luminous Eye: The Spiritual World Vision of Saint Ephrem the Syrian. Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1992. (From Amazon or other book suppliers)
  • The Bible in the Syriac Tradition. Moran Etho 1. Kottayam, 1989.
    (Revised in Gorgias Press, 2006)
  • Spirituality in the Syriac Tradition. Moran Etho 2. Kottayam, 2005.
    (Reprinted in Gorgias Press, 2012)
  • The Syrian Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life. Cistercian Studies 101. Kalamazoo, 1987.

Translations:

  • Saint Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on Paradise (Introduction and Translation). Crestwood NY, 1990.
  • Brock, Sebastian P., Kiraz, George A, Ephrem the Syrian: Select Poems. Vol. 2, Eastern Christian Texts. Provo, Utah: Bringham Young University Press, 2006 (these poems complement the discussion in The Luminous Eye above).

Other works:

  • The Odes of Solomon are a unique collection of very early Christian hymns written in Syriac.
  • Charlesworth, J H, The Odes of Solomon: The Syriac Texts. Edited by R A Kraft. Text and Translations, No 13, Pseudepigrapha Series 7. Chico, California: Scholars Press, 1977.
  • Text available at https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/odes2.html

Other helpful works

  • McCullough, William Stewart, A Short History of Syriac Christianity to the Rise of Islam. Chico CA: Scholars Press, 1982.
  • Murray, Robert, Symbols of Church and Kingdom: A Study in Early Syriac Tradition. New York: Cambridge University Press 1975. (revised edition in Gorgias Press, 2004)

Some translations have been set to music:

LOI Books

We are very pleased to be able to announce the publication (August 2015) of our first book.

This important volume is the fruit of three years’ work by Orthodox and Evangelical scholars and two major international consultations. The collection of essays points a way forward for both faith communities as they put past hurts behind them, wrestle honesty with theological difference, but keep a clear focus on the Mission of God.

Contributors include:

Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos Dr. Darrell Jackson

Dr. Brad Nassif Prof. Anne-Marie Kool

Metropolitan Yuhanon Mar Demetrios Prof. Simon Chan

Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky Dr. James Stamoolis

Fr. Ioan Sauca Dr. Cecil M Robeck

254 pages | RRP £26.99 (discounts available) | ISBN 978-1-908355-83-6

Order copies from: www.ocms.ac.uk/regnum

Recommendations:

This is a ‘must read’ collection of essays that are rooted in prayer, in the Scriptures and in the rich histories of two very different traditions … giving the reader an excellent glimpse into the ways in which Orthodox and Evangelical Christians around the globe have come together to participate in God’s transforming mission. I highly recommend it for all pastors, seminary and Bible college students and staff.

Dr. C. Rosalee Velloso Ewell, PhD, Executive Director, Theological Commission, World Evangelical Alliance

The wealth of material in this extraordinary symposium is indicated by the widely dispersed backgrounds of its contributors. I cannot think of a comparable example in which the evangelical mission of the Church is placed so firmly in the varying contexts of theology, ethics, exegesis, ecumenism, and spiritual transformation.

Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon, Orthodox Pastor in Chicago and Senior Editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity

Diversity, quality and experience of the contributors assure the reader that this compendium points the way toward a future of greater understanding and desirable partnerships in the mission of the Triune God in our complex world. Ecumenism at its best!

Dr. Peter Kuzmic Eva B. and Paul E. Toms Distinguished Professor of World Missions and European Studies, Gordon Conwell Seminary.