Byzantine Theology: Historical Trends and Doctrinal Themes

I enjoyed reading the Orthodox perspective on the earlier Eastern Church fathers whom I am studying for my dissertation. The author would not agree, but the theology of theosis of those Fathers was more of an analogy or a metaphor than the dogmatic doctrine of the Byzantine Eastern Orthodox Church. His explanation of the East/West split was the best explanation that I've ever read. His constant pointing out the usefulness of Orthodox theology for today is very helpful. As a whole, his book assisted in the writing of my dissertation proposal.

Easy to read and understand. This is a book any Christian should read if they want to understand what the first Christians believed.

One of the blurbs on the back of this book says, "There is not a better book on this topic in English." I'm not qualified to say if that's true, but it's hard to imagine there being one. Meyendorff is clear, readable, and concise. The presentation of Byzantine Christianity historically followed by a systematic treatment of the major doctrinal distinctions of the East works really well. If, like me, you're interested in Eastern theology but don't have a lot of exposure, this is the book for you. It's both a great summary that stands on its own and a great introduction that opens doors up to further research and primary sources. Highly recommended!

Fr. Meyendorff's work complements Fr. Lossky's Orthodox Theology and several of Fr. Schmemann's works perfectly. Given a choice I'd begin with Lossky, then Schmemann, and finish with Fr. Meyendorff's Orthodox Theology, for Meyendorff puts the work of the other two theologians into a proper historical perspective. I'd add a reading of Meyendorff's The Orthodox Church and The Primacy of Peter along with Schmemann's The Historical Road of Eastern Orthodoxy. Whether you're a theological student or teacher, a priest, or a serious layman, you need to know the true meaning of Orthodoxy. It's not merely the title of a church, but the very root of what we must understand and believe. Byzantine Theology is essential reading to that understanding.

Exactly what we expected

This classic text clearly expresses many views held by the early church and Church Father's now lost to the west. Two such views, Theosis and the actions of our parents in the garden moved us from living under life to living under death which leads to sinfulness. In the west we view it the opposite--sin leads to death. It has led me to study Early Patristic literature to more deeply understand those who were taught by the Apostles.

This is my husbands passion. He loves these books. Will say that it covers the subject very thoroughly, Not a leisure read...

A very clear presentation of Orthodox theology by an eminent scholar, recognized as a saint by his church.

A must read. Take your time.

Informative and highly readable. As a Lutheran looking for a solid understanding of Orthodoxy, I found this an excellent place to start.

Meyendorff's "Byzantine Theology" carries the subtitle "Historical Trends and Doctrinal Themes", and the work is split into two halves along these lines. In his conclusion he notes "To attempt a description of Byzantine theology, using simultaneously the historical and systematic methods, implies the obvious risk of provoking the dissatisfaction of both historians and systematic theologians." However it is a risk worth taking because he agrees with Jaroslav Pelikan , whom he quotes as saying, "Tradition without history has homogenised all the stages of development into one statically defined truth; history without tradition has produced a historicism which relativizes the development of Christian doctrine in such a way as to make the distinction between authentic growth and cancerous aberration seem completely arbitrary." Taking as its terminus a quo Chalcedon when the Christological debate, at least as far as the specifically Greek church was concerned, was finally done and dusted bar the shouting, the historical trends are analysed in chapters covering Christology, Iconoclasm, the opposing ideas of monks and humanists, monastic theology, ecclesiology, the schism with the West, the later encounter with the West in the 14th & 15th centuries, and "lex orandi", the relationship between the practice of worship and belief. The second half treating doctrinal themes is discussed via chapters on Creation, Man, Jesus and the Logos, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, sacramental theology, the Eucharist and the position of the Church in the world. Too many works on the subject can become a little colourless through scholarly detachment. Meyendorff however is able to be scholarly whilst still maintaining a connection to the subject; his introduction in particular is for me one of the most lyrical and passionate pieces I have read on theology. He concludes the book by saying "The religious inheritance of Christian Byzantium has frequently defined itself in opposition to the West, and indeed its entire concept of God-man relationships is different from one which prevailed in post-Augustinian Latin Christianity. Contemporary man - searching for a God who would be not only transcendent but also existentially experienced and immanently present in man, and the gradual discovery of man as essentially open, developing, and growing - should be more receptive to the basic positions of Byzantine thought, which may then acquire an astonishing contemporary relevance."

Key text for understanding the synergy of Orthodox Church history and Church theology.

Excellent introduction to the history and philosophy of Orthodox Christianity.