A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology

“Inviting, informative, inspiring! This primer on Eastern Orthodox theology by Dr. Eve Tibbs is much more than a textbook. A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology is an invitation into the mysteries and beauty of this ancient yet ever-renewing and living tradition. It is full of useful ‘insider’ information about the Church and its vibrant spirituality. Throughout, Tibbs hospitably compares Orthodox theology and tradition with its Protestant and Roman Catholic counterparts. An indispensable guide for all students, ministers, and instructors.”—Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, professor of systematic theology, Fuller Theological Seminary; docent of ecumenics, University of Helsinki

“It is rare to find a female Orthodox theologian, let alone one that teaches at a leading Protestant evangelical seminary! Dr. Tibbs’s years of teaching evangelical students have enabled her to write a basic but effective introduction to the beliefs and practices of the Eastern Orthodox Church and its relationship with the Protestant and Catholic traditions. Her experience dealing with common questions and misconceptions that evangelicals often have makes this book a valuable text for students and teachers alike.”—Bradley Nassif, professor of biblical and theological studies, North Park University

“An Orthodox Christian with years of experience teaching evangelical students—Eve Tibbs is an ideal person to explain the fundamentals about the life, ethos, and faith of the Orthodox Church. She has written an accessible yet substantial book on Orthodox Christianity. I hope that her readership will include not only inquirers and converts to Orthodoxy but also ‘cradle’ Orthodox as well—anyone seeking to understand the basics and beyond.”—Peter C. Bouteneff, professor of systematic theology, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary

“Dr. Eve Tibbs combines her considerable professional engagement with Western Christian thought and theology with her personal background and experience to present a fresh approach to Orthodox Christianity. This book is concise and readable yet sufficiently informative and detailed to serve as a solid introduction to the Eastern Orthodox Faith. Tibbs does not limit herself to simply explaining differences in doctrine and practice between Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism. She provides effective examples and real-life stories that illustrate how Orthodoxy has maintained an entirely distinct character and history, which cannot be understood within the framework of the typical Catholic-Protestant dichotomy and debates. She presents Orthodoxy and its most important claim—of a direct and unbroken continuity with the ancient, historical Church—not as a relic of the past but as a vibrant faith community with its own beliefs, practices, mode of thought, and way of life. Orthodoxy has too often been misunderstood as an exotic form of Catholicism or dismissed as a cult of dead, ritualistic observance. This book serves to dispel those misconceptions and promote better understanding between Christians.”—Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, Franciscan School of Theology, University of San Diego

“Because this book was ‘born’ in classes attended mainly by evangelical Protestant theological students at Fuller Theological Seminary, Eve Tibbs’s A Basic Guide to Eastern Orthodox Theology wonderfully shifts from being an introduction to and apologetic for Eastern Orthodoxy to being a comparative study in dialogue with Western Christianity. Her engaging text reveals a fluency with both Orthodox theological sources—the extensive footnotes will lead readers deeper into many topics—and Protestant and Roman Catholic sources. Throughout the book, she presents the liturgical and patristic texts of the Christian East, demonstrating that these historical texts are not only sources for Orthodox theological study but also that they live within the hearts of today’s Orthodox churches and people.”—Anton C. Vrame, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology