Light from the East: Icons in Liturgy and Prayer

This book showcases a collection of extraordinarily beautiful icons that introduces readers and art appreciators to the spiritual riches of the Byzantine liturgical tradition. The author, Father Michael Evdokimov, presents an icon for each of the twelve great feasts of the Orthodox Christian liturgical. Preceding each icon is a brief commentary of what the reader can hope to find in the icon, including nuances that a casual observer might miss. Facing each icon are prayers appropriate for meditating in the icon. Quotations from spiritual writers of all ages of Christianity are interspersed in the book. In a simple, straightforward manner, Evdokimov shows how the prayers and the icons used to worship God can nourish the spiritual life. Although he sets before his readers beliefs and practices common to Orthodox people everywhere in the world, anyone who appreciates beautiful art will find much to savor here. An extraordinary collection of icons functions as a beautiful art book as well as a guide for personal meditation - will appeal to art lovers and historians of any faith or noneMichael Evdokimov, Robert Smith