Doxology, by Christos Jonathan Seth Hayward

This Orthodox book of theology looks at a glorious God that is ever present and can shine in our lives even in hard times, or perhaps especially in hard times. It is a work of theology offering a paean of praise for our messy, concrete lives, and an invitation to raise our eyes higher and share in the glory that is set before us. It draws from the Sermon on the Mount and the Philokalia and pours out spiritual treasure that can be ours, even in hard times, even in financial ruin and political disaster: the glory of a God who whispers in pleasant and easy times and shouts in a global financial crisis, and a glory God yearns to share with is, not in some bygone golden age or science fiction future, but here and now: if ever, God pours forth his glory here and now.

Michael J. Carson at the Midwest Book Review on Doxology:

5 stars:

Many Christians seem to forget there is a third major sect of Christianity aside from Protestantism and Catholicism - the Eastern Orthodox Church. "Doxology" is a collection of Eastern Orthodox theology from C. J. S. Hayward, as he offers much philosophical thinking from the church on many of the issues of the modern day. Thoughtful and thought provoking, "Doxology serves as more than enough to get religious readers thinking about faith and the world around them.

Sydney "Nicoletta" Freedman at the Irish World Academy of Music, University of Limerick on Doxology:

5 stars:

Jonathan/C.J.S. Hayward's Doxology is an essential book of wisdom for our times. The truths that it contains, however, are not from our times but are the teachings and experiences of the Church. Hayward has elucidated the commandments of Christ and the wisdom of the saints for modern readers with the eyes of a fellow struggler in our contemporary world. He shows us how the truth is not found in any of the clamoring voices around us—including those who claim to speak for Christians—but rather in Christ and His Church, in carrying out our lives therein.

The book consists of twelve works, not by coincidence, as Hayward is drawing on the biblical symbolism of the number. They represent several genres and treat various contemporary topics, joining the ever-relevant words of the fathers with the author's astute observations and experiences, Christian faith with its practical implications for current struggles. Three outstanding examples are "Silence: Organic Food for the Soul," "Religion and Science Is Not Just Intelligent Design vs. Evolution," and "Exotic Golden Ages and Restoring Harmony with Nature: Anatomy of a Passion." Orthodox readers and even those from other faiths will find these articles intriguing if not enlightening. The remaining topics are just as timely and include everything from technology and spiritual growth to survival during economic hardship, from evangelical converts to ecumenism, and everything in between. The overarching theme in Hayward's discussion of such issues is the presence of God, both how such issues appear when illumined by His truth and glory and how His glory can be seen even in our troubled world. The final three works demonstrate this two-fold perspective along with the aforementioned weaving of human experience and Orthodox faith. The author's reflections on his life are followed by "a meditation on what it is to have the maximum in life," and the book fittingly ends with a doxological hymn of praise to the Trinity.

As the presence of God is the foundation for Hayward's treatment of his topics, so it is for the reader's experience of Hayward's writings. His works are "verbal icons" and show us Christ and His saints. In reading Doxology, therefore, we gain insight into God's image. For example, we perceive the nature of God's fatherhood and that of his priests (in the article, "God the Spiritual Father"); we hear Christ's loving call to repentance (in the reflection, "Maximum Christ, Maximum Ambition, Maximum Repentance"); we find God's help and presence during trials (in the guide, "How to Survive an Economic Depression"); and in all twelve parts, we see how the glory of God shines in our struggles and darkness.

Doxology is an indispensible little book of wisdom, written by a layperson, for today's Orthodox Christians living in the world. The hymn at the end would itself be worth the price, but the book is freely accessible on the author's website, http://www.jonathanscorner.com, along with his other writings. If you are edified by what you read, purchase copies for others and pass it on.

Sydney "Nicoletta" Freedman
Graduate Student
Irish World Academy of Music
University of Limerick

A quote:

How shall I praise thee, O Lord?
For naught that I might say,
Nor aught that I may do,
Compareth to thy worth.
Thou art the Father for whom every fatherhood in Heaven and on earth is named,
The Glory for whom all glory is named,
The Treasure for whom treasures are named,
The Light for whom all light is named,
The Love for whom all love is named,
The Eternal by whom all may glimpse eternity,
The Being by whom all beings exist,
יהוה,
Ο ΩΝ.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords,
Who art eternally praised,
Who art all that thou canst be,
Greater than aught else that may be thought,
Greater than can be thought.
In thee is light,
In thee is honour,
In thee is mercy,
In thee is wisdom, and praise, and every good thing.
For good itself is named after thee,
God immeasurable, immortal, eternal, ever glorious, and humble.
What mighteth compare to thee?
What praise equalleth thee?
If I be fearfully and wonderfully made,
Only can it be,
Wherewith thou art fearful and wonderful,
And ten thousand things besides,
Thou who art One,
Eternally beyond time,
So wholly One,
That thou mayest be called infinite,
Timeless beyond time thou art,
The One who is greater than infinity art thou.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
The Three who are One,
No more bound by numbers than by word,
And yet the Son is called Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ,
The Word,
Divine ordering Reason,
Eternal Light and Cosmic Word,
Way pre-eminent of all things,
Beyond all, and infinitesimally close,
Thou transcendest transcendence itself,
The Creator entered into his Creation,
Sharing with us humble glory,
Lowered by love,
Raised to the highest,
The Suffering Servant known,
The King of Glory,
Ο ΩΝ.

Suggested starting point:

Doxology

Evangelical Converts Striving to be Orthodox, a look at trying just a bit too hard to be as Orthodox as possible.
Silence: Organic Food for the Soul, a work of mystical theology about the profound discipline of silence at the heart of Eastern Orthodox spirituality.
Technonomicon: Technology, Nature, Ascesis, which is not exactly about "science and religion" but rather something like "technology and spiritual growth."
How to Survive an Economic Depression, an overview of how it is possible to survive when our money cannot save us.
From Russia, With Love: A Spiritual Guide to Surviving Political and Economic Disaster, a look from a spiritual perspective at a number of different ways we can work to survive and even grow in hard times.
God the Spiritual Father, a look at the Fatherhood of God as illuminated by, but infinitely beyond, the spiritual fatherhood of Orthodox monasticism.
Religion and Science Is Not Just Intelligent Design vs. Evolution, an article on why our society's way of approaching "science and religion" is fundamentally broken.
An Open Letter to Catholics on Orthodoxy and Ecumenism, an open letter addressing Catholics about the elephant in the room.
Exotic Golden Ages and Restoring Harmony with Nature: Anatomy of a Passion, which tells how our quests from the Heavenly lead us away from the Heaven that is right on our nose.
An Author's Musing Memoirs: Retrospective Reflections, Retracings, and Retractions, an author's review looking at life, lessons learned, and things written along the way.
Maximum Christ, Maximum Ambition, Maximum Repentance, a meditation on what it is to have the maximum in life.
Doxology, a paean of praise and wonder that extols the glory of God.

About the author:

Christos Jonathan Seth Hayward wears many hats: author, philosopher, theologian, artist, poet, wayfarer, philologist, inventor, social commentator, satirist, novelist, web guru, teacher. He is an Eastern Orthodox Christian, has lived in the U.S., Malaysia, England, and France, and holds master's degrees bridging math and computers (UIUC), and philosophy and theology (Cambridge). He has an official website at JonathansCorner.com.

Hardcover, $40 • Kindle eBook, $2.99

Top

Jonathan's Corner (Sitemap) > Book Store > Yonder, by Christos Jonathan Seth Hayward
Previous 1 Next
Printer-Friendly Version

Mobile Site