The Concise Encyclopedia of Orthodox Christianity

The title is a bit deceptive, only Eastern Orthodoxy is extensively covered. The Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches are mentioned as a group in short articles. Since 16 or 17 of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches are parallel organizations to the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Groups one would think that extensive explanation as to why there are two almost equal organizations (x 16 or 17) with separate hierarchies. So if you are looking for information on the entire world of ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY keep looking.

As an avid reader of Church history this is a must have for your collection. Great value and information

This 568 page encyclopedia thoroughly covers every imaginable aspect of Orthodox Christianity with very authentic articles. it is full of information and data about the history, beliefs, and personel of the religion. Every you might toknow about it. To fully understaqnd Christianity one needs an up to date comprehension of Orthodoxy which has been flourishing for two millennia. Highly recommended.

VERY IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE

A good treasure for my library, a good challenge for my knowledge

This is actually the third column in the series. This work will eventually comprise several volumes and is well worth pickimg them up now...

Excellent

I was surprised by the comment on page 514 that "after [Metropolitan Anthony's] death small parts of the Sourozh diocese preferred to place themselves under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Western Europe under the Patriarch of Constantinople".The split in the Diocese of Sourozh was very serious; the bishop left, along with over half the clergy and a majority of the lay people. The part which remained with the Moscow Patriarchate rapidly changed character, revoking the statutes which Metropolitan Anthony with his clergy and diocesan assembly had developed over some 25 years, and largely withdrawing from engagement with other churches and wider society.

As a non-Orthodox Christian but one interested in its history and existence in different countries this met my needs on a dip-in basis. More illustrations and maps might have been useful. Seems to be very comprehensive in coverage in my humble opinion.