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ehays84's review against another edition
4.0
I have over the years been trying to read more about Orthodox theology--in part because my in laws are Orthodox but also because it is beautiful and teaches me to be a better Christian. This book is another excellent addition to those books. This one is particularly good because it is written by an American and gives a very warm and personal view of his journey as an Orthodox Christian visiting Mt. Athos seeking help to know how to "pray without ceasing".
Cairns is a poet and writer by trade, and it shows, although I must say the brief bits of poetry in the book do not strike a chord in me. But then again I am no connoisseur of poetry, so what do I know. The prose is good, but there are a few too many forced one word or few word sentences to try to make a profound point.
If you are interested to know about what Mt. Athos is like and you are a reader of English, this is the book for you. I would definitely recommend it to any Christian who wants to learn more about their own journey of faith.
Cairns is a poet and writer by trade, and it shows, although I must say the brief bits of poetry in the book do not strike a chord in me. But then again I am no connoisseur of poetry, so what do I know. The prose is good, but there are a few too many forced one word or few word sentences to try to make a profound point.
If you are interested to know about what Mt. Athos is like and you are a reader of English, this is the book for you. I would definitely recommend it to any Christian who wants to learn more about their own journey of faith.
kbratten's review against another edition
2.0
If you want a play by play account of a man's journey to a fascinating place, this is the book for you. I can picture in detail, the layout of Holy Mountain, all the services and characters and all his footsteps between them. There was very little introspection, or rather, whatever he learned from his trips was not really talked about in the book ("I learned a lot"). There were, still, lots of highlights that made me want to read more from the author. Perhaps his poetry and other work is less evasive.
ahynesa's review against another edition
5.0
This is an absolutely wonderful book; a poetic faith-journey memoir. While I have not been to Greece and am not Eastern Orthodox, so much of this book resonates strongly with my own faith-journey.
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