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Rock and Sand

An Orthodox Appraisal of the Protestant Reformers and Their Teachings

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Rock and Sand

By: Archpriest Josiah Trenham
Narrated by: Father Josiah Trenham
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This audiobook has been made for three purposes. First, to provide the Orthodox listener with a competent overview of the history of Protestantism and its major traditions, from its beginnings in the 16th century to the present day. This overview relies heavily upon the Reformer's own words as well as the creeds of various Protestant faiths in order to avoid misrepresentation and caricature.

Second, to acquaint Orthodox and non-Orthodox listeners with a narrative of the historical relations between the Orthodox East and the Protestant West.

Finally, to provide a summary of Orthodox theological opinion on the tenets of Protestantism.

©2018 Archpriest Josiah Trenham (P)2019 Archpriest Josiah Trenham Christianity Spirituality
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Awesome read! The author himself reass it all. He is an ex protestant scholar and now orthodox priest. He digs deep and fairly into protestantism in its many manifestations. A treasure to fully understand this movement: its power and its fallacies. He also explores the lives of the various founders of the movement and their central beliefs. The study of the orthodox response: historical and actual is excellent.

A tremendous detailed look at protestantism

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I absolutely loved the deep dive into the lives and beliefs of the reformers and the age of the reformation. I learned only a basis about it in school but this book really showed me some deeper things into their lives and beliefs which i’m glad to also have an orthodox perspective on.

I also loved to hear about some of the communication which has been between orthodoxy and some form of protestantism and also to hear on things today which of course is relevant for all.

This book is really good for any protestant interested in orthodoxy and to learn deeper on their own history, this book is full of information helpful to anyone and quite a good listen.

Thank you very much Fr. Josiah

What a wonderful book

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Well read by the Author himself. Veey easy to listen to.

I find this a very good and concise appraisal of Protestantism from an Orthodox vantage point on the major historical events and tenets of the movement as well as its most influential reformers. He boils it down to the most pivotal issues well, resulting in a book though not exhaustive and relatively short, still being very useful.
Easy to follow, interesting information, as objective as one could want as written with a very gracious attitude towards those he critiques.

highly recommend.

Perspective

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A look at the Protestant faith through a heavy orthodox lens.

I was expecting a look through the history and theology of the reformation as seen by the Eastern Orthodox faith at the time, instead it’s how the Orthodox Church looks back at this time, a minor difference but plays out as a book filled with a ‘holier than thou’ mindset rather than critical look at what happened.

This leads to an overbearing tone of how change is bad within Protestantism without ever acknowledging the myriad of liturgical and practical developments that have happened with Orthodoxy in its history.

As for narration, he has a habit of mispronouncing words, that have well known English pronunciations, seemingly in an attempt to sound more ‘Orthodox’ despite being American.

The pot calling the kettle black

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Rock and Sand...Sadly, the Reformation has led to so many different types of churches it really has become shifting sand in terms of doctrine.

The book is fair and accurate in its appraisal of Protestantism. The great strength of the Protestant churches has been in evangelism - something the Orthodox Church needs to improve on. However, with divisions within divisions and being largely cut off from over a millennium of church teaching you can never be sure what your local church will be teaching tomorrow.

The strength of the Orthodox Church is in it being rooted by Apostolic succession to the original church. It refuse to follow the culture and has survived domination by Islam and Communism. Living in an age where ethics, morality and belief change by the day the Orthodox Church appears the only refuge for Christians who want to keep the faith handed down by the Apostles.

Back to the Apostolic church..

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