Forest, Jim "Praying with Icons"

Forest, Jim "Praying with Icons" - 1997/2008

An extraordinary book by an extraordinary writer. I have read a couple of books by Jim Forest ("The Road to Emmaus. Pilgrimage as a Way of Life" and "Confession. Doorway to Forgiveness") and they have all been wonderful. Jim Forest manages to describe his religious life and that of many others in a way nobody else achieves. Even more important, he makes us aware of how close the Catholic and the Orthodox church are to each other.

I loved learning about all the different icons the Orthodox church has created, the way they pray with the icons, the meaning it has for all of us. My copy of the book has not just the description but also the pictures of the icons he is talking about. This way, I found out the icon I have is about the Holy Trinity. But the reason I treasure this book even more, it has a signature of the author.

From the back cover:
"First published ten years ago, this volume has been widely recognized as a modern spiritual classic. Forest describes the history and theology behind icons, tells how they are made, and discusses how they are used as a guide to prayer. Finally, he offers a moving series of reflections on a range of classic icons."

I also read in the meantime: "The Ladder of the Beatitudes".