At the Corner of East and Now

A Modern Life in Ancient Christian Orthodoxy

By: Frederica Mathewes-Green

Narrated by: Frederica Mathewes-Green

A remarkable contemporary tour through the oldest of all Christian faiths by one of America's most distinctive religious voices. A popular commentator for National Public Radio's "All Things Considered"; and a columnist for Christianity Today, Frederica Mathewes-Green is a unique figure in contemporary literature.

In an audiobook eagerly awaited by her growing retinue of fans, she brings listeners inside the world's oldest Christian faith, illuminating Eastern Orthodoxy in a manner similar to Kathleen Norris's exploration of Benedictine spirituality. An ex-hippie and former social radical, the author often writes humorously about her unusual road from Woodstock to the altar of an Orthodox church, where she is the pastor's wife. At the Corner of East and Now, juxtaposes the shifting immediacy of everyday life with the changeless grandeur of Orthodox faith.

Weaving her narrative with stories, essays, and reflections on the Church's 1600-year-old liturgy, Frederica Mathewes-Green critiques contemporary culture through the lens of one who seeks to live by the tenets of an ancient spiritual practice. The author offers an engaging and artistic voice - at times humorous and hands-on, serious and intellectually stimulating. Her supple and highly original style makes for an unforgettable listen.

©1999 Ancient Faith Publishing (P)2010 Ancient Faith Publishing

Excellent Book

I loved this book and the authors narration was wonderful. It was informative while not being overbearing. Highly recommend this as an introduction to Eastern Orthodoxy.

Comfortable journey through modern Orthodox life

At the Corner of East and Now is available in print, via Kindle, and in audio versions. I received a download of the Audible file for my review. Thank you to Ancient Faith Ministries.
The author, Frederica Mathewes-Green is a Christian Orthodox convert and wife of a priest. She holds a theology degree, has written 10 books, authored countless discourses for the likes of NPR, Christianity Today, and Ancient Faith Ministries as well as other media outlets. She is a frequent flier because of her popularity as a speaker. I find these facts to be intimidating. However, her style and books have been the most welcoming and helpful I have found on my own recent journey to Orthodoxy. She comes across as warm and approachable. This book is anecdotal and includes stories of the people she has met on her travels as well as of her own family and fellow congregants interspersed with reflections of what it is to be Orthodox. This is not a textbook or the first book one should read for an explanation of the traditions of the Orthodox church. It is a pleasant discourse, not a heavy tome of the early church fathers. It is perfect for where I am now, Orthodox for a few years but still wet behind the ears and in need of some comfort food. I can relate to many of the people whom she is telling me about because I have met their counterparts. There are moments when the storyteller in her voice steps aside for the teacher. I had to hit rewind numerous times in order to better absorb what she was explaining to me, for example the cutting of prosphora, the communion bread. My problem with audio books is that I have not found a satisfactory way to underline, highlight and write in the margins. To me this book deserves all of those things, but if I had held a paper book, or downloaded a kindle version I would have missed her voice which was as comforting as the lasagna she talks about in the final chapter.

interesting book, fantastic narration !

I could listen to her narration all day. Of course the topic is highly interesting as well, but I believe she can bring a book to life like no other.

So encouraging & helpful!!

My family has been learning about church history off and on for several years and just recently made the leap to an Orthodox Church. My question has been, “how is my life going to be different?” Or “how is my thinking going to change as an Orthodox Christian as opposed to being Protestant?” This book is EXACTLY what I was looking for! I loved it so much that I finished listening to it and am listening again.
The history and church fathers and podcasts we have listened to are beautiful but this hits right where I live. Thank you!!!

Warmly Read, Easily Heard

This is a warmly written and easily read book about Eastern Orthodoxy and the Divine Liturgy. I say “warmly” because Khouria (priest’s wife) Frederica has a very good voice for reading and especially her own work. Her voice kind of wraps you in a blanket and gives you a cup of tea and let’s you know, it’s going to be okay.

I read a hard copy of this book several years ago, just before my own conversion to Orthodoxy and found it to be a bit syrupy because I could not imagine having that much love and adoration for the elements of a church service. Church is whole, right? Why break it down like this? But now, ten years after my conversion, I get it. The Divine Liturgy is not “a church service” and the individual components of the liturgy are what make it whole. Separated, the components are like the coal in the bucket next to the stove: “Dusty, dark, cold, and hard, coal has no beauty of its own…” but when the Holy Spirit comes down on those individual parts, “it is consummated by fire it is beautiful and becomes what it was designed to be.” This is what the Divine Liturgy is.

I do recommend this book to newcomers to the Divine Liturgy and to folks who have been around for a while. For the newcomer, you will find a description of what is happening in each part of the liturgy, what the priest is doing, what the words he says mean, and how they come together. People who have been part of the Church for a while will have a new understanding as to the different components of the liturgy and be able to see how they blend to form the beautiful whole of it.

Definitely worth reading. Truly worth hearing.

4.5 Stars

Full Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to do this, AFP!

woof woof

this is a fine story, if one can get past the barking dogs in the background. This must have been recorded at her home.