Book Review and Postview: The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware

I finished The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware (1964 Pelican edition). I don't have a lot to say about it, in general. Here are my thoughts in answer to the preview for this book review:

What I was most interested to learn was whether Orthodox soteriology is essentially identical to New Wine soteriology. I wasn't 100% sure I could tell whether it was or not. The New Wine motivational structure (at least, as I understand the New Wine System) seems like it might be out of character with Orthodoxy. And I would think that if Orthodoxy had a motivational structure as striking as that of the New Wine System, Ware would have mentioned that. But I will have to do more reading to explore. Ware was giving an overview of Orthodox doctrine rather than a very detailed one.

Because it was an overview, I didn't get a very detailed account of theology through the ages, as I hoped. I think I got a flavor of Orthodoxy, and that's a helpful thing for the time being. I got some thought out of icons, liturgy, and creeds, relatively undeveloped as subjects for me due to my upbringing.

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PS.

I looked up these Orthodox links (Orthodox Christian Theology OrthodoxWiki on soteriology Wikipedia on theosis Orthodox Road OrthodoxWiki on theosis) and also these anti-Orthodox links (CARM easternorthodoxchristian.com), on soteriology and theosis. There was no clear statement for or against the New Wine ideas that we have to overcome all of our sinful habits before we enter into God's rest, and that we will be provided a period of time (generous-but-limited in New Wine thinking) in which to complete that process. Nor did I see the idea that people are at risk of hardening, also found in the New Wine System. These didn't come up in either of the critical websites, which I think both try to propound orthodox Protestantism. Arguably, the New Wine System is orthodox Protestantism, though it is not traditional Protestantism. I am not certain but would guess that they would find New Wine System doctrines of concern, and so would flag them if found in Eastern Orthodoxy. So I am somewhat certain that New Wine motivational structure is either not present in Eastern Orthodoxy, or that if it is, it's only a (sociologically) minor opinion, not the mainstream or historic opinion of the church. From that I would think it is substantially or wholly untried (by Orthodoxy at least). I wouldn't put my certainty in this opinion too high, low enough that I still feel like reading more about Orthodox theology (maybe a book by Lossky?) to be very sure. But I can let that go for the time being.