Surveying theological literature produced in the Christian East from the first through the 20th century, Eastern Christianity in its Texts explores different theological themes (analytical and mystical), genres (epistles, treatises, and poetry), and milieux (Greek, Armenian, Western and Eastern Syriac, Russian and Romanian). The book illustrates the evolution of the Orthodox thought, how it influenced and was influenced by intellectual, social, and political environments. It demonstrates a theology in context, and yet displays consistency in the traditions spread through different epochs and countries. The book is divided in five parts, each standing for an epoch with distinct features: formation of the Christian identity in the era before Constantine, golden age of theology in the period of Late Antiquity, the pinnacle of erudism and mysticism in the eastern Middle Ages, wrestling with the Modernity imported from the West in the 18th-19th centuries, and finally theological polyphony in the 20th century.

"I. Formation of identity Topics: Christianity becomes recorded. Dialectics of openness and closedness. Judaeo-Christianity. Differentiation from Judaism. From hating to embracing the Roman-Greek world. Fighting first heresies (Marcion, Gnostics). Evolution of identity. Rise and decline of ecclesial self-awareness. Authors: Tatian, Apocalyptic literature (Hyppolytus), Epistle of Barnabas, Epistle to Diognetus, Hermas, Didache, Justin, Origen, Irenaeus, Eusebius (Constantinian millennialism). II. Christian Antiquity Topics: Arianism - the prototype of heresies. Christological debates. Early scholasticism. Christian Neoplatonism. Symphony. Oriental theology. Authors: Athanasius, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Apollynaris, Cyril of Alexandria, Leontius, Maximus, Ps-Dionysius, Justinian (preamble to 6th novella), Ephrem of Nisibis, Isaac of Nineveh. III. Middle Ages Topics: Theological summae. Polymathy. Rediscovering Plato. Seeing the Light. Making Orthodoxy a confession. Authors: John of Damascus, Photius, John Italus, Michael Psellus, Grigor Narekatsi, Symeon the New Theologian, Gregory Palamas, Mark Evgenicus, Gennadius Scholarius. IV. Modernity Topics: Further confessionalisation of Orthodoxy. Kollybadic movement. First culture wars. Rise of nationalism. Lay theology. Academic theology. Authors: Cyril Loukaris, Peter Mohyla, Athanasius of Paros, Nicodeme the Hagiorite, Paèisiy Velichkovsky, "Sincere Tales of a Piligrim to his Spiritual Father," Amvrosiy of Optina, Aleksey Khomyakov, Philaret of Moscow. V. Twentieth century Topics: Religious renaissance. Neopatristic synthesis. Globalization of theology. Authors: John Zizioulas, Vladimir Solovyov, Sergey Bulgakov, Georges Florovsky, Vladimir Lossky, Dumitru Staniloae, John Meyendorff, Alexander Schmemann, Anthony Bloom, Olivier Clement, Kallistos Ware. Bibliography Index"--

With the help of the classical notion of categories, Cyril Hovorun has managed to draw together the voices of Eastern Christian tradition through time and space into an orchestra, arranging each voice so that it contributes to a symphony while retaining its uniqueness. Unshackled by a strict historical as well as a strict systematic approach, he has managed to offer a unique and richly annotated survey of selected gems from a rich but largely unknown tradition.