A Visual Catechism of the Orthodox Church
by Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos of Nafpaktos
A unique and handsome catechism of the Orthodox Christian faith, helpful to young children, older children, and adults. Most of the book consists of full-page illustrations with one simple sentence of text in large print, sequentially numbered. The illustrations are in soft pastel colors in a style reminiscent of Byzantine iconography and are often patterned after well-known icons, but are somewhat simplified for the child.
The artist is an iconographer in Greece. The art is unmistakably Orthodox and of high quality, but clearly done for children. The numbers correspond to paragraphs of text in latter part of the book which explore that theme in much greater depth. Thus it can be used a picture book for preschoolers and beginning readers, while parents and teachers of older children may either read the extended texts to the children or make use of these texts to prepare their own explanations. No few adults will also profit from both text and pictures. The author is a bishop in the Orthodox Church of Greece and one of today's most highly-respected and widely-read Orthodox theological and spiritual writers. His books are sold worldwide in many languages. This catechism covers the biblical stories and themes contained in the Nicene Creed, as well as basics about the Church, the sacraments, and the Christian life.
Book dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 inches. Well-printed and sturdily bound; published without dust jacket. Imported from Greece. An excellent baptismal gift for Orthodox children, and a welcome resource for parents, godparents, and church school teachers.
