We asked SVS Press Director Dr. Daniel Stauffer to share a few of his favorite SVS Press titles: what he is reading now, the books he returns to again and again, and where he would point someone who wants to better understand Orthodox worship.

What are you reading now?

"I have a long term goal of reading the entire Popular Patristics Series, so right now I am reading the Headings on Spiritual Knowledge by St. Isaac the Syrian. Perhaps the most insightful part for me has been the deep connection he draws between the ascetic life and joy; for St. Isaac, the Christian life of course has an eschatological orientation, but he also emphasizes that possibility of experiencing a foretaste of that eschatological joy in the here-and-now, which is quite lovely to contemplate."

What Press title do you return to again and again?

"There are several. Probably the first would be On the Orthodox Faith by John of Damascus, which is an incredible summary of a lot of patristic teaching, especially relating to Christology. The second would be On God and Christ, which contains Gregory the Theologian's Theological Orations. These are probably the most profound and influential contemplations of the mystery of God that the patristic tradition has given us, and they are absolute tour de force for teaching Christians how to think about the Trinity. Lastly, Give Me a Word, SVS Press's version of the alphabetical sayings of the Desert Fathers, has for many years been a source of the deepest spiritual insight for me. Nothing both humbles and encourages me in the spiritual life so much as the words of these ascetics."

What Press title would you recommend to someone looking to better understand Orthodox worship and the Divine Liturgy?

"Here the answer has to be The Life in Christ by Nicholas Kabasilas. This work, written at the end of the fourteenth century, lays out a beautiful theology of the sacraments (or the Mysteries, to use Kabasilas' term) and how they contribute to building up what he calls 'The life in Christ.' No work from the entire Byzantine tradition offers a more compelling picture of how a layman living in the world can grow in love for Christ and communion with Him."