A book much needed, and unlike anything that has appeared in the English language on this subject, The Heavenly Banquet is more than a liturgical commentary. With an abundance of copiously documented biblical citations and rich patristic references, the Divine Liturgy is explained line by line, word by word. This book holds answers to all kinds of complex liturgical, social, and theological questions.
In-depth, yet easy to follow, written in simple, understandable language, this book will aid catechists and instructors who can draw from its abundant material for presentation and discussion. This work will be of great benefit to any Orthodox Christian who seeks to obtain a better understanding of the Divine Liturgy. The richness and the thoroughness of the subjects treated in it make The Heavenly Banquet a treasure.
"Father Emmanuel's work should be admired for its breadth and depth, as well as the assistance it will bring to all those who seek to enhance their participation in the Holy Eucharist." -Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago
"This is a book which will not be placed on a bookshelf to collect dust; it will be an electrifying charge to those who pick it up... The Heavenly Banquet will forever banish that unfortunate utterance, 'I get nothing out of the Liturgy!'" -Archbishop Nathaniel of Detroit
Fr. Emmanuel was born in Greece on the Island of Crete and is a priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Fr. Emmanuel studied in Greece, Rome, and the United States. His undergraduate degree from Oberlin College is in Classics, and he has done additional graduate coursework in this field at the University of Chicago. Fr. Emmanuel has a Masters of Divinity degree from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA. In 2001 Fr. Emmanuel founded Orthodox Witness, a not-for-profit group dedicated to Orthodox Christian evangelism.
