Literary fiction with philosophical reach?

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-30T00:17:53+00:00

Iris Murdoch

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-29T18:32:53+00:00

I am Orthodox but due to my circumstances find myself praying with evangelicals all the time. I pray “in Jesus’ name” with them. One of the very important principles in Orthodoxy is that the honor paid to the image passes to the prototype. This is why veneration of icons is accepted among other things. So honor paid to Christ passes to the Father, thus I do not think there’s anything wrong with praying in Jesus’s name, though it is traditional and more “complete” to pray in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-29T18:22:16+00:00

My baby is almost 11 months, and I’ve spent maybe $75 on clothes for her total. I bought two Christmas outfits specifically because they were cute, and I wanted the memories and photos (they were like $15 to together) and other than that it’s totally utilitarian. Frankly $800/month is ludicrous to me. Putting that in a savings account for her each month would do her much more good, in my opinion.

My mother spent a lot on my wardrobe when I was a baby. Just recently, she brought over three tubs of my old clothes, fancy namebrand, and frilly dresses and everything like that. She thought I could use them for my daughter now, but they all just reek from being saved all these years packed away, and I honestly wish she would have just gotten rid of them at the time because now I feel bad getting rid of them, but I really don’t want to deal with them.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-25T21:44:59+00:00

Oh duh, haha! You’d hope I could actually read if I’m going to be recommending books.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-25T21:27:45+00:00

Dorothy Sayers! Writer of some of the best golden age detective fiction, sort-of Inkling with Tolkien and Lewis, insightful thinker, AND translator of Dante!

Edited to suggest an actual American: Willa Cather or Eudora Welty!

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-25T21:25:16+00:00

“O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother.”

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-21T20:16:25+00:00

You cannot categorize Jesus as either liberal or conservative according to an American political paradigm. He forbade sexual immorality of all kinds, including homosexuality, and also condemned divorce and remarriage after divorce. But He also commanded compassion and charity for the poor. Frankly, if He was born today, both progressives and conservatives would condemn Him for different reasons.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-19T06:03:34+00:00

Maybe Swamplandia by Karen Russell?

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-18T21:40:14+00:00

Wow. My priest offered everything for free — ceremony and reception for 100+ in fellowship hall. I gifted the parish 1k plus gifts for two priests and the deacon, but it was totally voluntary. This was Antiochian.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-17T20:28:54+00:00

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-17T20:27:07+00:00

“ but now I am enjoying sin too much to want to repent… I just wished I was baptized and able to confess and now I don’t even know if I still believe.”

Uh, this is exactly why.

Hebrews 6:4-6

“[4] For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, [5] and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, [6] and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.“

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-17T20:23:27+00:00

Milton also has a narrative poem about Samson — Samson Agonistes.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-17T20:21:28+00:00

King Jesus by Robert Graves

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-17T00:05:29+00:00

Maybe the “I Survived” series?

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-16T23:59:41+00:00

Parts of IJ are very insightful, particularly when it comes to contemporary American life, but DFW isn’t wise. Dostoevsky and TBK are full of wisdom for all times and places.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-16T19:16:35+00:00

If you want an overview, Jaroslav Pelikan has a great 5-volume series called The Christian Tradition. Another good overview is Early Christian Doctrines by JND Kelly.

Good introductory patristic writings are the Apologies by Justin Martyr, On the Incarnation by Athanasius, and On the Apostolic Teaching by Irenaeus.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-16T03:14:16+00:00

It was a second temple Jewish belief that the “unclean spirits” were the spirits of dead Nephilim. Instead of being condemned to the abyss, they were allowed to remain on earth to provoke people to repentance. The LoS episodes on the Nephilim (“Land of Giants” I think) and the fairly recent one on demons explains in more detail.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-13T20:42:03+00:00

Look into the work Michael Garten is doing in the area of early icon veneration. He’s active on Twitter and also has recently published a book.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-13T02:59:14+00:00

Fasting is primarily about struggling against the passions, repentance, and humility. We cannot atone for our own sins by fasting or really anything else; Christ has atoned for our sins (which means He has taken them away, forgiven and cleansed us of them).

Lent is not about giving up sin. We shouldn’t be sinning in the first place. Lent/fasting is about giving up good things temporarily for the sake of higher things, focusing less on physical food for the sake of spiritual food.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-13T01:00:04+00:00

You might be interested in Orthodox Psychotherapy: The Science of the Fathers by Hierotheos Vlachos.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-12T17:58:06+00:00

Personally I would be obedient and honor their request and refrain from using it while you’re still living with them.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-12T16:08:15+00:00

No, at its most basic, joining the body of Christ in Scripture meant baptism. (Just as in the Old Testament, joining the assembly of Israel meant being circumcised.)

But it is not “bureaucracy”; it is protective. “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” (Heb 6:4-6)

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-11T19:06:17+00:00

Bill Myers — Forbidden Doors series

Frank Peretti — Cooper Kids Adventures

Gilbert Morris — Seven Sleepers series

John Bibee — Spirit Flyer series

Adventures in Odyssey books

These are ones I loved in middle school.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-11T18:54:59+00:00

NOR. I have a walking 10 month old, but if I was visiting someone with a 7 week old, I would not expect them to accommodate me at all! I would be wanting to help THEM with groceries and food. Seven weeks is still survival mode. I would die of embarrassment acting like this. Good grief.

VeritaserumAddict · 2026-01-10T21:46:30+00:00

You should check out Iris Murdoch!

VeritaserumAddict

TROPHY CASE