/lit/ - Literature

>>20734075
There ye go, pal

>>19705021
Many false teachers on that list.
For homilies look up St. John Chrysostom. He has exegetical books on almost any book of the New Testament, if not all of them. He's printed in book form a lot too.

>>19386803

Pic related has good books. For modern authors look up hieromartyr Daniel Sysoev's books, he has a lot for beginners and I think many of it is translated into English nowadays. I also really need to read Fr. Dumitru Staniloae, he is considered for canonization and is seen as one of the great modern theologians.

For theology:
On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius. Short and good, accessible book about the core tenant of our faith.
Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith by St. John of Damascus. Very good and deep book, if you understand it you see why all other theologies are false.

Also part of St. Gregory Palamas' triads about philosophy.
>A. Philosophy does not save
https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Grigorij_Palama/the-triads/#0_14

>>15142367
>shows empirically or otherwise that Christianity is correct
I personally don't believe that 'debating' can convince every single person or is the best strategy in every case. What worked for me is learning prayer and submitting to Christ. Then I started discovering how everything I've been told by various detractors about Christian spirituality and theology was either a complete lie or a half-truth. Just learn more about the faith from actual trusted and traditional sources (find a good local priest, read some saints and church fathers), not a random academic who openly doubts the divinity of Christ. See pic related for some introductory books. I can also recommend this channel by a Croatian orthodox guy for some metaphysics videos, he even has videos on the traditionalists, agreeing with some of their points and refuting others - https://www.youtube.com/user/max20028/playlists https://youtu.be/xdxOskzcuos https://youtu.be/H2Q5js9bbfM

>know fully well that you don’t know either
I 'intellectually' know fully that every other religion/view is reducible to falsehood (Guenon actually helps here in showing actual valid similarities between many religions, reducing them to a single false non-dualistic philosophy). This in itself is a proof of Christianity, but a weaker one, as it only shows a negative statement. But true and full knowledge is experiential and doesn't come from knowing a collection of facts or understanding a couple of rational proofs.
>exoteric Christianity seems to have on demolishing any hint of esotericism or anything that deviates in any way whatsoever
Christianity doesn't split into the "exoteric" and the "esoteric". All of its metaphysical teaching is absolutely open to anyone and there are no "initiations" except through the Holy Spirit joining you to the Church in baptism and confirmation. The "exoteric" dogma/rituals capture "esoteric" metaphysical/spiritual truths, so naturally everything that contradicts it would have to be demolished to preserve the faith. Traditionalists falsely assume that dogma is merely contingent when traditional Christianity itself has never at any point claimed that dogma is anything but unshakeable and absolute truth.

>“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”
John 18:(20-21)

>These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
1 Timothy 6

Start and stop at Plato, then move to this list

>>14356162