Fasting in the Orthodox Church: Its Theological, Pastoral, and Social Implications

In this trenchant and erudite discussion of fasting, Father Akakios provides both the necessary historical background to this crucial dimension of Orthodox asceticism and a pastorally oriented defense of traditional fasting rules. By placing fasting in the broader context of the ecumenist agenda of “modernizing” Orthodoxy, he shows convincingly that fasting is neither an optional extra nor an inconvenience for Orthodox Christians today, but rather an essential weapon in the struggle for spiritual self-transformation.