The Eastern Catholic Churches

the long version

It is very hard to find good books about the Eastern Catholic Churches. Greek Catholic, Ruthenian, Byzantine, Melkite - many people don't realize that they even exist. Some of them are counterparts to the Orthodox churches and others came into being on their own. In this well-researched book of over 700 pages, John D. Faris, a member of the Maronite Church, has written a commentary on the canons of the new (1990, the time of publication) Eastern Code, which came out of the Eighth Ordinary Synod of Bishops on October 25, 1990. Chorbishop Faris explains the how the churches originated; what canon laws are and how they apply to them; and the theology behind them. It is not a "beach read"! Definitely takes some time and careful reading, but the rewards of understanding what Eastern Catholicism really means - that it's not by any means just a shadow or a copy of Eastern Orthodoxy - are great. This is also an excellent reference work. Both the Table of Contents and the Index are detailed and very helpful. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Eastern Christianity.