We Believe in God

We Believe in God emerged from Metropolitan Anthony Bloom's pastoral encounters with Western Christians seeking to deepen their understanding of Orthodox theology and spirituality. Writing in the 1970s as one of the most prominent Orthodox voices in the West, Bloom addressed believers who had grown familiar with Protestant and Catholic perspectives but remained largely unfamiliar with the distinctive theological emphases of Eastern Orthodoxy. The work represents his effort to articulate core Orthodox beliefs in accessible English prose for an audience hungry for spiritual depth but often overwhelmed by technical theological treatises.

Bloom grounds his exposition in the lived experience of faith rather than abstract doctrinal formulations. He explores the Orthodox understanding of God as Trinity not as a philosophical puzzle but as the foundation of all authentic spiritual life and community. Moving through themes of creation, incarnation, and salvation, he consistently emphasizes the Orthodox conviction that theology must be rooted in prayer and that knowledge of God comes through encounter rather than intellectual analysis alone. His treatment of the Church focuses on its sacramental life as the means by which believers participate in divine life, while his discussion of eschatology centers on the transformation of creation rather than escape from it. Throughout, Bloom demonstrates how Orthodox theology's mystical orientation shapes its approach to every aspect of Christian belief and practice.

The work has endured because it successfully bridges the gap between scholarly Orthodox theology and popular spiritual writing without sacrificing intellectual rigor or spiritual depth. Bloom's combination of theological precision with pastoral sensitivity created a template that influenced subsequent Orthodox writers addressing Western audiences. Who should read this: Christians from non-Orthodox backgrounds seeking to understand Eastern Christian perspectives on fundamental theological questions, and Orthodox believers wanting to articulate their faith more clearly to others. Those looking for quick spiritual fixes or purely devotional material should look elsewhere.