A Review of Eastern Orthodoxy by Donald Fairbairn through the Eyes of the West"Our calling is not to blaze a trail, for Christ did so for Rather, our task is to join the many who have walked and are walking the path, to follow the footsteps that lead to eternity and to God." -Donald FairbairnIn "Eastern Orthodoxy through Western Eyes" by Donald Fairbairn, Fairbairn takes the core beliefs of Orthodoxy and explains them from a Western perspective. of sight. It is evident that this book was written for those of the Protestant faith due to the language used and the issues addressed. While he describes theology correctly, his interpretation of what theology means and what it means for Orthodox Christians is inaccurate and almost offensive. Fairbairn decided to divide the book into three parts so that he could adequately explain Orthodoxy with a Western perspective. In the first part Fairbairn explains where the source of the orthodox view comes from. He states that the source is Tradition. Talk about the tradition of the church and how we express said tradition. In the second part of the book he talks about the heart of the Orthodox vision, which he believes is union with God. He delves into basic theology and explains salvation and humanity in a way that "Westerners" can understand. I think he accurately reports basic Orthodox theology and writes in such a way that those who are not educated on this topic can easily understand. In the third section of this book, entitled "The Orthodox View and Its Distortions", Fairbairn talks about "Popular Orthodoxy" and the erroneous actions and views of Orthodox believers (i.e. the emphasis on saints, etc.). In my opinion Fairbairn takes the opportunity to criticize Orthodoxy and point out some major flaws that the Orthodox believers have. He claims that the Church is "triumphalist" and has no tolerance towards other faiths and their churches. I plan to delve into part three later in this review and, more specifically, popular Orthodoxy. Although the book was dry and at times boring, Fairbairn's assessment of Orthodoxy is quite accurate in the first and second parts. Reading this book, it is clear that the author, Donald Fairbairn, is very educated on the facts and history of Orthodoxy and its Theology.