Christian Fasting: Concept, Degrees, and Spiritual Blessings

This book, "Christian Fasting: Its Concept and Degrees," by His Grace Anba Abram, Bishop of Fayoum, offers a comprehensive theological and spiritual study of fasting within the Coptic Orthodox Church. The text explores the linguistic, ecclesiastical, and spiritual meanings of fasting, defining it as a sacrifice of love and a means to strengthen the will and liberate the spirit from the bonds of worldly desires. It traces the biblical roots of fasting from the first commandment in Eden through the fasts of the prophets and apostles to the fast of Christ Himself in the wilderness. The book details various Coptic fasts, including Great Lent, the Apostles' Fast, and St. Mary's Fast, explaining their governing laws and apostolic traditions. Anba Abram emphasizes the conditions for an acceptable fast, such as abstinence, avoiding hypocrisy, and combining fasting with sincere repentance, prayer, and almsgiving. It also discusses the spiritual and physical blessings of fasting and provides gui