"The World Will Be Saved by Beauty!"

SVS Press has just released what appears to be a more "popular" treatment of the question of liturgical vestiture within the Orthodox Church. It will be interesting to read Krista West's The Garments of Salvation: Orthodox Christian Liturgical Vesture (SVS Press, 2013), 290pp. alongside a much more academic treatment last year on the vestments in Byzantine history.

About West's book we are told:

Is beauty within the Church optional or essential? What is the origin of Orthodox Christian liturgical vestments and what is their significance? What meaning is contained in the textiles, colors and designs used in Orthodox Christian liturgical practice? Answering these and many other questions, master vestment maker Khouria Krista West invites us to explore the fascinating and colorful world of Orthodox Christian vesture and church adornment. The first comprehensive book on this topic in the English language, The Garments of Salvation is an engaging and compelling presentation of the nearly 2000-year tradition of liturgical garments within the Eastern Orthodox Church