In a humorous, non-threatening style, popular author, speaker, and priest's wife Frederica Mathewes-Green initiates the first-time visitor to the Orthodox Church.  She aptly explains the sights and sounds one experiences upon entering an Orthodox church.

An Orthodox Christian life ends with the act of Christian burial.  The body of a Christian, which was immersed in the sacred waters of Baptism, anointed with Holy Chrism, and nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ, has become the sanctified dwelling place of God, even in death remaining worthy of profound reverence.  By undertaking the solemn task of preparing the body and celebrating the traditional funeral rites, not only does a Christian community show proper respect for the body of the departed, but all involved also receive tremendous spiritual blessing and nourishment.  This book provides a detailed description of the many facets involved in this great act of love.  May it be a blessing for all who heed the advice it offers, and may it help all our communities to enter more deeply into the awesome mystery we must all face:  death, and the preparation for our resurrection!  --Metropolitan JONAH, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America

Written in a genial, conversational style, this book offers the Christian reader a solid foundation in both the theology and the psychology of death:  its place within God's creative and saving work, and the personal impact it makes on those facing death and those who grieve for them.  It also clarifies a great many misconceptions held by most people concerning professional funeral practices, making clear that a truly "Christian ending" to our life can mean beauty and utter simplicity both in the rituals that surround it and in the burial itself.  --Fr. John Breck

Second Edition:  Enlarged and Enriched

An Orthodox Christian life ends with the act of Christian burial.  The body of a Christian, which was immersed in the sacred waters of Baptism, anointed with Holy Chrism, and nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ, has become the sanctified dwelling place of God, even in death remaining worthy of profound reverence.  By undertaking the solemn task of preparing the body and celebrating the traditional funeral rites, not only does a Christian community show proper respect for the body of the departed, but all involved also receive tremendous spiritual blessing and nourishment.  This book provides a detailed description of the many facets involved in this great act of love.  May it be a blessing for all who heed the advice it offers, and may it help all our communities to enter more deeply into the awesome mystery we must all face:  death, and the preparation for our resurrection!  --Metropolitan JONAH, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America

Written in a genial, conversational style, this book offers the Christian reader a solid foundation in both the theology and the psychology of death:  its place within God's creative and saving work, and the personal impact it makes on those facing death and those who grieve for them.  It also clarifies a great many misconceptions held by most people concerning professional funeral practices, making clear that a truly "Christian ending" to our life can mean beauty and utter simplicity both in the rituals that surround it and in the burial itself.  --Fr. John Breck

Originally published in Russian in 1910, this volume is made up of 382 letters of spiritual counsel by the late nineteenth century Optina Elder Hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Zertsalov) to nuns.  All who seek the knowledge and love of God can benefit from reading these letters.  Written in a tone that is both firm and tender, they are the words of a caring father for his spiritual children.  The book also includes a short life of St. Anatoly, a glossary, an index of topics, and a table of letters.

St. Anatoly of Optina was born on March 24, 1824 in the village of Bobolya, and named Alexis at birth. From his youth he expressed a desire for the monastic life, and after a visit to the Optina monastery he became a novice there.  Soon tonsured and given the name Anatoly, he was under obedience to St. Macarius.  After his elder’s repose in 1860, and becoming closer with St. Ambrose, St. Anatoly was entrusted with the training of future monks at the monastery.  Becoming an aide to St. Ambrose, during the latter’s illness; St. Anatoly was responsible for the spiritual correspondence with the nuns of the Shamordino Convent.  St. Anatoly died on January 25 1894.  He was canonized, along with the rest of the Optina Elders, in 1990.

A brief overview of church history that doesn't ignore the heritage of 225 million Orthodox Christians living today.  It shows the continuity between Orthodoxy today and the pre-schism Church of the first millennium.

This deceptively small and simple book holds a great secret--the secret to achieving peace of mind in Christ.  Beloved writer and teacher Dr. Al Rossi uses stories from his own life to illustrate the basic principles of watchfulness and prayer.  The final chapter is a moving tribute to Dr. Rossi's close friend of many years, Fr. Tom Hopko, whose Fifty-Five Maxims are also helpful in learning to say at all times, "All is well".

In order to become a healing presence for others, we must first be healed ourselves through an active relationship with the great healer, Christ.  Drawing on the teachings of the fathers and saints of the church, Dr. Rossi gently points the way toward deepening our love for God and for each other so that others may experience Christ through us.

In Building an Orthodox Marriage, Bishop John (Abdalah) and Nicholas G. Mamey offer a vision of marriage that is grounded in the teaching of the Church, as found in Scripture, tradition, and the marriage service itself.  The authors first lay out the theological background, and then examine and explain the service of marriage itself.

This Workbook Companion, authored by Gregory J. Abdalah, serves as a helpful supplement to Building an Orthodox Marriage.  It can be used by couples who are preparing for marriage, and by pastors and other church leaders who provide premarital counseling.  The Workbook enables pastors and couples to get more out of Building an Orthodox Marriage, and helps them see more clearly how to apply the theological principles and teachings of the Church in the particular circumstances of their own lives.

This memoir of personal transformation has changed countless lives in Romania since it was first published there in 2014.  Author Mioara Grigore describes how, as a self-absorbed religion teacher with thoughts of becoming a nun, she began an unlikely courtship with an atheistic math teacher.  The math teacher found faith, the two were happily married, and within six and a half years five children were born to them, one with Down syndrome.  Mioara's life was full, her home brimming with love. Then came the devastating cancer diagnosis.

With unflinching honesty, a keen eye for detail, and endearing humor, Mioara recounts her intense struggle with cancer.  With the help of her husband and children, of her spiritual father, and then of new friends who sacrificed themselves for her and her family, she turned that struggle into a journey of spiritual self-discovery.  In the agony of her cross-bearing, she found what it means, at the deepest level, to love and be loved by others and by God.  Ultimately, hers is a story not only of growth but of indomitable joy and triumph.

Learn about the wonders of the Divine Liturgy!

What is the Divine Liturgy?

What happens if we are lazy about attending Church?

What happens during the Proskomide?

Why is the Gospel Book closed during the Small Entrance?

What does the Great Entrance symbolize?

What is the Trisagion Hymn?

What doors are referred to in the exclamation “ e doors, the doors, in wisdom let us be attentive”?

When are the bread and wine transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ?

What is the wonder-working power of Holy Communion?

What is antidoron?

From the Back Flap:

From the Prologue:  Proper nourishment during an individual’s childhood sets the foundation for good health for the remainder of his life. Similarly, a conscious participation in the Divine Liturgy from a person’s childhood sets the foundation for their spiritual health and progress—it provides all the spiritual provisions for a lifetime.  With these thoughts in mind, we decided to publish a book about the Divine Liturgy intended for children and young people–a need we ourselves keenly felt as the parents of seven children.  We based our project on the The Divine Liturgy: A Commentary in the Light of the Fathers by Hieromonk Gregorios.  The stories that we have included were taken from the remarkable book Miracles and Revelations from the Divine Liturgy published by the Holy Monastery of Paracletos.

We offer this book as a small contribution and aid for every young person who wishes to place the Divine Liturgy at the center of their life, as well as for parents and catechists who work closely with children.

This is a classic work of pastoral theology, written by the first ruling Bishop of the Russian Church Abroad.  Whilst primarily a manual for priests hearing confessions it is also of great value to all who struggle with the passions.  It covers the significance of confession for Christians, the spiritual director's disposition, healing, doubt, sin, fear, despondency, pride, money, envy, chastity, etc.  The appendices include extracts form the Order of Confession, a "template" for a brief confession and questions for an examination of conscience.

Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) (1863–1936) was the founding First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.  He studied at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, where he was tonsured a monk and later become its rector.  He then was rector of Moscow Theological Academy.  In 1907 he was consecrated as Bishop of Cheboksary, and later became Metropolitan of Kiev in 1918.  Along with other émigré hierarchs, he helped form the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, becoming its First Hierarch.  As a theologian, Metropolitan Anthony is best known for his works The Moral Idea of the Dogma of the Holy Trinity and The Doctrine of Redemption.  He also wrote many other works on many other spiritual disciplines such as moral and pastoral theology, apologetics, and canon law.  He reposed in 1936 in Sremsky Karlovtsi, Serbia.

Why do so many of us good Christians find our spiritual progress blocked?  What can we do about the unconscious neurotic tendencies that warp our relations with others?  How can we let go of the idealized image we have of ourselves?  Drawing on the classic work Our Inner Conflicts by psychiatrist Karen Horney, Archimandrite Symeon shows how we are led to unhealthy attachments, slavish dependency, or a position of compliance--which can even affect our relationship with God.  He then explains how today's Christians can use biblical teachings and the wisdom of the Eastern Orthodox Church fathers to combat these characteristically modern problems.

A shrewd observer, a master psychologist, an accomplished raconteur, Dorotheos is also a learned man with a prodigious capacity for assimilating in an organized harmony the wisdom of his predecessors in the life of the Spirit. But he is far more interested in humbly serving his brethren than in discoursing about the more recondite aspects of the hescyhast experience.

His genial candor makes him the ideal spiritual master to introduce modern readers to the rich spiritual universe of the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria.  Most of us will be able to approach Evagrius Ponticus, Cassian, and the Old Men of the Apophthegmata with greater love and insight for having first made the genial acquaintance of Dorotheos of Gaza.

During the dark night of Soviet totalitarianism, holy men and women shone like stars throughout the many lands that comprised the USSR.  One of these was Elder Vitaly (Sidorenko) (1928-1992).  Born in the Russian region of Krasnodar, in his youth he was a novice monk at the Glinsk Hermitage in Ukraine, where he was spiritually formed under the guidance of holy elders.  Due to Communist persecution, he was compelled to leave Glinsk, becoming an ascetic pilgrim and traveling from one holy place to another.  Finally he settled in Georgia, which was also under Soviet rule, and in which the elders and some of the monks of Glinsk had made their home after their monastery had been forcibly closed.  In Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, Fr. Vitaly served as a priest under Metropolitan Zenobius, a holy hierarch-elder who himself had been a monk at Glinsk.  Living in obedience and humility, practicing strict asceticism combined with continuous prayer, and exercising his heart in the commandments of love for God and neighbor, Fr. Vitaly became a holy elder like his preceptors.  Granted by God the gift of clairvoyance, he could see into people's hearts and discern their past and future, in order to guide souls in the way of salvation.  For decades he nurtured the people of Tbilisi with his enlightened, fatherly counsel.  His love was truly sacrificial, for while enduring physical infirmities and deprivations he never spared himself in his pastoral labors.  Living beyond this world, Elder Vitaly was truly an earthly angel and heavenly man.

Elder Sergei of Vanves was one of the most charismatic figures in 20th-century Western Europe, yet until now, little if anything has been written about him in English. He was a man in whom the holy traditions of Old Valaam meet the contemporary, post-Christian West. He was spiritual father to several great luminaries of 20th-century Orthodoxy, including Vladimir Lossky, Nicholas Berdyaev, and iconographer Monk Gregory (Krug).

Born in 1903 in the Netherlands, Elder Sergei spent the majority of his life in France, yet he was very much immersed in the radiant spirituality of the Orthodox East. He had been the spiritual child of Igumen Chariton, who was the last abbot of Valaam (before it was closed by the Communists) and the compiler of the classic work, The Art of Prayer. Elder Sergei was also in direct correspondence with Saint Silouan the Athonite and took to heart the Saint's last words to him: "Go and tell the people as much as you can: Repent!"

Elder Sergei spent his life in a post-Christian country where strugglers for Orthodoxy were few, and indifference to religion was great. His counsels to his spiritual children who lived in our secular Western society are of great benefit to us today, as he bears living witness to the traditions of the Fathers in our own context. He reminds us that God is not an optional part of our lives; if we want to live, we can no more stop praying than we can stop breathing. He teaches us that though our modern world offers us many conveniences and comforts, though modern psychology can do much to alleviate our psychoses, there is no reason for our existence apart from God, there is no reason to heal our psychological wounds if there is no God, there is no reason to live life if there is no eternity.

More than a million copies and several million electronic versions of this book have sold in less than a year after its release.  Everyday Saints is the English translation of the work that has soared at the top of the bestseller lists in Russia since its publication in late 2011. Winner of several national awards including “Book of the Year,” its readership spans philosophical boundaries.  Surpassing all competition many times over, it was voted the most popular book in Russia for 2012.

Open this book and you will discover a wondrous, enigmatic, remarkably beautiful, yet absolutely real world.  Peer into the mysterious Russian soul, where happiness reigns no matter what life may bring.  Page upon page of thanks, praise, and testimonies to the life-changing effect of these bright, good-hearted, and poignant tales have flooded the Russian media.  This book has been the cause of many sleepless but happy nights:  “I couldn’t put it down—was sorry when it ended” is the common reaction.

The book is being translated into ten different languages.  This English translation, Everyday Saints, is every bit as charming as the original.

From advertising to social media, from trauma survival to keeping up with the Joneses, shame is deeply embedded in our culture and our psyches, directing much of our behavior from far behind the scenes. But is all shame bad? Popular author and speaker Fr. Stephen Freeman explores the roots and meaning of both toxic and healthy shame, revealing the crucial importance of this understanding for our relationship with God.

About the Author: Fr. Stephen Freeman is an archpriest in the Orthodox Church in America and is Pastor Emeritus of St. Anne Orthodox Church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He was educated at Furman University, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, and Duke University. He is the author of the popular blog Glory to God for All Things and of the weekly podcast Glory to God on Ancient Faith Radio, as well as the book Everywhere Present: Christianity in a One-Storey Universe (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2010). Fr. Stephen is a popular speaker at conferences, colleges, and parishes across the country. His work has been widely translated and published in Europe and Russia.

One of today's most popular spiritual writers and commentators interweaves the Old and New Testament Scripture with prayers of hope and repentance, offering ancient ways of seeing Christ that will feel new to readers of all denominational backgrounds.

The Orthodox Church embodies a living Tradition that integrates a long, unbroken practice of marriage with its theology, cosmology, liturgy, mystical asceticism, and anthropology.  As such, the Church has a great deal to offer all those who desire to come to a deeper understanding of marriage and family life.

This collection draws upon the riches of this Tradition to present an inspiring vision of Christian marriage, and to offer insights and guidance about marriage and family life that are adapted to modern questions and challenges, yet grounded firmly in the global teaching and practice of the Church.

The experienced clergy, scholars, and professionals contributing to this volume come from a wide variety of Orthodox Christian communities present in North America, including the Orthodox Church in America, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and the Antiochian, Greek, and Serbian Orthodox Archdioceses of America.

About the Editors:

Dr David C. Ford is Professor of Church History at St Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary, South Canaan, PA, and is the author of Women and Men in the Early Church: The Full Views of St. John Chrysostom.

Dr Mary S. Ford is Associate Professor of New Testament at St Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary. She and David C. Ford co-authored Marriage as a Path to Holiness: Lives of Married Saints.

Dr Alfred K. Siewers is Warden of Holy Protection Russian Orthodox Mission Church and Associate Professor of English at Bucknell University.

Infanticide.  Holy war.  Divine wrath.  Violence in the Old Testament has long been a stumbling block for Christians and skeptics alike.  Yet, conventional efforts to understand this violence--whether by downplaying it as allegory or a relic of primitive cultures, or by dismissing the authority of Scripture altogether--tend to raise more questions than they answer.

God Is a Man of War offers a fresh interpretation of Old Testament accounts of violence by exploring them through the twofold lens of Orthodox tradition and historical context.  Father Stephen De Young examines what these difficult passages reveal about the nature of Christ and His creation, bearing witness to a world filled not only with pain and suffering--often of human making--but also with the love of God.

This revised edition of Father Alexander Schmemann's Lenten classic examines the meaning of Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete and other neglected or misunderstood treasures of Lenten worship.  Schmemann draws on the Church's sacramental and liturgical tradition to suggest the meaning of "Lent in our life." 

The Lenten season is meant to kindle a "bright sadness" within our hearts.  Its aim is precisely the remembrance of Christ, a longing for a relationship with God that has been lost.  Lent offers the time and place for recovery of this relationship.  The darkness of Lent allows the flame of the Holy Spirit to burn within our hearts until we are led to the brilliance of the Resurrection.

We call ourselves “sinners” in much of our church life.  Yet the sinner identity—when done right—brings peace of mind, a clear conscience, and love for others.  Addressing topics like guilt, shame, and self-care, this compassionate guide will help you reflect on your life in surrender to God’s mercy. Written by an internationally recognized professor of Orthodox theology, this book will speak to you wherever you find yourself.

About the Author:  Peter C. Bouteneff (DPhil, University of Oxford) is associate professor of theology at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, New York.

Forget your old name. Forget your parents. These are the things Euphrosyne’s grandparents and counselor tell her.  But if Orthodox Christianity is a lie, why did the icon so dramatically save her life?  And what can she do to get the icon back?

In a post-Christian America, where going to church, praying, or owning holy things means death, a twelve-year-old girl searches for the truth.  Finding it may cost her everything.

Includes a Discussion Questions guide that can be used by book clubs, youth groups, homeschoolers, or anyone who'd like to start a conversation about this thought-provoking story!

Ages teens and up

Icons are an invitation to go beyond our world; to take a moment to look as through a window into heaven.

Experience how these beautiful icons help us live a good life, what they have to offer, what they did for Sister Faith, and what they can do for you.  This lovely gift book about approaching and praying with icons every day has over 60 full color images of Sister Faith's icons.  Each image is paired with inspirational words and creates a space that gives a wonderful and open access to reach out toward God and know Him deeply in a new way. 

These icons provide a place to gather our wandering attention and direct it toward God.

After 25 years of searching in the New Age, Metaphysical and Eastern Practices, I came back to Christ through the Eastern Orthodox Church.  I was raised a Western Catholic and fell away from the Church as did many in my generation in my late teens.

In my first book, The Pearl of Great Price, I tell the story of my conversion, lifetime of Western culture and twenty plus years of New Age and Eastern religious indoctrination did not simply wash away with my baptism.  In this sequel to my Pearl of Great Price, I explore what it means to be an Orthodox Christian.

In Orthodox Christianity we have the opportunity to embark on a remarkable journey in Christ in which we are transformed and gradually returned into the likeness of God by the grace of the Holy Spirit.  This regeneration requires thankfully enduring with love our sufferings for and in Christ, learning how to cooperate with the will of God in a sacred collaboration, willingly born from love, humility and obedience to Christ, our Beloved, our Saviour.

In this first part of my second book, I share my humorous and challenging struggles, my hard earned moments of grace, and the beginning of my life in Christ.  How does one find the way to Christ in one's heart while picking up one's cross and following the tried and proven path to salvatiobn laid before us by Christ and His Saints.  'Come and see!'

People were not created merely to live here on earth like animals that disappear after their death, but to live with God and in God, and to live not for a hundred or a thousand years, but to live eternally. So begins this direct and heart-warming introduction to the Christian life that was first composed for the Aleut people of Alaska in the early nineteenth century. This book offers a classic Christian response to questions that we all must address at some point in our life: Why are we here and where can we truly find happiness and prosperity? In a time when the futility of the never-ending pursuit of material gain is being recognized more widely, this work is more relevant then ever.

Since its first publication in Aleut in 1833, this book has been published in numerous Russian language editions and seven English language printings.  This new English language edition is further enhanced with points for reflection at the end of each section that can be used as an aid for further engagement with the text either individually or in a guided group study setting.

Saint Tikhon was born in 1724 near the end of the reign of Peter the Great near Novgorod.  Timothy, as was his name at the time, was the son of a poor parish official.  After the repose of his parents, his elder brother undertook his guardianship.

His studious years at seminary were accompanied by deprivation and hardships.  However, Timothy was endowed with many talents and became professor of ancient Greek before finishing his theological studies in 1754.  After the completion of his education, he yearned to dedicate his life to God.

Having been elevated to the rank of bishop, he focused his efforts on raising the level of monasticism, as well as developing the clergy.  This he did while zealously striving to fulfill the needs of the faithful at a turbulent time of change during the renovationist reigns of Russia's liberal sovereigns.

Against the backdrop of Russian high society's lack of Orthodox self-consciousness, the "Chrysostom of the Russian Church" eloquently wrote numerous works.  The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church made an anthology of all his works and published it under the title, Counsels on the Particular Duties of Every Christian.

This book is characterized by the abundant use of Holy Scriptures, as well as by its simplicity, grace, and persuasiveness.  In its pages, everyone of whatever age, rank, education, sex, and occupation will find spiritual problems presented along with their solutions.  At the same time, it is rich in compunctionate thought that leads to continual spiritual ascent and closer contact with God.

This enduring work, after 49 publications in Russian alone, has been especially beloved by the faithful, for it shows in a practical way the path to salvation and leads us on our own journey to heaven.

Over the centuries since the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Churches, the two groups have diverged to the point that they often no longer understand each other's vocabulary, let alone the fundamental concepts on which each faith is built.  Know the Faith is an attempt to present Orthodox Christianity in a way Western Christians can understand, grounding each point in Scripture and patristic theology, with comparisons to what Catholics and Protestants believe.

Whether you are an Orthodox Christian seeking to explain your faith to others or an inquirer into this ancient faith, Know the Faith will help you understand and communicate the Orthodox faith as never before.

This book offers an accessible and well organized synthesis of the ancient Christian understanding of death and the afterlife.  French philosopher and patrologist Jean-Claude Larchet draws both from Scriptures and a multiplicity of early Christian writings, both Greek and Latin, in demolishing false conceptions such as reincarnation, whilst setting forth with clarity an authentically Christian understanding.

The reader will gain understanding of both the time and modalities of the bodily resurrection, the nature of the Particular and the Universal judgments, and of the Church's intercessory prayer for the departed.  He notes that some divergences between eastern and western traditions have existed since the fifth century and argues that these became of much greater importance after the twelfth century, when the Roman Catholic Church developed the notion of Purgatory.

This work will be of benefit both to the Orthodox Christian reader in enhancing their own understanding of the Church's teaching, and to Roman Catholics, Protestants, and others who desire to become acquainted with the fullness of the Christian tradition on death ad the afterlife.  All will encounter the abundant heritage of "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

Losing someone we love is never easy, but the Orthodox Church provides a wealth of resources that help us to bear it.  Chaplain and bereavement counselor Sarah Byrne-Martelli draws on these theological, scriptural, and liturgical resources, as well as the collected experience of a variety of people undergoing grief and loss, to provide a kind of roadmap to the grieving process.  Included in the book is a guide to an eight-week bereavement curriculum that can be used in a group or on one’s own. As Orthodox Christians, we do not seek to "get over" grief but to carry the memory of our loved ones eternally in our hearts.

About the Author:  Sarah Byrne-Martelli is an Orthodox board-certified chaplain and bereavement counselor who has served in acute care, palliative care, and hospice since 2002.  In her role as a chaplain, she cares for patients and families who are facing serious illness, grief, and loss.  Sarah holds a DMin from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary and an MDiv from Harvard Divinity School.  She is on the Board of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion (OCAMPR).  Sarah attends St. Mary Orthodox Church in Cambridge, MA, with her husband, Dr. Peter Martelli, and their son, Rafael.

My Life in Christ has been read by millions, making it one of the most beloved modern works of Orthodox Christian spirituality.  In this new edition, the English translation has been thoroughly revised and freshly typeset to make St John's own words more accessible to today's reader.  The bite-sized reflections draw the reader in to the author's profound spiritual experience and love for Jesus Christ and the Church.  This new paperback edition is presented in a single, complete volume, together with scripture and subject indeces to aid the reader.

This is the kind of book you will return to time and time again.  Appropriate, relevant, and edifying reading for all Christians.

Ivan Ilyich Sergiev (1829-1908), known to his contemporaries as Fr. John of Kronstadt, was the most revered figure of the Orthodox Church in Russia in the half-century leading up to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917.  Fr. John's veneration grew even greater after his death, and in 1964 the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia formally recognized him as a Saint.

Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (ca. 347–407), is revered as the Church’s greatest homilist and interpreter of Holy Scripture. The present treatise, On the Providence of God, was his last work, written at the very end of his life, when he was in exile in the mountains of Armenia.  He wrote this work to encourage his faithful flock in Constantinople and elsewhere, who were in distress due to his unjust banishment and the political intrigue and persecutions surrounding it.  It is believed that he sent it to his spiritual daughter St. Olympias along with his last letter to her, asking her to “keep constantly coming back to it” as a source of spiritual strength amidst her own persecution.

In reading On the Providence of God, one marvels at how powerfully the author was able to affirm God’s goodness and love amidst the uncertain and ignominious circumstances in which he then found himself.  Again and again, St. John exhorted his beleaguered flock to patiently wait for the outcome of events, as had the righteous ones in the Old and New Testaments.  He brought forth as examples Job, Abraham, Joseph, King David, the Three Holy Youths, John the Baptist, Protomartyr Stephen, and many others, all of whom exhibited unwavering faith when, on the face of things, it looked as if all were lost.

St. John's meditations on God's loving care for the world were the fruit of his entire life, which he had lived in devotion to His Master Christ--and especially of his final years, when tat devotion, more than ever before, had been sorely put to the test.  It was with such faith and serene trust in his Lord that he came to the end of his earthly life in exile, and that he uttered his now-famous final words, "Glory be to God for all things!"

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica was one of the most renowned spiritual guides of Serbia in the twentieth century. As a novice he lived in obedience to Elder Ambrose of Miljkovo Monastery, a disciple of the Optina Elders. From him Fr. Thaddeus learned the Prayer of the Heart and the selfless love that came to characterize his whole ministry to the suffering Serbian people.

Born in 1914, Elder Thaddeus lived through all the suffering endured by Serbia in the twentieth century. Over the course of two World Wars, during the Communist takeover, and through the NATO bombings of 1999, he co-suffered with his people. He taught, counseled, and prayed for all who came to him in pain and sorrow. His words of love and hope provided spiritual balm for people from all classes of society.

In 2002 Elder Thaddeus reposed, leaving behind a large collection of his teachings, preserved by his faithful spiritual children. His life, teachings, and spiritual conversations are here presented for the first time in English.

Wolfman Tom was a ruthless murderer in nineteenth century Russia. This is the captivating true story of how God transformed this hardened criminal into a saint through the fire of repentance. Until the end of time, his story will be an example of repentance and salvation for anyone who has fallen deeply into sin.

Ages 12 years and up

On September 24, 1794, a small group of clergy and monks landed on the shores of Kodiak Island in Alaska.  They had been traveling for over a year from near Finland, through Siberia and across the ocean.  It was to be the longest missionary journey in history.  They had come to the shores of the new world to plant the Orthodox Church in America.

From that time until now, the Church has grown in size and witness.  Each generation bringing forth a new group of saints to guide the Church in America.  This book recounts the lives o these people and their work in planting Christ's Cross on American soil.  up until the present, the Church in America has canonized these twelve men because of their remarkable work and lives, their witness of holiness and sanctity, and the dedication of their lives and deaths to Christ.  The book also recounts the lives of three people who were influential in the spiritual growth of the Church.

The book includes Saints Herman, Juvenaly, Peter the Aleut, Innocent, Jacob, Tikhon, Alexis, Raphael of Brooklyn, New Martyr Alexander, John of Chicago, Nikolai Velimirovich., John of San Francisco, Metropolitan Leonty, and Archimandrite Sebastian and Matushka Olga of Alaska.

Fr. George A. Gray is the rector of St. Nicholas Church in Portland, Oregon.  This book is the latest reprint of the original.

It has been said that a major problem of our twenty-four-seven internet age is that people increasingly lack “purpose” and “meaning” in their lives.  And the most influential people of our day, the tech geniuses and self-help gurus, seem convinced that “we” are the ones who are to create this purpose or meaning for ourselves, just as we invent new technologies and self-help programs.  In this context, Sister Vassa Larin invites the Christian reader to rediscover a handy instrument from the toolbox of ancient Christian tradition, which can fill our every hour and every day with faith-based meaning and purpose:  the practice of praying and “commemorating” every weekday and every time of day, according to the traditioned, liturgical meaning of each day and hour.  Combining engaging theological explanations with practical prayer tips, Sister Vassa offers a simple and flexible way of living this prayer tradition, so it is sustainable even amidst a busy schedule.

Abouth the author:  Vassa Larin, an Orthodox Christian nun and liturgial scholar, is host of the online catechetical programs "Coffee with Sister Vassa."  She is the author of Reflections with Morning Coffee:  365 Daily Devotions for Busy People (2016).

Saint Theophan, while from a different era and country, has an uncanny ability to communicate with modern Westerners.  Raising Them Right provides both practical and spiritual insight into a variety of areas of concern to parents, such as baptism, guiding the spiritual and psychological development of children through their teens, and preserving grace in a child's life.  A fresh redesign of a spiritual classic.

"Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. . . . And those who preach faith, and enable and elevate it are intellectual slaveholders, keeping mankind in a bondage to fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction." -- Bill Maher

Many seem unaware that contemporary critiques of Christianity are relevant mostly to its modern offshoots (whose followers have to some extent earned Bill Maher's unflattering caricatures).  To its detriment, Christianity is increasingly identified in people's minds with these more recent expressions. As a result, a growing number of people are turning away from Christianity and, indeed, religious faith altogether.

Drawing from an eclectic group of theologians, clergy members, monastics, and lay scholars, this edited volume re-introduces Christianity to a modern audience.  It presents a more authentic, experiential side of Christianity to the religious skeptic; a side that eschews blind faith, legalism, and judgment; a side that is rarely given a hearing in the ongoing debate with today's skeptics.

Re-Introducing Christianity is also directed at modern Christians, and refutes their most frequently expressed criticisms of what the contributors boldly, but humbly, call the Apostolic Faith.

Roads Less Traveled, Journeys to Orthodoxy, V. Rev. David Fontes, General Editor.

Richard (Andrew) Cervin, Subdeacon Brett (John) Gainer, Robert (John) Hammond, and Deacon Joseph Salonga, Editors.

An introduction to the eastern Orthodox faith with stories from 13 contributing authors on how they converted to Orthodoxy.

From the back cover: What do a former Catholic Charismatic, a born-again Bible-belt Protestant, and a cradle Coptic Orthodox have in common? All found Christ, or found Him again, within the Orthodox Church. This collection of thirteen personal stories encompasses the huge variety of religious experience in America today, showing how Orthodoxy can be the culmination of their spiritual search for people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life.

The life of a princess isn't all fun-filled travel, manificent banquets, handsome princes, and beautiful clothes.  It's also devotion to duty, sacrifice for your people, and a lot of just plain hard work.  And if your country happens to suffer two world wars and a communist takeover in your lifetime, it means danger and suffering, exile and heartache as well.

Princess Ileana of Romania endured all this and more.  But her deeply rooted Orthodox faith saw her through it all, and eventually led her in her later years to the peaceful repose of monasticism.  But that life included sacrifice and hard work as well, because as Mother Alexandra she was called to build the first English-language Orthodox women's monastery in the United States--the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania.

Princess Ileana's story is a thrilling tale of love and loss, danger and rescue, sacrifice and reward.  Her inspiring life stands as a beacon of faith and holiness for young women of all times and nations to follow.

St. Nektarios was born in Silyvria of Thrace on October 1, 1846 and gave up his soul to the Lord on November 8, 1920 at an Athen hospital.  His baptismal name was Anastasios; the name Nektarios was given to him when he was ordained a deacon.

In 1886, after the completion of his studies, he returns to Alexandria of Egypt where he is ordained Archpriest of the Metropolis of Pentapolis.  His philanthropic deeds, the  love of his flock, and his saintly manners that begin to manifest themselves give rise to jealousy and slander.  As a result, he is expelled from Alexandria; an unjust act that caused him great suffering.

He arrives in Athens where he is treated with distrust while new tribulations, sorrows, and afflictions start to invade his life.  However, nothing can extinguish the fire that his burning heart has for love towards Jesus Christ and towards his fellow-men.

During the last years of his life he established the convent of Aegina, where he was also entombed.  Thus, his exemplary life left an unfading mark in the twentieth century; that of humility, perseverance, wise silence and hope.  In other words the mark of SAINTLINESS.

Saint Nikiforos (1887-1964) is a saint of our time. He suffered from Hansen's Disease, leprosy, in a time when little was known about the disease or potential cures. Lepers were forced to live in Leper colonies. Some lepers gave in to despair but others like Saint Nikiforos became leaders in the Orthodox Christian faith, true saints who suffered in love for Christ and his fellow man. He encouraged many people in his life and many miracles surround his life. Come, read about joy and love in suffering.

A saint and Equal of the Apostles of our own modern times, St. Nikolai personifies the ethos of Orthodox Christian evangelism.  Many are familiar with his Grace-filled and  tremendously fruitful mission in Japan, but little has been available in English until now.

This publication of Divine Ascent Press presents for the first time a collection of writings in English introducing the reader to St. Nikolai and the culture he encountered in Japan just as it was opening its doors to the world around it.

Articles written by several scholars and believers in Japan give new insight into his life and the struggles he faced as he tirelessly sought to fulfill the  call of the  Gospel.  We see St. Nikolai mirrored in his diaries, as well as in the  lives of his disciples, who were forever changed by their discovery of Orthodox Christianity through his  unique mission.

Volume 1 of Spiritual Counsels

This is the first volume of the series 'Spiritual Counsels of the Elder Paisios of Mount Athos'.  It is divided into four thematic parts. Each part is subdivided into chapters and every chapter into sections with the appropriate subheadings:

Part 1 Sin and the Devil
Part 2 Modern Civilization
Part 3 The Spirit of God and the Spirit of the World
Part 4 The Church in our Times

"How can a man feel truly consoled if he does not believe in God and in the true eternal life after death? When we grasp the deeper meaning of the true life, anxiety falls away, and divine consolation comes and we are healed." -Elder Paisios

The Blessed Elder Paisios was born on 25 July 1924.  From the time that he was a child, Elder Paisios lived an ascetic life, and was nourished by the lives of the Saints, whose feats he sought to imitate with great zeal and admirable precision.  He practiced unceasing prayer, cultivating all along the virtues of humility and love.  He led an ascetic life on Mount Athos, in the Holy Monastery of Stomion in Konitsa, and on Mount Sinai in Egypt.  He lived in obscurity, giving himself completely to God, and God in turn revealed him and gave him to the whole world.  He guided, consoled, healed and granted peace to multitudes of people who sought him.  His sanctified soul overflowed with divine love and his saintly face radiated the divine Grace.  All day long, he tirelessly gathered the human pain and imparted divine consolation.  He is the founder of the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologian in Souroti of Thessaloniki, Greece, which he also guided spiritually for twenty-eight years (1967-1994).  After suffering excruciating pains, which, as he used to say, benefited him more than the ascetic struggles of his entire life, he fell asleep in the Lord on 12 July 1994.

Volume 2 of Spiritual Counsels

This is the second volume of the series 'Spiritual Counsels of the Elder Paisios of Mount Athos'.  It is divided into five thematic parts. Each part is subdivided into chapters and every chapter into sections with the appropriate subheadings:

Part 1 The Responsibility of Love
Part 2 Struggle of Devoutness
Part 3 Spiritual Bravery
Part 4 Dependence on Heaven
Part 5 Spiritual Weapons

"The meaning of this life is to be prepared for our homeland, for Heaven, for Paradise. The most important thing is for man to grasp this most profound meaning of life, which is the salvation of the soul. When man believes in God and in the future life, then he understands the vanity of this present life and prepares his passport for the other life." -Elder Paisios

Volume 3 of Spiritual Counsels

This is the third volume of the series 'Spiritual Counsels of the Elder Paisios of Mount Athos'.  It is divided into five thematic parts. Each part is subdivided into chapters and every chapter into sections with the appropriate subheadings:

Part 1 The War of Thoughts
Part 2 Righteousness and Injustice
Part 3 Sin and Repentance
Part 4 The Evil Forces of Darkness
Part 5 The Power of Confession

"In our times, one of the greatest illnesses is the vain thoughts of worldly people... They are tormented simply through not facing up to things in a spiritual manner. When we accept whatever happens to us with a good and positive thought, we are helped; while on the contrary, we are tormented and come apart at the seams when negative and evil thoughts prevail." -Elder Paisios

Volume 4 of Spiritual Counsels

This is the fourth volume of the series 'Spiritual Counsels of the Elder Paisios of Mount Athos'.  It is divided into six thematic parts. Each part is subdivided into chapters and every chapter into sections with the appropriate subheadings:

Part 1 Supporting the Family
Part 2 Parents and Their Obligations
Part 3 Children and Their Obligations
Part 4 Spiritual Life
Part 5 The Trials in Our Life
Part 6 Death and the Future Life

From the Preface:

"From early on, the Elder took an active role within the great family of the Church, as he felt that he no longer belonged to his own small family. He acquired divine love and became a child of God. This is why he felt all people to be his brothers, and loved each and every one with the affection of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:8). He used to say to us, "When I see an old man, I say that he is my father. When I see an old woman, I say that she is my mother. When I see a young child, I see that child as my brother's child. I love everyone. For some I feel glad and for others I feel pain. Do you know what this is?" So, according to each one's circumstances, he would become their child, brother, father, grandfather. It was the sincerity of his love which helped whoever came to him to undergo the good transformation, to accept the word of God and to live accordingly. As a member of the Body of Christ, he not only prayed with pain for those who faced problems in their families, but he also helped with his advice, when it was asked for, for even the most private aspects of family life, even though he himself lived as an ascetic... On the one hand, the themes of this volume can help those who are struggling in the world, in order to continue the good fight (1 Tim 6:12) with greater zeal. On the other hand, these themes can awaken the conscience of people who are far from God and are enduring hardships, so that they may resolve to become conscientious members of the Church and enjoy, within the small community of their family, the peace and comfort provided by spiritual life..."

Volume 5 of Spiritual Counsels

This is the fifth volume of the series 'Spiritual Counsels of the Elder Paisios of Mount Athos'.  It is divided into two sections and multiple thematic parts. Each part is subdivided into chapters and every chapter into sections with the appropriate subheadings:

Section 1 The Passions

Part 1 Self-Love: The Source of Passions
Part 2 Pride, The Root of Evil
Part 3 Condemnation, the Great Injustice
Part 4 The Children of Self-Love and Pride

Section 2 The Virtues

Part 1 Humility, the Singular Virtue
Part 2 Spiritual love
Part 3 Nobility and Philotimo
Part 4 Children of Love and Humility

Written in the 'question/answer' format of previous volumes, these pages make the wisdom of this Orthodox Elder come alive to readers who can practically apply them in day-to-day life.

Because Elder Paisios draws on his experiences of living ‘in the world’ (carpenter, military radio operator) as well as what he learned from his interaction with people ‘living in the world’ who came to him for help, his words are easy for us to understand and accept. His style is disarming and practical, not ‘preachy’, intellectual or distant. He does not try to make everyone a monk but rather a humble, spiritual person who loves God and strives to know and keep His commandments.

Addictions and struggles with the passions are rampant in our culture.  Fr. Meletios Webber, an Orthodox priest with a doctorate in counseling, helps us to understand addiction and explores ways to overcome it.  He clearly and skillfully explains the Twelve Steps of the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.  In correlating the Twelve Steps with basic Orthodox theology, Fr. Mel identifies the implication of the Twelve Steps for Orthodox, and for all Christians.  Using examples from the life of the Orthodox Church, he shows how the Steps can be a valuable resource for our own spiritual journey.

Athanasios Katigas of Sykies (suburb of Thessaloniki, Greece) answered the divine call to a life of repentance after the fervent prayers of his quadriplegic childhood friend Savvas, and the sound instruction of a lay preacher, Panagiotis Panagiotides.  Thanasi used the therapeutic discipline of our Church, to free himself from the nets of human passions by practicing strict obedience under his seasoned spiritual father Triantafyllos Xeros.  Thanasi's love for Christ did not permit him to leave our Lord at home (as most of us do), but he took Him along on his daily route as a Cab driver.  Thanasi's zeal for the word of God initiated hundreds of spiritual conversations, awakenings and transformations in his cab, with clients from all walks of life.  Thanasi's genuine simplicity, a simplicity likened to the fishermen of Galilee served as pure oxygen for hundreds of souls that shared the space of his taxi, some battered and gasping for air from the oxidants of the secular lifestyle. 

In The Tears of Repentance, printed multiple times in Greece, and hailed by dozens of Bishops, Thanasi relives some of the most intriguing personal and life changing encounters in his 25-year taxi career.

Margaret Barker believes that Christian theology matured quickly because it was the return to a far older faith.  Those who preserved the ancient tradition rejected the second temple, and longed for the restoration of the original, true temple and the faith of Abraham and Melchizedek, the first priest-king.  In this fascinating discussion, the author refutes the scholarly assumption that crucial Christian concepts, such as the Trinity, the earth as a reflection of heaven, and the cosmic nature of the atonement, are informed by Greek culture.  Rather, she argues, they are drawn from the eclipsed faith of the first temple.

'[Margaret Barker's] interpretation of temple theology should not be ignored by anyone interested in Judaism and the origins of Christian faith.'
John McDade, Principal of Heythrop College, University of London

It is fashionable in our times to value youth over experience, novelty above tradition. This classic work stands in unmistakable contrast to this tendency. First published in its original Russian edition in the year of the author's death, it is the summation of his more than forty years experience of Christian and monastic life.

Like the sayings of the Fathers of the Egyptian desert, offered by monks to their fellow strugglers, the wisdom offered in these pages is ageless and of wide application to every aspect of life.  Tradition is revealed as an appropriation of Divine Life, passed on to others by both action and word.

The title given to the original English language edition The Arena has been kept as this aptly sums up its constant theme; the need for struggle if we are to progress in the spiritual life.  Life the gladiatorial combat of the Roman arena this struggle is against wild beasts and well-armed foes.  There are many watching; some shouting encouragement to the struggler and other cheering their foes.  All of this is occurring within the area of our own hearts as we do battle with the sin that prevents us from knowing God as He would be known.  As the now Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) writes in his foreword:

Such, then is Bishop Ignatius' basic theme:  he tells us of the struggle to be undertaken by every Christian in the spiritual arena.  He speaks to us all, whether monks or not, explaining how we may tame, control, and transform the beast within -- the lions and howling wolves of our inner jungle -- and so build in our hearts Jerusalem, the city of peace and unity.

The beginnings of prayer arise from the longing of the heart to know God, to rest in Him Who showed His love upon the precious Cross, to abide in the fullness of communion with Him. In the present book--a primer on prayer--Bishop Irenei first prepares the ground by helping us to count the cost (Luke 14:28) of our lives as Christians, to take stock of the spiritual struggle we must undertake if we are to ascend toward God in prayer. Then, based on a sober appraisal of our lowly condition and of the worldly and demonic influences that assail us, he helps us to adorn our inward beings as temples of prayer.

With an eye ever on the practical application of Orthodox Christian teaching to the spiritual life, the author raises our minds and hearts to a greater awareness of the holiness and majesty of God, and at the same time of the potential for us--unworthy though we are--to enter into intimate communion with Him. This awareness inspires us to explore with the author the depths of prayer, and to strive more fervently toward eternal life in Christ--the end for which we have been created.

World-famous pioneering surgeon, tortured confessor, archbishop and miracle-worker--Saint Luke is one of the most intriguing victims of Soviet oppression.  Outspoken regarding his faith--he would lecture on surgery in universities wearingh is cassock and cross--he was exiled and tortured multiple times. Yet the authorities could not deny his exceptional medical skills:  he was appointed as a chief surgeon overseeing the treatment of injured soldiers during World War II, and he received the Stalin award for his innovative surgical work.

This book documents his personal struggles, his self-sacrificing love for patients, his miracles, and his bold spiritual guidance during the Church's most difficult period in Russia.

Young Katherine, born into noble wealth with an insatiable hunger for knowledge, surpasses even her tutors when it comes to learning. But her learning counts for nothing when she meets the only man worthy of her - her heavenly Bridegroom. Trading worldly knowledge for eternal wisdom, Katherine challenges even the emperor himself - and he prepares a cruel invention to break her. Meet this great bride of Christ in the second graphic novel in the Among the Saints series - written to inspire both children and adults.

Meet this great man in Ancient Faith Publishing's second graphic novel--the first in our Among the Saints series--written to inspire both children and adults.

Ages teens and up

He lost his wealth.

He lost his family.

He lost his station.

He endured it all ...

To Gain Everything.

Roman Commander Placidas was a man of great power and influence.  He and his family wanted for little, yet he knew there had to be more to life.  Once baptized into the Christian faith as Eustathius, he faced trials beyond anything he had ever experienced on the battlefield.  His faith was challenged, but that same faith gained him eternal life. 

Meet this great man in Ancient Faith Publishing's first graphic novel--the first in our Among the Saints series--written to inspire both children and adults.

Ages teens and up

The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ are central events in our salvation. Yet few Christians have a good grasp of the first-century historical and religious context in which the Crucifixion took place, nor of its true significance for the people of that time—and hence for our time as well. Biblical scholar Dr. Jeannie Constantinou puts modern readers in the center of the events of Christ's Passion, bringing the best of modern scholarship to bear while keeping her interpretation faithful in every particular to the Orthodox Tradition.

About the Author: Dr. Eugenia Constantinou is the author of the best-selling book Thinking Orthodox and host of the popular podcast Search the Scriptures Live! on Ancient Faith Radio. She has been a professor and visiting lecturer on the Bible, patristic interpretation of Scripture, and early Christianity at Orthodox and non-Orthodox universities and schools of theology. She holds master’s degrees in theology from the University of San Diego, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, and Harvard Divinity School; a juris doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law; and a Ph.D. from Université Laval in Quebec City in the history of biblical interpretation. She is married to Fr. Costas, a Greek Orthodox priest.

DEATH MUST FIND US READY.  THE SAINTS WILL HELP US TO BE PREPARED.

What happens to our soul at the hour of its departure from this world? What is waiting for us in the next life? Are we ready for the final journey to the meeting with God?

The most certain thing in life is death. And yet so few have sure knowledge of what happens at that hour, the most critical hour of our existence. The reader's edition of The Departure of the Soul includes the most vivid and gripping accounts from the comprehensive 1,112-page master reference edition—accounts of the departure of the soul as revealed by God to His saints. They experienced the mystery, they saw the departure, and they returned from that awesome spectacle to teach us how to be prepared.

With the thoughtfulness of a pilgrim and the prose of a poet, Scott Cairns takes us on a soul-baring journey through "the puzzlement of our afflictions."  Probing ancient Christian wisdom for revelation in his own pain, Cairns challenges us toward a radical revision of the full meaning and breadth of human suffering.  Clear-eyed and unsparingly honest, Cairns points us toward hope in the seasons of our afflictions, because "in those trials in our lives that we do not choose but press through--a stillness, a calm, and a hope become available to us."

“The extreme greatness of Christianity lies in the fact that it does not seek a supernatural remedy for suffering, but a supernatural use for it.” –Simone Weil

“Like most people I, too, have been blindsided by personal grief now and again over the years.  And I have an increasingly keen sense that, wherever I am, someone nearby is suffering now.  For that reason, I lately have settled in to mull the matter over, gathering my troubled wits to undertake a difficult essay, more like what we used to call an assay, really—an earnest inquiry.  I am thinking of it just now as a study in suffering, by which I hope to find some sense in affliction, hoping—just as I have come to hope about experience in general—to make something of it.” –from the book

Is there meaning in our afflictions? With the thoughtfulness of a pilgrim and the prose of a poet, Scott Cairns takes us on a soul-baring journey through “the puzzlement of our afflictions.”  Probing ancient Christian wisdom for revelation in his own pain, Cairns challenges us toward a radical revision of the full meaning and breadth of human suffering.  Clear-eyed and unsparingly honest, this new addition to the literature of suffering is reminiscent of The Year of Magical Thinking as well as the works of C. S. Lewis. Cairns points us toward hope in the seasons of our afflictions, because “in those trials in our lives that we do not choose but press through—a stillness, a calm, and a hope become available to us.”

Chaste and ardent eros for the Beautiful is the first task of human life, and falling in love with Beauty is the beginning of every adventure that matters …

The original task of Ethics was to guideus to the most just and meaningful life possible.  Today, ethicists define their discipline more narrowly as "The rational investigation of morality."  This reduces Ethics to an examination of the Good by the True, tacitly suppressing the deep human need for the Beautiful.

In The Ethics of Beauty, Orthodox Christian theologian Timothy Patitsas first considers Beauty’s opposite, the dark events that traumatize victims of war and other ugly circumstances, and then invites us to rediscover the older Beauty-first approach to moral reasoning and the integrity of the soul.

Covering topics ranging from creation to political theory to the Jesus Prayer, including war, psychology, trauma, chastity, healthy shame, gender, marriage, hospitality, art, architecture, theology, economics, urban planning, and complexity theory, The Ethics of Beauty lays out a worldview in which Beauty, Goodness, and Truth are recognized as indispensable elements of the best possible human life.

A book much needed, and unlike anything that has appeared in the English language on this subject, The Heavenly Banquet is more than a liturgical commentary.  With an abundance of copiously documented biblical citations and rich patristic references, the Divine Liturgy is explained line by line, word by word.  This book holds answers to all kinds of complex liturgical, social, and theological questions.

In-depth, yet easy to follow, written in simple, understandable language, this book will aid Catechists and instructors who can draw from its abundant material for presentation and discussion.  This work will be of great benefit to any Orthodox Christian who seeks to obtain a better understanding of the Divine Liturgy.  The richness and the thoroughness of the subjects treated in it make The Heavenly Banquet a treasure.

Why are modern Christians so indistinguishable from everyone else?

How come Christians who lived in times of bloody persecution were so heroic, while we who live in safety are not?

"The Church welcomes the lenten spring with a spirit of exultation...with the enthusiasm of a child... The tone of the church services is one of brightness and light."  Thus the author begins the first of forty meditation on Great Lent, casting out the gloom and darkness with which many Christians approach this holy season and revealing, in a simple, clear and beautiful manner, its true meaning.

In his meditations, Fr. Hopko draws on his long experience as a pastor and teacher, working with young and old throughout the country, to present to the modern reader the relevance of the Church's two-thousand-year-old tradition of preparing to greet our Lord's Resurrection.  But in so doing he also makes extensive use of all facets of church tradition from all times--inspiring scriptural and liturgical passages from the lenten services, the spiritual wisdom of the ancient saints and fathers, as well as the teachings of modern guides to the Christian life.

All Christians who undertake the yearly journey to the blessed Pascha of our Lord will find inspiration and guidance in these meditations.  All can enjoy reading and rereading them and share in the profound thoughts of the author as they make their own spiritual way through this holy season.

The Life in Christ by Nicholas Cabasilas is a remarkable product of Byzantium's last great flowering of theology. At a time when secular humanism was increasingly asserting man's complete autonomy, Cabasilas proclaimed that man's true life lies not in himself, but in Christ. For him, man's redemption in Jesus Christ is not just a matter of history which can be elucidated simply by scholarly endeavor.  It is a saving event in which man is called to participate here and now, in body and spirit as well as intellect, through the sacramental life of the Church.

The present translation makes this devotional classic available for the first time in English, while the extensive introduction by Boris Bobrinskoy assesses its place within the history of eastern spirituality.

Cabasilas' Commentary on the Divine Liturgy is also available from St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. Like The Life in Christ, it is imbued with fervent sacramental mysticism which draws on that enduring source of Orthodox spirituality, the Church's liturgical life.

Our Father among the Saints, Philaret lived during the years of the Emperor Constantine and the Empress Irene in the eighth century.  He was from the town of Amneia in Paphlagonia, which is under the metropolis of Gangra.  This blessed one was truly philaretos -- "a lover of virtue" -- for he was both godly and virtuous in his acts and very wealthy in body and soul.

(+ 1 December, 789)

Thousands of readers and listeners have benefited from the fatherly wisdom and insight of The Morning Offering, the blog and podcast of Abbot Tryphon of All-Merciful Saviour Monastery, Vashon Island, Washington.

Now Abbot Tryphon's reflections on faith and contemporary life have been collected in book form, with one entry for each day of the year. Start your day with The Morning Offering and keep yourself oriented toward Christ all through the day.

This book contains six talks by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra (Mt. Athos), focusing on select passages from the Chapters on Love by St Maximos the Confessor.  More than a simple commentary, these talks offer a profound yet approachable introduction to the principles and practice of Orthodox spirituality.

Discover how icons can become part of your own life of prayer.

Encounter twelve of the world’s most significant Orthodox icons with one of today’s best-loved spiritual writers as your guide.

“The Open Door provides an open window into a radically different approach to spiritual formation, one that is more ancient/Eastern than modern/Western, one that feels refreshingly new as well as seasoned, rich, and time-tested.” —Brian McLaren, author of Everything Must Change and A Generous Orthodoxy

Since its first publication fifty years ago, Timothy Ware's book has become established throughout the English-speaking world as the standard introduction to the Eastern Christianity. In this fully revised and updated third edition he explains the Orthodox views on such widely ranging matters as Free Will, Purgatory, the Papacy and the relation between the different Orthodox Churches, making this the definitive guide for both Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike.

The Orthodox Study Bible was the fruit of over twenty years of labor by many of the best Orthodox Christian theologians of our time.  It includes numerous study guides and teachings that bring to our modern world the mind of the ancient Christian Church.  It is the first ever full-length (Old and New Testaments) Orthodox Study Bible in English.

This special Ancient Faith Edition (released 2019) contains the identical content from the previous, most current release of the Orthodox Study Bible, including the same commentaries, notes, supplemental articles, and full-color icons and maps along with a quality ribbon marker as well as an additional eight pages of Orthodox prayers.

This book is a general account of the doctrine, worship and life of Orthodox Christians by the author of the now classic The Orthodox Church.  It raises the basic issues of theology:  God is hidden yet revealed; the problem with evil; the nature of salvation; the meaning of faith; prayer; death and what lies beyond.  In so doing, it helps to fill the need for modern Orthodox catechism.  Yet this book is not a mere manual, a dry-as-dust repository of information.  Throughout the book, Bishop Kallistos Ware shows the meaning of Orthodox doctrine for the life of the individual Christian.  Doctrinal issues are seen not as abstract propositions for theological debate but as affecting the whole of life.

A wealth of texts drawn from theologians and spiritual writers of all ages accompanies Bishop Kallistos' presentation.  They, too, reveal Orthodoxy not just as a system of beliefs, practices and customs but indeed as the Way.

Steeped in the Philokalic tradition, the holy Hierarch Theophan was a prolific writer and interpreter of the holy Fathers of the Church, making them accessible to contemporary Christians. Patristic literature has always provided an age-old, tried-and-tested model of spiritual life, foreign to fleeting fashions. St. Theophan keeps this traditional model sharp and clear, presenting it in an approachable language. In this book, his crowning achievement, the Saint himself expresses its precise aim as follows:

It is possible to describe the feelings and inclinations which a Christian must have, but this is very far from being all that is demanded for the ordering of one’s salvation.  The important thing for us is a real life in the spirit of Christ.  But just touch on this, and how many perplexities are uncovered, how many guideposts are necessary, as a result, almost at every step!  True, one may know man’s final goal:  communion with God and one may describe the path to it:  faith, and walking in the commandments, with the aid of divine grace.  One need only say in addition:  Here is the path—start walking!

Travel with me through my journey to find The Pearl of Great Price, that treasure of spirituality, which “I sold all to obtain” (Rom 8:32).

The first part of my book, My Labyrinth, begins with the description of my family’s search for a better life in America, and the rich spiritual and cultural heritage I inherited from my ancestors. As my life unfolds, my journey takes me away from that heritage, God and the Catholic Church into the seeming serenity and release from suffering offered by Eastern Religions and New Age movements.

In Part Two of my book, The Battle for my Soul, I slowly, and at times painfully, realize that the majority of my spiritual seeking was in reaction to or avoidance of many incomplete issues from my past - most especially relating to the Catholic Church, and Christianity in general. When I learn to take responsibility for my past and to trust others, I am finally able to approach my relationship with God and the Church in a new and sincere manner.

The third part of my book, My Conversion, gives readers an in-depth window into the process of Christian conversion and the teachings of ancient Christianity that can be found in the Eastern Orthodox Church. May my story will encourage you in your spiritual searching. As St. Matthew tells us, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.”

This brochure explains the basic elements of one of the three* most common Orthodox services that non-Orthodox family and friends are likely to attend, emphasizing the ways in which these services differ from the typical Protestant or secular equivalents.

*Baptism/Chrismation, Marriage, Funeral

This brochure explains the basic elements of one of the three* most common Orthodox services that non-Orthodox family and friends are likely to attend, emphasizing the ways in which these services differ from the typical Protestant or secular equivalents.

*Baptism/Chrismation, Marriage, Funeral

Every monastery exudes the scent of holiness, but women's monasteries have their own special flavor.  Join Constantina Palmer as she makes frequent pilgrimages to a women's monastery in Greece and absorbs the nuns' particular approach to their spiritual life.  If you're a woman who's read of Mount Athos and longed to partake of its grace-filled atmosphere, this book is for you.  Men who wish to understand how women's spirituality differs from their own will find it a fascinating read as well.

This brochure explains the basic elements of one of the three* most common Orthodox services that non-Orthodox family and friends are likely to attend, emphasizing the ways in which these services differ from the typical Protestant or secular equivalents.

*Baptism/Chrismation, Marriage, Funeral

According to the Orthodox tradition, the Lord’s Prayer is the key to all prayer.  Indeed, a careful survey of the great treasures of our Fathers on the subject of prayer indicates that all genuine prayers are related to the Lord’s Prayer, and that the latter represents a fullness which is not to be found elsewhere.  In the earliest manual of Church life and order, the Didache of the Twelve Apostles (1st c.), the recital of the Lord’s Prayer three times daily is mentioned as an obligation for the faithful.  This is reiterated in the seventh book of the Apostolic Constitutions (ch. 24), a later manual (3rd c.), which deals with “the manner of life of the Christians, the Divine Eucharist and Christian Initiation.”

Once, in the middle of the dance floor at some annual ball, a young lady had a sudden glimpse of the immortality of her soul; and as this vision flashed upon her inward eye, she was struck with the thought that all this swirling around the dance floor was utterly futile.  Amazed and disturbed, she wrote to the recluse:

“Is this normal, or is it a morbid hindrance to a desire for a happy life in the world?”  The answer to her question evoked the correspondence which resulted in this volume.

St. Theophan the Recluse, possessing a rare degree of patristic scholarship, combined with a thorough understanding of the soul of contemporary people, was enabled to formulate a genuine understanding of spiritual life for modern man.  He made this understanding accessible to the average person, for he knew that each “average person” is the possessor of an immortal soul, and each soul is to be attuned here upon earth to live eternally with God in Paradise.

In this book, rightly called a primer for spiritual life, St. Theophan with fatherly care leads the reader with a gentle yet firm approach on the narrow way to which we are called, but also explains life and all that it can bring in a light that stresses hope, forgiveness and mercy.

May our love for the Sun, the will of God, be as strong as the sunflower's, so that even in days of hardship and sorrow we will continue to sail unerringly along the sea of life, following the directions of the barometer and compass of God's will that leads us to the safe haven of eternity.
--St. John of Tbolosk

This is a thoroughly practical manual of the spiritual life that focuses on the central goal of every Christian:  discerning the will of God and struggling to mold our life to it, just as Christ "humbled Himself and became obedient" (Philippians 2:8).

Saint John addresses fundamental questions:  Why should we care about God's will? What are the benefits in following His will? How do we avoid common obstacles to living in accordance with His will?  The reader will find practical and eternal wisdom running through these writings that discuss the perennial questions of why a good God permits evil.  This is the first English edition of St. John's text, edited and abbreviated for the contemporary reader.

From the author of The Scent of Holiness, The Sweetness of Grace is a collection of stories derived from conversations with Orthodox nuns, monks, and laypeople, along with experiences of Orthodox life in South Korea, Greece, and North America.  These stories of faith, courage, struggle, and everday miracles will inspire and delight you.

"[This book] offers us fresh insight into the mystery of evil, sin, and illness, and their place within our struggle toward holiness ... It gives us renewed hope, by locating the 'problem of pain"'in a profoundly theological framework, in which ultimate resolution of the mystery of illness and suffering is provided by the healing touch of Christ Himself, the Physician of our souls and bodies." -- From the Foreward by John Breck

Jean-Claude Larchet's The Theology of Illness, already translated into several languages, now appears in English and explores biblical and patristic perspectives on sickness and redemptive suffering. The questions Larchet considers are fundamental: the origin of sin in a fallen world, its impact on physical health, and the healing of human nature by the incarnate Son of God. He explains healing as a means of glorifying God, stressing again the crucial role of prayer and sacramental grace in promoting genuine health. When illness plunges us into unfamiliar territory, even to the point of death, Larchet teaches us to marshal spiritual reserves in a society dominated by technology and materialism. In a time when the physician has been dubbed the high priest of the god of Modern Medicine, Larchet encourages us to situate these crucial experiences within the framework of their relationship to the unique reality of the Holy Trinity.

The prayer of the heart, or the "Jesus Prayer," is a practice that comes from the tradition of Eastern Christian spirituality.  Its fruits are detachment from all anxious cares, enlightenment of the intellect, and a heart that bubbles over with love for all creation.  The Way of the Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way are intimate firsthand accounts of a life illuminated by the prayer.  The anonymous narrator, carrying little more than a Bible, some dried bread, and a prayer rope, walked across nineteenth-century Russia repeating it, recording his experiences in his effort to put into practice the words of Saint Paul, "Pray without ceasing."

The text is accompanied by a never-before-translated appendix from the Russian edition that gives instruciton and advise on practicing the Jesus Prayer--including translations of some of the texts from the Philokalia referred to in The Way of a Pilgrim.

Elder Aimilianos played an important role in the contemporary revival of monastic life on Mt. Athos, where he served as the abbot of the Monastery of Simonopetra from 1973 until his retirement in 2000.  His remarkable gifts as a spiritual guide and teacher are evident in this outstanding collection of twelve talks, which uniquely illuminate the mystery of the human encounter with God.  The struggle with the self, the deeper meaning of asceticism, the dynamic nature of spiritual growth, the centrality of Scripture and Liturgy, and the relationship of believers to the Holy Spirit, are among the many themes explored in this challenging and thought-provoking book.  The energy and immediacy of the original texts is well captured in this superlative translation, which is supported by a wide-ranging introduction, extensive notes, and indices.

"When the winter begins to make way into the Northern World, the Church of Christ begins to celebrate 'a splendid three-day Pascha.'"  Thus Father Thomas Hopko begins the first of forty meditations for the season of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, ending with the feast of the Meeting of the Lord in the Temple on the fortieth day after Christ's birth.  In the style of his popular book for the paschal fasting season, The Lenten Spring, the author again draws on the biblical readings and liturgical hymns and verses of the season to illumine the way for believers to follow the Church's days of preparation and celebration for the Coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in human flesh.  Many references are made to the writings of the saints and Church Fathers, as well as to contemporary Christian teachers and spiritual guides.  All those who love the Lord's Coming will find comfort and strength, as well as enlightenment and instruction, for having passed through the Winter Pascha with this book as their companion.

What does it mean to "think Orthodox"?  What are the unspoken and unexplored premises and presumptions underlying what Christians believe?  Orthodox Christianity is based on preserving the mind of the early Church, its phronema.  Dr. Jeannie Constantinou brings her more than forty years' experience as a professor, Bible teacher, and speaker to bear in explaining what the Orthodox phronema is, how it can be acquired, and how that phronema is expressed in true Orthodox theology--as practiced by those who are properly qualified by both training and a deep relationship with Christ.

Many laypeople have attempted to read the great spiritual classic, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, but have been frustrated in attempting to apply the lessons of this monastic text to their everyday lives in the world.  Archimandrite Vassilios interprets the Ladder for the ordinary Christian without sacrificing any of its beauty and power.  Now you too can accept the challenge offered by St. John Climacus to ascend closer to God with each passing day.

Traditions of the Healing Church is written with you in mind if you are:  curious about the Orthodox Faith, a catechumen, interested in Eastern vs. Western Christianity, or seeking to share your Orthodox faith with others.

It is based on talks presented at conferences of the Brotherhood of Saint Moses the Black in Denver and Newark.

Volume 2 of the Transformative Wisdom Series

Anxiety, Trust, and Gratitude is for any reader who desires to confront the angst of our times through living a more intentional life according to biblical precepts.  The essays are based on talks presented at the 16th, 18th, and 25th annual conferences of the Fellowship of Saint Moses the Black, a pan-Orthodox, multi-racial ministry.

Early Church writers define anxiety as a natural consequence of fallen human nature.  Holy Scriptures give us trust and gratitude toward God as the remedy.  What holds us back from practicing these essential virtues?  How can we overcome the spiritual and psychological stumbling blocks?

The Transformative Wisdom Series engages the themes of spiritual, personal, and societal transformation, bringing to bear the timeless wisdom of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the cumulative wisdom of contemporary Western psychotherapies.

Volume 1 of the Transformative Wisdom Series

Illumining Shame, Anger, and Forgiveness examines these intrinsic human experiences through the complementary lenses of biblical faith and modern psychology.  How does shame remind us that we have lost Paradise?  What does anger have to do with family and social roles?  How can we learn to welcome returning “prodigals”?

The Transformative Wisdom Series engages the themes of spiritual, personal, and societal transformation, bringing to bear the timeless wisdom of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the cumulative wisdom of contemporary Western psychotherapies.

Volume 3 of the Transformative Wisdom Series

Loneliness or Fruitful Longing is for pastors, counselors, and people seeking hope for their own loneliness. It expands on a talk originally delivered at the 20th annual Ancient Christianity and Afro-American Conference, a ministry of the Brotherhood of Saint Moses the Black.

Loneliness is at the root of many of our great personal and societal ills.  It contributes to:  physical health problems; mental health concerns; marital distress and divorce; and suicide, abortion, and more.

Learn what you can do to combat loneliness in your own life and the lives of people you care about.  There is an African proverb:  "It takes a village to raise a child."  It also takes a village to raise us out of loneliness.  Welcome to that village--we are doing this together.

The Transformative Wisdom Series engages the themes of spiritual, personal, and societal transformation, bringing to bear the timeless wisdom of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the cumulative wisdom of contemporary Western psychotherapies.

Volume 4 of the Transformative Wisdom Series

Race, Identify, and Reconciliation is for anyone who seeks to be part of the conversation on the shifting paradigms of our times.  The chapters are expanded from talks presented at the 22nd and 23rd annual conferences of the Brotherhood of Saint Moses the Black, a pan-Orthodox, multi-racial ministry.

Different regional views on human value, race, and faith are at the heart of an ongoing national struggle over the identity and direction of the U.S.  What insights can the Orthodox Church contribute as an expression of Christianity that was not involved in African slave trade or economy?

The Transformative Wisdom Series engages the themes of spiritual, personal, and societal transformation, bringing to bear the timeless wisdom of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the cumulative wisdom of contemporary Western psychotherapies.

Our first parents departed from what it means to be truly human when they ate from the forbidden tree. Ever since, humans have been working with corrupted minds and wills, employing a distorted approach to life. Kevin Scherer calls this psycho-logic, and he knows how it can lead us on a downward spiral to misery. How do we get back to the Garden? By allowing Christ to renew our minds, using the tried-and-true spiritual practices of the Orthodox Faith.

This spiritual classic was written by Lorenzo Scupoli, a sixteenth-century Venetian priest. Immensely popular in its own day, it was ranked by Francis de Sales with the Imitation of Christ. In the general rapport between Western and Eastern Christendom, it reached Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, who first recognized its immense spiritual worth, and later, in the nineteenth century, by Theophan the Recluse, both of whom edited and translated the work.

Rich in its references to the teachings of the saints and Fathers, Unseen Warfare combines the insights of West and East on that spiritual combat which is the road to perfection and the stripping away of all that militates against it. Staretz Theophan wrote in his foreword, "the arena, the field of battle, the site where the fight actually takes place is our own heart and all our inner man. The time of battle is our whole life." Unseen Warfare is a perfect complement to the Philokalia.

Translated by E. Kadloubovsky & G.E.H. Palmer

Holy Baptism is the Mystery during which a person is born again and recreated; the image of God within is restored, formerly shattered by Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Paradise.  St. Paul emphasizes the significance of the Mystery of Holy Baptism:  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal. 3: 27) 

This means that at Holy Baptism, we put on Christ, and at Sacred Chrismation, we receive the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit!  When St. Synclitike (commemorated January 5th) was persuaded by the syncretists to explain the benefit of Holy Baptism, she said to them:  “In the present life we are born three times:  The first time, when we go forth from our mother’s womb, coming from the earth to the earth.  The other two times we are born, we rise from the earth to heaven.  Of these two second births, one is brought about by divine Grace at Holy Baptism and is rightly called rebirth and regeneration.  The other is also brought about by divine Grace, when we repent…” The saints interpreted the Mystery of Holy Baptism as a revelation of the measure of the love of Christ for mankind.

It was this divine Love, which we ourselves have experienced, that urged us to author the present book.  Indeed, it was sufficient to motivate us to offer this effort to everyone who has been baptized!  We developed the present book according to the order of the Service of Holy Baptism, as it is described in the Euchologion of our Church–recognizing that it is entirely possible to encounter examples of small alterations to the order of the celebration of the rite which do not affect the essence of the Mystery. 

The drawings in the book and the juxtaposition of the narratives from the Book of Elders and Lives of the Saints (Gerontiko and Synaxaria), are intended to assist the untaught in approaching this sacred Mystery.

This rich, compact introduction to the Eastern Christian spiritual tradition provides insightful reflections on self-control and inner peace. Colliander includes succinct yet profound extracts from the spiritual Fathers, with illuminating commentary and practical applications for daily devotion. Tempering austerity with common sense, warmth, and even humor, the author writes as much for persons living fully in the world as for monastics. Way of the Ascetics is an excellent resource for daily meditation, authentic spiritual guidance, and a revitalized religious life.

Welcome to the Orthodox Church—its history, theology, worship, spirituality, and daily life. This friendly guide provides a comprehensive introduction to Orthodoxy, but with a twist:  readers learn by making a series of visits to a fictitious church, and get to know the faith as new Christians did for most of history, by immersion.  Mathews-Green provides commentary and explanations on everything from how to “venerate” an icon, to the Orthodox understanding of the atonement, to the Lenten significance of tofu.  It’s the perfect book for inquirers and newcomers, but even readers who have been Orthodox all their lives say they learned things they never knew before.  Enjoyable, easy-to-read, and leavened with humor, Welcome to the Orthodox Church is a gracious guide to the ancient faith of the Christian East.

What do Orthodox Christians believe about the Second Coming of Christ? About divorce? About abortion? About spiritual gifts?  Compiled as a practical A to Z handbook of basic Orthodox teaching on a variety of subjects.

This book contains the homilies as well as the wondrous life of the Abbess of blessed memory, the venerable Gerondissa Makrina Vassopoulou.

“The venerable Makrina was blessed. All who read her discourses with prayer will sense the fragrance of Gerondissa’s prayer, the scent of the desert of Mt. Athos as it was experienced in a coenobitic monastery, the spiritual life of this true child of true hesychast fathers, and true mother of blessed nuns.” -Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos

“Her simple speech speaks to the hearts of all, for it comes from her authentic, holy experiences…. A person of praxis and theoria, Gerondissa was rich in virutes, and she was and still is a guide of others toward Christ and a model of authentic spiritual person, when virtuous examples to follow are becoming increasingly difficult to find." -Stavros Kourousis, Professor Emeritus, University of Athens

Saint Porphyrios, a Greek monk and priest who died in 1991, was formally glorified as a saint by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in November 2013.  He stands in the long tradition of charismatic spiritual guides in the Eastern Church which continues from the apostolic age down to figures such as Saint Seraphim of Sarov and Staretz Silouan in modern times. In this book he tells the story of his life and, in simple, deeply reflected and profoundly wise words, he expounds the Christian Faith today.