Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches Books

This volume brings together a set of fundamental contributions, many translated into English for this publication, along with an important introduction. Together these explore the role of Greek among Christian communities in the late antique and...

Collected here are two Latin letters, the correspondence between Coenwulf and Pope Leo III regarding the episcopal districts of the Anglo-Saxon church. These letters would lead to the creation of the new archdiocese under royal patronage, the direct...

This work, which survives only in a fragmentary form, belongs to the Syriac church father, St. Theodore of Mopsuestia, 5th century bishop of Antioch, dealing with the questions of Christian morality and the biblical genesis of mankind. It only survives...

This work, frequently misattributed to St. Augustine of Hippo, is a biblical exegesis of the problem of pain and civil collapse. This theme is not arising out of a cultural vacuum. Our author, the 5th century bishop of Carthage, was captured by the...

In this letter Pope Stephen V informs Svatopluk I, the king of the Slavs (Moravians), along with all the nobles and people of the nation, that God chose the institution of the papacy to be be his protector in all matters. The pope embraces him as a...

Ex commisso nobis was a papal bull issued on July 7, 1136 by Pope Innocent II in Pisa. His election six years earlier prompted a schism in the Western Church. The Polish church supported the appointment of the Antipope Anacletus II, while St. Norbert,...

In this work, Boethius discusses the question of the eternity of the world, whether it is a permanent fixture, and therefore static, or it has a distinctive beginning and end. Boethius employs Aristotelian thought and scholastic methods to come to this...

Industriae tuae is a papal bull of Pope John VIII, issued in June of 880, which the Pope sent to Prince Svätopluk as a reaction to the Great Moravian delegation being sent to Rome. This document legitimatizes the political power of the king, who is...

Non Parum Animus Noster is a papal bull issued by Pope Alexander III in September of 1171 to promote a military venture against the Estonian tribes. He calls upon the various Christian kingdoms of the the North, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway to organize...

This is a collection of eleven relatively brief documents, mostly of papal origin, which deal with the establishment of the church in Scandinavia. They deal with the establishment of the mission at Hamburg, under Imperial protection, and the attempt to...

Magnus Haakonsson was King of Norway from 1263 to 1280, and the forefather of the modernization and nationalization of the Norwegian law-code, after which he is known as "Magnus the Law-mender". During his tenure as king,he also sought to further draw...

This is a collection of seventeen years from the German king, Louis II, relating to his dealings with the Slavic tribes who occupy his eastern frontier. Most of these letters are works of confirmation, offering church lands and endowments to various...

Magnus VI, King of Norway, develop in his lifetime the reputation for the amending of Norway's ancient legal code, and granting specific definitions for the role of the king, his role privileges, protections allotted under the law to gentrymen, and the...

Boethius of Dacia, or more accurately Boethius of Dania, was a 13th century Danish philosopher who was inspired by the growing Aristotelian revolution taking place in European universities. For Boethius, philosophy was the primary task of all mankind...

This is a short collection of the ecclesiastical works of the emperor Charles II the Bald during his Carolingian reform of the Frankish church. This includes documents relating to the coronation of the Emperor Judith, a charter for royal national synod,...

Upon the ascension of Edgar to the Anglo-Saxon throne, he immediately sought to reform the English church with the assistance of St. Dunstan, the former bishop of London. He held this council to alter several policies regarding the governance of the...

This work, a letter from St. Aelfric to Wilfinus, bishop of Sherborne, is perhaps amongst the earliest works of Anglo-Saxon literature. He is writings to his episcopal peer relating some questions of church government which have been long standing in the...

With the ascension of the Capetian dynasty in 987, certain church reforms took place to address some of the concerns relating to the various ecclesiastical institutions in the kingdom. At the forefront of this was the senior French churchmen, Abbo of...

Joasaph, a hieromonk, and later archbishop of Ephesus, responds to inquiries from Priest George Drazin regarding liturgical practices, ecclesiastical order, and canonical law within the Orthodox Church. He emphasizes the importance of adhering to...

In his letters, Theophanes, the Metropolitan of Nicaea, imparts crucial teachings on the Christian approach to life's challenges. He stresses the importance of patience, endurance, and moral vigilance, particularly against heretical influences and the...

The Canon of Saint Anastasia of Serbia is a liturgical text that honors the life and virtues of Saint Anastasia, the mother of Saint Sava, the first archbishop of Serbia. The hymns express deep reverence for her role in nurturing faith and virtue,...

The text serves as a spiritual exhortation, urging believers to engage earnestly with Divine Scripture and prayer, emphasizing the necessity of self-examination and humility before approaching the Holy Mysteries. It highlights the dangers of negligence,...

The narrative delves into the sorrow and confusion surrounding Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus, emphasizing his fall from grace and the prophetic fulfillment of his actions. It contrasts Judas's choices with those of a sinful woman who repented and...

The Acts of the Council of Constantinople, convened in 1351, address the theological conflict between the Orthodox Church and heretical teachings primarily represented by Barlaam and Akindynos. The council, led by Emperor John Kantakouzenos and other...

The text serves as a poignant lamentation over the atrocities committed by Mahomet and his forces against Christians, particularly during the fall of Constantinople. It describes the horrors faced by the city's inhabitants, including massacres,...

This short library compiles a series of charters and letters issued by various princes of Wallachia, including Mircea I, Mihail I, Radu II, Dan II, Vlad II Dracul, Dan III, Vladislav II, and Vlad III Dracula. These texts outline customs duties, trade...

This late Ethiopian text is a religious meditation centered on St. Michael, an Axumite archbishop of the 16th century. It invokes the Holy Trinity and emphasizing the importance of humility, prayer, and community blessings. It reflects on the role of...

This document, translated from Syriac, is a decree by Patriarch Mar Aba I addressing bishops and metropolitans regarding marriage impediments. It underscores the necessity of the fear of God as a guiding principle for life and marriage, condemning...

The ancient calendar of the Maronite Church provides a comprehensive list of feasts and significant events commemorated throughout the year. Each month is described with its duration, daylight and nighttime hours, and notable saints' feast days. The...

This text briefly delves into the significance of certain days within the ancient liturgical calendar, local saints, and historical events within the Melchite Christian church, shedding light on their beliefs, practices, and historical context of the...

The Institutes delves into the significance of laws in governing the Roman empire, particularly focusing on the compilation of older legal principles under the Emperor Justinian. It covers various aspects of law including justice, natural law, civil...

The Visigothic king of Spain, Gundemar, issues this edict to protect his authority over the Spanish church from some unspecified Byzantine bishops in North Africa. He announced regal supremacy in lands, utilizing church precedence via the See of Toledo.

Emmy Award-winning actor and musician Jonathan Jackson explores the profound implications of human creativity in the image of God, along with the process of becoming an artist (of any sort) dedicated to practicing his or her art from the context of a...

Evil eye is a phenomenon observed globally and has to do with the misfortune and calamities that we can cause to someone else out of jealousy of their possessions. The book engages with evil eye beliefs in Corfu and investigates the Christian Orthodox...

Samengesteld en nu voor het eerst naar het Nederlands vertaald door Maxim Hodak, Verliefd zijn op het leven betreft een bloemlezing van verschillende artikelen waarmee het orthodox-christelijke geloof toegankelijk wordt gemaakt voor een breed...

Священное Предание: Источник Православной веры авторства митрополита Каллиста (Уэра) представляет собой глубокое исследование одного из основополагающих аспектов Православной Церкви - Священного Предания. Автор подробно разбирает, как Предание служит не...

De Weg naar Binnen (School for Prayer) van Metropoliet Anthony is een klassiek werk over het gebed, geschreven vanuit de schrijver zijn persoonlijke ervaringen en zijn diep geestelijke leven. Er is ook een uitgebreid interview met Metropoliet Anthony in...

L'ouvrage regroupe des interventions facebook on-line en roumain offertes par p. Razvan Ionescu pendant la période de pandémie de coronavirus. Il s'agit d'une lecture chrétienne orthodoxe de la réalité de nos jours.

The Syriac Orthodox Church experienced a revival of writing and theological insight during the 11th - 13th centuries known as the Syriac Renaissance. Authors like Bar ʿEbroyo, Michael I Rabo (Michael the Great) and Dionysios Bar Salibi authored their own...

Gregory of Nyssa, also known as Gregory Nyssen, was bishop of Nyssa from 372 to 376 and from 378 until his death. He is venerated as a saint in Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and Anglicanism.

After the death of Ignatius in 877, the Emperor made Photius again Patriarch of Constantinople. A council was convened in 879, held at Constantinople, comprising the representatives of all the five patriarchates, including that of Rome (all in all 383...

This brief funeral oration was composed by the Greek monk Michael Apostolius, also known as Apostolius Paroemiographus. He laments the passing of Cardinal Bessarion, who was the last remaining line of connection between the exiled Greek community and the...

This work, by the Carthaginian bishop, Capreolus, dictates some of the concerns and trepidations that the church in North Africa had during the time of the Ecumenical council at Ephesus. Since the African church's luminary, St. Augustine of Hippo (d...

Documents from Christian churches in North Africa are rare following the Arab conquest in 699 AD. What survives is a handful of letters relating to churches and local Arab authorities which cast some insight into the state of the African church during...

Akathist is a Christian hymn dedicated to a saint, holy event, or One of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. This booklet is a translation (from Ukrainian) of one of the most beautiful akathists - gratitude to God for everything. When used piously it can...

What is the spiritual significance of almsgiving in the life of a believer? Bishop Alexei of Sitka and Alaska (OCA) draws on a wealth of patristic and modern sources to explore why God commands us to give, what motivates people to give or hold back, what...

This unpretentious little book of meditations based on Scripture, ancient hymns, and writings from Church Fathers will nourish the souls of reflective seekers during the forty-day period of Great Lent. Authors of each meditation have delved deeply into...