The Siege of Constantinople, 626 AD: How the Akathist Hymn Was Born From a City's Deliverance
The complete history of the 626 AD siege of Constantinople: a combined Avar, Slavic, and Persian assault on a city defended by fewer than 8,000 troops while the emperor campaigned elsewhere, the icon of the Theotokos carried along the walls, and the origin of the Akathist Hymn still sung standing today.
Saint Gregory the Wonderworker: The Bishop Whose Prayer Moved a Mountain
The complete story of Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus, the 3rd-century bishop of Neocaesarea credited by Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa with moving a mountain through prayer, with an honest look at what the earliest surviving source actually says.
The Maronite Church: The Orthodox Christians Who Missed the Great Schism Entirely
The complete history of the Maronite Church: an original apostolic church hidden in the mountains of Lebanon during the Great Schism, discovered by the Crusaders still asking for the Pope, and Catholic to this day without ever having left Orthodoxy.
Saint Nestor of Thessalonica: The Complete Biography of the Young Martyr Who Became Patron of Wrestlers and Combat Athletes
The most complete biography of Saint Nestor of Thessalonica available online: his life as a student of Saint Demetrios, his duel with the gladiator Lyaeus, his martyrdom, feast days, iconography, and patronage of combat athletes.
Saint Silouan the Athonite: The Peasant Who Saw Christ, Lost Him, and Spent Fifteen Years Learning How to Pray for the Whole World
The most complete biography of Saint Silouan the Athonite available: his vision of Christ, his fifteen years of spiritual darkness, his teaching "keep thy mind in hell, and despair not," his decades of hidden labor, his disciple Sophrony of Essex, and his 1987 glorification.
Saint Seraphim of Sarov: The Hermit Who Fed a Bear, Prayed on a Rock for a Thousand Nights, and Shone With Light
The most complete biography of Saint Seraphim of Sarov available: his hermitage among wild animals, his thousand nights of prayer, the robber attack, his conversation with Motovilov, his twelve Marian apparitions, his 1903 canonization, and his relics' loss and 1991 return to Diveyevo.
Saint Sebastian: The Soldier Who Survived His Own Martyrdom, Then Went Back to Face It Again
The most complete biography of Saint Sebastian available: his secret ministry inside the Roman Praetorian Guard, his arrow martyrdom and survival, his nursing by Saint Irene, his second martyrdom, his relics at San Sebastiano fuori le mura, and his role as patron against plague.
Saint Matrona of Moscow: Born Without Eyes, She Saw What No One Else Could
The most complete biography of Saint Matrona of Moscow available: her lifelong blindness, her hidden ministry through Soviet persecution, her wartime prophecies, an honest look at the unconfirmed Stalin legend, her 1998 relics translation, and her 1999/2004 canonization.
Saint Martin of Tours: The Roman Soldier Who Cut His Cloak in Half and Refused to Fight Again
The most complete biography of Saint Martin of Tours available: the miracle of the cloak, his refusal to fight under Julian the Apostate, the founding of Ligugé and Marmoutier, his campaign against paganism in Gaul, and his relics' destruction and rediscovery at Tours.
Saint John Chrysostom: The Golden-Mouthed Preacher Who Told an Empress the Truth and Died for It
The most complete biography of Saint John Chrysostom available: his Antioch preaching, his reforms as Archbishop of Constantinople, his conflicts with Empress Eudoxia and Theophilus of Alexandria, his exile and death, his vast writings, and his relics' journey to Rome and back to Istanbul in 2004.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch: The Bishop Who Wrote Seven Letters on the Road to Being Eaten Alive
The most complete biography of Saint Ignatius of Antioch available: his arrest under Trajan, the seven letters he wrote on the road to Rome, his martyrdom in the arena, and the journey of his relics to the Basilica of San Clemente.
Saint Gregory Nazianzen: The Reluctant Bishop Who Saved the Trinity and Earned a Title Shared With the Apostle John
The most complete biography of Saint Gregory Nazianzen online: his friendship with Basil the Great, his defense of the Trinity, his resignation as Archbishop of Constantinople, his Five Theological Orations, and the 1,600-year journey of his relics from Nazianzus to Rome and back.
Saint Benedict of Nursia: The Roman Noble Who Fled the City and Became the Father of Western Monasticism
The most complete biography of Saint Benedict of Nursia online: his years as a hermit at Subiaco, the poisoning attempts against him, the writing of his Rule at Monte Cassino, his miracles, his death with Scholastica, and the disputed history of his relics.
Saint Alexander Nevsky: The Warrior-Prince Who Saved Orthodox Russia From East and West Alike
The most complete biography of Saint Alexander Nevsky available: his victories at the Neva and the Battle on the Ice, his diplomacy with the Golden Horde, his 1547 canonization, his relics' journey from Vladimir to a Soviet museum and back, and his feast days.
Blessed Andrew of Totma: The Barefoot Holy Fool Who Healed a Blind Man and Foretold a Monastery
The most complete biography of Blessed Andrew of Totma online: his tonsure at Galich, his healing of a blind man, his prophecy of a monastery, his 1673 repose, his relics in Totma, and his 1841 canonization with the Vologda Saints.
Saint Pelagia the Actress: The Complete Life of Antioch's Most Famous Courtesan Who Became a Hidden Monk of the Mount of Olives
The most detailed account available of Saint Pelagia the Actress — her conversion by Bishop Nonnus, her disguise as the monk Pelagius, the source text of James the Deacon, and the scholarly debate over her historicity and identity.
The Complete Orthodox Reading List: 35 Essential Books Every Orthodox Christian Should Read
The definitive Orthodox reading list: 35 essential books ranked and reviewed, from the Church Fathers and the Philokalia to modern elders like Fr. Seraphim Rose, with the real history behind each one.
Greek Orthodox vs Roman Catholic: The Complete History, Theology, and Practical Guide
Discover the history, theology, and liturgy that separate Greek Orthodox from Roman Catholic Christianity, from Byzantium to today's parishes.
Oriental Orthodox vs Eastern Orthodox: The Complete History, Theology, Liturgy, and Practical Guide
Explore the theology, history, and worship practices that separate Oriental from Eastern Orthodoxy. Choose the right tradition for your spiritual journey.
When the Orthodox Agreed to End the Schism, Rome Instead Let the Muslims Kill Them
Catholic Rome broke Orthodox Constantinople in 1204, then priced its rescue from the Ottoman Muslims at ending the schism and total submission to Rome and church union in 1439 . The Orthodox agreed, union happened, the Rome let the Muslim kill them anyway. The complete, sourced history of both betrayals.