In the fourth chapter of the Gospel according to John, we are given an example of how, from living water—the Holy Ghost, the incorruptible seed—the words of the Lord, a new spiritual man is born. The Lord converses with the…
The literature of Ancient Rus’ is divided into translated and original works. Translated literature appeared in Kievan Rus’ with the adoption of Christianity and had Byzantine and South Slavic (Bulgarian) origins. First and foremost, this included the biblical books of…
For centuries, it remained a persecuted body of literature. On the one hand, this meant that its authors were not subject to state censorship and therefore enjoyed a high degree of creative freedom; on the other hand, it also meant…
There is perhaps no more useful invention that holds within it one of the spiritual treasures of humanity—knowledge. A book must not be regarded as a mere vessel of information. A thoughtful book is far more to a person than…
The most frequently read books of the Bible in the Church are the Psalter and the Gospel. It can be said that various excerpts from the Psalter constitute the lion’s share of all Orthodox services. Moreover, according to the Ustav,…
“What dangers might a person face during the catechumenate period or immediately after baptism? Sometimes, especially during the process of becoming churched, a person sees or experiences “scary things” from demons. How can this be explained, and how can one…
This article provides a brief overview of the writings of the main religious polemicists of Synodal theology regarding the form of the sign of the cross. Let us begin with the former Patriarch Nikon. Patriarch Nikon is one of the…
The sign of the Cross is a gesture made with the fingers of the hand arranged in a specific way. According to apostolic tradition, to make the sign of the Cross one must join together three fingers of the right…
By George Neminuschy In the mid-17th century after the birth of Christ, the Russian authorities, led by Patriarch Nikon and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, undertook the infamous reforms of the Church order. According to some sources, these reforms were not without…
Every Christian arranges the fingers of their right hand for the sign of the cross as follows: three fingers (thumb, ring finger, and little finger) are joined together, symbolizing faith in the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the…