{"title":"Biographies","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"9780881412000","title":"The Journals of Father Alexander Schmemann: 1973-1983","description":"\u003cp\u003eFr. Alexander Schmemann was known for his many-faceted gifts as preacher, professor and priest. These journals record his reflections, experiences as well as his formative, creative thought. They witness a life replete with the effort to call people to live higher and more openly. Reading these journals we are inspired and renewed.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePages: 353 (23 x 15 cm)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fr. Alexander Schmemann","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":575201517,"sku":"61578","price":60.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/61578_Front.png?v=1787201406"},{"product_id":"9780881413038","title":"This Holy Man: Impressions of Metropolitan Anthony","description":"\u003cp\u003ePages: 251\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.7 x 22.9 cm\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMetropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh (+2003) was one of the most respected churchmen, spiritual writers, and broadcasters on the world stage, inside and outside of the Orthodox Christian communion. His books, School of Prayer, Living Prayer, and God and Man have become classics. However, besides his public persona as a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain, who was Metropolitan Anthony as preacher and pastor? How did his experience as physician, monk, parish priest, spiritual father, and bishop affect his writings? How did his life story mold his perspective? In this comprehensive examination of Metropolitan Anthony s life and work, Gillian Crow presents a compelling portrait of a complex human being: a charismatic, warm person aglow with the joy of his faith, and a person who fought hard against the demons of shyness, insecurity, and depression. This sympathetic yet honest portrayal is essential reading for all those touched by Metropolitan Anthony s writing, who wish to discover more about his inner life.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gillian Crow","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":575203725,"sku":"1514456","price":50.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/1514456_This_Holy_Man_Impressions_of_Metropolitan_Anthony_FRONT.png?v=1785279805"},{"product_id":"9780881413410","title":"Beauty for Ashes: The Spiritual Transformation of a Modern Greek Community","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis story of profound spiritual transformation demonstrates how a bishop and a local monastery turned a village riddled by scandal into one of the most spiritually vibrant towns in all of Greece. The book covers the political history and religious character of the region of Nikopolis, from time of the Apostle Paul in 63 AD to the arrival of Bishop Meletios in 1980.\u003cbr\u003e With great sensitivity, the author deals with the issue of sexual misconduct within the church, the restoration of the local church to spiritual health, and the renewed trust between church leaders and the laity. He focuses on the actions of the local monastic community and their leader, Bishop Meletios, who applied his ancient faith in a modern context to bring about social and religious change. This true story from Greece is an inspirational and valuable resource for seekers of Christian Orthodoxy. (Pages: 223)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Stephen R. Lloyd-Moffett","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":8497992261,"sku":"13033","price":45.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/13033_front.jpg?v=1785276560"},{"product_id":"9781935317272","title":"Servant of the Gospel: Patriarch Patriarch Bartholomew","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn October 22, 2011, the Orthodox Church celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the election of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the 270th successor of the Apostle Andrew to the See of Constantinople, the First See of the Orthodox Church. Many accolades will be proclaimed of His All-Holiness' ministry: his gathering of historic assemblies of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches, his commitment to Christian reconciliation and unity, his bridge-building among the religions of the world, his prophetic voice on environmental issues. Through each of these, he has become a Servant of the Gospel. The Faculty of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology adds its voice to the celebration with this collection of scholarly essays in honor of His All-Holiness. He has honored our campus with visits in 1997, when he received an honorary doctorate, and 2002. With this collection, we congratulate His All-Holiness and pray that our Lord and Savior grant him many years!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thomas FitzGerald","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":16886035077,"sku":"13199","price":50.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/13199_front.jpg?v=1785276723"},{"product_id":"9781944967475","title":"I Live Again: A Memoir of Ileana, Princess of Romania and Archduchess of Austria","description":"\u003cp\u003eIleana, Princess of Romania and Archduchess of Austria—who in later life became Mother Alexandra, founder of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Pennsylvania—wrote this memoir shortly after relocating to the US in the 1950s. It tells the story of a life full of suffering, tragedy, and exile, but all is suffused with the author's deep faith, hope, love, and even joy. This reprint includes additional material collected by the nuns of her monastery that sets the memoir in the context of Mother Alexandra's later life.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Princess Ileana","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":16114823266417,"sku":"134883","price":50.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/134883_front.jpg?v=1785278388"},{"product_id":"093863562x","title":"Elder Sebastian of Optina","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe spiritual image of Elder Sebastian (1884–1966) is that of a longsuffering, quiet bearer of the vision of the Optina monastic tradition—destined to preserve Optina eldership through decades of communist persecution of the Church. After the closure of Optina Monastery in 1923, Fr. Sebastian—a disciple of both Elder Joseph and Elder Nektary—matured rapidly into a truly compassionate pastor. He suffered arrest and imprisonment by the communists in 1933, and was sentenced to ten years in the Karaganda concentration camps of Kazakhstan.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e “I demand one thing—love one another, so that there will always be peace among you. Peace and love! If you will obey me in this—and I implore you to do this—then you will be my children. I am unworthy and sinful, but the Lord has much love and mercy. I place my hope in Him. And if the Lord will vouchsafe me His radiant abode, I’ll pray for you unceasingly. I’ll say, ‘Lord, Lord! I’m not alone; all my children are with me. I can’t enter in without them; I can’t be alone in Thy radiant habitations. They were entrusted to me by Thee.’”\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e—Elder Sebastian\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Elder Sebastian had a constant concern for instilling deep peace in people’s souls, and a constant sense of service—through his labor and love—to those surrounding him. He was exacting in everything, but first of all toward himself. He had the gift of great and profound discernment, and exercised moderation in everything.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e “Our family’s elder, Sebastian, was clairvoyant, as I personally witnessed several times. Through his unforgettably deep and penetrating look into one’s soul he was able to see things hidden within the person with whom he spoke. Several times he demanded from me things I was reluctant to do, yet, having shown obedience to him, I avoided calamaties and death. In him was a great Elder hidden from the eyes of the world.”\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e—excerpt from ELDER SEBASTIAN OF OPTINA\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e ELDER SEBASTIAN OF OPTINA has been translated from the recently published Russian biography, as well as from original manuscripts and various materials from Elder Sebastian’s spiritual children. Also included is an Akathist to the Saint.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e496 pages, illustrated, full-color cover, paperback, $19.00\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eISBN 0-938635-62-X.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tatiana Torstensen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29445513740401,"sku":"135139","price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/135139_Elder_Sebastian_of_Optina_FRONT.png?v=1785278626"},{"product_id":"0938635662","title":"Elder Leonid of Optina","description":"\u003cp\u003e“…The wellspring of prayer is in everyone—it is tapped either by gradually delving deeper into oneself in accordance with the teachings of the Fathers, or instantaneously, thunderstruck by God’s piercing to the core of the soul.”\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e—Elder Leonid\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Possessing penetrating spiritual discernment, Elder Leonid (1768–1841) was at the same time loving and fatherly. He could mystically see into the hearts of his spiritual children, knowing when to rebuke, when to exhort, and when to console. He especially cared for those whom no one else seemed to have time for, and thousands came away from him healed both in soul and body.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e “When we find that we are deprived of the virtues and therefore have no high opinion of ourselves, then this by itself can attract God’s favorable gaze, which will strengthen us with hope against the deadly spirit of despair. When we have had no success in the virtues, there is no closer means for salvation than humbleness of mind.”\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e—Elder Leonid\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e No one ever saw Elder Leonid disturbed by passionate anger or irritation. During the most difficult times of his life no one ever heard a sound of impatience or grumbling from him—no one saw him downcast. It was hard not to marvel at his joyfulness and inward peace. Preserving a holy simplicity, free of hypocrisy, he spoke with everyone in a direct and straightforward way.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e “A person cannot overcome the passions on his own. This is the work of the right hand of the Most High, the action of the power of God. On our part we have only to preserve intact the holy disposition given us by God, and, in keeping with it, offer our efforts to attain the land of passionlessness.”\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e—Elder Leonid\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Elder Leonid was very significant for Optina Monastery and for all of Russia. He introduced and firmly established in Optina the ancient tradition of eldership transmitted through St. Paisius Velichkovsky—a tradition founded on the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of the Holy Fathers.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Also included in this volume is the Life of Elder Leonid’s preceptor, Elder Theodore of Svir.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e272 pages, illustrated, full-color cover, paperback, $12.00\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eISBN 0-938635-66-2\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fr. Clement Sederholm","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29445524750449,"sku":"135140","price":26.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/135140_Elder_Leonid_of_Optina_Front.png?v=1785278627"},{"product_id":"0938635611","title":"Elder Barsanuphius of Optina","description":"\u003cp\u003eElder Barsanuphius (1845–1913), a disciple of Elder Anatole (Zertsalov) and Elder Nektary, was a highly cultured man and a successful colonel before entering the monastic life at a relatively late age. Due to his purity of heart and spiritual sobriety, he was transformed by God into a grace-filled Elder virtually overnight. The period before the first World War and the Russian Revolution was a complex one. The world was seething in unprecedented passions, and one could clearly sense the approach of darkness. With a sympathetic soul Elder Barsanuphius attended to the world, and the Lord parted a curtain before him, showing him the horrors of the future.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e “We live in a difficult time; we are weak and infirm but we have to encourage others. And here I am in the same condition, weak and infirm. I myself need help and consolation, but according to the obligation of my rank I have to comfort those who turn to me. They come to Optina from a world that no longer moans, as before, but howls; they come seeking consolation and soothing…. According to their faith they receive what they are seeking and leave in a state of peace.”\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e—Elder Barsanuphius\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e People from the world, thirsting for consolation in their sorrows, streamed to Optina. Elder Barsanuphius, in frail health but strengthened by the power of the Lord, received them, conversed with them, confessed them, and directed them to the only true path. He was a man of extraordinary spiritual vision, and could see clearly into the hearts of those who came to him.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e “Elders are called clairvoyant, indicating that they’re able to see the future. Yes, great grace is given to eldership—this is the gift of discernment. This is the greatest gift given by God to man. They have, in addition to physical eyes, spiritual eyes, before which the human soul is revealed. Before a man thinks of something, before a thought arises in him, they see it with their spiritual eyes, and they even see the reason for such a thought arising. And nothing is hidden from them….”\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e—Elder Barsanuphius\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Presented here, for the first time in English, is a complete biography of this great Elder, including his talks on a variety of subjects, excerpts from the journal of his cell-attendant (the future Elder Nikon, himself a great Optina Elder and a subsequent victim of the communist terror), and selections from his spiritual poetry.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e840 pages, illustrated, full-color cover, paperback\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Victor Afanasiev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29445544902769,"sku":"135141","price":50.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/135141_Elder_Barsanuphius_of_Optina_Front.png?v=1785278632"},{"product_id":"9780938635512","title":"Elder Anthony of Optina","description":"\u003cp\u003eElder Anthony (1795–1865), born Alexander Ivanovich Putilov, came from a pious family in Russia and was raised in the fear of God. Of Alexander and his four brothers, three became righteous abbots of renowned monasteries. From his youth he dedicated himself to inner vigilance and prayer in the forests of Russia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough a life of terrible hardships and excruciating physical ailments, Elder Anthony acquired perfect spiritual freedom through the careful guarding of his soul and the humble acceptance of God’s Providence. He remained joyful to the end, filled with tender compassion for all who came to him. His life and writings, included here in one volume, breathe this same joy and compassion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eELDER ANTHONY OF OPTINA is compiled not only from the information of his own personal notes, journals, and letters, but also from the recollections of his spiritual children, particularly those of a disciple of St. Herman of Alaska—the saintly Sergius Yanovsky—who became a monk and a disciple of Elder Anthony after returning to Russia from America.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fr. Clement Sederholm","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":29445552242801,"sku":"135142","price":32.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/135142_Elder_Anthony_of_Optina_Front.png?v=1785278634"},{"product_id":"9781944967697","title":"Under the Laurel Tree: Grieving Infertility with Saints Joachim and Anna","description":"\u003cp\u003eUnder the Laurel Tree traces one God-fearing couple’s journey through the emotional turmoil of childlessness. By following the story of Saints Joachim and Anna, this book helps individuals and couples navigate the loss inherent in infertility amid the pain of shame, separation, anger, bargaining, and blamelessness. In walking alongside Joachim and Anna, we encounter not only a life-giving template for grief, but also the path back to ourselves, our partner, and our God-given vocation of eucharistic thanksgiving.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nicole M. Roccas","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31414642114673,"sku":"135235","price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/135235_front.jpg?v=1785278751"},{"product_id":"9780884653592","title":"Recollections of Jerusalem","description":"\u003cp\u003eRecollections of Jerusalem vividly opens up to us a world very different from our own. It affords the rare opportunity to see major world events through the eyes of one shaped by them, but unable to influence them. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the outset of World War II, the author, still a young child, travelled to Jerusalem with her mother on pilgrimage. Prevented by the conflict from returning to their home in Yugoslavia, they began a new life, intimately entwined with the city of Jerusalem.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer experiences in Jerusalem would sustain her faith during later years, following her marriage in America, when the Church was geographically distant from Anya and her burgeoning family. Ultimately they would lead her back to the Holy Land with her husband and children.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anya Berezina Derrick","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39264528007281,"sku":"134892","price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/134892_Recollections_of_Jerusalem_FRONT.png?v=1785278392"},{"product_id":"9780881414158","title":"Turning East: Contemporary Philosophers and the Ancient Christian Faith","description":"\u003cp\u003eTurning East is a collection of autobiographical essays in which sixteen contemporary philosophers describe their personal journeys to the Orthodox Church, explain their reasons for becoming Orthodox Christians, and offer a sense of how their conversions have changed their lives. Among these converts are dozens of contemporary philosophers. Some are accomplished, world-renowned, senior scholars. Others are junior scholars in the earliest stages of their careers. As a group, they belong neither to any particular philosophical ‘school’ nor to any particular Orthodox jurisdiction. What they have in common is a desire to enter deeply into an authentic and loving communion with the Living God, with God’s people, and ultimately with all of God’s creation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":null,"offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39323900051569,"sku":"135486","price":38.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/135486_Turning_East_Contemporary_Philosophers_and_the_Ancient_Christian_Faith_FRONT.png?v=1785279009"},{"product_id":"9780881414189","title":"Seven Days on the Roads of France","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis book follows Vladimir Lossky's attempt to enlist in the French army after the Nazi invasion of France in 1940. It records his reflections on suffering; the true nature of Christian or Western civilization; the rightness or otherwise of war; the problematic relationship between Church and State; what we mean by a \"nation\"; and secularization. Such issues are mulled over, not as abstractions, by someone who, as he walks across an increasingly war-torn landscape, quite literally has his feet on the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work will be a revelation to those who know only Lossky's more scholarly works -- here one discovers his rounded personality, his warm humanity, and his love not only of Christian France but of the West in general.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vladimir Lossky","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40839526613105,"sku":"135959","price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/135959_front.jpg?v=1785279437"},{"product_id":"9780881417562","title":"You Are Mine","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe spirit of the age contradicts all that Christ teaches, and many reject or leave the Church to satisfy their longing for the supernatural in esoteric traditions governed by the spirits of the underworld. The occult is now an unashamed feature of modern life, yet discussion of its danger often results in snorts of derision. Like many wounded by life and dissatisfied with the emptiness of modern existence, Sister Anastasia hungered for healing and thirsted for genuine spiritual experience. This propelled her into an intense spiritual search. Abandoning Christianity, she plunged into the depths of ancient, elemental witchcraft. In this raw and unflinching account, which reveals the pain that drives a person to seek release through magic and the suffering that results from worship of demons, Sister Anastasia traces what it means to be healed and transformed by the love of Christ and the blessings available to those who accept His call to be reborn in the kingdom of God.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sister Anastasia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41319470465137,"sku":"136038","price":60.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0331\/7241\/files\/136038_front.jpg?v=1785279522"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.orthodoxbookstore.org.au\/collections\/newsub-biographies.oembed","provider":"Orthodox Mission Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}