If you close your eyes and think about Alaska, what do you see? Eskimos and igloos? Mountains of snow? Polar bears and icebergs? Do you know that not all Alaskan natives are Eskimos? There are many different tribes of native peoples. Each has its own language and way of life. Many of these native peoples have been Orthodox Christians for over two hundred years. This is largely due to the missionary efforts of one man, St. Innocent of Alaska. He converted and baptized thousands of people into the Christian faith. He was a wonderful and godly man who lived a missionary life full of adventures that you would never dream of! Many people think that he is the greatest Christian missionary of all time!

Originally published in the Aleut (Eskimo) language in 1833, this book is a simple yet challenging introduction to Christianity from one of the greatest teachers of the Russian Orthodox Church: sainted Russian Bishop and missionary Innocent Veniaminov. Timeless and universal, this updated edition--which includes a new section entitled "Points for Reflection" at the end of each chapter--discusses what it means to know God and have a relationship with Jesus. It will appeal to those seeking to understand their own faith more fully.

This definitive work, the crown jewel in the distinguished career of Russian America scholar Lydia T. Black, presents a comprehensive overview of the Russian presence in Alaska. Drawing on extensive archival research and employing documents only recently made available to scholars, Black shows how Russian expansion was the culmination of centuries of social and economic change. Black s work challenges the standard perspective on the Russian period in Alaska as a time of unbridled exploitation of Native inhabitants and natural resources. Without glossing over the harsher aspects of the period, Black acknowledges the complexity of relations between Russians and Native peoples. She chronicles the lives of ordinary men and women the merchants and naval officers, laborers and clergy who established Russian outposts in Alaska. These early colonists carried with them the Orthodox faith and the Russian language; their legacy endures in architecture and place names from Baranof Island to the Pribilofs. This deluxe volume features fold-out maps and color illustrations of rare paintings and sketches from Russian, American, Japanese, and European sources many have never before been published. An invaluable source for historians and anthropologists, this accessible volume brings to life a dynamic period in Russian and Alaskan history. A tribute to Black s life as a scholar and educator, "Russians in Alaska" will become a classic in the field."

Collection of documents illustrating the spirituality of the Alaskan orthodox missionaries. Includes letters of St. Herman, writings of St. Innocent, reports from lesser known parish clergy, and diary excerpts. Introduced by an informative historical essay.

Fully revised and expanded, this new work is the first major revision of the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in more than 40 years! It is the official revision of Lesser Feasts and Fasts and authorized by the 2009 General Convention. All commemorations in Lesser Feasts and Fasts have been retained, and many new ones added. Three scripture readings (instead of current two) are provided for all minor holy days. Additional new material includes a votive mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, many more ecumenical commemorations, plus a proper for space exploration. For years the oft revised volume, Lesser Feasts and Fasts (LFF), has served parishes and individuals mark part of the holiness of each day by providing Scripture readings, a collect, a Eucharistic preface, and a narrative about those remembered on the church's calendar that day whose lives have witnessed to the grace of God. Holy Women, Holy Men (HWHM) is a major effort to revise, but also to expand and enrich LFF. Where LFF provided two readings (gospel and other New Testament) plus a psalm, HWHM adds an Old Testament citation. Where LFF was limited to few non-Anglicans in the post-reformation period (and few non-Episcopalians after 1789), HWHM dramatically broadens appreciation for other Christians and their traditions. Over-emphasis on clergy is redressed by additional laity, males by females, and "in-church" activities by contributions well beyond the workings of institutional agendas. These almost daily commemorations occupy over 600 of the book's 785 pages, by far the lion's share of its content. Remaining sections address: principles of revision and guides for future revision; liturgical propers for seasons (Advent/Christmas, Lent, and Easter); and new propers for a miscellany of propers usable with individuals (or events) not officially listed in the formal calendar. Two cycles of propers for daily Eucharist are also included, one covering a six week period, the other a two year cycle.

In 1989, Father Peter Opeka, an Argentian priest working in Madagascar, founded the Akamasoa Association - meaning Good Friends - to assist the poor to rise above the humiliation and despair of poverty and to achieve dignity of life. Padre Pedro: Apostle of Hope tells his remarkable story. A bricklayer's son, Padre Pedro (as he is affectionately known) began teaching the poor how to make bricks and build family homes, and helping the people gain self-worth. As of 2007, Akamasoa boasts seventeen impressive villages. Almost every family has its own home (which it gradually pays for in small installments), while working hard and following the rules democratically established by the delegates of the entire Akamasoa community. The settlements have all the necessary infrastructure: schools (which, according to the most recent report, are attended by over 9,000 children, from kindergartens to high schools and lyceums), dispensaries, shops, churches, and a huge multipurpose sports hall where on Sundays and holidays from four to six thousand worshippers gather to pray and sing.