ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS IN AMERICA: A Short History

by John H. Erickson

Although there are over 200 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, 4 million of whom live in the United States, their history, beliefs, and practices are unfamiliar to most Americans. This book outlines the evolution of Orthodox Christian dogma, which emerged for the first time in 33 A.D., before shifting its focus to American Orthodoxy--a tradition that traces its origins back to the first Greek and Russian immigrants in the 1700s. The narrative follows the momentous events and notable individuals in the history of the Orthodox dioceses in the U.S., including Archbishop Iakovos' march for civil rights alongside Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Orthodox missionaries' active opposition to the mistreatment of native Inuit in Alaska, the quest for Orthodox unity in America, the massive influx of converts since the 1960s, and the often strained relationship between American Orthodox groups and the mother churches on the other side of the Atlantic. Erickson explains the huge impact
Orthodox Christianity has had on the history of immigration, and how the religion has changed as a result of the American experience. Lively, engaging, and thoroughly researched, the book unveils an insightful portrait of an ancient faith in a new world.

Genres: History, Religion, Christianity, Nonfiction

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Dan Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent primer on Orthodox Christianity in the United States, written from a devout but critically engaged standpoint. The volume's need to cover a wide range of topics in brief means that John Erickson cannot go into as much detail as the reader might like. A longer volume would have room for more biographies, which would give faces to the political factions Erickson can merely summarize.

[Shea Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid basic introduction to the history of Orthodoxy in America. Easy read.

The only problem I had was an overconfidence that the EO/OO schism (4th Council in Calcedon) was purely semantic, when our Saints declare otherwise.

[Scott Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasing introduction that helped me sort some of the organizational nuances I've missed over the years.

[Luke Nassief · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice basic introduction. Like others have mentioned, additional biographies on the central priests, bishops, and patriarchs would have been fantastic.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love history, and this author did a nice overview of a part of history that was foreign to me. His writing was interesting, and I was able to read the book fairly quickly without forcing myself to do it (as some less well-written histories occasionally require me to do.)

He seems to work really hard to write a balanced and positive view.