Customer Reviews

Orthodox Alaska: A Theology of Mission

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Michael Oleksa has done a marvelous job of giving the reader a sense both of the committment of the Orthodox missionaries and the wondrously deep spirituality of Native Alaskans. We see the classical struggles of the Church against the "world" and the people for the Church in *Orthodox Alaska.* I highly recommend it to anyone seriously considering the missionary field, or even those looking for an example of missionaries and the people they serve getting Christianity right!

Although a little dry in places, Orthodox Alaska does a good job of illustrating the conflicts that arose between Russian Orthodox missionaries and the Russian corporations established to mine the wealth of Unalaska. It was especially interesting to see how involved the missionaries were in advocating for the native peoples of the colonies and how the considered such advocacy and important part of their faith.

HIghly recommended for those who are interested in Alaska history, Russian Orthodoxy, Russian America

I didn't know much about Orthodox religions before I bought this book. Not only did I learn an awful lot about the Russian Orthodox Church, but I got to see things through the eyes of a missionary. It presents topics that are not confined to the religion, but delve deep into the Alaska culture and how it both flourished and collided with Russian culture. I would gladly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about missionary life, Alaskan native culture, Russian history, or the Russian Orthodox religion.