Orthodox Christians in America (Religion in America Life) [Hardcover]

John H. Erickson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Religion in America Life | Publication Date: August 19, 1999

Although there are more than 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, tracing 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.

Religion in American Life explores the evolution, character, and dynamics of organized religion in America from 1500 to the present day. Written by distinguished religious historians, these books weave together the varying stories that compose the religious fabric of the United States, from Puritanism to alternative religious practices. Primary source material coupled with handsome illustrations and lucid text make these books essential in any exploration of America's diverse nature. Each book includes a chronology, suggestions for further reading, and index.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-This politically aware account of the development of Eastern Orthodox churches in North America will fascinate those interested in the history of ethnic groups on this continent. While its depth of detail may turn away many readers, the writing is clear and lively. Erickson documents the growth of Orthodoxy in North America from the early Russian missionaries in Alaska through the diverse churches founded by immigrants from central and eastern Europe and the Middle East to the current aftershocks following the end of the Cold War. He describes how the various churches in America have been less and less influenced by Old World politics, but how institutional unity has continued to elude them. While evenhanded for the most part, the author is a strong advocate for unity and cooperation among the various Orthodox churches on all levels. Erickson enlivens the text with descriptions of such incidents as a hostile meeting between Orthodox and Roman Catholic officials and the birth of a pan-Orthodox mission parish, which bridged ethnic and national divisions. The black-and-white photos and reproductions are well chosen and well captioned. The cover art, by a native Alaskan, is particularly striking. A list of Orthodox churches, with membership figures and distribution, is appended. Other books on the subject are either written for much younger audiences, focusing on present-day customs with little sense of history, or at the adult level. A worthy addition for most libraries.
Jonathan Betz-Zall, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Edmonds, WA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This politically aware account...will fascinate those interested in the history of ethnic groups on this continent.... The writing is clear and lively.... The black-and-white photos and reproductions are well chosen and well-captioned.... A worthy addition for most libraries."--School Library Journal

"An engaging account... Well-chosen black-and-white illustrations accompany the text."--The Horn Book Guide

"Orthodox Christians in America breaks new scholarly ground.... Should prove invaluable to scholars seeking to build on [Erickson's] work."--Harvard Divinity Bulletin

"John Erickson's book not only introduces [Orthodox Christianity] in a lucid and interesting manner, but provides the reader with enough insight and basic knowledge that you are left wanting to know more. Ample illustrations appropriately support the text and the periodic presentations of first person narratives make the experiences of Orthodox Christians vibrant and real.... I highly recommend this book for both teachers, students, and for inclusion in school libraries. Lucidly written and highly informative, [it] is an excellent introduction to this group of Americans whose religiosity has been largely hidden from public view."--Religious Studies in Secondary Schools
Read the complete review at http://www.rsiss.org/bkerickson.html

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (August 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195108523
• ISBN-13: 978-0195108521
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,177,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great intro to the history of Orthodoxy in America, April 6, 2005

By 

Moses Alexander (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Orthodox Christians in America (Religion in America Life) (Hardcover)

Just finished Erickson's book and was impressed at how well he handled the subject in what was obviously intended for the general audience. Being a convert to Orthodoxy myself, I was curious how the book would present Orthodoxy to an "outside audience."

One must commend Erickson for not sweeping under the rug some of the difficulties Orthodoxy has experienced (and caused for itself) in America. That makes his pronouncement of its great achievements not seem self-congratulatory, but as honest assessments.

One thing I was glad to see highlighted was Orthodoxy's "missionary mind." Moreso than any other mission church in the Americas (or the entire world for that matter), Orthodoxy has been responsive to the indigenous culture and has intended for the leadership of the church to become indigenous and local as quickly as possible. They want to incorporate local culture (as far as is compatible with the Bible and the Church) as much as possible so the Church truly belongs to each culture. There's no reason to put a church in a "cultural straightjacket" and try to make one culture submit to another culture when the message is essential, not the language of the service or the sound of the music. Orthodox missionaries have made many societies literate (the Aleuts for example in this book) as well as others like Russians, Serbs, Bulgarians, etc.

One area I must disagree with the previous reviewer is his assessment that Orthodoxy is just as fractured as Protestantism. This simply isn't true. While different "brands" of Orthodoxy (and I use the word "brands" very loosely) may have disagreements with each other over certain things, it could be compared to brothers bickering. They might have some disagreements, but they are still one big family. As an Orthodox Christian, I can commune in any Orthodox Church, no matter if it is preceded by "Greek," "Russian," "Antiochian," "Serbian," "Romanian," etc. We still share one belief, one Faith, one Eucharist. Our disagreements are largely administrative and cultural, not theological. This is not true of Protestant churches that have massive doctrinal differences with each other.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent history and overview of Orthodox Christians in America, September 20, 2005

By 

Volkert Volkersz (Snohomish, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orthodox Christians in America (Religion in America Life) (Hardcover)

"Orthodox Christians in America," by John H. Erickson, is part of the "Religion in American Life" series published by Oxford University Press. What I appreciate about this series, as opposed to similar ones by other publishers, is that they have asked a uniquely qualified Orthodox Christian scholar to tell the story of his people. Other series have often been written "by committee," or by an outside observer, which cause them to lack the author's enthusiasm for his or her subject.

The Orthodox Christian faith has often been described as "the best kept secret in America." This text goes a long way to explain why that is the case, and also why it should not be the case.

The opening chapter, "An Ancient Faith in the New World," is perhaps the best summary of the history of the Orthodox faith (all 2,000 years) that I have ever read. The next chapter, "Entrepreneurs and Missionaries," provides an excellent introduction to the first Orthodox activity in the New World, namely in Alaska, and California.

The chapter that follows, "A Church of Immigrants," discusses the influx of immigrants that began in the 19th century, from Greece, Russia and Arab Christian communities. The succeeding chapter, "The Ethnic Churches," describes how a precarious Orthodox Christian unity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries gave way to ethnic jurisdictions with new ties to the Mother Churches, largely because of the impact of the Bolshevik Revolution on the Russian Orthodox Church.

The final chapter, "The Quest for Unity," describes the development of various cooperative efforts of new agencies since the 1950s which give a glimpse of hope for a unified Orthodox body one day in America.

I've been a member of the Orthodox Church since 1999, the year this book was published, and I'm surprised that it's taken me this long to read it. I now think it should be essential reading for both converts like myself, and "cradle Orthodox," who would like a clearer understanding of how we got where we are today in North America. But be forewarned, this book covers, however briefly, the good, the bad and the ugly, of our history in the New World.

I also think this volume would be of interest to those investigating the Orthodox faith, or for those who are interested in the history of Christianity in North America. But I would not recommend this be the first book someone reads on Orthodoxy, which is covered more completely in "The Orthodox Church," by Timothy (Bishop Kallistos) Ware, and similar volumes.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Local Church History for Orthodox Christians, June 8, 2008

By 

J. Magruder - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orthodox Christians in America (Religion in America Life) (Hardcover)

This is a great survey of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in America for Orthodox Christians. It lays out in a glossy format the wild and woolly tale of multiple missions to America: first with a Greek slave colony in Florida, then with a Russian commercial trading post to Alaskan natives, finally with Eastern European immigrants to the Great Lakes of America. The triumph of Eastern Orthodoxy is shown to be a providential mix of commerce and Christ-like love, of indigenous mission and ethnic parochialism, of revelations and revolutions. Despite the focus on the history of mixed motivations, it shows how faith and hope and love win out in the lives of real people seeking God in their local parish.