Classics of Orthodox Spirituality (16 vols.)

Athanasius of Alexandria (AD 296–373) was the 20th bishop of Alexandria. Also known as Athanasius the Great, Athanasius is considered a renowned Christian theologian, a Church Father, and a noted Egyptian leader of the fourth century. Venerated by the Roman Catholic Church, the Oriental and Eastern Churches, the Lutheran Church, and the Anglican Communion, he is celebrated with various high-level honorifics across all of these Christian traditions, including “Father of Orthodoxy” in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Doctor of the Church in the Catholic tradition, and “Father of the Canon” among Protestants. He is remembered primarily for his conflict with Arianism—a theological conflict which he spent the majority of his life fighting. His works are collected in the Life and Works of Athanasius the Great (7 vols.).

Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–430) was born in Thagaste, Numidia, in Northern Africa. He studied rhetoric in Carthage when he was 17. As an adult, Augustine abandoned the Christianity of his youth to pursue Manichaeism. Through his Manichaen connections, Augustine became professor of rhetoric at the imperial court of Milan. While in Milan, Augustine was heavily influenced by the bishop of Milan, Ambrose. Influenced by Ambrose and by the biography of St. Anthony, Augustine began exploring Christianity and eventually reconverted. He was baptized in 387 and returned to Africa. There he was ordained and became a well-known preacher and apologist for the Christian faith. He was eventually made Bishop of Hippo, an office he held until his death in 430. His works are collected in the Fathers of the Church: St. Augustine (30 vols.) collection.

Ephrem the Syrian (AD 306–373) was a fourth-century deacon, hymnographer, and theologian. He was known for writing lyrical teaching hymns, as well as poetry and biblical exegesis. His writings have remained popular to this day. He is venerated as a saint by many denominations, and is a Doctor in the Roman Catholic Church. He is credited with having written over three million lines, among the most influential of which are Hymns against Heresies and Commentary on Genesis and Exodus.

Gregory of Nyssa (AD 335–394) was a Christian bishop and saint. He was a younger brother of Basil the Great and a good friend of Gregory of Nazianzus. His significance has long been recognized in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Catholic and Roman Catholic branches of Christianity. Some historians identify Theosebia the deaconess as his wife, others hold that she, like Macrina the younger, was actually a sister of Gregory and Basil. His works are collected in the Fathers of the Church: Greek Fathers of the Nicene Era (35 vols.) collection.

Gregory Palamas (1296–1359) was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece and later the Archbishop of Thessaloniki known as a preeminent theologian of hesychasm. The teachings embodied in his writings defending hesychasm against the attack of Barlaam are sometimes referred to as Palamism, his followers as Palamites. Palamas is venerated as a Saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

John Cassian (AD 360–435), also known as John the Ascetic, or John Cassian the Roman, was a monk and ascetic who first introduced eastern monastic ideas to the West. His works are collected in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series, Volume XI.

John Climacus, also known as John of the Ladder, John Scholasticus and John Sinaites, was a seventh century Christian monk at the monastery on Mount Sinai. He is revered as a saint by the Roman Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches.

Maximus the Confessor (AD 580–662) also known as Maximus the Theologian and Maximus of Constantinople (AD 580–662) was a Christian monk and theologian who spoke out against the monothelites. His works are collected in the Ancient Christian Writers: Post-Nicene Collection.

Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain (1749–1809), also known as Nicodemus the Hagiorite, was an Orthodox Christian monastic, author, canonist, author of numerous Lives of the Saints and liturgical poetry, and compiler/editor of pivotal Orthodox writings such as the Philokalia, The Rudder, and the collected writings of both St. Symeon the New Theologian and St. Gregory Palamas. Born in Naxos, Greece in 1749, Nicodemos was tonsured as a monk at the Dionysiou monastery on Mount Athos in 1775. He reposed in the Lord in 1809 and was glorified as a Saint by the Orthodox Church in 1955. His feast day is celebrated on July 14.

Nil Sorsky was a leader of the Russian medieval movement opposing ecclesiastic landownership (known as the “Nonpossessors”). Nil Sorsky is venerated as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church. His feast day is on the anniversary of his repose on May 7.

Origen (AD 185–254) was a Christian scholar and presbyter in the third century. He is thought to have been born at Alexandria, and died at Caesarea. His works are available inside the Fathers of the Church: Fathers of the Ante-Nicene Era (23 vols.) collection.

Pseudo-Dionysius is an important and influential Christian author who wrote in the 5th or 6th century. His works were originally attributed to the Dionysius mentioned in Acts 17:34—an attribution that is disputed by most scholars today

Pseudo-Macarius authored several works that were originally attributed to the Christian monk Macarius the Egyptian.

Symeon the New Theologian (942–1022) was a Byzantine Christian monk. He was abbot of the Monastery of St. Mammas.

Aleksei Pentkovsky studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church. He received a doctor of oriental ecclesiastical sciences degree from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome in 1996. He is a reader at the Moscow Theological Academy of the Russian Orthodox Church and serves as executive secretary of the foundation, Russian Initiative for Culture.

The Venerable Bede (AD 673–735) was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul’s, in modern Jarrow, both in the Kingdom of Northumbria. Bede’s monastery had access to a superb library which included works by Eusebius and Orosius among many others. His writings are collected in the Works of the Venerable Bede (3 vols.).