A collection of writings that reflect the deep commitment to the gospel mandate that unites love of God and love of neighbor comes from the modern saint and Orthodox nun who made her home in Paris a haven for Jews during Nazi occupation.

The extraordinary life of Mother Maria Skobtsova (1891-1945), a Russian nun who shunned traditional monasticism for a life of service to alcoholics, drug addicts, and the mentally and physically ill.

Living Icons presents an intimate portrait of holiness as exemplified in the lives and thoughts of ten people of faith in the Eastern Orthodox Church. In this inspiring volume, Michael Plekon introduces readers to a diverse and unusual group of men and women who strove to put the Gospel of Christ into action in their lives. The "living icons" Plekon describes were, among other things, priests, theologians, writers, and caregivers to the homeless and poor. One was an artist who became the greatest icon painter in this century; another was assassinated for his teachings in post-Soviet Russia. These remarkable people of faith lived through times of great suffering: forced emigration, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. Many of them were criticized, if not condemned, by ecclesiastical opponents and authorities. Yet each demonstrate a unique pattern for holiness, illustrating that the path to sainthood is open to all. With the fall of state socialism, Eastern Orthodox churches and monasteries are being reopened and receiving renewed interest from believers and nonbelievers alike. Plekon calls to our attention people like Saint Seraphim of Sarov (1759-1832), a monk, mystic, counselor, healer, and visionary; Father Alexander Men (1935-1990), a Russian whose writings after Glasnost ultimately led to his tragic assassination; Mother Maria Skobtsova (1891-1945), a painter, poet, and political activist who was killed in a concentration camp for hiding her Jewish neighbors; and Father Lev Gillet (1893-1980), one of the twentieth century's greatest spiritual teachers. Living Icons, which includes a foreword by Lawrence S. Cunningham, brings to life the beautiful, and often unfamiliar, spirituality of the Eastern Orthodox Church through some of its most remarkable members. It shows with simplicity and clarity that Christ and the Gospel are often manifested in extraordinary ways in the lives of ordinary people.

This is the first sustained study of Russian émigré theologians and other intellectuals in Paris who were associated with The Way.

In 1943, Father Dimitri Klepinin, an Orthodox priest serving the Russian emigre community in occupied Paris, was arrested by the Nazis for issuing false baptismal certificates to Jews. One year later, he died in the concentration camp at Dora. In 2004, he was glorified as a saint by the Orthodox Church. In this volume, his daughter lovingly tells the story of her father's life, from his childhood in pre-revolutionary Russia to his martyrdom. It is the story of a man whose entire life was founded on love--for his God, his faith, his family, and all those who came to him for help. The final section of the book consists of Fr. Dimitri's letters to his wife during his confinement. In these letters we glimpse the humble, dauntless spirit of a man whose reliance on Christ was absolute and whose devotion to serving his fellowmen did not waver, even to the grave.

Andrew Louth introduces us to twenty key Orthodox thinkers from the last two centuries. The colorful characters, poets and thinkers included range from Romania, Serbia, Greece, England, France and also include exiles from Communist Russia. The book concludes with an illuminating chapter on Metropolitan Kallistos and the theological vision of the Philokalia.

Why did medieval women mystics starve themselves? What caused the European witch hunts, and why were its victims tortured and killed? Why has the Christian West regularly found maternal figures threatening? To answer these questions, Martha Reineke advances a theory of sacrifice, inspired by Julia Kristeva and Rene Girard, that attempts to account for violence in Western culture, the human proclivity for bodily mutilation and abuse, and women's special vulnerability to violence. A challenging and controversial book, Sacrificed Lives constructs an important bridge between "esoteric," postmodern theory and "ordinary" human life, as it furthers a vital philosophical debate on the question of violence.

The Nazis murdered her in a concentration camp, but they could not silence her. This compelling portrait of Sr. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross -- Edith's name in religion -- shows how the saint's heroic life and penetrating insights can still speak to us today.