Serbian Patericon, Vol. 1, Jan-April

by Rev. Dr. Daniel M. Rogich
Softcover: 320 pages

The author, Rev. Dr. Daniel M. Rogich, starts each life with a quotation from the Bible or the Fathers of the Church, which corresponds to the character and achievements of the saint, and he ends each chapter with a hymn to the saint. The life itself becomes a framed verbal icon. Through these lives, the author reveals the historical context of the times. We can learn about the circumstances in which the saints lived and through this about the history of the church. The struggle with the Islamic Turks and the Catholic Unia is vividly reflected in many of these lives. These saints, often of simple origin and background, empowered by the Spirit of Christ and strengthened by their ascetic experience, overcame the threat of Turkish authority and also resisted the temptation to convert to Roman Catholicism. Dangers from outside never interrupted their inner effort: a constant examination of the soul, a cleansing of the mind and heart. The author skillfully presents their outward and inward activities.