Mount Athos, the center of Orthodox Monasticism located on an autonomous peninsula in Northern Greece, has what Dr. Jean Claude Larchet calls a "prophetic role" in the modern world. This is true not only for Orthodox Christians, but believers in other religions and even atheists, Larchet writes. Why is this so? Why is Mount Athos a place of such enduring and widespread … [Read more...] about The Prophetic Role of Mount Athos in the Contemporary World
Living Well
An American Experience of Romanian Hesychasm [VIDEO]
In this insightful short video Dr. John Farina, Professor of Religious Studies at George Mason University, opens to us the rich spirituality of Orthodox Romania through the simple but profoundly authentic lives of ordinary people. Farina speaks of Hesychasm, the practice of acquiring inner stillness primarily through the practice of the Jesus Prayer. "Be still and know that … [Read more...] about An American Experience of Romanian Hesychasm [VIDEO]
Yucatan Shrimp: A Dish for Lent
This dish is extremely easy, takes only a few minutes to prepare, and is so delicious it will make you forget about meat altogether—perfect Lenten fare. It would go well with rice or perhaps vermicelli, but it’s terrific on its own. There are many versions of this recipe on the Internet, but they all trace their ancestry from Doc Ford’s Grille on Sanibel … [Read more...] about Yucatan Shrimp: A Dish for Lent
Rod Dreher’s Christmas Toasted Cornbread-Pecan Dressing
My favorite part of holiday dinners is not the turkey or the ham, but the cornbread dressing. It's been like that for me since my childhood in the rural South. I can't separate my fondness for cornbread dressing from memories of my grandmother, at whose cottage table I ate helping after helping of it every Thanksgiving and Christmas, until she passed away the summer I was nine, … [Read more...] about Rod Dreher’s Christmas Toasted Cornbread-Pecan Dressing
Palestinian Hummus
Hummus is a characteristic dish of the Eastern Mediterranean, common from Greece through the Middle East and into Northern Africa. It is an ancient dish, dating to at least the twelfth century, and when made with an oil other than olive oil (avocado or grape-seed oil will do nicely) a staple of Orthodox fasting cuisine. The recipe here is from a family who emigrated to the … [Read more...] about Palestinian Hummus