Orthodox Christianity Recommended Resources
Ignatius of Antioch, Letters
Composed while en route to his martyrdom in early second-century Rome, Ignatius’s letters offer our earliest window into post-apostolic Christianity. Ignatius’s passionate defense of church unity, his rich eucharistic theology, and his understanding of episcopal authority would profoundly shape Orthodox ecclesiology.
Melito of Sardis, On Pascha
This dramatic paschal homily, probably delivered around AD 170, exemplifies how early Christians read Scripture and celebrated their liturgical mysteries.
Irenaeus of Lyons, On the Apostolic Preaching
This catechetical work by one of the faith’s most important early theologians presents a comprehensive vision of salvation history centered on Christ. Writing against Gnostic interpretations that would separate the Old Testament from the New, Irenaeus demonstrates the profound unity of Scripture and tradition.
Athanasius of Alexandria, On the Incarnation
A foundational text, written while its author was a young deacon, shows how the incarnation addresses the fundamental human problem of death and corruption, restoring humanity to communion with God. Athanasius’s emphasis on deification—that “God became human so that humans might become divine”—remains central to Orthodox soteriology.
John of Damascus, On the Orthodox Faith
A synthetic and systematic summary of Christian doctrine that proved foundational for future Christian teachings, this work was composed near Jerusalem in the early eighth century by a Syrian monk and scholar, clarifying confusions about the Trinity, Christology, sacramentality, and the veneration of icons, saints, and relics, as well as challenging popular false teachings.