Orthodox Church History Resources
*For a visual overview of our Orthodox studies cycle see here, and for our Church History Schedule see here
Church History Resources: High School and Adult
The Orthodox Faith: Volume III - Church History (Hopko/Ford) |Free online overview| *Covers 1st-20th c.
A Pocket Church History for Orthodox Christians (Keller)
|PDF| *Covers 1st-20th c.
The Story of Christianity (Hart)
|Audio; PDF| *Hardcover has better pictures; covers ancient Israel-21st c. (Cycle 1, 20 ch.; Cycle 2, 10 ch.; Cycle 3, 3 ch.; Cycle 4, 20 ch.); ~8th-adult
The Age of Paradise: Christendom from Pentecost to the First Millennium (Strickland)
*Covers Pentecost through Great Schism
The Age of Division: Christendom from the Great Schism to the Protestant Reformation (Strickland)
*Covers Great Schism through ~1600s
[PENDING REVIEW] The Law of God. An Introduction Orthodox Christianity (Sysoev) *Catechesis text; pp. 427-524 covers Ascension - the Orthodox Church today; *More in-depth on Church History than Slobodskoy's, but some sections have potential issues and I'm hesitant to recommend yet
The Age of Utopia: Christendom from the Renaissance to the Russian Revolution (Strickland) *Covers Renaissance through the Bolshevik Revolution
The Age of Nihilism: Christendom from the Great War to the Culture Wars (Strickland) *Covers WWI through 21st c.; Particularly mature content; might be best as a teacher resource
The Historical Road of Eastern Orthodoxy (Schmemann) |PDF| *Covers early Church through ~Peter the Great
The Holy Fire: The Story of the Fathers of the Eastern Church (Payne) *Overview of the Eastern Christian Church fathers from Clement to Palamas (~150-1359) (Get a version w/ Hopko's Intro); Primarily Cycle 4 Catechesis
Saints for all Ages Series (OCA: Volumes 1-12 (Puhalo)
*Compilation of Saints' lives over 10 volumes (various time periods); ~5th-12th; Out of print, some scans here
Church History Resources: Intermediate and Above
A Children's History of the Church (Neale/ Paidea Classics)
*Covers Ascension- Chalcedon (~29-451); Wonderfully detailed, and while geared toward Upper Elem./Intermediate, we've used it for groups w/ teens & adults; Cycle 4 Catechesis; ~5th+
Heroes for Truth: The Orthodox Christian Church Through the Ages, Volume I (Koulomzin)
|PDF *Vol. 1 & 2| *Covers Ancient World - Cyril and Methodius (~869); all cycles; ~5th-12th
New Frontiers: The Orthodox Christian Church Through the Ages, Volume II (Hart)
(Koulomzin)
|PDF *Vol. 1 & 2| *Covers Birth of Slavic States (~862) - Orthodox Dispersion (~1930s); all cycles; ~5th-12th
The Law of God: For Study at Home and School (Slobodskoy) *Sysoev version is more in-depth than on Church History, but some of his other sections have potential issues and I'm hesitant to recommend
Great Fathers of the Church for Young Readers (Puhalo)
*Compilation of 28 lives of the Church Fathers from Dionysios the Aeropagite (+96) - St. Arsenios of Paros (1877); primarily Cycle 4 Catechesis; ~5th-12th
Saints for all Ages (OCA: Volumes 1-12 (Puhalo)
*Compilation of Saints' lives over 10 volumes (various time periods); ~5th-12th; Out of print, some scans here
Stories from Church History, Volume 1, A.D. 34-312 (Paidea Classics)
*Compilation of historical stories & Saints' lives (both long and short); Shorter stories good for younger ages, longer for Form 2-3+
Stories From Church History, Volume 2, A.D. 312-450 (Paidea Classics)
*Compilation of historical stories & Saints' lives; Shorter stories good for younger ages, longer for Form 2-3+
Lives of Saints For Young People: Volumes 1-12 (Puhalo)
*Compilation of ~14 Saints' lives per volume (various dates); ~Forms 1-2
Church History Resources: Elementary and Above (~K-6th)
Saints of the Church: From Christ to St. Constantine the Great (St. Nikolai of Zhicha/ Paidea Classics) *can double as copywork (select manuscript, cursive, etc.), or just use for readings; Cycle 4 Catechesis; ~Forms 1-2
Stories from Church History, Volume 1, A.D. 34-312 (Paidea Classics)
*Compilation of historical stories & Saints' lives (both long and short); Cycle 4 Catechesis; Shorter stories good for younger ages, Longer ideal for Form 2+
Stories From Church History, Volume 2, A.D. 312-450 (Paidea Classics)
*Compilation of historical stories & Saints' lives; Cycle 4 Catechesis; Shorter stories good for younger ages, Longer ideal for Form 2+
Let the Little Children Come to Me (St. John Chrysostomos Monastery)
*Compilation of 50 children martyrs from the beginnings of Christianity to the 1900s; ~Forms 1-2; see Saints covered here
A Child’s Paradise of Saints (McLees)
*Compilation of 15 Saints' lives (10 for Early Church History in Cycle 4; 3 for Cycle 2; 2 for Cycle 3); see Saints covered here
Lives of Saints For Young People: Volumes 1-12 (Puhalo)
*Compilation of ~14 Saints' lives per volume (various dates); ~Forms 1-2
Misc. Church History Resources: