Category: Readers and Writers

Fr. Jeremy Davis: Stumbling into Sacrifice

· Fr. Jeremy Davis
As an Evangelical Protestant kid, I picked up a certain idea of sacrifice: a worshiper lays his hand upon an innocent lamb, draining his sins into the creature, then a priest comes forward to end the animal’s life, thus satisfying God’s need to punish the sinner. I can’t pinpoint whom I learned this from or when—it was just in the air, so to speak. In hindsight, this interpretation was clearly a projection…

Upcoming AFP Release – Syria Crucified: Stories of Modern Martyrdom in an Ancient Christian Land

· Melinda Johnson
The book includes accounts and stories which have never before been revealed – harrowing episodes of young Christians dodging bullets on their way to school, monks and nuns huddling in prayer as fanatical armed insurgents surround their monasteries, priests and bishops heroically traveling the war-torn countryside to ransom their parishioners, and details of the plight of the last Christians of Idlib and the unbelievable journey of their kidnapped priest, Fr. Ibrahim.

Edith M. Humphrey: Beyond the White Fence and Learning to “See”

· Melinda Johnson
“Read me a story, Unca Doug!” was probably one of my first sentences, directed repeatedly to my longsuffering and beloved second cousin who visited us, while he was in seminary, when I was two. Books were a very important part of our household since my dad was a teacher. They became absolutely essential when I was in kindergarten and isolated at home with mono for several months.  Then I grew into a…

Call for Proposals: 2022 Ancient Faith Content Creator Conference

· Melinda Johnson
  The Ancient Faith Content Creator Conference (AFCon) is back! And it’s bigger and better than ever! On September 19-22, 2022, we will once again be able to gather content creators together to network, learn, and be inspired. This conference is expanding in several ways over previous AFCons: The conference will be two full days/three nights instead of one day/two nights. We are inviting artists, designers, and illustrators to join us as…

Seven Holy Women: Gather and Share

· Kh. Kelleylynn Barberg 1 Leave a Comment on %s
For the past three weeks a dozen women have gathered to read, journal and discuss our journey through Seven Holy Women: Conversations with Saints and Friends. Just as we were about to begin, an idea sprang up in my morning thoughts… What if we filled a jar with small items that reminded us of each chapter? This jar would represent our “home”; we’d admire what’s inside remembering each Saint (along with ourselves),…

Unveiling Morwenna: How a Twenty-First-Century Researcher Fell in Love with a Fifth-Century Saint

· Laura Jansson 3 Leave a Comment on %s
When Seven Holy Women was just a gleam in the eye of Khouria Melinda Johnson, she gathered around her a group of seven not-especially-holy women and started doling out saints. Each one of us authors was to write about one of the venerable figures Melinda had identified; each one of the saints was a lover of Christ from another age, honored by Christians in both East and West – lesser-known and deserving…

Gratitude in Life’s Trenches: an Interview with Robin Phillips

· Melinda Johnson
Your book Gratitude in Life’s Trenches has been creating quite a stir since it came out earlier this month. Within days of the book’s release it became an Amazon best-seller in its category, and it has received a string of positive reviews. Rod Dreher wrote that “this book will open closed minds, gladden weary hearts and change people’s lives,” while Bishop John, Antiochian Orthodox Bishop of Worcester and New England, praised the…

Mom and Kids review Rooted in Prayer Virtual Vacation Church Camp

· Sarah Geana
The most surprising result of the week of church camp was this deepening sense of prayer.  My children have all grown up in the church and have been saying family prayers since they were born and attend church on a regular basis, etc., so you would think they would have a very firm grasp of what prayer is and its importance. 

Apostle to the Plains: A True Story of Heroism and Sacrificial Christian Love

· Nicholas Kosar
Do you want to read a story about how the Suez Canal, Asian silk production, and Ottoman persecution drove two Lebanese Orthodox Christian newlyweds to the Great Plains of America in 1892? How an immigrant couple with no knowledge of English who grew up with daily views of the Mediterranean arrived in Nebraska in midwinter?