Form IV
History & Biography

Athos, the Holy Mountain by Sydney Loch 

A pretty fascinating tour around Mt. Athos that would be a nice history/geography type book to consider sometime in the upper years, probably y9 or y10. It's not necessarily an essential book for Orthodox Christians, but it would be a nice one for those interested in some of the history of the holy mountain. 

Rock and Sand by Fr. Josiah Trenaham 

A deep dive into the history of the Protestant Reformation and the men behind it, this book is not light reading. Parents may want to spread it out over several years or select specific chapters based on the needs and capacity of their students. 

The Age of Paradise, The Age of Division, The Age of Utopia, The Age of Nihilism by John Strickland – 

These four books form excellent world history spines, telling the story of the Western world from the Orthodox perspective. These should be spread out over the course of the high school years. They are written for adults, and The Age of Nihilism is especially heavy reading, so parents should keep in mind the emotional maturity of their children as they consider assigning these. They make excellent books to read with our teens so that discussion can be ongoing. 

The Prayer of a Broken Heart: An Orthodox Christian Reflection on African American Spirituality by Fr. Paul Abernathy 

Fr. Paul takes a beautiful look at what African American spirituality has in common with Orthodox spirituality.