Greetings for the Dormition Season!

First of all, my sincere apologies for not posting any news on the Thebaid book for quite some time. We simply haven’t had any news to share, but have been in somewhat of a holding pattern. But all that is changing rapidly, thanks be to God!

Some of you have reached out to ask about the book’s progress, and I am very grateful for your contact, and happy to have some solid news to report.

St Tikhon’s Press had asked me last December to be patient, as they had new books which had been scheduled for publication in 2019 well ahead of mine. The first of these was published in conjunction with St Tikhon’s annual Memorial Day Pilgrimage Weekend (a beautiful new book on Metropolitan Leonty of blessed memory), and the other titles have been proceeding apace, meaning the Thebaid Book is next up.

This is most invigorating for me, I can assure you, and I am looking forward to making an extended working visit to St Tikhon’s in mid-September, which will enable us to make much progress. But even in advance of that, we have been fleshing out the specifics of the book sections, and image use and sequencing remotely through correspondence.

It is encouraging also to reflect on the advance work on the Thebaid book which we had firmed up last Autumn, highlighted by special articles contributed by Archimandrite Sergius (Abbot of St Tikhon’s Monastery), and by other monastic writers. The basic idea for the flow and pace of the book, a balancing of images with brief monastic sayings in-between the different sections, was settled upon as well.

Regarding the design, St Tikhon’s Press has four gifted graphic artists in house (three of them members of the monastery brotherhood, as well as the new manager of the Press, Fr Mikel Hill), so I am confident of us producing a beautiful and inspiring book, which will truly be imbued with the monastic phronema, the savor of Orthodoxy.

And, to reaffirm for our supporters, all pre-orders (and, if included, the signed and matted fine-art prints), will be delivered prior to general retail distribution. I look forward to being able to announce the publication date, and then to finally get the physical book into your hands!

To the several queries concerning Thebaid Book pre-orders: Yes! We are still accepting pre-orders for the Standard Edition, and the Deluxe Limited Edition in Bonded Leather. The latter will only be available through pre-order, and once we send the files to the printer, we will not accept any more orders for the Deluxe Limited Edition, each of which will be personally signed and numbered.

Thank you, as always, for your prayers and support, and for tour patience during these past several months! Watch for more updates and other posts of interest on a regular basis now that we are back on track.