On 1st September 2010, Monachos.net{footnote}The Greek monachos means 'monk', from the root mone, for 'alone' or one who lives in interior solitude. Though English speakers often pronounce the word 'MAH-na-khos', it is more accurately pronounced 'Moh-na-HOS'. The Monachos.net web site is dedicated to St Irenaeus of Lyons, one of the Church's earliest theologians and heresiologists (defenders against heresy), whose feast day is kept on 23rd August / 5th September. The Orthodox tradition represented on Monachos.net is what is sometimes called 'Chalcedonian Orthodoxy'; that is, it terms as 'Orthodoxy' the Churches of the seven ecumenical councils, including Chalcedon, as found in the ancient patriarchates of the Eastern Orthodox communion. The web site is not operated by any sole Orthodox jurisdiction, but represents the Chalcedonian Orthodox traditions found in, for example, the Russian Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox Church, etc.{/footnote} celebrated its 10th anniversary on-line. For the past decade, our aim has been to further the approach to and study of Orthodox Christianity through an engagement with its patristic, monastic, liturgical and ecclesiastical heritage. The web site's raison d'être is to provide a resource for academic, scholarly and personal study, a forum for the provision of patristic source- and secondary-materials as well as ecclesiastical information on related matters, an environment for the discussion of the Church's patristic, monastic, liturgical and ecclesiastical heritage, and a means of providing access to materials on the Church's thought and life.

Monachos.net first appeared in September 2000 in response to requests for the type of materials we now offer - then poorly provided for on the internet, and even today extremely difficult to find in an Orthodox context. Monachos.net has thus been, from its inception, specifically designed not to emulate or duplicate the function of the great number of web sites offering information on the Orthodox Church as a whole, especially as it relates to other Christian traditions thoughout the world; nor was it designed to be another forum for the discussion of general Orthodox theology or practice. The web sites which take these goals in hand are ample to the task, and many of the best are indexed in our links catalogue. Our purpose has remained, for these ten years, specifically to address an area that has been our special focus: the thought and life of the Church through the reading, study of and reflection on the rich traditions of the patristic and monastic witnesses, together with the liturgical and ecclesiastical life of the Church throughout its history.

Monachos.net Statistics (Aug 2010)
Avg unique visits per month	94,000+
Avg unique pg views per month	650,000+
Avg unique visits per day	3,500+
Avg pg views per day	23,450+
Avg hits per month	4.6+ million

For those unfamiliar with the terminology, the broad title patristics refers to the lives and writings (thus both the history and theology) of the Fathers and Mothers of the Church: the pillars and theological mainstays of Orthodox Christianity. Patristic studies stand at the heart of a true knowledge of the Church and her doctrines, and thus the field is of the utmost importance for those both in the Church and outside it, who share an interest in Christian doctrinal history, practice, and authentic theology. One of the principal aims of Monachos.net is to bring the 'study' of the patristic heritage to a wider population than only the seminaries and universities, making available on-line patristic source texts in translation, studies of themes and specific Fathers, and other resources to foster such exploration at various levels.

Monasticism as a general term encompasses the whole life, history and theology of the monastic tradition throughout Orthodox Christian history. These represent the stories and teachings of the men and women who have—since the first days of the Church—devoted every aspect of their lives to 'working out their salvation in fear and trembling'. These individuals, and the monastic tradition they represent, have thereby produced some of the deepest, richest spirituality in the history of the Church, as well as many of her most important theological reflections. The monasticism resources on Monachos.net aim to further the knowledge of and appreciation for this monastic heritage through the provision of monastic source texts, studies on monastic history and practice, resources on specific monasteries and monastics, and other such materials.

Resources are also provided for the study of the Church's liturgical traditions, including the texts of various prayers, hymns and services, liturgical rubrics, and reflections and studies on both these texts and practices, as also liturgical theology as a whole - for Orthodox theology cannot be understood apart from Orthodox worship, song and prayer. Ecclesiastical history is also addressed in several forms throughout the web site. Supplementary tools for detailed study in our areas are also offered: Monachos.net includes an extensive resource area for the study of Classical/Patristic Greek and an interactive collection of book reviews on relevant publications; a database of quotations from various Church Fathers that can be used as a homepage; an individually-reviewed links catalogue that sorts into topical categories hundreds of web sites across the internet that relate to our focus; a powerful search engine for quickly locating specific materials; etc.

One of the most active areas of Monachos.net is our vibrant Discussion Community Message Forum, in which members and guests explore Orthodoxy's patristic and monastic heritage in interactive discussions. The Discussion Community began one year into Monachos.net's on-line life, envisaged as something distinct from more customary on-line forums: a dedicated place for focused, constructive discussion that would provide an avenue for the detailed examination of Orthodoxy in the heritage of the Church Fathers. Today, the Discussion Community has become one of the most vibrant Orthodox forums on the internet, retaining its unique scope and focus in an on-line forum environment that includes several 'resident' scholars, priests, monastics and laity, and over 78,000 archived and categorised posts from past discussions. If you have not yet discovered the Discussion Community, we warmly invite you to take part in its ongoing discussions.

The resources on Monachos.net are continually updated and expanded, and include such activities as a partnership with Ancient Faith Radio, an Orthodox internet broadcasting agency based in the USA, to produce a new series of weekly A Word From the Holy Fathers radio broadcasts. These 'podcasts' offer a weekly reflection on the writings of the Fathers, which can be listened to live on-line, or downloaded for listening whenever convenient.

Since Monachos.net first went on-line ten years ago, it has grown into a resource used by thousands of individuals across the world, generating well over 4 million 'hits' per month from more than 3,500 unique visitors each day. That its materials and tools are used by universities, seminaries and other institutions around the world, as well as by parishes and individuals, seems a fitting witness to the genuine desire for the availability of such materials on-line. We are grateful for the support of so many frequent visitors and members over the past decade, and wish you, as a new visitor, a useful and enjoyable experience.

Yours in Christ,

Hieromonk Irenaeus (Steenberg), Webmaster
Click here to contact Prof. M.C. Steenberg

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