Welcome to Monachos.net

Welcome to Monachos.net,

Monachos.net^{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 23 August / 5 September. The Orthodox tradition represented on Monachos.net is what is sometimes called 'Chalcedonian Orthodox'; 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.} exists to further the study of Orthodox Christianity through reflection on its patristic, monastic, liturgical and ecclesiastical heritage. Its aim is to be 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 and reflection on the Church's patristic, monastic, liturgical and ecclesiastical heritage, and a means of providing access to materials on the Church's thought and life.

This web site first appeared in September 2000, in response to requests for the type of materials described above. Monachos.net has thus been, from its inception, specifically designed not to emulate or duplicate the function and character 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. 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 specifically to address an area less often explored in detail on-line: 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.

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 have long stood 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. Yet despite this importance, under- and post-graduate enrolment in patristic subjects declines year to year, and while many are interested in studying the Fathers on a casual level, few persue that interest in an academic or dedicated setting. Part of the aim 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 study 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 which 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. Ecclesiastical history is 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; and an extremely active discussion community in which members and guests discuss themes raised by the web site or other resources, in an on-line forum environment that includes several 'resident' scholars, priests, monastics and laity and over 53,000 archived and categorised posts from past discussions.

New resources in 2008

In Autumn 2008, Monachos.net underwent a major upgrade, refining its look and feel while also introducing a number of new features and resources for visitors. These include a new 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. Additionally, Monachos.net launched its new Monachos Patristics Wiki, which allows for the collaborative study of Orthodox patristic and monastic subjects through an openly-edited environment of articles and studies to which all visitors can contribute.

Since Monachos.net first went on-line in September 2000, it has grown into a resource used by thousands of individuals across the world, generating well over 1.5 million 'hits' per month from more than 1,500 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, and wish you, as a new visitor, a useful and enjoyable experience.

Yours in Christ,

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Revd Professor M.C. Steenberg, Webmaster
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