The Society for Orthodox Christian History in the Americas
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RSS feed is back
Some of you may have noticed that we’ve been having some difficulties with our RSS feed from the site. Well, now it appears to be back in working order. So, if you haven’t been seeing our posts (because you read only via syndication), welcome back. Make sure you check back through the site to see what you may have missed.
Shifting Gears
2 years ago
If you’re a regular reader of this website, you’ve no doubt noticed a precipitous decline in the frequency of posts. Until last spring, we posted one new article per weekday — five articles a week, 20+ per month. I wrote the vast majority of them, and while I had a great time doing it, it was a lot of work. We cut back to three new pieces per week, and that was our frequency right up to the end of 2010. In the past month, however, we’ve cut back even further, with just 1-2 new postings a week. And, at the moment, that looks like the new normal.
I wish I could write more often, but between my now-four person family and the demands of law school, I’m stretched pretty thin. Right now, I’m working on a number of Orthodox history-related projects, including finalizing my “Myth of Unity” article for the first issue of our peer-reviewed journal (due out this spring!); working with Alexei Krindatch to produce an atlas of Orthodoxy in America (with historical data, and due out later this year); and preparing a lecture on Chicago’s Orthodox history for the annual “Book Week” conference at Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Westchester, Illinois (I speak on March 24, if you’re interested in coming). I’ve got other projects in the works, and I’m very excited about them, but unfortunately that means that my (increasingly scarce) research time is spent on things other than this website.
On a positive note, we certainly aren’t closing the doors — far from it. While OH.org is shifting gears a bit, we’ll still feature monthly contributions from Fr. Oliver Herbel and Dr. William Samonides, and if you know me at all, you know that I won’t be able to resist at least the occasional article myself. We’ll also continue to publish original sources, historical photos, and other nuggets, with new posts coming at least once a week.
Also, I’ve been told that something has gone wrong with our RSS feed. If you’re used to reading the site that way, I apologize for the inconvenience. I haven’t the slightest clue how to fix the problem, but people more capable than me are looking into it.
Anyway, many thanks to all our loyal readers. I hope you’ll keep visiting the site, commenting, and sharing our love of American Orthodox history.
Matthew Namee
Interview with Byzantine, Texas blog
2 years ago
Readers of OrthodoxHistory.org may be interested in a recent interview I did with the “Byzantine, Texas” blog. We discussed the history of SOCHA, our membership drive, and our plans for the future. I’d like to thank the blog’s proprietor, “Josephus Flavius,” for the opportunity.
To read the interview, click here.
Become a member of SOCHA today!
The Society for Orthodox Christian History in the Americas (SOCHA) began last year with a small number of members — our three directors and the members of our advisory board. Since then, we have been amazed with the level of interest people have shown in American Orthodox history. Today, we are throwing the doors open to general membership. If you are interested in the history of Orthodoxy in the Americas, please consider joining SOCHA.
Right now, there is no charge for membership. Eventually, we’ll charge a small fee to cover our expenses, and in return, members will get access to a peer-reviewed journal, a monthly e-newsletter, members-only online resources (including a register of historical clergy and a primary source archive), and other benefits. Our future plans also include SOCHA-backed books and conferences. But, as we said, there are no initial fees. By responding now, you are basically letting us know that you are interested in SOCHA and may want to become a dues-paying member when the time comes. This will help us begin to prepare a budget and begin planning expanded offerings.
To become a SOCHA member, just send an email to joinsocha@gmail.com. Please include the following basic information:
- Name
- City and State
- Parish
- Jurisdiction
- preferred email address
Also, if there is a specific area or aspect of American Orthodox history that particularly interests you, feel free to include that as well. And if you’ve done any research and/or writing on the subject yourself, let us know too — we would love to feature guest articles from SOCHA members here at OrthodoxHistory.org.
We look forward to hearing from you, and to expanding the scope and work of SOCHA.
Sincerely,
The Executive Board
Want to write about American Orthodox history?
2 years ago
Dear Readers,
Since we started this website last June, we have published around 300 articles. I believe I’ve written the majority of them, but we’ve received many outstanding contributions from other SOCHA members and guest authors. Up to now, all of the guest articles have come at my request — as editor, I’ve specifically sought out other authors and asked them either to write something for us, or to give us permission to reprint articles they’ve already published elsewhere. But we have not, up to now, solicited contributions from the public in general. I’d like to change that.
There are, in this country, hundreds of amateur Orthodox historians. Many of you read this website, and I know that you’ve done valuable research that would be of interest to others. If you would like to contribute an article for publication here at OrthodoxHistory.org, please send me an email (mfnamee [at] gmail [dot] com). I can’t promise we will publish every submission, but we will consider each one. If we choose to print an article, we’ll edit it before publication.
I do hope that you, our readers, will consider submitting an article. While I thoroughly enjoy writing my own articles, I think everyone benefits from a diversity of authors. Once again, my email address is mfnamee [at] gmail [dot] com. Thanks so much.
Matthew Namee, Editor
