As you may (or may not) know, regular OrthodoxHistory.org author Nicholas Chapman — the man who has single-handedly rewritten our understanding of early Orthodoxy in America — hosts a podcast on Ancient Faith Radio, called Speaking of Books. For his most recent episode, Nicholas reviewed an intriguing volume: The Russian catechism, composed and published by order of the Czar. To which is annex’d, a short account of the church-government, and ceremonies, of the Moscovites. Illustrated with cuts.
As the title suggests, this isn’t a new book. In fact, it was published in the early 18th century. In English. And it was advertised in the New England Courant — a Boston newspaper — in 1723. All of which cuts against the notion that Orthodoxy was virtually unknown in America until the 19th century.
To listen to the podcast, CLICK HERE. It’s 17 minutes long, and definitely worth your time.
I wonder if this could be connected to John Cavel, chaplain to the English ambassador to the Porte 1670-7, publishing his “Some account of the present Greek Church,: with reflections on their present doctrine and discipline, and the rest of their seven pretended sacraments, compared with Jack Goar’s notes upon the Greek ritual or ” in 1722
http://books.google.com/books?id=998GAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
on the heals of a correspondence between the non-Juror bishops of the Anglican church which commenced in 1716 (and Cavel was involved) and was ongoing when the “Russian Catechism” was published
http://books.google.com/books?id=V7g_AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22The+Orthodox+Church+of+the+East+in+the+eighteenth+century%22&source=bl&ots=jsH8LpeT5L&sig=McY9vorvi_T17LQ9hEHWqGocQEc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tPA2UOqwHuaoywG5oYG4BA&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Orthodox%20Church%20of%20the%20East%20in%20the%20eighteenth%20century%22&f=false
itself following Orthodox hierarchs and Greek students attending English universities starting in 1698, and an ensuing attempt by the Vatican through the King of France and Sorbonne to entice them into their own camp.