Posts tagged Alaska
On Religion: New Threat To Alaska’s Historic Orthodox Cathedral

(ANALYSIS) After the 1966 fire, St. Michael's was rebuilt with concrete, steel and other fire-resistant materials, using 1961 drawings from the Historic American Buildings Survey for reference. Today, there are leaks along joints in the church's domes, and the wooden floors squeak from water damage.

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‘Sacred Alaska’ Masterfully Explores Native Culture And The Orthodox Faith

(REVIEW) This film is not just a historical overview of the growth of Orthodox Christianity in America’s northernmost state among Native Alaskans; it also captures the fusion of Native Alaskan culture and Orthodox spirituality. The film shows what we can learn from Alaskan Orthodoxy. Becoming fully human, caring for the land and the animals are main themes discussed in this documentary. These lessons are not just important for Orthodox Christians, but for all human beings.  

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‘Sacred Alaska’: Q&A With Film Director Simon Scionka On Native Culture and Orthodox Spirituality

“Sacred Alaska” is an award-winning, visually stunning documentary with compelling storytelling. The film explores the profound influence of Orthodoxy, brought by St. Herman and Russian monks in the late 18th century, on Native Alaskan society. It also highlights the unique fusion of Native Alaskan indigenous beliefs with Orthodox traditions.

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What Totem Poles Taught Me About Appreciating Other Cultures

During a recent small-ship cruise up Alaska’s Inland Passage from Sitka to Juneau, my wife and I saw many totem poles, both old and fairly new. Since we were voyaging through Tlingit territory, we paid special attention to those witnessing to Tlingit culture. Fortunately, we had a Tlingit as our guide.

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Orthodox Alaska Part 3: A Seminary That Serves As Kodiak Island’s Arctic Willow

The arrival of St. Herman and a group of eight monks on this island on Sept. 24, 1794, planted a seed for the Orthodox Church on the continent. Since then, Alaska has been a spiritual cradle of Orthodox Christianity in North America.

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Orthodox Alaska Part 2: The Beatles, Bees And Orthodoxy Animated In One Man's Life

Several young Orthodox converts who live at the St. James House, a self-directed program for young Orthodox adults, kept asking me during my visit last November if I had met Joe, the beekeeper. From what I had gathered, this guy named Joseph “Joe” Dunham, 68, was a living legend of the Eagle River community. He sounded quirky. I had to meet him.

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Orthodox Alaska Part 1: Once An Evangelical Church, This Alaska Parish Has Become An Orthodox Hub

While less than 1% of Americans identify as Orthodox Christians, 5% of Alaskans identified as Orthodox in 2014, according to Pew Research. And while the number of regular attendees at Eastern Orthodox churches in the U.S. has declined 14% from 2010 to 2020, the number of parishes grew 3% over the same decade, according to the latest data in the 2020 Census of Orthodox Christian Churches.

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In Alaska, A Russian-Speaking Church Becomes A Hub For Helping Ukrainians

An Anchorage congregation with members from Ukraine, Russia and other Slavic nations is working to feed and support families forced to flee their homes. “We can’t just sit here,” church member Zori Opanasevych says. “We have to do something.”

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Jesus and Wi-Fi: Alaska church helps students during pandemic

When public schools in Alaska’s capital of Juneau moved to virtual classes because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some students were unable to access their schools. The Juneau Church of Christ opened its annex building to provide Wi-Fi and tutoring for Glacier Valley students, who are required to wear masks and maintain 6 feet of social distance.

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Dirty words spice up the week's religion news — not for the first time

This week’s Weekend Plug-in summary highlights religion news related to a new book by Michael Cohen. Warning: Profanity is involved, along with President Donald Trump and former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr.

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