Pages: 393

With over 140 letters spanning nearly two decades, In Their Own Words: The Private Letters of Saint Philaret of New York & Bishop Gregory Grabbe presents—for the first time in English—the personal correspondence between two of the most influential hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

While official documents and public statements often involve carefully chosen words aimed at preserving reputations—crafted with an awareness that they will be scrutinized by critics both contemporaneous and future—this collection stands apart. These private letters, exchanged between like-minded hierarchs and close friends, offer rare insight into their unfiltered thoughts and emotions. As St. Philaret wrote to Bishop Gregory: “Many thanks to you—both for your personal letter, the additions thereto, and for your frankness. I most earnestly ask that you continue not to deprive me of your direct and honest words!”

The letters illuminate not only their shared ecclesiastical vision but also the path they believed the Russian Church Abroad should pursue in the face of numerous theological and canonical challenges, including the Metropolia and Parisian schisms, Sergianism, and the rise of Ecumenism.

Amid reflections on everyday events, the correspondence also addresses deeply controversial subjects: monophysitism, baptismal practices, concelebration with World Orthodoxy, the so-called "lay revolt" in San Francisco, developments in the South African diocese, and figures such as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Kallistos Ware. Beyond external concerns, the letters reveal the internal synodal tensions that at times led St. Philaret to contemplate stepping down as the First Hierarch.
With more than 100 editorial footnotes providing historical context, readers are guided through the people, events, and issues referenced throughout the correspondence. These letters are not merely a record of administrative matters—they also serve as a window into the lives of two men striving to remain faithful to Christ and His Church. Offering a deeply human glimpse into their personal trials and convictions, the correspondence reveals how their inner lives and worldview shaped their decisions as hierarchs of the Russian Church Abroad.

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