The Eastern Cross/Library
Free to read, on any phone
The Orthodox Library
The great books of the Orthodox faith, from the first Christians to the saints of modern Russia. Pick one up and start reading.
Start here
New to the Orthodox faith, or new to reading the saints? These are a good place to begin.
On the IncarnationSt. Athanasius the GreatWhy did God become man? The classic first step into the Fathers.
The DidacheThe early ChurchA handbook from the first generations of Christians.
The Letter to DiognetusAn early ChristianWho are these Christians? An answer to a curious pagan.
The Life of St. AnthonySt. Athanasius the GreatThe young Egyptian who went into the desert and became the father of monks.
The Longer CatechismSt. Philaret of MoscowThe Creed, the Lord's Prayer and the Commandments, in questions and answers.
My Life in ChristSt. John of KronstadtA parish priest's diary of what he learned in prayer.
All books
On the IncarnationSt. Athanasius the GreatWhy did God become man? The classic first step into the Fathers.
The DidacheThe early ChurchA handbook from the first generations of Christians.
The Letter to DiognetusAn early ChristianWho are these Christians? An answer to a curious pagan.
The Life of St. AnthonySt. Athanasius the GreatThe young Egyptian who went into the desert and became the father of monks.
The Longer CatechismSt. Philaret of MoscowThe Creed, the Lord's Prayer and the Commandments, in questions and answers.
My Life in ChristSt. John of KronstadtA parish priest's diary of what he learned in prayer.
The Martyrdom of St. PolycarpThe Church of SmyrnaThe oldest account of a martyr's death after the New Testament.
The Catechetical LecturesSt. Cyril of JerusalemTalks for people preparing for baptism, through the Creed line by line.
On the Holy SpiritSt. Basil the GreatThe Church's great defence of the Holy Spirit as God.
On the PriesthoodSt. John ChrysostomHow great and how hard it is to be a priest.
An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox FaithSt. John of DamascusThe teaching of the Fathers, gathered into a hundred short chapters.
The CommonitorySt. Vincent of LérinsWhat has been believed everywhere, always and by all.
The InstitutesSt. John CassianThe monks of Egypt on prayer and the eight passions.
No book matches that yet. Know one we should add? Tell us in the server.
Why this library exists
The Eastern Cross is an Orthodox Christian community on Discord, with members from all over the world. Many of them are still finding their way into the Church, and the question we hear most is a simple one: what should I read?
This library is our answer. Every book here is free to read on any phone, with nothing to sign up for and no ads. Each one remembers where you stopped, and you can save a whole book to read offline.
Where the books come from
Most are classics old enough to belong to everyone: the nineteenth-century translations of the Fathers and the saints, which are now in the public domain. We took the texts from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library and left out the editors’ footnotes so the saints can speak for themselves.
Some newer books will be shared by their publishers and authors. When they are, we say so on the book and point you to their print edition, because the people who keep these books in print deserve your support.
Read with the Church
Books help, but they don’t replace the life of the Church. Bring your questions to your priest, and if you don’t have a parish yet, find one near you. The icons on these pages are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each book.
Know a book that belongs here, or wrote one you’d like to share? Tell us in the server.