Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: St. Alexis Toth, Leader of Eastern Catholic Converts
Chapter 2: Fr. Raphael Morgan, and Early African American Orthodoxy
Chapter 3: Fr. Moses Berry and the Order of St. Moses Black
Chapter 4: The Conversion of Fr. Peter Gillquist and the Evangelical Orthodox Church
Chapter 5: The Deconversion of the Evangelical Orthodox Church from the Anti-Traditional Tradition
Conclusion
Bibliography

About the Author

D. Oliver (Fr. Oliver) Herbel holds a doctorate in historical theology from Saint Louis University. He is the author of Sarapion of Thmuis: Against the Manichaeans and Pastoral Letters as well as articles and book chapters, many of which concentrate on Orthodox Christianity in America. He currently serves as the priest of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Fargo, ND, and as a chaplain in the North Dakota Air National Guard.

Reviews

"Turning to Tradition is clearly and carefully written and is a welcome examination of contemporary American Orthodoxy....Much in this excellent book will surprise non-Orthodox readers, and will be news to Orthodox readers as well."--American Catholic Studies
"Turning to Tradition is a powerful and convincing argument for viewing Orthodoxy as something more than ethno-religiosity. Alongside the cradle Orthodox in this volume are a variety of converts--African-Americans, former Evangelicals, and former Eastern-Rite Catholics--each with its own story. In the process of telling their stories, Herbel shows how converts have substantially reshaped North American Orthodoxy. At a time when growing numbers opt
out of Christian faith traditions, or choose a faith tradition they were not raised in, these American converts are crucial for understanding twenty-first-century Orthodox identity." --Michael J. McClymond,
Professor of Modern Christianity, Saint Louis University
"This fascinating and original study explores uncharted territory, namely the phenomenon of Christians from other church bodies who convert to (Eastern) Orthodox Christianity. Herbel introduces a really diverse selection of converts--from Bjerring and Alexis Toth to Moses Berry and Peter Gillquist. The scholarship is thorough, careful, and relevant, and the writing accessible. There is virtually no other published work on this topic." --Michael Plekon,
Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Baruch College of the City University of New York
"In a religiously pluralist society, inter-religious conversion is a live and familiar option. In this engaging and timely book D. Oliver Herbel makes a significant contribution to the study of intra-Christian conversion by narrating and analyzing the stories of four prominent 20th century converts to Orthodox Christianity in the U.S. whose conversion experiences exemplify American Restorationism by ironically professing a 'non-traditional tradition.'
Students of Conversion, Religious Pluralism, American Religious History, and Eastern Orthodoxy in America will profit from reading this insightful text." --Albert J. Raboteau, Henry W. Putnam Professor of
Religion Emeritus, Princeton University
"This book has much to say to both historians of American Eastern Orthodoxy and scholars of American religion in general... [T]hought provoking..." --Nova Religio
"Rising from the murk of that contradictory stew comes D. Oliver Herbel's Turning to Tradition: Converts and the Making of an American Orthodox Church. It is the first scholarly monograph on historical conversions to Orthodoxy in America, making some historical material available for the first time." --First Things