On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius

Yes. Before it reached you, the book was read and approved by Orthodox priests.

Today it is carried in Orthodox church shops, and parishes give it out to visitors and inquirers as a first introduction to the faith, a simple way to answer "what is Orthodoxy?" for someone who has never heard of it.

You don't have to take that on trust either: every scriptural claim in it is quoted in context, and every date is documented history you can check for yourself.

Yes, and it was written so you can check. Every scriptural claim is quoted in context, starting with Matthew 16:18, and every historical claim, including the timeline of 33 AD, 1054, and 1517, is documented church history you can verify in any encyclopedia. Nothing in this book asks you to take our word over Scripture or the historical record.

Neither. You won't find a single line telling you your church is wrong. That's a rule we wrote the book by. It simply tells the story of the original church, the one most of us were never taught, and lets you decide what it means for you. Curiosity is the only thing it asks of you.

Yes. This book was written for every Christian who's ever wondered where it all began. There's nothing to renounce and nothing to join. Readers from every background walk through the same 2,000-year story and keep everything they love about their own faith. Many say it made their faith feel deeper, not different.

Closer than most people realise, which is exactly why the question deserves a proper answer. Both Churches trace themselves to the Apostles, both have bishops, sacraments and the Creed, and they were one Church for a thousand years. What happened in 1054, and what had been added to the Creed before it, is set out in the book with the dates and the documents, so you can weigh it for yourself rather than take anyone's word for it.

If part of what unsettles you is watching things change in your own parish, that is worth reading about too. What the Orthodox Church does with change is the whole subject of this book.

Nothing here asks you to leave it. You can love the people you worship beside, keep praying for them, and still want to know where all of it began. Most readers simply end up understanding more than they did, and stay exactly where they are.

If you ever do want to visit an Orthodox service, the free guide that comes with the book walks you through your first one. There is no step after that unless you want there to be, and nobody will contact you.

That is exactly who it is written for. Inquirer is the Church's own word for someone asking questions without having decided anything, and it is a normal place to stand for as long as you need to.

The book assumes no background, quotes its sources in context, and leaves the conclusion to you. Plenty of people read it, learn the history they were never taught, and go no further. That is a perfectly good outcome.

With one you can actually finish. The standard introductions to Orthodoxy are excellent and they are what most inquirers get pointed to first, but they are dense, and a great many readers stall a hundred pages in and quietly conclude the fault is theirs.

A priest's advice to one inquirer was simply this: go slow. That is what this book is built for. One idea to a page, carried by illustration, told in the order the story actually happened. Read the heavier books afterwards and they will make a great deal more sense.

Not for what you believe. They are one and the same Church, holding the same faith and serving the same Divine Liturgy. What differs is language, music, food and the character of the particular parish, and across most of North America the services are held partly or entirely in English.

One distinction is worth knowing, because nobody tends to mention it to beginners: the Coptic, Ethiopian, Syriac and Armenian churches also use the word Orthodox, but they are a separate communion. If you are looking for the Church this book describes, look for Eastern Orthodox.

The Orthodox Church has never worked that way. Wherever it went it translated the services into the local language, sometimes creating an alphabet in order to do it, and ordained priests from among local people rather than sending rulers over them. That is why there is a Greek Church and a Russian Church and a Japanese Church, all one faith in their own tongue.

And this is a book, not a decision. Reading it asks nothing of you and commits you to nothing.

Completely. It assumes zero background: no Greek words left unexplained, no theology degree required. Every idea is told in plain words and carried by illustrations, so it makes sense the very first time you read it, even if you've never heard the word Orthodox before.

Yes, watercolor and gold illustrated spreads run through the whole book. The illustrations aren't decoration; they carry the story, the same way the ancient church has always taught through images. It's a book made to be seen as much as read.

The book is printed and shipped in batches. Orders placed now are pre-orders and go out with the next batch, which ships October 29th.

Once it leaves us, it travels fully insured and tracked, and most orders arrive within 5 to 14 days depending on your location. We ship worldwide.

Yes, a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read it for 30 days. If it isn't everything you hoped for, we'll refund you in full, no questions asked. We only want you to keep it if it brings you something real.

Beautifully so. It's a cream linen hardcover with gold foil lettering, made to be kept on a shelf and passed around a family. Clear enough for a teenager, deep enough for a grandparent, and a gentle gift for anyone who's been quietly searching.

They're emailed to the address on your order, so you can start reading straight away while the book is on its way. If they don't show up, check your spam folder, or email support@unbrokenvine.com and we'll send them over personally.

Yes. Every copy comes with its own Orthodox prayer bracelet in the box, so two copies arrive with two bracelets and five copies arrive with five. If you are buying extra copies to give away, each one is complete on its own, bracelet included, and you do not have to split anything up.

The two free e-guides come with your order as well, one set per order.

Neither. It's an illustrated history and introduction, meant to be read straight through rather than studied. It quotes Scripture throughout and points you back to it, but it doesn't replace your Bible, and there are no lessons, worksheets, or homework in it.

Email support@unbrokenvine.com with a photo and we'll send a replacement, no return needed. It's a hardcover and it ships protected, but post is post, and this isn't the kind of book you want arriving with a bent corner.

Yes. Every order ships fully insured with tracking, and the number is emailed to you as soon as it leaves us. Pre-orders go out with the next batch on October 29th, and most arrive within 5 to 14 days after that, depending on where you are.

No. Nobody will contact you, there's no membership push, and no follow-up sermon. The book stands entirely on its own: a beautifully illustrated history that ends with a soft "here's how to see more, if you're curious", and nothing else.

A premium illustrated hardcover in seven chapters: the church you've never heard of, the full 2,000-year story of what happened after 33 AD, a Sunday inside ancient worship, why they pray with pictures, the communion of saints, what happens when you die, and a gentle first step. Every spread is illustrated in watercolor and gold, across 240 pages.

Three gifts come with it: an Orthodox prayer bracelet in the box for every copy you order, and two guides sent to you as PDFs the moment you order: Your First Sunday and Am I Really Saved?