Today's guest post is authored by Richard Barrett, Fellow in Residence at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA, where he is completing his Ph.D. dissertation (History, Indiana University), “Civic Devotions to the Mother of God in Late Antique Constantinople.” He is also active as a church musician, having sung recently with both Cappella Romana and the Choir of the Patriarch Tikhon Russian American Music Institute. He is also Artistic Director of The Saint John of Damascus Society, a sacred arts nonprofit that supports educational and outreach efforts related to the … [Read more...]