Culture and Identity in Eastern Christian History, co-edited by Dr. Russell Martin, Westminster College professor of history, was recently published by Ohio State University.

This is Martin's third book, a collection of articles on the topic of identity and religion among the belief communities of the Eastern (i.e., Orthodox) Church. It includes chapters that were originally presented as papers at the first biennial conference of the Association for the Study of Eastern Christian History and Culture (ASEC) and covers church music, saints' lives, monasteries and convents, ancient manuscripts, and other topics of identity contributed by authors from the United States, Canada, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom.

Martin co-edited the book with Jennifer Spock of Eastern Kentucky University.

"I am especially pleased about this publication because it is a major event in the history of the ASEC-as the former president of this group [2006-2009], that is particularly important to me-and because I believe it is an important sign that the study of Eastern Christian churches is maturing, becoming more organized, and joining and enriching the large body of literature that has been produced by colleagues in the West," Martin said. "As we wrote in our introduction to this volume: 'These are hopeful times.'"

Martin, who has been with Westminster since 1996, earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's and Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Martin appeared on A&E Biography in a broadcast on Ivan the Terrible as an expert on the controversial ruler. He is the co-founder of the Muscovite Biographical Database, a Russian-American computerized register based in Moscow of early modern Russian notables. The Neville Island, Pa., native is not only fluent in Russian, but also reads Old Church Slavonic/Russian, French, German, Latin, and Polish.

Martin continues to translate from Russian to English the official Webpage of Her Imperial Highness, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, the heiress to the vacant Russian throne. Translations are available at www.imperialhouse.ru. In 2008, Martin was awarded the Order of St. Anna (with the rank of Knight Companion) by the grand duchess for his work on behalf of the House of Romanov.

Contact Martin at (724) 946-6254 or e-mail martinre@westminster.edu for additional information.

Dr. Russell Martin