The Way of Martha and the Way of Mary

Stephen Graham's The Way of Martha and the Way of Mary is a spiritual travelogue that turns a journey through Russia and Egypt into a searching meditation on Christianity, national character, and the divided life of action and contemplation. Framed by the symbolic contrast between Martha and Mary, the book asks what it means to serve, to pray, and to live within a still-unfolding faith. Graham presents Russia as a nation shaped by a distinctive Christian ideal, and he sets out to interpret its religious soul for readers in the West. His journey begins with border crossings, train rides, prisoners, soldiers, and travelers, revealing imperial Russia as a place of hardship, ethnic tension, and unexpected human warmth. From Kiev's cathedral to conversations with students, lovers, and believers, he traces a society torn between spiritual inheritance and modern materialism. He defends women as moral and religious forces, condemns shallow urban culture, and explores Russian melancholy, suffering, and the longing for renewal. Alongside saints, convents, and fervent worship, he finds in the desert and the disciplined life a deeper path to faith, forgiveness, and spiritual clarity. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.