Whether in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Southeastern Europe, or elsewhere, the Orthodox Church has been characterized by its emphasis on tradition as its supreme principle and an enduring conviction of its unique monopoly on religious truth. From these two features springs also an intolerance of other religious bodies as well as of sexual minorities, who, according to Orthodox doctrine, defy God’s eternal law. The Orthodox Church does not restrict itself to broadly understood theological and moral matters, but has also, across the centuries, presented itself as the champion of the various nations of Southeastern Europe. These themes—conservatism, intolerance (extending to both religious intolerance and homophobia), and nationalism—provide the thematic underpinnings of this volume.