“The Great Initiate of God’s Grace” : A Kontakion on Saint Nicholas by Pseudo-Romanos [translated with Thomas Arentzen] with an introduction by Uffe H. Eriksen
During the ninth and tenth centuries, St Nicholas of Myra became increasingly popular as a saint, eventually rising to rank of the apostles in veneration. This article presents an investigation into the monastic piety which brought St Nicholas onto the stage of the Byzantine liturgical storyworld as one of the most important saints. Through a closer examination of how he was presented from the nin