Saint Maximus the Confessor

Saint Maximus the Confessor (c. 580–662 AD) is one of the greatest theologians and spiritual writers in the history of the Orthodox Church. Born into a noble family in Constantinople, he served as a secretary to the Emperor before leaving the imperial court to embrace the monastic life. He became the foremost defender of Orthodox Christology against the Monothelite heresy, which denied that Christ had a human will.

Saint Maximus suffered greatly for his defense of the faith. He was arrested, tried, and condemned by imperial authorities who sought to impose the Monothelite compromise on the Church. His tongue and right hand were cut off to prevent him from speaking and writing in defense of Orthodoxy — yet he continued to confess the faith until his repose in exile in 662 AD. The Third Council of Constantinople (681 AD) vindicated his theology and condemned Monothelitism.

Saint Maximus is also celebrated as a profound mystical theologian, whose writings on the spiritual life, the Divine Liturgy, and the nature of deification remain among the treasures of Orthodox theology. His feast day is January 21. Browse our handcrafted Orthodox icons and devotional items honoring Saint Maximus the Confessor, made in our Ohio workshop using traditional Byzantine embroidery techniques.