Father Ioannis Megendorf (1926-1992) was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, from a Russian aristocratic family. He studied theology (specializing in History) at the Sorbonne University, as well as at the Saint Sergius Institute in Paris, where he taught for a number of years. After his ordination, he immigrated to America, where he taught at St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary, but also at Harvard, Fordham and Columbia Universities. From 1984 to 1992 he was Dean of the Theological Seminary of Saint Vladimir. In addition to his monumental study of the work of Saint Gregory Palamas, he authored numerous works (some also translated into Greek), which established him as one of the most important Orthodox historians worldwide.
