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You’ve never read a saint story like this before.
Moe ruled the city with gun and muscle. In a single night, he lost everything. Hunted and out of options, he hides in an Orthodox monastery, where an elder meets his violence with unyielding grace.
When the old life claws him back, Moe has to choose: revenge or redemption. The cross, or the gun.
A gritty Orthodox Christian novel of sin and redemption, inspired by the life of Saint Moses the Black.
This is not a sanitized saint story.Moses: The Cross and the Gun is a fast-paced, unflinching novel that follows a gang leader’s journey toward repentance, and his struggle with the “old man”. Violence meets grace in a Desert Fathers-inspired story rooted in the teachings of Saint Anthony the Great, Saint Macarius, Evagrius, John Cassian, and Saint Theophan the Recluse.
This novel is for you if you love:The lives of the Saints and Desert FathersHonest, unsanitized stories of repentanceCharacter-driven fiction with real spiritual depth
What readers are saying:
“A remarkable modern rendition… Elgamal conveys both the scandal and the beauty of the life of St. Moses the Strong.”
— Fr. Anthony Mourad, St. George & St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church
“In imaginative, un-sanitized prose, Elgamal has captured the spirit of one of the greatest stories of repentance in the orthodox tradition… This novelization is a true gift.”
— Sherry Shenoda, author of Mummy Eaters and The Lightkeeper

From the Publisher

A Novel of Sin and Redemption, Inspired by St. Moses the Black

Moe ruled the city with gun and fist. In a single night, he lost everything.

Hunted and out of options, he finds sanctuary at an Orthodox monastery, where an elder meets his violence with unyielding grace. As his old life claws him back, Moe must choose: revenge or redemption. the cross, or the gun.

“A remarkable modern rendition of an ancient and epic story of repentance, salvation, and human transfiguration. The author perfectly conveys both the scandal and the unimaginable beauty of the life of St Moses the strong. May this novel, and the life of Abba Moses inspire many to follow Christ.”

Fr. Anthony Mourad, St. George & St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church

“In imaginative, un-sanitized prose, Elgamal has captured the spirit of one of the greatest stories of repentance in the Orthodox tradition, bringing the tale of St. Moses to life without flinching away from the truth of either human brokenness or the often-harrowing path to healing. This novelization is a true gift.”

Sherry Shenoda, Author, Mummy Eaters, The Lightkeeper: A Novel

About the Author

Michael Elgamal is a Canadian Egyptian writer and illustrator. He started Creative Orthodox to tell stories of ancient Christianity. Michael lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife and children.

Moses: the Cross and the Gun is a contemporary reimagining of the ancient story of Saint Moses the black, rooted in the wisdom of the Desert Fathers.

This novel is for readers who:

Love reading the lives of the saints and Church Fathers Want faith explored honestly Love gritty crime novels with moral stakes and a redemption narrative

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Creative Orthodox
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 26, 2026
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 277 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1738717666
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1738717668
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #393,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #385 in Black & African American Christian Fiction (Books) #417 in Christian Orthodoxy (Books) #1,326 in Religious Historical Fiction (Books)
Customer Reviews: 5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars (32) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });

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