Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches Books
Faber & Faber The Philokalia Vol 5
Book SynopsisThe Philokalia is a foundational collection of texts written between the fourth and the fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition.First published in Greek in 1782, translated into Slavonic and later into Russian, The Philokalia has exercised an influence far greater than that of any book other than the Bible in the recent history of the Orthodox Church, and it continues to be read more and more widely.Only a selection of texts from The Philokalia has hitherto been available in English. This is the first complete translation into English from the original Greek in five volumes, the first of which was published by Faber in 1979. It is concerned with themes of universal importance: how we may develop our inner powers and awake from illusion; how we may overcome fragmentation and achieve spiritual wholeness; how we may attain the life of contemplative stillness and union with God.As in the first four
£20.00
Getty Trust Publications Icons and Saints of the Eastern Orthodox
Book SynopsisCatalogues the heritage of images according to type and subject, from the ancient at the Monastery of Saint Catherine in the Sinai to those from Greece, Constantinople, and Russia. This book includes chapters such as role of icons in the Orthodox liturgy and on common iconic subjects, including the fathers and saints of the Eastern Church.
£20.89
Penguin Books Ltd Early Christian Writings The Apostolic Fathers
Book SynopsisThe writings in this volume cast a glimmer of light upon the emerging traditions and organization of the infant church, during an otherwise little-known period of its development. A selection of letters and small-scale theological treatises from a group known as the Apostolic Fathers, several of whom were probably disciples of the Apostles, they provide a first-hand account of the early Church and outline a form of early Christianity still drawing on the theology and traditions of its parent religion, Judaism. Included here are the first Epistle of Bishop Clement of Rome, an impassioned plea for harmony; The Epistle of Polycarp; The Epistle of Barnabas; The Didache; and the Seven Epistles written by Ignatius of Antioch—among them his moving appeal to the Romans that they grant him a martyr's death.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics repreTable of ContentsTranslated by Maxwell StaniforthRevised Translation, Introductions and New Editorial Material by Andrew LouthGeneral IntroductionGeneral BibliographyNote on the TextThe First Epistle of Clement to the CorinthiansThe Epistles of IgnatiusTo the EphesiansTo the MagnesiansTo the TralliansTo the RomansTo the PhiladelphiansTo the SmyrnaeansTo the PolycarpThe Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians and The Martyrdom of PolycarpThe Epistle to DiognetusThe Epistle of BarnabasThe DidacheMap of Ignatius's route
£8.99
Faber & Faber Writings from the Philokalia
Book SynopsisThis is a collection of texts written between the fourth and fourteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition. First published in Greek in 1782, the writings were translated into Slavonic and later into Russian.
£21.25
Kuperard The Orthodox Church - Simple Guides
Book SynopsisTHIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU - to appreciate the depth and beauty of the dominant form of Christianity in Greece, Russia and much of Eastern Europe - to understand the tenets, nature and holy days of Orthodox belief - to recognize the physical features of an Orthodox church, and the spiritual significance of icons - to know what to expect and how to conduct yourself during Orthodox services and ceremonies Orthodoxy is the dominant form of Christianity in Greece, Russia, parts of Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Its practices are largely unfamiliar in the West, and have remained essentially unchanged since the earliest days of the faith. This lucid introduction outlines the tenets, nature and holy days of Orthodox belief with the Western reader in mind. It describes the physical church, especially icons, services, and common practices, and offers advice to visitors on how to conduct themselves so that they are accepted and feel comfortable. Several chapters concern the life of Jesus and the beginnings of Christianity; others trace the origins and history of the Church, with particular attention to its great champion, Constantine the Great. The present structure of the Church is described in brief, and the split between the Eastern and the Western Churches is related with differences clearly explained. The great antiquity and beauty of its liturgy, its essentially minimal hierarchy and its mystical yet pragmatic approach make the Orthodox religion a powerful medium for its profound and universal message. This deceptively simple volume takes the reader on a journey to the heart of the Christian tradition. ACCESS THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS Simple Guides: Religion is a series of concise, accessible introductions to the world's major religions. Written by experts in the field, they offer an engaging and sympathetic description of the key concepts, beliefs and practices of different faiths. Ideal for spiritual seekers and travellers alike, Simple Guides aims to open the doors of perception. Together the books provide a reliable compass to the world's great spiritual traditions, and a point of reference for further exploration and discovery. By offering essential insights into the core values, customs and beliefs of different societies, they also enable visitors to be aware of the cultural sensibilities of their hosts, and to behave in a way that fosters mutual respect and understanding.Table of ContentsJesus's Life - The Early Church - Constantine the Great - Dogma and Belief - The Christian Year - Church Structure - Visiting an Orthodox Church - Icons - Eastern and Western Christianity
£9.81
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Looking East in Winter
Book SynopsisIn many ways, we seem to be living in wintry times at present in the Western world. In this new book, Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury and a noted scholar of Eastern Christianity, introduces us to some aspects and personalities of the Orthodox Christian world, from the desert contemplatives of the fourth century to philosophers, novelists and activists of the modern era, that suggest where we might look for fresh light and warmth. He shows how this rich and diverse world opens up new ways of thinking about spirit and body, prayer and action, worship and social transformation, which go beyond the polarisations we take for granted. Taking in the world of the great spiritual anthology, the Philokalia, and the explorations of Russian thinkers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, discussing the witness of figures like Maria Skobtsova, murdered in a German concentration camp for her defence of Jewish refugees, and the challenging theologies of modern Greek thinkers lTrade ReviewThe language is precise and exact, yet also evocative and elegant. * Church Times *An austere read, reflecting a lifetime’s intellectual engagement with Orthodoxy. It is at the same time full of warmth. Williams' account of holy folly is wonderful. * The Tablet *There is no theological writer in English whose prose is more lucid, more crystalline, more careful, than Lord Williams of Oystermouth, known more widely as Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012 ... Looking East in Winter is a brilliant exploration of modern Orthodox theology ... Archbishop Rowan has completed another remarkable book, the reading of which is itself a meditative and nourishing experience. * Medium *
£18.00
St Vladimir's Seminary Press,U.S. You Are Mine
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£20.39
Holy Trinity Publications Renewing Gender
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£17.21
Cornell University Press Women of the Catacombs
Book SynopsisTrade Review[W]hy Christianity survived persecution in the Soviet Union, is to a great extent explained by the lives and religious faith of those presented to us in Women of the Catacombs with expert commentary and explanations in an introduction and footnotes by the editor, Dr Wallace Daniel, who also published a biography of Fr Aleksandr in 2016. * Church Times *Reading these textsdoes highlight the distinctiveness of Elena and Vera's perspectives as believers, providing a rare insight into an alternative culture. Thanks to the contribution of Wallace Daniel and his collaborators, the perspectives of these two remarkable women can enrich our understanding of everyday life under extraordinary circumstances. * The Russian Review *Table of Contents1. I: Fr. Serafim by Vera Iakovlevna Vasilevskaia Ante Lucem One Must Take up the Cross White Chrysanthemums The Grace of the Holy Spirit Holding on to Christ's Garments Go to Sarov In Ravaged Sarov It Will Be More Difficult The War The Last Days and the End 2. II: Fr. Pyotr Shipkov by Vera Iakovlevna Vasilevskaia In Zagorsk during the War On the End of the War. The Rebirth of the Church Fr. Pyotr in Exile (Letters) Return from Exile Illness and the Final Days in the Life of Fr. Pyotr From the Letters of V. Ia. Vasilevskaia to N. V. Trapani 3. III: My Journey by Elena Semenovna Men
£19.79
St Vladimir's Seminary Press,U.S. Hymns of Repentance
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£16.25
Holy Trinity Publications Prayer Book and Psalms Pocket Edition
Book SynopsisFrom the publisher of the Jordanville Prayer Book and A Psalter for Prayer comes the perfect devotional companion for travel and everyday life. This truly pocket edition brings together prayers for use throughout the day with all one hundred fifty Psalms of David adapted from the classic Miles Coverdale translation.Table of ContentsMorning Prayers Prayers during the Day Prayers before Sleep The Prayer of the Optina Elders The Daily Prayer of Hieroschemamonk Parthenios Sunday Troparia and Kontakia Daily Troparia and Kontakia Troparia and Kontakia of the Immovable Great Feasts Troparia, Kontakia, Prayers, and Stichera from the Triodion Passion Week Troparia and Kontakia The Hours of Holy Pascha Troparia and Kontakia from the Pentecostarion Supplicatory Canon to Our Lord Jesus Christ Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos Canon to the Guardian Angel Akathist to Our Sweetest Lord Jesus Akathist to Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos Canon of Repentance to Our Lord Jesus Christ The Order of Preparation for Holy Communion The Prayers after Holy Communion The Order for Reading Canons and Akathists When Alone The Psalms of David
£8.99
Christian Focus Publications Ltd A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Eastern Orthodox
Book SynopsisWe may associate a number of images with the Eastern Orthodox church – ornate church buildings, services with candles and incense, men wearing embellished robes – but what does the Eastern Orthodox church actually believe? What are the similarities and differences between them and western evangelical churches? What is their history? In this short book Panagiotis Kantartzis introduces us to Eastern Orthodoxy from an Evangelical perspective and tells us what we need to know.Trade ReviewPastor Kantartzis covers the most important points with clear, concise and well–researched prose. If you want the best engagement with Orthodoxy from an evangelical perspective, look no further. -- Michael Horton (J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California, Escondido, California)Blessed with wide learning, acute theological insight, and pastoral experience from living in an Orthodox country, Dr. Kantartzis is outstandingly qualified for this task, which he does superbly. -- Robert Letham (Wales Evangelical School of Theology, Bridgend, Wales)Kantartzis offers a unique book that combines careful and sensitive analysis of Orthodox Christianity with a respectful and constructive engagement from the perspective of his own Evangelical faith. -- Aristotle Papanikolaou (Professor of Theology and the Archbishop Demetrios Chair in Orthodox Theology and Culture, Fordham University, New York Co–founding Director, Orthodox Christian Studies Centre)… reminds us that the differences between Evangelical Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy are rooted in fundamental principles that touch on every aspect of theology. The presentation is clear and fair to both sides, making it a reliable resource for dialogue between these two very different Christian traditions. -- Gerald Bray (Research Professor, Beeson Divinity School at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama)
£6.93
MB - Cornell University Press Spiritual Elders
Book SynopsisSpiritual elders (startsy) are a quintessential part of Russian Orthodox spirituality, yet scholars have given relatively little focus to them. Elders whose authority came not from their position within institutional church but from their reputation for personal holiness were mediating agents between official and popular Orthodoxy. Acting as teachers, spiritual directors, counselors, and prophets, elders represented a particular form of ministry within the Church. The informal source of elders'' authority meant that their position was often in conflict with the bureaucratized Synod. In her highly readable book, Paert looks at both Imperial and Soviet Russia and examines the social and cultural contexts in which startsy operated, demonstrating how eldership was appropriated by both elites and lower classes. A significant contribution to the debate about the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in modernizing Russian society, Paert''s study shows that elders represented both the weakneTrade ReviewA well-researched, well-organized, well-written, and delightful-to-read book. * H-Russia *In all, Paert's well-written study not only fills a notable caesura in the existing scholarship but also provides a masterly historical account of an institution often understood only through the distorting lens of literary depiction. Conceptually rigorous and analytically acute, she has provided a must-read monograph for all students of Russian Orthodoxy and nineteenth-century European religion. * European History Quarterly *This monograph, well-written and impressively researched, provides a pioneering account of the elders—their origins, development in the nineteenth century, and role in the final decades of the old regime. It offers a fresh new perspective on Russian religious life and suggests a number of important findings. -- Gregory Freeze, Brandeis UniversityPaert's book is certainly essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Orthodoxy, and even Christianity more broadly, in the modern world. * The Journal of Ecclesiastical History *
£35.15
Holy Trinity Publications The Arena Guidelines for Spiritual and Monastic
Book SynopsisOne of the most important and accessible texts of Eastern Orthodox Christian teaching on the spiritual life, this book draws upon the ascetic and mystical doctrine of the Greek Fathers and greats of the Orthodox Christian church.Trade ReviewPeople often ask me about books. The one I've been recommending most in the last few years is The Arena, by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, a Russian Orthodox bishop of the last century who was canonized in 1988. Although written by a rigorous monk for fellow monastics, all Christians possessing the courage and discipline to engage this book with attention and obedience may study it with great profit. --Fr. Thomas Hopko, dean emeritus, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
£21.59
St Vladimir's Seminary Press,U.S. Treasure House of Mysteries
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£12.60
SPCK Publishing The Way of a Pilgrim
Book SynopsisWith an introduction by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, The Way of a Pilgrim presents one of Russia's greatest spiritual classics of Christian truth in prose of genuine beauty. An unknown pilgrim of the mid-nineteenth century tells his story of wandering through Russia and Siberia, from one holy place to another, in search of the way of prayer.
£10.79
James Clarke Company Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh A Life
Book SynopsisA biography of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, combining rigorous research with keen insight into the life of the former leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain.Trade Review"Dr Pyman re-creates the life and times of Metropolitan Anthony as only an old friend could. We encounter one of the great Christian apologists of post-war Britain, someone for whom 'to live is Christ' - and a man Russian to the core, impossible to understand apart from the larger-than-life world of the Russian emigration and its complex relationship with the Soviet and post-Soviet 'motherland'." Elizabeth Theokritoff, co-editor, Cambridge Companion to Orthodox Christian Theology (2008) "Avril Pyman's life of Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh provides readers with an amazing portrait of a complex and fascinating figure. Young Andrei Bloom, student, then physician, then monk, then priest, came to radiate a vision of Orthodoxy as universal Church that drew Western converts while also touching Russian émigré believers and some in Russia itself. Metropolitan Anthony could not have hoped for a finer biographer than Avril Pyman, whose superb scholarship is enriched by her lively narrative and personal insights." Joan Delaney Grossman, Professor Emerita of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of California at Berkeley, and co-editor of William James in Russian Culture (2003) "As vicar of Cambridge University Church I am vividly aware of the enormous influence of Metropolitan Anthony on generations of students - including myself - through his preaching which attracted huge congregations (more than any other preacher in his era). This biography shows how his influence as a preacher was rooted in his personal experience of Christ and his life of prayer. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh helps us to enter into the same quality of experience that he shared with so many in his lifetime." John Binns, author of An Introduction to the Orthodox Christian Churches (2002) 'Avril Pyram . fills a considerable gap. Relying on the MASF archive, on published and unpublished sources as well as on accounts of persons who knew metropolitan anthony and her own recollections, the biographer explores the complex personality of this spiritual father of our days, his theoretical insights, his pastoral work, an his activity as an outstanding broadcaster and preacher' Adalberto Mainardi, Monastero di Bose, Theologishe Revue vol. 115 nr.1Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Foreword Acknowledgements 1. From Prince to Pauper: Origins and Childhood, 1914-1922 2. Alienation and Revelation: Growing up in Exile, 1922-1929 3. Conflicting Vocations: The Formation of a Monk "in the World", 1928-1937 4. Surgeon in the French Army and Monk in the Surgery, 1937-1949 5. Priesthood, Move to London, Ministry in the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain, 1949-1957 6. Fame in a Divided World, 1957-1963 7. The International Arena, 1963-1974 8. The Consolidation of the Second Diocese of Sourozh, 1974-1989 9. Mission to Russia and New Problems in England, 1983-2003 10. Agony Endnotes Glossary of Proper Names Index of Proper Names
£25.67
Faber & Faber The Philokalia Volume 3
Book SynopsisThe Philokalia is a collection of texts on prayer and the spiritual life, written between the fourth and fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition. First published in Greek in 1782, translated into Slavonic and later into Russian, The Philokalia has had a decisive influence upon the Orthodox Church during the last two centuries, and it continues to be read more and more widely.The Philokalia is devoted to themes of universal significance: how we may develop our inner powers and awake from illusion; how we may overcome fragmentation and achieve wholeness; how we may attain contemplative stillness and union with God.This is the first complete translation into English. It is made from the original Greek, and is to be completed in five volumes. The third volume contains works dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Peter of Damaskos, the chief author included, offers a clear and comprehensive survey of the s
£18.00
St Vladimir's Seminary Press,U.S. Cult of the Saints The
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£11.69
Fordham University Press Women and Religiosity in Orthodox Christianity
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsWomen in Orthodox Christianity: A Foreword | vii Kristin Aune Introduction | 1 Ina Merdjanova Women and Greek Orthodoxy in the Twenty-First Century: Charting Elements of Change | 15 Eleni Sotiriou Women, Orthodox Christianity, and Neosecularization in Bulgaria | 50 Ina Merdjanova Lay Women and the Transformation of Orthodox Christianity in Russia | 76 Detelina Tocheva Women and the Georgian Orthodox Church | 101 Ketevan Gurchiani Women and Orthodox Dissent: The Case of the Archangelist Underground Movement in Soviet Moldavia | 129 James Kapaló Gender and Religiosity in Communist Romania: Continuity and Change | 155 Maria Bucur Doubly Neglected: Histories of Women Monastics in the Serbian Orthodox Church | 176 Milica Bakic-Hayden Women as Agents of Glocalization in the Orthodox Church of Finland | 206 Helena Kupari and Tatiana Tiaynen-Qadir Head Coverings, Vaccines, and Gender Politics: Contentious Topics among Orthodox Christian Women in US-based Digital Spaces | 241 Sarah Riccardi-Swartz Acknowledgments | 275 List of Contributors | 277 Index | 281
£25.19
Holy Trinity Publications The Rule for Holy Communion
Book SynopsisThis comprehensive booklet contains the prayers used by an Orthodox Christian when preparing to receive Holy Communion, together with the post-Communion Prayers of Thanksgiving.The texts are arranged to match the usage of Holy Trinity Monastery and augmented by comprehensive rubrics.Also included is the Synodal document, On the Participation of the Faithful in the Eucharist, approved by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2015 to express her official teachings regarding proper reverence and preparation for the holiest of Christian sacramentspartaking of the Body and Blood of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ.This new perfect bound paperback edition is designed for repeated use in personal devotion.Table of ContentsPart 1: The Canons for Holy Communion Part 2: The Order of Preparation for Holy Communion Part 3: The Prayers After Holy Communion Appendix 1 : Sunday Troparia Appendix 2 : On the Participation of the Faithful in the Eucharist
£8.99
John Murray Press Philip Yancey Recommends Orthodoxy
Book SynopsisPhilip Yancey's 'desert island book'!
£9.49
Harvard University Press The Life and Death of Theodore of Stoudios
Book SynopsisThe Life and Death of Theodore of Stoudios collects three important works promoting the influential Constantinople monastery of Stoudios and the memory of its founder, who is celebrated as a saint in the Orthodox Church for defending icon veneration. New editions of the Byzantine Greek texts appear alongside the first English translations.
£25.46
Syriac Music Institute Syriac Hymnal
Book SynopsisThis is the first official and complete hymnal according to the rite of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. It provides chants from Syriac chant traditions having the strongest potential value to the Syriac community. The hymns are transcribed into musical notation system, English translation, Latin transliteration, and Syriac text.
£68.88
Harvard University Press Saints at the Limits
Book SynopsisThe legends collected in Saints at the Limits, despite sometimes being viewed with suspicion by the Church, fascinated Christians during the Middle Ages—as cults and retellings attest. These Byzantine Greek stories, translated into English here for the first time, continue to resonate with readers seeking to understand universal fears and desires.Trade ReviewWhat makes this volume truly invaluable is the translations. As knowledge of ancient languages diminishes, the translations make these texts more accessible than ever. It seems likely that all these texts will attract more scholarly interest over the next few years…This is a very valuable volume to have. -- Roger Pearse
£25.46
Holy Trinity Publications AllNight Vigil
Book SynopsisThis pocket-size hieratikon contains all the texts necessary for a deacon or priest in serving the daily hours of the Orthodox Church - Vespers, Compline, Midnight Office, Matins and the hours. Church Slavonic and English texts are provided in parallel, on facing pages. Also included are instructions and additional prayers for the All-Night Vigil and the services of Great Lent, the festal and Sunday prokeimena, and festal megolynaria. The cloth binding is sewn for durability and supplemented with a marking ribbon.Please click here to download the Menologion and Daily Dismissal sections of the service book.Table of ContentsThe Order of Vespers The Order of Compline and the Midnight Office The Order of Matins The Order of Small Vespers The Order of the All-Night Vigil During the Holy Forty Days of Lent The Prokeimena for Lent and the Pentecostarion Period The Prokeimena for Sundays, and Common Prokeimena for the Saints THe Magnifications for the Feasts The Festal and Weekday Dismissals
£31.50
Holy Trinity Publications Prayer Book Molitvoslov
Book SynopsisA complete prayer book in the Slavonic language printed with the Cyrillic (old orthography) alphabet. Includes morning and evening prayers, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, various Akathists and Canons annd much more besides.
£13.00
Holy Trinity Publications Restoring the Inner Heart: The Nous in
Book SynopsisWritten close to the end of the great writer’s life, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s short story The Dream of a Ridiculous Man tells of a transformation of the heart and a journey from despair to joy: a joy that can be known by all through the experience of God that transcends a simply rational discourse. In this eye opening literary study, the title character and his spiritual metamorphosis are examined in depth in light of the ancient concept of Nous as it developed from the Greek philosophers to the Christian fathers. By comparing the “Ridiculous Man” to similar characters in Dostoevsky’s corpus, the author shows how an Orthodox Christian understanding of the Nous underpins Dostoevsky’s own anthropology and how his literary works in turn guide the reader toward a truer vision of humanity.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION PART 1: THE HISTORY OF THE CONCEPT OF NOUS FROM PRE-SOCRATIC PHILOSOPHY TO THE CHRISTIAN ERA Chapter 1: The Nous in Hellenic Philosophy: Anaxagoras to Plato Chapter 2: The Nous in Hellenic Philosophy; Aristotle to Plotinus Chapter 3: A Transition from Hellenic Philosophy to Christianity Chapter 4: The Incarnation and Deification in Early Patristic Thought Chapter 5: The Heart and the Nous in Patristic Thought Chapter 6: Purification of the Nous Chapter 7: A Move Away from Noetic Perception PART 2: THE NOUS AND DOSTOEVSKY Chapter 8: Some Biographical Details Chapter 9: The Dream of a Ridiculous Man: A Synopsis and Analysis of the Story Chapter 10: Examples of Other “Ridiculous Men” in Dostoevsky's Novels PART 3: THE NOUS IN CONTEMPORARY THOUGHT Chapter 11: References to the Unnamed Nous Chapter 12: A Renewed Interest in Deification Chapter 13: Contemporary Orthodox Writers on the Nous CONCLUSION Acknowledgments APPENDIX: The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by F.M. Dostoevsky, David Magershack, Translator BIBLIOGRAPHY END NOTES Index
£15.99
Holy Trinity Publications Prayer Book Molitvoslov
Book SynopsisA complete prayer book in the Slavonic language printed with the Cyrillic (old orthography) alphabet. Includes morning and evening prayers, the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, various Akathists and Canons annd much more besides.
£12.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Orthodox Church
Book Synopsis''Orthodoxy claims to be universal . . .''Since its first publication fifty years ago, Timothy Ware''s book has become established throughout the English-speaking world as the standard introduction to the Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy continues to be a subject of enormous interest among western Christians, and the author believes that an understanding of its standpoint is necessary before the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches can be reunited. In this revised and updated edition he explains the Orthodox views on such widely ranging matters as Ecumenical Councils, Sacraments, Free Will, Purgatory, the Papacy and the relation between the different Orthodox Churches.
£11.69
Oxford University Press The Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition
Trade ReviewThis volume is a treasure house from which one may draw riches old and new. As an Orthodox priest, Pentiuc is immersed in his ancient tradition; as a biblical scholar he is au courant with the methods and controversies of 21st-century scholarship - a rare combination indeed. He builds on solid historical and textual foundations to urge the church forward. The book offers the clearest, most complete, and most accessible treatment in English of topics such as the Orthodox use of the Septuagint, the canon, and issues around the 'apocrypha,' not to mention its analysis of scripture in the liturgy. * Leslie Baynes, Religion *Both the study and usage of the Old Testament in the Orthodox tradition is undervalued in academic circles today, and Fr. Eugen s work will serve as an authoritative and much-needed work. A noted expert in both Semitic languages and Old Testament studies, Fr. Eugen s unique blend of scholarly finesse and fidelity to Orthodox tradition makes The Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition a book worthy of our closest attention. * On Behalf of All *In this extraordinarily learned book, Pentiuc sheds much-needed light on an often neglected aspect of the history of interpretation of the Bible. Appropriately, he discusses not just texts, but ritual and art as well, so that reading his book is like walking into a lavishly ornamented Eastern Orthodox church where the Divine Liturgy is being celebrated. This view from the inside is an invaluable contribution. * Michael Coogan, editor of The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Books of the Bible *This work is a major event: the first comprehensive and thorough analysis of the role of the Old Testament in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, written by the foremost Eastern Orthodox scholar of Scripture, internationally respected within both Church and Academy alike. Opening up the scriptural culture of Eastern Orthodoxy in all its dimensions, this illuminating volume will richly reward every reader. * V. Rev. Dr. John Behr, Dean and Professor of Patristics, St. Vladimir's Seminary *Table of ContentsContents ; Preface and Acknowledgments ; Abbreviations ; Part I. Reception ; 1. One Bible, Two Covenants ; 2. Text ; 3. Canon ; 4. Tradition ; Part II. Interpretation ; 5. Discursive ; 6. Aural ; 7. Visual ; Postscript ; Bibliography ; Index
£39.59
Oxford University Press Russian Orthodoxy on the Eve of Revolution
Book SynopsisSince the collapse of the Soviet Union, Orthodox Christianity in Russia has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence. Many Russians are now looking to the history of their faith as they try to rebuild a lost way of life. Vera Shevzov has spent ten years researching Orthodoxy as it was lived in the years before the 1917 Revolution. In Russian Orthodoxy on the Eve of Revolution, she draws on a rich variety of previously untapped archival sources and published works unavailable in the West to reconstruct the religious world of lay people.Shevzov traces the means by which men and women shaped their religious lives in an ecclesiastical system that was often dominated by bureaucrats and monastic bishops. She finds vivid displays of resistance to the official system and equally vivid affirmations of faith. Focusing on various centers of religious life--the church temple, chapels, feasts, icons, and the Virgin Mary--she traces the rituals, beliefs, and communal dynamics that lent these centers meaning.
£30.17
Oxford University Press The Cult of Saint Thecla
Book SynopsisThecla, a disciple of the apostle Paul, became perhaps the most celebrated female saint and ''martyr'' among Christians in late antiquity. In the early church, Thecla''s example was associated with the piety of women - in particular, with women''s ministry and travel. Devotion to Saint Thecla quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean world: her image was painted on walls of tombs, stamped on clay flasks and oil lamps, engraved on bronze crosses and wooden combs, and even woven into textile curtains. Bringing together literary, artistic, and archaeological evidence, often for the first time, Stephen Davis here reconstructs the cult of Saint Thecla in Asia Minor and Egypt - the social practices, institutions, and artefacts that marked the lives of actual devotees. From this evidence the author shows how the cult of this female saint remained closely linked with communities of women as a source of empowerment and a cause of controversy.Table of ContentsI: THE CULT OF ST THECLA IN ASIA MINOR ; 1. Origins of the Thecla Cult ; 2. The Cult of Thecla at Seleucia in Asia Minor ; II: THE CULT OF SAINT THECLA IN EGYPT ; 3. Thecla Devotion Among Ascetic Women in Alexandria ; 4. Pilgrimage and the Cult of Saint Thecla in the Mareotis ; 5. The Spread of Thecla Devotion Outside Alexandria and Its Environs
£53.10
Indiana University Press Orthodox Christianity in Imperial Russia
Book SynopsisFrom sermons and clerical reports to personal stories of faith, this book features translated primary documents that reveals the lived experience of Orthodox Christianity in 19th- and early 20th-century Russia.Trade ReviewIt is extremely rare for a book to be accessible and of use to undergraduates, graduate students, outsiders to the field and specialists in the field, but I believe this book pulls it off. It belongs on the shelf of anyone with any degree of interest in everyday life or religion in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Russia. * Slavonic and East European Review *Coleman's collection . . . emerges as strikingly important as Orthodoxy moves into the twenty-first century. It serves as a caveat to those who want to see progress in modem terms when faith is timeless. Orthodoxy, as Coleman's collection makes plain, is a living response that transcends change and development. * Canadian Slavonic Papers *It would be difficult to overpraise this contribution to the literature on Russian history and Orthodox Christianity. . . . Abreast of the best scholarship, this volume is valuable for studies of Russian history and religion. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *One moves quickly and with accessible ease through [these] essays by well-respected scholars toward understanding what tserkovnost ("churchness") was to the Russian Orthodox believer in the time of the tsars. Tapping Russian language sources hitherto available only to those speaking Russian, this book brings one closer to that soil whence grew and flourished a people hardened by a history of suffering. * Review of Metaphysics *Each of these sources tells its own touching story of real individuals behaving religiously. The result is a beautiful cluster of short stories, each with its own plot, character development, pathos, and crisis. * wordsbecamebooks.com *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsA Note on Spellings and DatesIntroduction: Faith and Story in Imperial Russia. Heather J. Coleman1. The Miraculous Healing of the Mute Sergei Ivanov, 22 February 1833. Christine D. Worobec2. The Miraculous Revival and Death of Princess Anna Fedorovna Golitsyna, 22 May 1834. Christine D. Worobec3: Monastic Incarceration in Imperial Russia. A.J. Demoskoff4: Letters To and From Spiritual Elders (Startsy) Irina Paert5: Sermons of the Crimean War. Mara Kozelsky6: The Diary of a Priest Laurie Manchester7: "Another Voice from the Lord": An Orthodox Sermon on Christianity, Nature, and Natural Disaster Nicholas Breyfogle8: Ukrainian Priest's Son Remembers His Father's Life and Ministry Heather J. Coleman 9: Akathist to the Most Holy Birth-Giver of God in Honor of Her Miracle-Working Icon Named "Kazan" Vera Shevzov10: A Nineteenth-Century Life of St. Stefan of Perm (c. 1340-1396) Robert H. Greene11: Written Confessions to Father John of Kronstadt, 1898-1908 Nadieszda Kizenko12: An Obituary of Priest Ioann Mikhailovich Orlovskii Laurie Manchester13: Not Something Ordinary, But A Great Mystery: Old Believer Ritual in the Late Imperial Period Roy R. Robson14: Orthodox Petitions for the Transfer of the Holy Relics of St. Stefan of Perm, 1909 Robert H. Greene15: Dechristianization in Holy Rus? Religious Observance in Vladimir Diocese, 1900-1913 Gregory L. Freeze16: Petitions to the Holy Synod Regarding Miracle-Working Icons Vera Shevzov17: Missionary Priests' Reports from Siberia Aileen Friesen18: Petitions to "Brother Ioann" Churikov, 1914 Page Herrlinger19: Archimandrite Toviia (Tsymbal), Prior of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra: Memoirs and Diaries (Selections) Scott M. Kenworthy20: From Ignorance to Truth: A Baptist Conversion Narrative Heather J. ColemanGlossary and AbbreviationsFurther ReadingList of ContributorsIndex
£25.19
Indiana University Press Russian Peasant Women Who Refused to Marry
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis is very much a book worth reading. It sheds interesting new light on sectarian practices in the countryside, and in the process forces us to revise the ways in which we think about the most basic aspects of rural life in imperial Russia. * American Historical Review *An analysis of a previously understudied phenomenon, the book constitutes a significant contribution to the study of Russian peasant, religious, and matrimonial history. * New Books Network *Drawing mainly on tax census and parish records, John Bushnell has produced an impressive study of marriage practices among Old Believer peasants in several districts in Vladimir, Kostroma, and Nizhnii Novgorod provinces between the early eighteenth and the mid-nineteenth centuries. * The Russian Review *Bushnell's study makes for remarkably interesting and engaging reading * Slavic Review *Bushnell is to be greatly commended for broadening the discussion on rural life in Russia. * Journal of Modern History *This archival study makes a very interesting and important discovery: many peasant women in the Volga region did not marry during the 18th and 19th centuries—at least until the emancipation of serfs when this study breaks off. . . . The data on marriage aversion that Bushnell has collected in this study are extremely valuable. . . . And Bushnell's conlcuding observation that this phenomenon was not limited to Old Believer settlements in the Volga region makes further study of peasant marriage avoidance all the more important. -- Georg P. Michels * Recensio *Table of ContentsIntroduction: What is the Opposite of Eureka?1. The Moral Economy of Russian Serf Marriage, 1580s-1750s: Serf Marriage Unregulated2. Nobles Discover Peasant Women's Marriage Aversion3. The Outer Limits of Female Marriage Aversion: Kuplia Parish in the 18th Century4. Kuplia Parish, 1830-1850: Separation, Collapse, Resumption of Marriage5. Spasovites: the Covenant of Despair 6. Baki: Resistance to Marriage on a Forest Frontier7. Steksovo and Sergei Mikhailovich Golitsyn: Marriage Aversion in a Context of ProsperityInconclusionBibliographyIndex
£59.50
Indiana University Press Russian Peasant Women Who Refused to Marry
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis is very much a book worth reading. It sheds interesting new light on sectarian practices in the countryside, and in the process forces us to revise the ways in which we think about the most basic aspects of rural life in imperial Russia. * American Historical Review *An analysis of a previously understudied phenomenon, the book constitutes a significant contribution to the study of Russian peasant, religious, and matrimonial history. * New Books Network *Drawing mainly on tax census and parish records, John Bushnell has produced an impressive study of marriage practices among Old Believer peasants in several districts in Vladimir, Kostroma, and Nizhnii Novgorod provinces between the early eighteenth and the mid-nineteenth centuries. * The Russian Review *Bushnell's study makes for remarkably interesting and engaging reading * Slavic Review *Bushnell is to be greatly commended for broadening the discussion on rural life in Russia. * Journal of Modern History *This archival study makes a very interesting and important discovery: many peasant women in the Volga region did not marry during the 18th and 19th centuries—at least until the emancipation of serfs when this study breaks off. . . . The data on marriage aversion that Bushnell has collected in this study are extremely valuable. . . . And Bushnell's conlcuding observation that this phenomenon was not limited to Old Believer settlements in the Volga region makes further study of peasant marriage avoidance all the more important. -- Georg P. Michels * Recensio *Table of ContentsIntroduction: What is the Opposite of Eureka?1. The Moral Economy of Russian Serf Marriage, 1580s-1750s: Serf Marriage Unregulated2. Nobles Discover Peasant Women's Marriage Aversion3. The Outer Limits of Female Marriage Aversion: Kuplia Parish in the 18th Century4. Kuplia Parish, 1830-1850: Separation, Collapse, Resumption of Marriage5. Spasovites: the Covenant of Despair 6. Baki: Resistance to Marriage on a Forest Frontier7. Steksovo and Sergei Mikhailovich Golitsyn: Marriage Aversion in a Context of ProsperityInconclusionBibliographyIndex
£28.80
Indiana University Press Unity in Faith
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAlong the way, readers learn a great deal about the relationship between the Russian church and the state, and about the inner logics of a major religious schisms, whose lessons apply to Russian history and beyond. Religious history is often neglected in the history of late imperial Russia, and this book also helps to rectify that imbalance. * New Books Network *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction1. Ritual and the Origins of Edinoverie2. Edinoverie Transformed, 1801-18553. A "Step to Orthodoxy" No More, 1865-18864. Crisis, Reform, and Revolution, 1905-19185. Lived Edinoverie, 1825-1917Conclusion: Decline, Disappearance, ReinventionAppendix A: The Rules of Metropolitan Platon, 27 September 1800Appendix B: Replacements for the Rules of Platon, 1917-1918BibliographyIndex
£55.80
Indiana University Press Unity in Faith
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAlong the way, readers learn a great deal about the relationship between the Russian church and the state, and about the inner logics of a major religious schisms, whose lessons apply to Russian history and beyond. Religious history is often neglected in the history of late imperial Russia, and this book also helps to rectify that imbalance. * New Books Network *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction1. Ritual and the Origins of Edinoverie2. Edinoverie Transformed, 1801-18553. A "Step to Orthodoxy" No More, 1865-18864. Crisis, Reform, and Revolution, 1905-19185. Lived Edinoverie, 1825-1917Conclusion: Decline, Disappearance, ReinventionAppendix A: The Rules of Metropolitan Platon, 27 September 1800Appendix B: Replacements for the Rules of Platon, 1917-1918BibliographyIndex
£25.19
University of Notre Dame Press Church of the Holy Spirit The
Book SynopsisThe Church of the Holy Spirit, written by Russian priest and scholar Nicholas Afanasiev (18931966), is one of the most important works of twentieth-century Orthodox theology. Afanasiev was a member of the Paris School of émigré intellectuals who gathered in Paris after the Russian revolution, where he became a member of the faculty of St. Sergius Orthodox Seminary. The Church of the Holy Spirit, which offers a rediscovery of the eucharistic and communal nature of the church in the first several centuries, was written over a number of years beginning in the 1940s and continuously revised until its posthumous publication in French in 1971. Vitaly Permiakov''s lucid translation and Michael Plekon''s careful editing and substantive introduction make this important work available for the first time to an English-speaking audience.Trade Review"Nicholas Afanasiev is perhaps the most important ecclesiologist of modern times in the Orthodox world. The Church of the Holy Spirit is a very important book, a magnum opus, demonstrating that Afanasiev himself is undoubtedly a major twentieth-century theologian.” —John McGuckin, Nielsen Professor of Early Ecclesiastical History, Union Theological Seminary“In a work that is scholarly yet accessible to the educated layperson, the late Afanasiev (1893–1966, St. Sergius Orthodox Seminary, Paris), Russian-born Orthodox priest and theologian, considers the evolution of the office of bishop in the Christian church. . . . Although completed more than 40 years ago, Afanasiev's book has a contemporary feel. Highly recommended for theology collections.” —Library Journal“The Church of the Holy Spirit is an outstanding Orthodox contribution to the understanding of the Church. . . . [It] offers Christians of different traditions a valuable look at the one Church as it was in the first centuries and as it may come to be again in the future.” —The Living Church“. . . [this] is an important part of the history of twentieth-century ecclesiology. Afanasiev's eucharistic ecclesiology challenged the scholastic theology and eucharistic practices of his own Eastern Orthodox Church, contributed to the theology of the Second Vatican Council, and influenced other theologians, including John Meyendorff and Alexander Schmemann, who studied with Afanasiev at St. Sergius in Paris.” —Worship“[Afanasiev] was one of the most creative, original, and provocative Orthodox writers in recent generations. Permiakov's very readable English translation will bring a much larger audience to Afanasiev's insights and lead to critical engagement with his arguments.” —Theological Studies"This felicitously translated posthumous work, The Church of the Holy Spirit (1971), is Afanasiev's magnum opus and it sets out to express his vision of the Church as the realization of the Eucharist by giving an historical account of earliest Christianity's 'eucharistic assembly' with all its constitutive ministries. The present translation makes a poorly known work easily accessible and it is therefore a gift of the authors both to contemporary scholarship, with its reassessment of Russian émigré culture and religious thought in a broad ecumenical perspective, and to the various churches indebted to Afanasiev's immense theological legacy.” —The Russian Review“[The Church of the Holy Spirit] is a seminal work on the church and the liturgy which offers a rediscovery of the eucharistic and communal nature of the church in the first several centuries.” —Theology Digest“. . . This welcome volume is the first time that Afanasiev’s seminal work has been made fully accessible to the English-language reader. Afanasiev was one of the major theological thinkers of the twentieth century. His training as a church historian, his strong belief in the centrality of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church, and his thorough grounding in patristics enabled him to be among the first theologians to initiate a profound renewal of Eucharistic ecclesiology, not only among Orthodox Christians, but within Catholic and Protestant traditions as well.” —Slavic and East European Journal“Published posthumously in Russian in 1971 and in French in 1975, The Church of the Holy Spirit—together with other pieces in West European languages—established its author among the most significant Orthodox theologians of the mid-twentieth century. . . . In the present book and some other writings, Afanasiev was directly addressing problems that he saw in the current life of the Orthodox church(es). His criticisms are amply surrounded by a positive ecclesiological vision as he draws hints towards reform from apostolic and early patristic sources.” —Modern Theology“This is the first time that the classic work of Fr. Afanasiev, originally completed in 1950, has been published in English. Fr. Afanasiev joins a line of Orthodox theologians who attempt to understand the Church—that ‘subject which is not a subject,’ according to Fr. Schmemann—beyond the standard, canonical, approach. His voice, in this edition’s English, sounds timely even now.” —The Journal of Ecclesiastical History
£87.55
University of Notre Dame Press The Way
Book SynopsisThe journal Put'', or The Way, was one of the major vehicles for philosophical and religious discussion among Russian émigrés in Paris from 1925 until the beginning of World War II. This Russian language journal, edited by Nicholas Berdyaev among others, has been called one of the most erudite in all Russian intellectual history; however, it remained little known in France and the USSR until the early 1990s. This is the first sustained study of the Russian émigré theologians and other intellectuals in Paris who were associated with The Way and of their writings, as published in The Way. Although there have been studies of individual members of that group, this book places the entire generation in a broad historical and intellectual context. Antoine Arjakovsky provides assessments of leading religious figures such as Berdyaev, Bulgakov, Florovsky, Nicholas and Vladimir Lossky, Mother Maria Skobtsova, and Afanasiev, and compares and contrasts their philosopTrade Review“Antoine Arjakovsky . . . has written a masterful history of Russian religious thinkers who left Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution, took up residence in the West (mainly in Paris), and established a journal called Put’ or The Way. . . . In the end, Arjakovsky’s work is more than a history of the interwar Russian emigration and its periodical. It also is a thought-provoking reflection on some of the core values that led to separate Western and Orthodox civilizations, including such issues as papal primacy, the relationship of reason to faith, separation of church and state, and the critical importance of law in limiting government.” —The Catholic Historical Review“An important and little known period in Western intellectual history is explored in this study of the Russian émigré journal, The Way, which was published in Paris during the years 1925–40 and edited by Nikolai Berdyaev. Antoine Arjakovsky’s scholarly history, translated from Russian, demonstrates convincingly that The Way was one of the most brilliant journals ever produced by Russian theologians and thinkers.” —Journal of Ecclesiastical History"The Way, Antoine Arjakovsky's magisterial study of the Russian emigration of the interwar period, published in French over a decade ago and already translated into Russian, is now available to the English-speaking world thanks to a new translation by Jerry Ryan. This is a work of major importance that will become a standard point of reference for everyone with an interest, scholarly or otherwise, in the philosophical, political and religious culture of the Russian intelligentsia in exile." —Times Literary Supplement“This is the story of an important journal, which is now receiving increased attention from scholars, but it is more than that. It presents the work of a creative and diverse group of theologians thrown together by political accident in a foreign land, and shows how their struggle to make sense of this has a continuing and contemporary message for the church.” —Journal of Theological Studies“The Way is a product of Arjakovsky’s dissertation, and the book’s objective is threefold: to give a wide audience access to this little-known journal, to explain the resurgence of interest in the journal in both Russia and France since the early 1990s, and to elaborate a synthesis between historical truth and the accuracy of memory. He succeeds in all three: the book is an extensive and well crafted synthesis of the articles published in the journal, with a skillfully explicated analysis set within the historical context of both the journal’s own time as well as current interest in the journal for the last couple of decades.” —Fides et Historia“To the credit of Antoine Arjakovsky, The Way seems to manage the impossible: a tempered, meticulous parceling out of the diverse theological and philosophical debates surrounding the influential Parisian expat journal Put’ (The Way) and its various (mostly Russian) contributors . . . an invaluable resource for those interested in the discussions, agreements, and conflicts of the intellectual circles of interwar exile, be it from a literary, philosophical, theological, or diasporic perspective.” —Slavic and East European Journal"Arjakovsky’s study reveals a poorly known Christian exile community in its intellectual complexity. His chronicle depicts the richness of a Slavic theology and philosophy usually presented in the West through a series of pious clichés. It also reveals the dynamics of an immigrant community struggling to maintain its (idealized) traditions and cautiously adapt to its new political-religious environment in a fragile intellectual enclave in Montparnasse. Few communities have negotiated this perilous retrieval and adaptation with such metaphysical glory." —America“This is a remarkable but demanding, even daunting, history of the Russian religious-philosophical emigration in interwar France . . . [Berdiaev and Maritain’s] profound personalist defense of human dignity and human rights is a legacy that Arjakovsky rightly deems worth remembering (not least in Putin’s Russia). The Way as a ‘locus of memory’ (Pierra Nora) forms yet another conceptual layer of this rich, rewarding, and complex book.” —Slavic Review“Arjakovsky is adept in situating the intellectual-theological milieu of The Way against the background of contemporary Francophone thought, and he makes the important case that French thinkers such as Jacques Maritain, Jean Daniélou, and Henri de Lubac were inspired in part by the institute and its journal to encourage the patristic study, liturgical reforms, and ecumenical initiatives of the Second Vatican Council.” —The Living Church“ . . . in the majority of themes he touches, from the internal divisions of the church and the exiles, to the theological content of the work of Florovsky and Bulgakov and the philosophies of Berdyaev, Shestov, Frank, and others, Arjakovsky is on firm ground, showing a mastery of the various subjects that arise throughout the contributions to the journal over the decade and a half of existence. . . . Arjakovsky’s book is important and valuable, perhaps even more now than in the past, and worthwhile as a guidebook to this important period in intellectual and religious history.” —H-Catholic, H-Net Reviews
£48.60
University of Notre Dame Press Five Models of Spiritual Direction in the Early
Book SynopsisIn late antiquity the rising number of ascetics who joined the priesthood faced a pastoral dilemma. Should they follow a traditional, demonstrably administrative, approach to pastoral care, emphasizing doctrinal instruction, the care of the poor, and the celebration of the sacraments? Or should they bring to the parish the ascetic models of spiritual direction, characterized by a more personal spiritual father/spiritual disciple relationship? Five Models of Spiritual Direction in the Early Church explores the struggles of five clerics (Athanasius, Gregory Nazianzen, Augustine of Hippo, John Cassian, and Pope Gregory I) to reconcile their ascetic idealism with the reality of pastoral responsibility. Through a close reading of Greek and Latin texts, George E. Demacopoulos explores each pastor''s criteria for ordination, his supervision of subordinate clergy, and his methods of spiritual direction. He argues that the evolution in spiritual direction that occurred during this perTrade Review“George E. Demacopoulos’s excellent scholarly study of spiritual direction in the early church sheds new light on the role of the spiritual guide. That role has deep roots in monasticism. Five Models of Spiritual Direction in the Early Church shows how, when monks left their monasteries to become priests and bishops in the cities of the late antique world, they were able to translate their spirituality into something appropriate for those who came under their pastoral care. . . . This is an extremely interesting book with a firm grasp of the scholarly literature.” —Commonweal“Five Models of Spiritual Direction in the Early Church puts spiritual direction on solid historical ground by showing its importance in the early centuries of the church as well as exploring the different ways spiritual direction was conceived by bishops and theologians. Using five prominent figures from the early church (Saints Athanasius, Gregory Nazianzen, Augustine, John Cassian, and Gregory the Great), Demacopolous crafts a nuanced study that shows how the widening gulf between monasticism and laity in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries translated into different expressions of spiritual direction.” —Cistercian Studies Quarterly“Demacopolous is the first to examine the impact of ascetic bishops on pastoral practice. To address his concerns he presents literary studies of five figures: Athanasius, Gregory Nazianzen, Augustine, Cassian, and Pope Gregory I. . . . Mastery of a wide variety of sources is evident throughout Demacopolous's study . . . this book is solid and will be quite valuable to historical theologians, church historians, students of Christian spirituality and of the priesthood.” —Theological Studies“The strength of this publication clearly lies in the meticulous and respectful examination of the style and policy adopted by key ecclesiastical officers as they considered methods of advocating for Christian polity. It explores spiritual direction in its wider-namely, more social and political-dimension by analyzing fundamental criteria for ordination by bishops, supervision of subordinate clergy, and ways of receiving spiritual guidance by clergy and laity alike. . . . This book is of critical importance and deserves attention. It will long appeal to scholars of late antiquity and medieval theology, to students of the history of monasticism and spirituality, as well as to those actively engaged in pastoral aspects of contemporary Christian ministry.” —Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies “George Demacopoulos . . . has rendered a stimulating investigation on spiritual direction in the early church. A focused study on the spiritual formation strategies of pastors, the work is driven by the underlying question: how was spiritual formation affected when ordained clergy became monks or when monks became ordained clergy? . . . Five Models of Spiritual Direction is a well-researched and well-written monograph on a largely neglected area of patristic studies. It should be listed as suggested reading in graduate-level patristics courses and seminars, especially for students studying early church pastoral mentoring and leadership.” —Criswell Theological Review“Following on the work done by Conrad Leyser, Andrea Sterk and Claudia Rapp on the role of bishops in Late Antiquity and the ways in which, by the end of the sixth century, culture was beginning to shift towards something more characteristic of the Middle Ages, this book studies five authorities whom the author believes to have been influential in that process. This is not a work in spirituality or in spiritual direction in the conventional sense of the term. Above all, he examines the techniques used in achieving pastoral goals.” —The Downside Review“The book explores the growing tensions arising from the legalization of Christianity after Constantine between clerical and ascetic pastoral traditions. As long as we continue to protect our discipline as one that must remain essentially contemplative and trusting, we may perhaps grow in good ways through the challenges presented by Five Models of Spiritual Direction.” —Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care“The subject matter of this book is the pastoral oversight exercised by the bishop, and the increasing influence of the monastic model on Episcopal practice in the fourth to sixth centuries . . . an interesting and thought-provoking attempt to map a significant development within the life of the Church as it grappled with the pressures of mass religion on the one hand, and an individualized spirituality on the other.” —Journal of Theological Studies“The author is to be commended for an excellent contribution to scholarship. Aside from the specific focus on spiritual direction, readers will find that each chapter also provides valuable introductions to the life and writings of the five patristic writers . . . this study will prove useful not only to the specialized researcher, but also to readers broadly interested in Late Antiquity, Patristic studies, and Pastoral Theology.” —Journal of Eastern Christian Studies“Is the pastoral office primarily one of activity, administration, and busyness? Or is it one of contemplation, quietness, and prayer? Which of these ideals should predominate in the life of a parish pastor? What ideal should predominate in the lives of his flock? These are issues and struggles which permeate the work of pastors. Demacopoulos’ book gives the opportunity to view that struggle in another time and place with perspectives and answers different than more current and familiar responses.” —Concordia Theological Quarterly
£25.19
University of Notre Dame Press The Moscow Council 19171918
Book SynopsisBy the early twentieth century, a genuine renaissance of religious thought and a desire for ecclesial reform were emerging in the Russian Orthodox Church. With the end of tsarist rule and widespread dissatisfaction with government control of all aspects of church life, conditions were ripe for the Moscow Council of 1917-1918 to come into being.The council was a major event in the history of the Orthodox Church. After years of struggle for reform against political and ecclesiastical resistance, the bishops, clergy, monastics, and laity who formed the Moscow Council were able to listen to one other and make sweeping decisions intended to renew the Russian Orthodox Church. Council members sought change in every imaginable areafrom seminaries and monasteries, to parishes and schools, to the place of women in church life and governance. Like Vatican II, the Moscow Council emphasized the mission of the church in and to the world.Destivelle's study not only discusses the counTrade Review"As the centenary of the Russian Revolution approaches, Hyacinthe Destivelle’s study offers a valuable resource for assessing a critical dimension of that momentous event: the Orthodox Church Council of 1917–1918. Deploying a wealth of published sources to recount the origins, activities, and results of this remarkable gathering, Destivelle provides a synthesis that is at once insightful and accessible to a broad readership. His work covers the entire period from the first calls for a council in 1905 through the assembly’s conclusion in 1918, skillfully demonstrating how the conciliar ideal was translated into concrete ecclesiastical decrees. In doing so, Destivelle identifies the central players and the broad range of issues at stake in the Church’s reform, as well as the resonance of the council’s decisions for the rest of the twentieth century. His book represents a fine contribution to the growing scholarship on religion in Russia and provides an excellent point of entry for those seeking to understand the fate of the Orthodox Church in the twentieth century." —Paul W. Werth, University of Nevada, Las Vegas"Hyacinthe Destivelle's study is a much-needed and timely examination of the historic All-Russia Church Council of 1917–1918—a council that marked both the culmination and the beginning of a new epoch in modern Russian Orthodoxy. The English translation of the council's definitions and decrees, as well as the 'Statute of the Local Council of the Orthodox Church of All Russia,' along with Destivelle's exceptional commentary and annotations, will remain a foundational work for scholars and students of modern Christianity and Orthodoxy, as well as for scholars and students of Russian history, for decades to come." —Vera Shevzov, Smith College"Contemporary global Orthodoxy is in the process of confronting unprecedented challenges. . . . The autocephalous Orthodox churches address these challenges in various ways, as pastors and theologians appeal to notions of consensus among the Fathers in the past as models. Occasionally, pastors and theologians will also consider creative models of the church for engaging the modern world. The University of Notre Dame Press's recent translation and publication of Hyacinthe Destivelle's comprehensive analysis of the Moscow Council of 1917–1918 grants English-language readers access to one of the most discussed and perhaps least understood historical examples of such models . . . an instant classic and a necessary desktop resource for all serious students and scholars of Russian Orthodoxy and ecclesiology." —The Wheel“[Destivelle’s] book, which is based on the council documents and was originally published in French, is a brilliant and insightful analysis of the Moscow Council and its many fascinating ideas and challenges. It is not only a fair and balanced treatment of Russian Orthodoxy’s determination to make Christ’s enduring message of love and justice relevant to a people experiencing radical changes in society but also an incredibly rich presentation of original source documents.” —The Catholic Historical Review“This publication of this important work in English is an event of great significance. The book will serve as an indispensable handbook for historians, students of history and religion, and certainly also clerics and theologians wishing to acquaint themselves with the basics of a foundational even in the history of the modern Christian churches.” —The Russian Review“[This] book is characterized primarily by the concise provision of accurate information. However, there is nothing tedious about this careful exposition of a potentially emotive subjective. [There] could be no better introduction to [the Moscow Council] than this cogently organized and exceptionally well indexed book. . .” —Slavonic and East European Review“Destivelle’s volume is a welcome contribution to the ever-burgeoning field of the history of Orthodoxy in Russia. This book will certainly become a staple for anyone desiring to become acquainted with one of the most exciting moments in Russian Orthodox history.” —Theological Studies“Dominican friar Hyacinthe Destivelle of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity narrates the story of the Russian Church’s reassertion of its conciliar identity and the restoration of the Patriarch of Moscow.” —The Living Church
£30.40
University of Notre Dame Press Eastern Orthodox and Anglicans
Book SynopsisEastern Orthodox and Anglicans is a study of inter-Orthodox relations, the role of the Anglican Church, and the problems of Orthodox nationalism in modern age. Trade Review“This interesting and important new book offers the first dedicated scholarly investigation into major movements of ecumenical contact among Anglicans and Orthodox between the First World War and the Second World War. Bryn Geffert draws on substantial archival work in English and Russian to write what he calls ‘the story of efforts toward rapprochement by two churches and their ultimate failure to achieve formal unity of intercommunion.’ . . . Above all, this is a cautionary tale about the difficulties inherent in connections among churches with very positive intentions but no ability to speak with one voice.” —The Living Church“Geffert examines political entanglement and territorial aims as well as complex theological issues with clarity and precision. The conclusion contains insightful reflections on the ecumenical longue durée and relations among the principle Christian traditions during the Cold War and beyond.” —The Russian Review“This is a nostalgic book. It describes the time when Western Christians were encountering the Orthodox Church often for the first time, meeting refugees from Russia after the Communist Revolution and extending invitations for conferences and church celebrations to each other. This book describes these early encounters in the period between the wars . . . the encounter of Eastern and Western Christianity described in this book has been rich and creative, usually warm and friendly, and has contributed much to the life of the churches.” —Theology“This detailed study of Anglican-Orthodox relations in the early years of the ecumenical movement not only traces their development but also analyses the motives which impelled each side to seek closer relations. This illuminating study of the complex dynamics of inter- and intra-church relations is of contemporary relevance as well as of historical interest. Members of the International Commission for the Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue who have not yet read it should certainly do so. . . .” —The Journal of Ecclesiastical History“The history of the contacts between Orthodoxy and Anglicanism for the last century-and-a-half is competently recounted in Geffert’s interdisciplinary account. The work is a model of bibliographical organization. . . . The narrative is engaging and clear, with an occasional Russian word in parentheses to convey the flavor of a pungent remark.” —Journal of Ecumenical Studies“Geffert is to be congratulated for the massive amount of research that has gone into this history of the ecumenical efforts toward rapprochement between Anglicans and Orthodox in the period of the 1920s and 1930s, especially in the years between World War I and World War II . . . the great strength of this book lies in its investigation of countless secondary sources. . . .” —Anglican Theological Review“The author is to be congratulated for the massive amount of research that has gone into this history of the ecumenical efforts towards rapprochement between Anglicans and Orthodox in the period of the 1920s and 1930s, especially in the years between the two great world wars.” —Anglican and Episcopal History“Geffert’s work superbly illustrates a moment when institutional alignment seemed possible, but failed. Despite the outcome, his book deserves close attention for the sources it probes and the era it depicts.” —Church History“[Geffert’s] meticulous study, based on archival and published sources, provides a thorough treatment of factors inclining interwar Orthodox and Anglicans to dialogue. Nevertheless, the myriad reasons given for the impossibility of Orthodox-Anglican church unity necessarily overwhelmed ambitions of closer east-west church ties.” —The Slavic Review“Geffert’s book will become required reading for anyone seeking to understand the complicated web of relationships with the Orthodox that developed between the wars. It is also a timely reminder to historians of the ecumenical movement that ‘nontheological factors’ in church divisions are not completely dead, not least where church appointments depend in some measure on the civil power.” —The Journal of Modern History
£45.00
University of Notre Dame Press Ivan Sergeevich Gagarin
Book SynopsisIvan Sergeevich Gagarin analyzes questions of nationality and religious identity in nineteenth-century Russian history as reflected in the life of Jesuit priest Ivan Gagarin. A descendent of one of Russia's most ancient and politically powerful families, Father Ivan Gagarin, S.J. (18141882) dedicated his life to creating a union between the Orthodox and Catholic churches that would preserve the dogmatic and traditional beliefs of both.Traditional understandings of Russian identity have emanated from the perspective of the dominant Orthodox religion; this captivating study uses the unionist work of Gagarin to illumine Russia''s national identity from the perspective of Roman Catholicism. Seeing his unionist proposals as necessary for the preservation of Russian stability, Gagarin found himself in frequent opposition to the Orthodox Church. While Gagarin believed that Church union would preserve Russia from the threats of communism and revolution, the Russian Orthodox Trade Review“Beshoner presents a well-researched and evenhanded examination of the evolution of Gagarin’s thought within the context of the political and theological debates of the time. He shows that the fascinating story of Gagarin, the 'Don Quixote of Catholicism,' exemplifies the futility of all-encompassing projects for the nation’s salvation. His book is richly documented, and he makes generous use of archival material from France, Italy, the Vatican, and Russia. The book is an important resource for scholars interested in the Westernizers/Slavophile controversy, in problems of Russian national identity, in mutual misconceptions between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican, and in ecumenical politics in general.” —Slavic Review"...the only book-length treatise on Gagarin in English. This book is highly recommended for library collections in Slavic studies and ecumenism." —Catholic Library World“…handsomely produced….” —Modern Greek Studies Yearbook“The strength of this book is found in the fact that it finally offers scholars the continuous account of the entire life and times of Gagarin together with a discussion of this work, all in one volume. Students of the Russian Jesuit will also be grateful for the complete listing of Gagarin’s treatises, both major and minor.” —Orientalia Christiana Periodica“...a fascinating story that will be of particular interest to readers who follow current efforts to reestablish the communion that will enable the Church to, in the words of John Paul II, ‘breathe again with both lungs.’” —First Things“Beshoner’s meticulous analysis makes a valuable contribution to the scholarship on religious and church history in the middle decades of the nineteenth century. Above all, it provides a full, well-researched account of a prominent Russian Catholic publicist, stripping away rhetoric and polemics to give a coherent account of his views and how he came to them. ...[A] pioneering monograph.” —American Historical Review“[R]ichly detailed discussion ... full of materials likely to be new to scholars interested in pre-Reform Russia, in which Gagarin was formed, and the post-Reform Russia that he tried to influence. Beshoner has thoroughly investigated archival sources in Russia and the West and mastered the very large literature.” —Russian Review“Jeffrey Bruce Beshoner surprises readers with an intriguing book that includes nationalism, diplomacy and religion. It provides a multifaceted look into the history of Russia compared with the rest of Europe during the nineteenth century. Beshoner’s work transcends the history of nineteenth-century Russian Orthodoxy. It delves into nationalism, diplomacy, politics, and religion and would be an enlightening supplement to any Russian, nineteenth-century, or religious history course. Beshoner’s wording is intelligent, yet not too academic for younger readers. He clearly defines and shows Gagarin’s motives, writings, and experiences. Ivan Sergeevich Gagarin: The Search for Orthodox and Catholic Union would prove beneficial in graduate-level courses, as well as in some upper level undergraduate courses.” —History: Reviews of New Books“Beshoner’s presentation of Gagarin is valuable and extensive. It gives us another historical example of a division within Christian experience that still troubles many.” —Journal of the American Academy of Religion“...fascinating and thoroughly researched.... The volume is a valuable resource for understanding some misguided approaches of Catholicism toward Orthodoxy.” —Theological Studies
£87.55
University of Notre Dame Press Incarnate Love
Book SynopsisIncarnate Love is a major contribution to both Orthodox ethics and to Christian self-understanding. Completely revised with a new preface and two additional chapters, this work aims to articulate a social ethic that can make sense of the Orthodox experience in the United States, as well as challenge the Orthodox tradition to formulate a new strategy for church and societal interaction.Trade Review“This is a fine and provocative work, one whose theological and historical insights become more telling with each re-reading. . .” —Westminster Theological Journal“[Guroian’s] book breaks new ground by confronting in a radical but constructive manner the teaching of Eastern Christianity with the ethical thought of the Western church.” —Theological Book Review“This is a good book . . . it deserves careful and attentive reading as a well-informed, competent, and well-articulated piece of theological writing.” —Greek Orthodox Theological Review“. . . here is a striking breakthrough into the field of ethics by a scholar of the Armenian Orthodox Church in America. In this collection of well-crafted, provocative essays, Guroian interacts creatively with such contemporary ethicists as R. J. Neuhaus, J. C. Murray, S. Hauerwas, J. H. Yoder, and S. Harakas.” —Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society“. . . insightful and provocative . . . these essays provide rich food for thought. This is a welcome volume—devoted to thinking about ethics within a theological context, but concerned with large social questions . . . one of the very few accessible works in Orthodox ethics.” —Religious Studies Review"[A] superb collection of essays.... Vigen Guroian's remarkable offering of Orthodox Christian perspectives in ethics has stood the test of time and this new edition hopefully will allow more readers to encounter the singular, liturgical and spiritual approach to ethics of the Eastern Church." —St. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly“It is a great delight to encounter a fresh voice in the field of Christian ethics, especially when that voice speaks for a very rich strand within the Christian tradition and one which is seldom heard in contemporary discussion of ethical questions. . . . The dialogue among Christian ethicists is greatly enriched by the active participation of such a well-informed, perceptive, and challenging voice from the Orthodox tradition.” —Heythrop Journal
£70.55
University of Notre Dame Press Being With God
Book SynopsisThe central task of Being With God is an analysis of the relation between apophaticism, trinitarian theology, and divine-human communion through a critical comparison of the trinitarian theologies of the Eastern Orthodox theologians Vladimir Lossky (190358) and John Zizioulas (1931 ), arguably two of the most influential Orthodox theologians of the past century. These two theologians identify as the heart and center of all theological discourse the realism of divine-human communion, which is often understood in terms of the familiar Orthodox concept of theosis, or divinization. The Incarnation, according to Lossky and Zizioulas, is the event of a real divine-human communion that is made accessible to all; God has become human so that all may participate fully in the divine life.Aristotle Papanikolaou shows how an ontology of divine-human communion is at the center of both Lossky''s and Zizioulas''s theological projects. He also shows how, for both theologTrade Review“The book compares the Trinitarian theologies of Vladimir Lossky and John Zizioulas with a view to illustrating how each author conceives of the communion between God and humanity. Both authors affirm the reality of the divine-human communion, yet there are profound differences in the way Lossky and Zizioulas envisage and explain such communion.” —Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies“In this book, Aristotle Papanikolaou compares the Trinitarian theologies of Vladimir Lossky and John Zizioulas, two of the foremost Orthodox minds of the twentieth century. He argues that while both men take the reality of divine-human communion as the starting point for their reflection about God, they wind up constructing dissimilar, even mutually incompatible, theologies.” —Anglican Theological Review“The result is a helpful comparative analysis that shows how common affirmations within the theological task can lead to very different outcomes: Lossky with his prominent apophaticism and Zizioulas with his Eucharistic ecclesiology. . . . Being with God shows that substantial diversity exists within contemporary Orthodox theology . . . Papanikolaou shows himself to be a careful reader of Lossky and Zizioulas.” —International Journal of Systematic Theology“This is an analysis of the relation between apophaticism, Trinitarian theology, and divine-human communion through a critical comparison of the Trinitarian theologies of Vladimir Lossky and John Zizioulas, arguably two of the most influential Orthodox theologians of the past century. Papanikolaou shows how an ontology of divine-human communion is at the center of both Lossky's and Zizioula's theological projects and how they use this core belief as a self-identifying marker against 'Western' theologies.” —Theology Digest“How is divine-human encounter possible given that the triune God transcends human logic, thought, and speech-so that man can speak of him only in apophatic (negative) terms? How is this possible unless the triune God is immanent within creation and man can speak of him in cataphatic (positive) terms? . . . Papanikolaou's work is important because it critically compares two ontological answers to these questions by Vladimir Lossky (1903-1958) and John Zizioulas (1931-), two of the most influential Eastern Orthodox theologians of the twentieth century. As such, it provides a window into significant developments and debates in contemporary Orthodox thought.” —Westminster Theological Journal “This book is a tour de force of conversational theology. The author offers a beautiful exercise in a 'hermeneutics of charity,' because, for him, critical engagement with the two theologians under discussion does not amount to deconstruction but to a fruitful and truthful encounter, which takes the 'struggle' of conversation seriously.” —The Journal of Religion“This carefully researched, cogently argued book undertakes a comparative exploration of two twentieth century orthodox theologians: Vladimir Lossky and John Zizioulas. While their emphases and conclusions differ, both authors endeavor to counteract the 'western' rationalism sneaking into contemporary orthodoxy by appealing to the doctrine of theosis. . . . By far the most beautifully written sections of Being with God are those concerned with Zizioulas's Eucharistic theology which, for Papanikolaou, counters with Losskian dangers of individualism, impersonalism, and substantialism.” —Modern Theology
£21.59
University of Notre Dame Press Hidden Holiness
Book SynopsisIn Hidden Holiness, Michael Plekon challenges us to examine the concept of holiness. He argues that both Orthodox and Catholic churches understand saints to be individuals whose lives and deeds are unusual, extraordinary, or miraculous. Such a requirement for sainthood undermines, in his view, one of the basic messages of Christianity: that all people are called to holiness. Instead of focusing on the ecclesiastical process of recognizing saints, Plekon explores a more ordinary and less noticeable hidden holiness, one founded on the calling of all to be prophets and priests and witnesses to the Gospel. As Rowan Williams has insisted, people of faith need to find God's work in their culture and daily lives. With that in mind, Plekon identifies a fascinatingly diverse group of faithful who exemplify an everyday sanctity, as well as the tools they have used to enact their faith. Plekon calls upon contemporary writersamong them, Rowan Williams, Kathleen Norris, SaraTrade Review“What is ‘holiness,’ really? Hidden Holiness is a scholarly examination of what is holy in modern society, and calls for people to make their own judgments on what really matters in today’s world. Could what is truly holy be hidden from the public eye, unbeknownst to many? Seeking to promote discussion of this topic, author Michael Plekon presents an intriguing examination of modern day holiness, making Hidden Holiness a highly valued read.” —Midwest Book Review“Hidden Holiness, drawing . . . on Orthodox spirituality, but with an ecumenical sweep, discusses the holiness that can be attained by doing ordinary things. In seven meaty chapters, including an ecumenical cast of characters, Plekon searches for the strategies and resources that bring people close to God, for, as he rightly understands, holiness is a fundamental characteristic of God, and everyone else is holy to the degree that he or she is drawn closer to God. . . . This book is especially recommended to those who are interested in solid work on spirituality but who have little knowledge of the Christian East in general or Russian thought in particular.” —Commonweal“At the core of this book is a strong argument that holiness can be revealed by the faithful living of ordinary people in the world. In so doing, it offers a powerful and practical model of Christian life, making this a thought-provoking work on hagiography, ethics, and spirituality.” —Religious Studies Review“. . . in the new book [Plekon] reaches out to saintly icons in his own and other churches. His theme is straightforward: that holiness can be sought, found and lived in the simplicity and complexity of everyday life among ‘ordinary people’ who seek the foundation of their existence in the search for God.” —The American Benedictine Review“Michael Plekon suggests in Hidden Holiness that our cult of celebrity has elevated some figures to sainthood, by process or public acclaim, while most holiness is lived out as ‘hidden holiness.’ . . . Recommended for personal or group study, Hidden Holiness would be particularly effective for a retreat setting and for anyone interested in contemplative reading.” —Congregational Libraries Today“Without doubt it is usual for preachers to recall that the Christian life is one of everyday engagement—holiness is not reserved to a happy few ‘extra-terrestrials’ but each of us is called to sanctity by baptism. This is why it is not at all bad to sometimes examine the lives of Christians who are not and never will be canonized as saints but who offer us a reflection of God’s image . . . simply because they were human beings . . . Contrary to what we might think, these also reveal to us a side of God’s infinite love that we could really put to use. This is what . . . Plekon has set out to uncover, following the path he took earlier in Living Icons . . . [the individuals he presents] are not perfect and their very public failings are likely obstacles to their official recognition by the church. Nevertheless they turned to God who gave them the strength to fully live their lives on earth, caring for their brothers and sisters, in imitation of Christ. It is precisely in this that their witness raises profound question for us all, especially for all Christians.” —Irènikon“This very readable book amounts to a verbal symphony on the theme of holiness: a holiness hidden and non-spectacular, contemporary and accessible, yet still beguiling and mysterious. . . . Hidden Holiness is an important contribution to the current literature on Christian holiness. In particular, it merits the attention of anyone interested in the growth of the calendar of saints in various branches of the church.” —The Living Church“Hidden Holiness is particularly strong in showing that saints wrestle with faith, struggle with personal demons, and go about the business of their daily lives much as everyone else does. This book is a real joy to read, a challenging feast of the soul that not only nourishes but also inspires.” —Cistercian Studies Quarterly“If asked to name a person who has exemplified holiness, do you think of one of the classical saints, or do you think of a friend or family member? Michael Plekon suggests in Hidden Holiness that our cult of celebrity has elevated some figures to sainthood, by process or public acclaim, while most holiness is lived out as ‘hidden holiness.’ His book will be best appreciated by those who have saints and icons as part of their faith heritage. But there is plenty here for any reader.” —Church & Synagogue Library Association“Appreciation of holiness embedded in ordinary life permeates this book. Encouraging a reassessment of saintliness and educating people toward reimagining holiness are concerns here. Michael Plekon . . . focuses on women and men—Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant—who model hidden holiness.” —Horizons
£17.99
University of Notre Dame Press The Mystical as Political
Book SynopsisTheosis, or the principle of divine-human communion, sparks the theological imagination of Orthodox Christians and has been historically important to questions of political theology. In The Mystical as Political: Democracy and Non-Radical Orthodoxy, Aristotle Papanikolaou argues that a political theology grounded in the principle of divine-human communion must be one that unequivocally endorses a political community that is democratic in a way that structures itself around the modern liberal principles of freedom of religion, the protection of human rights, and church-state separation. Papanikolaou hopes to forge a non-radical Orthodox political theology that extends beyond a reflexive opposition to the West and a nostalgic return to a Byzantine-like unified political-religious culture. His exploration is prompted by two trends: the fall of communism in traditionally Orthodox countries has revealed an unpreparedness on the part of Orthodox Christianity to address the qTrade Review“Papanikolaou’s The Mystical as Political is a welcome addition to current debates in political theology. His emphasis on the importance of theosis or divine-human communion marks a distinct contribution that should appeal to students and researchers interested in the relationship between theology and politics and the role that Orthodox thought can and should play in current and future discussions.” —Religion and Theology“Historically informed, critically agile, and most likely bar-setting for future treatments of what a twenty-first century Orthodox political theology may look like.” —Sobornost“It is, indeed, essential reading and puts forward a challenging and uncompromising affirmation of human dignity, personhood, and politics colored by the light of the Orthodox concept of divine-human communion, while admirably endeavoring not to confuse the ecclesial with the political nor neglect the ascetic and relational reality of human community and love.” —Journal of Markets and Morality“The Mystical as Political is an important contribution to conversations on Orthodoxy, theology, and politics, written in response to the underdeveloped voice of Orthodoxy in law and politics. . . . This timely, constructive book will generate much reflection, discussion, and debate in Orthodox circles. For those interested in the intrinsic connections between mystical theology and politics, this book is essential reading.” —Anglican Theological Review“The Mystical as Political may be the theological equivalent of a venus flytrap. It has the potential to draw multiple interests and points of view into a conversation about the kinds of politics theosis demands. So rather than an indestructible apologia for liberal democracy, Papanikolaou has given us something more engaging, and thus, according to his own stated intentions, more successful.” —Modern Theology“Papanikolaou has written an excellent and timely book. . . . [His] narrative is fascinating and his argumentation sharp and carefully balanced. Well versed in both Eastern and Western theology, he is therefore able to bring together insights from both traditions into fruitful dialogue.” —Theology“This recent work by Aristotle Papanikolaou . . . is a profound achievement in political theology. Papanikolaou’s work fills a great void in Orthodox Christian studies as well as political theology. . . . What I find particularly helpful in this work is his positive appreciation of liberal democracy and human rights from an Orthodox Christian perspective, which many Orthodox prelates and theologians simply find incompatible with their faith tradition.” —Journal of Church and State“Aristotle Papanikolaou’s The Mystical as Political is a welcome contribution to discussions concerning Christian political theology in particular and the role of religion in the contemporary context more generally. His ‘non-radical Orthodoxy’ supports critical engagement with modern liberal democracies on the basis of the church’s mission to persuade human beings to enter freely into communion with God.” —Journal of Religion“Drawing on a wide range of historical source and contemporary political theology, [Papanikolaou] offers a fresh and constructive overview of the relationship between Orthodox Christianity and the political realm. Papanikolaou’s book makes a welcome contribution to the debate on the significance of symphonia in contemporary politics.” —Religion, State and Society“. . . Aristotle Papanikolaou engages Orthodox tradition, a persistent Eastern suspicion of Western values, and contemporary Western theological assertions that liberal democracy is anathema to a eucharistic understanding of church. . . This book is a model for how a scholar can be critical, careful, and even generous in his disagreements.” —Horizons
£25.19
