Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches Books

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

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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

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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

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Book SynopsisIcons and the Liturgy, East and West: History, Theology, and Culture is a collection of nine essays developed from papers presented at the 2013 Huffington Ecumenical Institute's symposium Icons and Images, the first of a three-part series on the history and future of liturgical arts in Catholic and Orthodox churches. Catholic and Orthodox scholars and practitioners gathered at Loyola Marymount University to present papers discussing the history, theology, ecclesiology, and hermeneutics of iconology, sacred art, and sacred space in the Orthodox and Catholic traditions.Nicholas Denysenko's book offers two significant contributions to the field of Eastern and Western Christian traditions: a critical assessment of the status of liturgical arts in postmodern Catholicism and Orthodoxy and an analysis of the continuity with tradition in creatively engaging the creation of sacred art and icons. The reader will travel to Rome, Byzantium, Armenia, Chile, and to other parts of thTrade Review“The collection contains significant research for specialist and student alike, and it is further unique and important by bringing together a healthily ecumenical gathering of scholars, which is rare in books on iconography.” —Adam A. J. DeVille, chair, Department of Philosophy and Theology, University of Saint Francis, and editor of Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies -- Adam A. J. DeVille, chair, department of philosophy and theology"This collection of essays exploring icons East and West, their history, theology, and culture, has no equal in print. It is riveting, surprising, exciting, and as beautiful as the sacred images the authors take up, from Taft, Lucas, Pentcheva, and Noreen to Maranci, Llywelyn, Courey, and Chirovsky. A major contribution from Nicholas Denysenko and the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles." —Michael Plekon, professor emeritus, Baruch College-CUNY -- Michael Plekon, Baruch College-CUNY“I find all the essays very clearly written. I enjoyed reading them, and I found much to admire. This book offers such a diversity of scholarship.” —Robin Jensen, Patrick O’Brien Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame"The book is beautifully produced with vivid illustrations. It is a pleasure to read, and raises intriguing and important questions that will leave the reader thinking and reflecting. It is a challenging and thought-provoking addition to the growing library of books about icons." —Church Times

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Book SynopsisCatholics without Rome examines the dawn of the modern, ecumenical age, when Old Catholics, unable to abide Rome's new doctrine of papal infallibility, sought unity with other catholics in the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox churches.In 1870, the First Vatican Council formally embraced and defined the dogma of papal infallibility. A small and vocal minority, comprised in large part of theologians from Germany and Switzerland, judged it uncatholic and unconscionable, and they abandoned the Roman Catholic Church, calling themselves Old Catholics. This study examines the Old Catholic Church's efforts to create a new ecclesiastical structure, separate from Rome, while simultaneously seeking unity with other Christian confessions. Many who joined the Old Catholic movement had long argued for interconfessional dialogue, contemplating the possibility of uniting with Anglicans and the Eastern Orthodox. The reunion negotiations initiated by Old Catholics marked the beginniTrade Review“This volume is a valuable, even a necessary, piece of the modern story of Christianity. I think such a marvelous work echoes some of the similar discerning outlook of Diarmaid MacCulloch’s splendid Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years.” —Michael Plekon, author of The World as Sacrament“The reader comes away with a clear and nuanced picture of the Old Catholic movement, a real appreciation for the depth of the ecumenical thinking it inspired, and a good grasp of interconfessional relations in the nineteenth century.” —Paul Valliere, author of Conciliarism"This volume is readable and engaging, and it contains sufficient explanations to be accessible to the non-expert...a welcome contribution to the study of Christian history." — Reading Religion"Geffert and Boerneke reveal themselves to be trusted mentors who themselves treat their sources with respect, critical acumen, and perspicacious contextual awareness." — Journal of Ecumenical StudiesTable of ContentsAbout This Work Note on Transliteration and Dates Epigraph Preface Introduction 1. Nineteenth-Century Ecumenism 2. Rome 3. The Vatican Council 4. Reactions and Rupture 5. Making Sense of Old Catholics 6. Establishing the Old Catholic Ecclesia 7. Intensifying Interest 8. Preparing for Bonn 9. The First Bonn Reunion Conference, 1874 10. The Second Bonn Reunion Conference, 1875 11. Ways Part 12. Explaining Failure 13. Aftermath as Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIn A Philosophy of the Unsayable, Franke argues that the encounter with what exceeds speech has become the crucial philosophical issue of our time.Trade Review"William Franke is an articulate spokesman for what cannot be said not only with regards to modern European poetry but also with respect to contemporary theology. A Philosophy of the Unsayable is essential reading for everyone working in religion and literature and in modern theology." —Kevin Hart, Edwin B. Kyle Professor of Christian Studies, University of Virginia"By now, it would seem that there could be no more to say about not-saying. Apophatic language and negative theology have been accused of meaninglessness, nihilism, and even ill-concealed ontologies. In this lovely and surprising book, William Franke not only deftly undoes these criticisms but shows that apophasis underlies and strangely grounds all language and thought, even of those very discourses that most vigorously reject it. A Philosophy of the Unsayable demonstrates with elegance that there is indeed more to say, and more that is both meaningful and important." — Karmen MacKendrick, Le Moyne College"William Franke is an eminent scholar in comparative literature, who is schooled in philosophy and religion. He is recognized as one of the most creative contemporary thinkers working at the double intersection of philosophy and literature and philosophy and theology. A Philosophy of the Unsayable shows an intellectual grasp of a dizzying array of discourses and sheds real light on all thinkers who are discussed." —Cyril O'Regan, Huisking Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame"Strongly reflecting academic debates of the last thirty years, Franke's book is not quite a research monograph and not quite a course book but a thoughtful, provoking and often helpful exploration of an intellectually and spiritually demanding discourse." —Theology"William Franke has emerged as our foremost purveyor of what cannot be said. . . . We should be grateful for this extended articulation, since it also informs us why the unsayable must be said. . . . Given its breadth—the range of thinkers and thought that is covered—and its challenge—to keep open ‘conscious human reflection that refuses to be cut off from the mystery of its ground’—this is a remarkable text, and deserves close attention at every level." —Literature & Theology

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Book SynopsisGrdzelidze's study evaluates the present state of ecclesiology in the Orthodox Church, focusing on the history of autocephaly and its relationship with the rise of religious nationalism.To date, the Orthodox Church has not sufficiently addressed the pressing problem of religious nationalism. Tamara Grdzelidze's Ecclesial Boundaries and National Identity in the Orthodox Church fills this lacuna, offering a solution to the ecclesiological problems posed by the rise of group-related sentiment in Orthodox communities.Grdzelidze's monograph begins with an examination of the history of autocephaly and synodality in the Orthodox Church. As she explains, the political autonomy of local churches in the Eastern Roman Empire, which was later transformed into autocephaly, instinctively carried the kernel of group-related sentiments, whether national or ethnic. Over time, such sentiments have given rise to religious nationalism, which has further resulted in the inabiTrade Review“This book does not speak simply to an Orthodox audience or to ecclesiological issues. Engagement with this concept of autocephaly is crucial to understanding the role of religion in the politics of Russia and Eastern Europe.” —Aristotle Papanikolaou, co-editor of Fundamentalism or Tradition“This book is a precious exercise in building a bridge between different areas of global Christianity and even different areas within the Orthodox Churches.” —Massimo Faggioli, author of The Church in a Change of Era"The present crisis in Eastern Europe has highlighted the deep problems around the relation of Orthodox Christianity to state power and national mythology. In this wonderfully learned and wide-ranging book, Tamara Grdzelidze brings together historical, sociological, and theological reflections to argue that the connections between Orthodoxy and national identity are far more diverse and fluid than many imagine, and that it is time for some serious rethinking of conventional attitudes—and even canonical structures—in the Orthodox world. A vital book for understanding the current challenges in the Eastern Christian world." —Rowan Williams, 104th Archbishop of CanterburyTable of ContentsContents Introduction 1. Emerging Ecclesial Boundaries in the Eastern Roman Empire 2. National Borders and Secular Boundaries 3. Autocephaly and a Secular Age: painful adaptation to Pluralism 4. Autocephaly and Studying Nationalism/studies on N 5. Contextualization of Autocephaly: Russian Orthodox Church Orthodox Church of Georgia Orthodox Church of Ukraine 6. Eucharistic Vision as Hermeneutics for Orthodox Synodality Conclusions

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Book SynopsisBook offers the first systematic treatment and evaluation of the Swiss Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar's complex relation to modern speculative religious philosophy.Trade Review"This sophisticated introduction to Hans Urs von Balthasar's work shows readers who might be puzzled by some of his seemingly strange claims on infinite distance in the Trinity or the Urkenosis where these claims come from and why they get incorporated into his theology. Jennifer Newsome Martin situates Balthasar's work so that some of the more superficial criticisms are revealed as superficial. She shows the origins of some of the revisionist theories in theology proper and why Balthasar opposed rather than affirmed them." —D. Stephen Long, Cary M. Maguire University Professor in Ethics at Southern Methodist University"In this book, Jennifer Newsome Martin explores a dimension of Balthasar’s work that has received little attention thus far, namely, his engagement with Schelling and the great Russian theologians of the modern era. In doing so, she casts a new light, not only on the content of Balthasar’s theology, but perhaps even more so on his 'theological style,' and offers a compelling response to the Swiss thinker’s critics, who accuse him of speculating too freely about the mysteries of the faith from a 'God’s-eye' perspective." —D. C. Schindler, Pontifical John Paul II Institute“With Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Critical Appropriation of Russian Religious Thought, Jennifer Newsome Martin has produced an accomplished, literate, and original contribution that is much needed in Balthasar scholarship. To my knowledge, this is the only text on Balthasar and three important Russian Orthodox thinkers—Soloviev, Berdyaev, and Bulgakov—who engaged ancient Christianity with modern philosophical currents. Additionally, Martin brings to light aspects of Balthasar’s theological method that go beyond Balthasar’s own importance to broader issues in theology.” —Anthony C. Sciglitano, Seton Hall University"By considering how Balthasar incorporates and rejects the fruits of a uniquely daring and speculative period within Russian theology . . . Martin is able to provide one of the more lucid introductions to the speculative yet ultimately disciplined character of Balthasar's own theology . . . [Her] careful analysis of where Balthasar follows the lead of his Russian interlocutors . . . and where he demurs from their more radical conclusions in the name of Catholic doctrine and/or Christocentric theology serves a more subterranean yet compelling purpose: to demonstrate that Balthasar, whose capacious appreciation for intellectual sources outside of Roman Catholicism and indeed outside the orbit of Christian theology altogether, nonetheless was creatively orthodox in his interweaving of these disparate strands into a sustained theological vision of the fulfillment of all human endeavors—artistic, philosophical, and religious—in the resurrected life of Christ. . . . The result of this is a marvelously scholarly and non-polemical survey of some key themes in Balthasar's theology, particularly in relation to eschatology, biblical hermeneutics, and the role of myth in theology." —Per Caritatem“This subtle and sophisticated book is primarily a study of the theological method of Hans Urs von Balthasar, conducted in an unusual way. It proceeds by investigating the use to which van Balthasar puts three Russian religious philosophers, Nicholas Berdyaev, Vladimir Soloviev, and Sergei Bulgakov in their use of elements from the metaphysical world-view of the German Idealist or, better, ‘Real-Idealist’ philosopher F. W. J. Schelling. . . . [Her book] contributes significantly to an historical understanding of the creative interplay between Eastern Orthodox thought and the renewal of Western Catholic theology in the mid-twentieth century.” —Journal of Jesuit Studies“Jennifer Newsome Martin’s timely, ambitious and novel approach is fundamentally useful in understanding the nature of Balthasar’s speculative and expansive theological approach, as well as offering insights into the influence of both Romantic and modern Russian religious though upon his writings. Martin’s study makes us realize how prosaic that question [of whether Balthasar was conservative or liberal in approach] is, because she opens up entirely fresh avenues within Balthasar’s thought and even provokes new speculations too.” —Theology"Jennifer Newsome Martin’s Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Critical Appropriation of Russian Religious Thought is an incredible achievement. It serves both as an elegant scholarly study of controverted yet ill-explored areas of Balthasar’s work and as a crucial evaluation of the very foundations of Balthasar’s theological speculations. . . . It is also a remarkable work of scholarship, simultaneously unveiling Balthasar’s relationships to the Russian school and Schelling and unveiling Balthasar’s theological method. By integrating the two, Martin avoids the temptation to create method out of instinct or wishful thinking." —Nova et Vetera“Jennifer Newsome Martin’s book is certainly unique, most interesting, and informative in several areas that are rarely covered by the literature on von Balthasar.” —Cithara

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Book SynopsisRecovering the roots of Christian orthodoxyTrade ReviewThe authors’ aim is exposing false divisions. It analyses the development of Christianity through major ears of history; it then re-states the essence of the Christian faith – explicitly following the precedent of C. S. Lewis in his classic Mere Christianity. Followers of Christ across the spectrum are challenged to affirm the core truth of the gospel, and to use under-valued resources from the faithful of two thousand years. The analysis proposes that current divisions are as far-reaching as the East/West split, or as the Reformation. I think we will have to wait for history to judge that, but the accounts of the Reformation and of the Modern Age are both good reading. ‘Mere’ or ‘Deep’ Christianity, or the Gospel, is then defined. It is both believing and behaving. It is both the narrative of Christ and the experience of the spirit. It is both the doctrine of the creed and the actions of worship and ethical living. There are repeated challenges to both liberal and conservative assumptions. Finally there are impassioned calls for much more attentions to teaching the faith in a culture where it is largely unfamiliar to people, and for much more attention to the central place and value of communion. -- Rosemary Medhurst * The Reader *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Privileged Minorities successfully problematizes the politics of minority rights, interrogating whether numerical minority status equates to sociopolitical disadvantage...[A] crucial text for the expert and non-expert alike..." * Religious Studies Review *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Privileged Minorities successfully problematizes the politics of minority rights, interrogating whether numerical minority status equates to sociopolitical disadvantage...[A] crucial text for the expert and non-expert alike..." * Religious Studies Review *

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Book SynopsisEmbedded with lively portrayals of historical actors and vivid descriptions of political details, A Spiritual Revolution is the first large-scale effort to fully identify exactly how Western progressive thought influenced the Russian Church.Trade ReviewIvanov breaks new ground in his exploration of the link between Orthodoxy and Protestantism. Theological and political concepts are explained with clarity, and the evolution of abstract ideas is embedded in a lively portrayal of political and social history. It will become the go-to book on Russian Orthodoxy in the eighteenth century." - Alexander M. Martin, author of Enlightened Metropolis: Constructing Imperial Moscow, 1762-1855"Tells a compelling and historiographically important story by way of intellectual and institutional archaeology. Ivanov brings historical nuance to a neglected and generally misunderstood piece of history." - Patrick Lally Michelson, author of Beyond the Monastery Walls: The Ascetic Revolution in Russian Orthodox Thought, 1814-1914

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Book SynopsisDraws upon extensive archival research to examine the effects of the pastoral movement on Russian society and the Orthodox Church. Daniel Scarborough argues that the social work of parish clergymen shifted the focus of Orthodox practice in Russia toward cooperative social activism as a devotional activity.Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 The New Kind of Pastor 2 War, Revolution, and Famine 3 Revolt in the Seminaries 4 The Church as a School 5 The Parish Crisis 6 The Pastor as a Political Actor 7 Revolution in the Church Conclusion Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe late Russian Empire experienced rapid economic change, social dislocation, and multiple humanitarian crises, enduring two wars, two famines, and three revolutions. Daniel Scarborough considers the roles played by pastors in the closing decades of the failing tsarist empire and the explosive 1917 revolutions.Trade Review“Russia’s Social Gospel thoughtfully and expertly adds an important piece to the puzzle of this complex, historically contingent thing we call Russian Orthodoxy.”—Patrick Lally Michelson, Indiana University “A combination of solid archival research and compelling historical interpretations.”—Irina Paert, University of Tartu “The author’s scholarship is detailed and his prose lucid. . . . This is an exceptional chronicle.”—Publishers Weekly “A fascinating glimpse into an often overlooked discourse in Russian church history. . . . Scarborough has taken great pains to put the archival resources at his disposal into a coherent narrative that challenges both the conception of the late imperial Russian Orthodox Church as a monolithic entity and the inability of grassroots initiatives of the time to work toward true democratization. . . . A well-researched and broad approach that highlights fascinating aspects of Russian religious history.”—H-RussiaTable of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 The New Kind of Pastor 2 War, Revolution, and Famine 3 Revolt in the Seminaries 4 The Church as a School 5 The Parish Crisis 6 The Pastor as a Political Actor 7 Revolution in the Church Conclusion Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA fascinating, vivid, and on-the-ground account of Russian Orthodoxy's resurgenceTrade Review”I loved this book because it echoes so much of my own experience and also explains and articulates in a very readable way how the church both sees itself, and is seen by others today.”—Rev Nichola Vidamour, Methodist Recorder“Burgess records the extensive building programme of new churches, monasteries, and seminaries in a brief quarter of a century, but his emphasis, rightly, is more on the dedicated people who work in them. He records in-depth conversations and brings his characters, male and female, alive in a variety of settings . . . this book clothes the religious revival with rich substance.”—Michael Bourdeaux, Church Times“Holy Rus’: The Rebirth of Orthodoxy in the New Russia is an excellent work of scholarship based on the author’s extensive travels within Russia, close interaction with leading figures in the Russian Orthodox Church, a sound grasp of Russian history during the Soviet period, and a deep cross-confessional theological understanding.”— James W. Warhola, The Soviet and Post-Soviet Review“Well-written and solid book” —Sergei Chapnin, Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies“A book full of surprises. It seems God refuses to let Orthodoxy die in Russia. We owe Burgess much for making this story known.”—Stanley Hauerwas, author of The Work of Theology“Both sympathetic and sober, this insightful study of Orthodox Christianity in today’s Russia is essential for anyone wanting to understand Russia’s quest for spiritual sanity and integrity in the midst of the deformations of the past and present.”—The Very Reverend Leonid Kishkovsky, Orthodox Church in America“Burgess is a careful observer and his illuminating descriptions of places and people give this book a personal immediacy. Thoughtful, fresh, and judicious, Holy Rus’ will be of interest to anyone invested in the fate of religion in developed, industrialized countries.”— Nigel Biggar, University of Oxford"This is an excellent, readable, deeply informed, and sympathetic but distanced account by a trusted scholar. For a decade, John Burgess has steeped himself in Russian Orthodox practice and has now written a timely and indispensable book for those wanting to understand modern Russia."— Iain R. Torrance, Princeton Theological Seminary“Holy Rus’ is a vivid, detailed account of the institutions and personalities that shape Russian Orthodoxy today. Everyone who wants to understand Russia’s past or to anticipate its future should read this book.”—Robin W. Lovin, Southern Methodist University

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Book SynopsisOffers a collection of essays that examine the distinguishing features of the Eastern traditions - iconography, hymnology, ritual, and pilgrimage - through an ethnographic analysis. This title focuses on the revitalization of Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches that were repressed under Marxist-Leninist regimes.Trade Review"An original contribution to the anthropology of religion." -- Juraj Buzalkla Anthropological QuarterlyTable of ContentsContents List of Illustrations Preface and Acknowledgments Chris Hann Introduction: The Other Christianity? Chris Hann and Hermann Goltz PART ONE. IMAGE AND VOICE: THE SENSUOUS EXPRESSION OF THE SUBLIME 1. Eastern Christians and Religious Objects: Personal and Material Biographies Entangled Gabriel Hanganu 2. A Dual Quarrel of Images on the Middle Volga: Icon Veneration in the Face of Protestant and Pagan Critique Sonja Luehrmann 3. Icons and/or Statues? The Greek Catholic Divine Liturgy in Hungary and Romania, between Renewal and Purification Stephanie Mahieu 4. The Acoustics and Geopolitics of Orthodox Practices in the Estonian-Russian Border Region Jeffers Engelhardt PART TWO. KNOWLEDGE AND RITUAL: MONASTERIES AND THE RENEWAL OF TRADITION 5. The Spirit and the Letter: Monastic Education in a Romanian Orthodox Convent Alice Forbess 6. Exorcising Demons in Post-Soviet Ukraine: A Monastic Community and Its Imagistic Practice Vlad Naumescu 7. Monasteries, Politics, and Social Memory: The Revival of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch in Syria during the Twentieth Century Anna Poujeau PART THREE. SYNCRETISM AND AUTHENTICITY: (SHARED) SHRINES AND PILGRIMAGE 8. Orthodox-Muslim Interactions at "Mixed Shrines" in Macedonia Glenn Bowman 9. Empire Dust: The Web of Relations in Saint George's Festival on Princes Island in Istanbul Maria Couroucli 10. Pilgrimages as Kenotic Communities beyond the Walls of the Church Inna Naletova 11. Avtobusniki: Russian Orthodox Pilgrims' Longing for Authenticity Jeanne Kormina PART FOUR. PERSON AND NATION: CHURCH, CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, AND SPECTRES OF THE SECULAR 12. Indigenous Persons and Imported Individuals: Changing Paradigms of Personal Identity in Contemporary Greece Renee Hirschon 13. Individual and Collective Identities in Russian Orthodoxy Alexander Agadjanian and Kathy Rousselet 14. The Russian Orthodox Church, the Provision of Social Welfare, and Changing Ethics of Benevolence Melissa L. Caldwell Epilogue: Ex Oriente Lux, Once Again Douglas Rogers Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisOffers a collection of essays that examine the distinguishing features of the Eastern traditions - iconography, hymnology, ritual, and pilgrimage - through an ethnographic analysis. This title focuses on the revitalization of Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches that were repressed under Marxist-Leninist regimes.Trade Review"An original contribution to the anthropology of religion." -- Juraj Buzalkla Anthropological QuarterlyTable of ContentsContents List of Illustrations Preface and Acknowledgments Chris Hann Introduction: The Other Christianity? Chris Hann and Hermann Goltz PART ONE. IMAGE AND VOICE: THE SENSUOUS EXPRESSION OF THE SUBLIME 1. Eastern Christians and Religious Objects: Personal and Material Biographies Entangled Gabriel Hanganu 2. A Dual Quarrel of Images on the Middle Volga: Icon Veneration in the Face of Protestant and Pagan Critique Sonja Luehrmann 3. Icons and/or Statues? The Greek Catholic Divine Liturgy in Hungary and Romania, between Renewal and Purification Stephanie Mahieu 4. The Acoustics and Geopolitics of Orthodox Practices in the Estonian-Russian Border Region Jeffers Engelhardt PART TWO. KNOWLEDGE AND RITUAL: MONASTERIES AND THE RENEWAL OF TRADITION 5. The Spirit and the Letter: Monastic Education in a Romanian Orthodox Convent Alice Forbess 6. Exorcising Demons in Post-Soviet Ukraine: A Monastic Community and Its Imagistic Practice Vlad Naumescu 7. Monasteries, Politics, and Social Memory: The Revival of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch in Syria during the Twentieth Century Anna Poujeau PART THREE. SYNCRETISM AND AUTHENTICITY: (SHARED) SHRINES AND PILGRIMAGE 8. Orthodox-Muslim Interactions at "Mixed Shrines" in Macedonia Glenn Bowman 9. Empire Dust: The Web of Relations in Saint George's Festival on Princes Island in Istanbul Maria Couroucli 10. Pilgrimages as Kenotic Communities beyond the Walls of the Church Inna Naletova 11. Avtobusniki: Russian Orthodox Pilgrims' Longing for Authenticity Jeanne Kormina PART FOUR. PERSON AND NATION: CHURCH, CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, AND SPECTRES OF THE SECULAR 12. Indigenous Persons and Imported Individuals: Changing Paradigms of Personal Identity in Contemporary Greece Renee Hirschon 13. Individual and Collective Identities in Russian Orthodoxy Alexander Agadjanian and Kathy Rousselet 14. The Russian Orthodox Church, the Provision of Social Welfare, and Changing Ethics of Benevolence Melissa L. Caldwell Epilogue: Ex Oriente Lux, Once Again Douglas Rogers Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisExamines the role of Russian Orthodox Church in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.Trade Review"A provocative and clearly argued work." Somatosphere "This is a fascinating book on an important topic." -- Erin Koch Slavic ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part I: Backgrounds 1. HIV, Drug Use, and the Politics of Indifference 2. The Church's Rehabilitation Program 3. The Russian Orthodox Church, HIV, and Injecting Drug Use 4. Moral and Ethical Assemblages 5. Synergeia and Simfoniia: Orthodox Morality, Human Rights, and the State 6. Working on the Self Part II: Practices 7. Enchurchment 8. Cultivating a Normal Life 9. Normal Sociality: Obshchenie and Controlling Emotions 10. Disciplining Responsibility: Labor and Gender Some Closing Words Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisAt publication date, a free ebook version of this title will be available throughLuminos, University of California Press's Open Access publishing program. Visitwww.luminosoa.orgto learn more. The Stranger at the Feast is a pathbreaking ethnographic study of one of the world's oldest and least-understood religious traditions. Based on long-term ethnographic research on the Zege peninsula in northern Ethiopia, the author tells the story of how people have understood large-scale religious change by following local transformations in hospitality, ritual prohibition, and feeding practices.Ethiopia has undergone radical upheaval in the transition from the imperial era of Haile Selassie to the modern secular state, but the secularization of the state has been met with the widespread revival of popular religious practice. For Orthodox Christians in Zege, everything that matters about religion comes back to how one eats and fasts with others. Boylston shows how practices of feeding and avoidance have remained central even as their meaning and purpose has dramatically changed: from a means of marking class distinctions within Orthodox society, to a marker of the difference between Orthodox Christians and other religions within the contemporary Ethiopian state.Trade Review"Truly remarkable." * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsMap Note on Amharic Pronunciation and Transliteration Acknowledgments Introduction 1. A History of Mediation 2. Fasting, Bodies, and the Calendar 3. Proliferations of Mediators 4. Blood, Silver, and Coffee: The Material Histories of Sanctity and Slavery 5. The Buda Crisis 6. Concrete, Bones, and Feasts 7. Echoes of the Host 8. The Media Landscape 9. The Knowledge of the World Conclusion Reference List Index

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Book SynopsisAn ecumenical roster of leading scholars explores trinitarian faith as it is concretely experienced in the life of the church.Table of ContentsContentsForeword by Father Nick TriantafilouPart 1. The Trinity in Christian Worship1. The Baptismal Command (Matthew 28:19-20) and the Doctrine of the Trinity Joseph T. Lienhard, SJ2. Eucharist and Trinity in the Liturgies of the Early Church Robert J. Daly, SJ3. The Nascent "Trinitarian" Worship of Martyrdom of Polycarp 14 and Ephesians 1 Paul A. Hartog4. Gregory of Nyssa on Knowing the Trinity Nonna Verna HarrisonPart 2. Jesus Christ, the Trinity, and Christian Salvation5. The Holy Trinity as the Dynamic of the World's Salvation in the Greek Fathers John Anthony McGuckin6. Maximus the Confessor and John of Damascus on the Trinity Brian E. Daley, SJ7. Deification in Augustine: Plotinian or Trinitarian? Matthew Drever8. Justification as Declaration and Deification Bruce D. MarshallPart 3. The Trinity and Ecclesial Being9. Personhood, Communion, and the Trinity in Some Patristic Texts Khaled Anatolios10. The Trinitarian Being of the Church John Behr11. The Relevance of Gregory of Nyssa's Ad Ablabium for Catholic-Orthodox Ecumenical Dialogue on the Trinity and the Church Thomas Cattoi12. Syriac Christian Tradition and Gender in Trinitarian Theology Kathleen McVeyConclusion: A God in Whom We Live: Ministering the Trinitarian God Brian E. Daley, SJIndexes

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Book SynopsisIn this richly comparative analysis of late Muscovite and early Imperial court culture, Ernest A. Zitser provides a corrective to the secular bias of the scholarly literature about the reforms of Peter the Great.Trade ReviewZitser argues that 'the Drunken Council was not an institution at all, parodic or otherwise; it was a discourse, that is, a way of speaking about royal authority that was constitutive of political relations as much as a reflection of the way power was distributed and organized at the court of Peter the Great.' It is this insight or thesis that allows Zitser to seek a harmonious integration of seemingly disparate elements in the culture of Peter's reign and to provide both a contemporary European context as well as a modern theoretical dimension by his wide-ranging reference to primary and secondary sources. The book offers a remarkably sustained and for the most part convincing demonstration of what Zitser calls 'a heretofore neglected aspect of Petrine political theology' (p. 169). It is a study which all students of Peter and his period will neglect at their peril. * Journal of European Studies *Some of the strangest and most puzzling aspects of the reign of Peter the Great of Russia involve the play armies, mock religious processions, and other carnivalesque spectacles staged at the royal court throughout Peter's long reign.... Zitser argues that the activities of institutions such as the Most Comical All-Drunken Council were crucial elements in an attempt to elevate the tsar's persona above court factions and clan politics, as well as to establish his domination over ecclesiastical affairs. Zitser focuses his attention on the language used by the tsar and his entourage to transform a medieval Muscovy into a modern, imperial Russia, while also emphasizing the connections of the spectacles and rhetoric with the pan-European baroque court culture of early modern Europe. * Choice *Zitser's study is based on a range of sources impressive for both its variety and breadth: hitherto unprocessed personal and state archives; dispatches and accounts of foreign diplomats; publications of official government papers; monographic studies in many languages; contemporary engravings and illustrations. All the forms of evidence, facts, and events are subjected to thorough-going analysis in order to reveal their communicative and symbolic content.... Zitser's book is extraordinarily interesting and results in original reflections about the reign of Peter I and his contemporary cultural world. * The New Review/Novyi Zhurnal *Ernest Zitser has produced an innovative new study of the transformation of political discourse during the reign of Peter the Great... Zitser's study relies on the personal letters of Peter the Great, eyewitness accounts, official administrative documents, and visual representations, such as engravings, paintings, and drawings. These rich sources allow Zitser to present a more nuanced understanding of Petrine political discourse and the use of 'self-conscious and ironic wordplay' by Peter and his courtiers. The result is a fascinating, well-written, creative new interpretation of Peter's parodies and spectacles, one that is both accessible to an undergraduate audience and essential reading for Russian history scholars. * Russian Review *The Transfigured Kingdom... is a highly original effort to decrypt the coded messages conveyed by ceremonial events at Peter's court.... Ernest Zitser takes us on an enjoyable romp through the arcane mysteries of Imperial merrymaking. * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisKivelson places Russian witchcraft trials of the seventeenth century in the legal, social, and religious context of early modern Russia—and in comparison with witch hunts of Western Europe and elsewhere.Trade Review"Desperate Magic is a triumphant crowning of years of careful work and wide-ranging inquiry. It is a milestone in the study of witchcraft in the European eastand it will certainly give those who work on the "centers" much to ponder."—David Frick * Slavic Review *Desperate Magic is a good value, reasonably priced considering the fact that it has color plates. It has a good bibliography and index and would be an excellent choice for a graduate seminar on the cross-cultural analysis of witchcraft and witch-hunting. -- William E. Burns * Sixteenth Century Journal *Early modern Russia shared with its European neighbors an intense fear of witches. Yet the characteristics of witches and witchcraft in Russia sharply diverged from those most frequently identified in the West...In articles over the past twenty years Valerie Kivelson has developed new approaches to this topic. In this long-awaited monograph, Kivelson goes further, enunciating an original and compelling thesis about the occurrence of witchcraft in early modern Russia. -- Eve Levin * Nova Religio *Full of material that illuminates fascinating corners and major issues in late-Muscovite Russiathe author's latest book is the definitive source for information on witchcraft and witch trials in the seventeenth century.... Kivelson makes the reader think more about how hierarchy and protection worked in Muscovy and when and how they failed to keep social order. -- Robert W. Thurston * The Historian *In her new monograph, Valerie Kivelson fulfils the promise of her earlierarticles on Russian witchcraft by producing an impressive study of the subject.Kivelson's work is grounded in the analysis of two hundred and thirty trialsinvolving about five hundred people—the most exhaustive list of seventeenth-centurycases yet compiled. Though the examination of the cases themselveswould be a considerable contribution to the field, the book also serves as aninsightful investigation into the nature of Russia’s social fabric in one of its most pivotal centuries.... [Desperate Magic] is exhaustive in its breadth, informative in its erudition,and inspiring in its ability to raise new questions about Russian history.Both scholars of witchcraft and of early modern Russia have much tolearn from her work. -- Matthew Romaniello * English Historical Review *Valerie Kivelson has provided the goods splendidly here, filling out another corner of our picture of Europe's witch hunts with a fine study which is the more important for the manner in which so many of its features run counter to the continental norm. -- Ronald Hutton * Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies *Kivelson has produced a thorough study of witchcraft trials in 17th-century Russia that draws on over 200 court cases and a wealth of scholarship unavailable in English. She employs the concept of 'moral economy' to emphasize the function of witchcraft in early modern Russia's social hierarchy with accusations erupting at points of tension and trials serving to police and preserve a rigid sense of order that proceeded from God to czar to subjects. The author examines prescriptive religious and political documents, trial procedure and the use of torture, and various gender and class dynamics at play in the extant records. Kivelson carefully considers the broader literature on early modern witch-hunts, demonstrating that the Russian cases defy patterns observed in western Europe. She highlights contrasts between Latin and Orthodox intellectual frameworks, finding Russians far less interested than their western counterparts in sorting out theological inconsistencies. Broadly suggestive regarding the relationships among religion, law, political culture, and social relations, the book will be valuable for a variety of specialists. Summing Up: Recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Abbreviations Note on Names and Transliteration Maps Introduction: The Moral Economy of Desperation in Seventeenth-Century Russia 1. Witchcraft Historiography: Russia's Divergence 2. "Report on This Matter to Us in Moscow, Fully and in Truth": Documentation and Procedure 3. Muscovite Prosaic Magic and the Devil’s Pale Shadow 4. Love, Sex, and Hierarchy: The Role of Gender in Witchcraft Accusations 5. Undivided Spheres: Gender and Idioms of Magic 6. "To Treat Me Kindly": Negotiating Excess in Muscovite Hierarchical Relations 7. Trials, Justice, and the Logic of Torture 8. Witchcraft, Heresy, Treason, Rebellion: Defining Muscovy’s Most Heinous Crimes The Aftermath: Peter the Great and the Age of Enlightenment Appendix A. List of Witchcraft Trials Appendix B. List of Laws and Decrees against Witchcraft and Magic Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisToward the end of the sixteenth century, and throughout the seventeenth, thinking in spatial terms assumed extraordinary urgency among Russia's ruling elites. The two great developments of this era in Russian history-the enserfment of the peasantry...Trade Review"Cartographies of Tsardom is a fascinating interdisciplinary book that breaks new ground in assessing the roles of history, geography, social structure, and religion in Early Modern Russia. Valerie Kivelson provides a compelling argument for using visual material as evidence of a consultative rather than dictatorial autocracy in Early Modern Russia. New territorial maps and seemingly mundane maps of land disputes turn out to reflect a center-periphery dynamic of nuanced interaction rather than one-sided dominance, a relationship reiterated in contemporary court cases and government policy. In the charting of physical space, provincial Russians appear determined to mark the value of their own sociopolitical status, all the while conceiving their place in the world within an articulated model of paradise." -- Michael Flier, Harvard University"In this beautifully written and richly illustrated book Valerie Kivelson uses hundreds of original maps and drawings to reconstruct the world of Muscovite society and politics. Focusing on ideas about place and space in seventeenth century Russia, she presents a bold new interpretation of the relationship between Russians and their tsar and lays bare the workings of the early modern Russian imperial system." -- Francine Hirsch, author of Empire of Nations: Ethnographic Knowledge and the Making of the Soviet Union"In this imaginative and provocative book, Valerie Kivelson explores early Russian maps as a source for understanding the mind of early Russia and offers intriguing hypotheses about conceptions of empire, space, law, and society in Muscovy." -- Richard Wortman, Columbia University"Like a good map, Valerie Kivelson's fascinating book poses new questions about how Muscovites understood their own territory and their place within it and the wider world, arguing convincingly that spatial thinking colored Muscovite politics, religion and culture. The fruit of many years' research, generously illustrated and based on archival materials, this book will change the way that we think about Muscovite Russia." -- Lindsey Hughes, SSEES, University College London"Students of Russian history will find in this book a balanced and very careful re-evaluation of some aspects of the Muscovy worldview. How did people think of Nature, the power structure they were living in, and the rights of colonized and colonizers' They will also get access to full-color reproductions of some of the most extraordinary maps made in that period. For the lay reader, with little or no background in either cartography or Russian history, this is simply a delightful treasure of novel ideas and eye-openers. From now on, forget about Mercator, and remember Semen Remezov!" -- Stefaan Van Ryssen, Leonardo, February 2007"This is a wondrous book that, figuratively and literally, adds another dimension to Russian history and introduces the reader to a little-known language, cartography in early modern Russia. With its novel approach, broad comparative context, and graceful prose, Valerie Kivelson's book is a landmark achievement." -- Michael Khodarkovsky, author of Russia's Steppe Frontier: The Making of a Colonial Empire, 1600–1800"Valerie Kivelson has produced an extraordinarily impressive book, a pioneering and penetrating study of maps produced by Russians in the seventeenth century.... Her research casts fresh light on such major themes of seventeenth-century Russian history as the development of serfdom and the tsardom's phenomenal easteward expansion." -- Samuel H. Baron, Russian Review, July 2007"Valerie Kivelson's analysis of mapping and legal disputes in the pre-Petrine Muscovite empire makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the organization of property and territory and so of the nature of serfdom and the Muscovite empire itself. This is exactly the kind of book that demonstrates that maps cannot be relegated to mere illustration; rather, in their production and use, they have been crucial components of all sorts of spatial practice in the early modern and modern worlds. Solidly rooted in empirical research, Cartographies of Tsardom blends the social with the cultural in a truly innovative manner." -- Matthew Edney, Director, History of Cartography Project, University of Wisconsin–MadisonTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Nesting Narratives: The History and Historiography of Muscovite Cartography 2. Engaging with the Law: Cartography, Autocracy, and Muscovite Legality 3. Signs in Space: Landscape and Property in a Serf-Owning Society 4. "The Souls of the Righteous in a Bright Place": Landscape and Orthodoxy in Seventeenth-Century Russian Maps 5. Messages in the Land: Siberian Maps and Providential Narratives 6. "Exalted and Glorified to the Ends of the Earth": Christianity and Colonialism 7. "Myriad, Countless Foreigners: Siberia's Human Geography and Muscovite Conceptions of Empire 8. Under the Sovereign's Mighty Hand: Colonial Subjects and Muscovite Imperial Policies Conclusion

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Book SynopsisIn Heretics and Colonizers, Nicholas B. Breyfogle explores the dynamic intersection of Russian borderland colonization and popular religious culture.Trade ReviewHeretics and Colonizers builds on the vision of the Russian Empire as a complex and multilevel system marked by social and administrative diversity. It is a very important book that should appeal to students of religion, nationalism, and empire in both Russian and European contexts. * American Historical Review *An outstanding work of scholarship, Heretics and Colonizers offers fresh insight into the subtle and complex relationships between religious sectarianism, tsarist nation-building, and frontier identity. By delving into the lives of Dukhobors, Molokans, and Subbotniks in the Caucasus, Nicholas B. Breyfogle reveals the rich tapestry of Russia's sectarian past. It is the most comprehensive, the most reliable, and the most readable book on this subject and period that I have encountered. * Doukhobor Genealogy Website *Breyfogle's book is an important contribution to the social, cultural, and environmental history of Russian imperialism and popular religiosity. * Slavic Review *The long history of Russia's self-colonization has been marked by a combination of compulsion and voluntarism. Here Nicholas B. Breyfogle explores a fascinating element of that history, which illustrates graphically the contradictions in the policies pursued by the Russian state. * Slavonic and East European Review *This is a book that all specialists in imperial Russia, the Caucasus, and Russian religion need to read. It should also be required for those interested in Russian frontiers or environmental history. It is, finally, accessible and well suited to classroom use. * Canadian American Slavic Studies *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsNote on Translation and TransliterationAbbreviationsMapsIntroductionPART I: THE ROAD TO TRANSCAUCASIA1. Toleration through IsolationThe Edict of 1830 and the Origins of Russian Colonization in Transcaucasia2. To a Land of PromiseSectarians and the Resettlement ExperiencePART II: LIFE ON THE SOUTH CAUCASIAN FRONTIER3. "In the Bosom of an Alien Climate"Ecology, Economy, and Colonization4. Heretics into ColonizersChanging Roles and Transforming Identities on the Imperial Periphery5. Frontier EncountersConflict and Coexistence between Colonists and South CaucasiansPART III: THE DUKHOBOR MOVEMENT6. From Colonial Settlers To Pacifist InsurgentsThe Origins of the Dukhobor Movement, 1887–18957. Peasant Pacifism and Imperial InsecuritiesThe Burning of Weapons, 1895–1899The End of an Era and Its MeaningsSelected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisOver the past two decades, the world has witnessed alarming environmental degradationclimate change, the loss of biodiversity, and the pollution of natural resourcestogether with a failure to implement environmental policies and an ever-widening gap between rich and poor. As this new volume of his writings reveals, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has continually proclaimed the primacy of spiritual values in determining environmental ethics and action. For him, the predicament we face is not primarily ecological but in fact spiritual: The ultimate aim is to see all things in God, and God in all things.On Earth as in Heaven demonstrates just why His All Holiness has been dubbed the Green Patriarch by former Vice President Al Gore (recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his environmental activism) and the media.This third and final volume of the spiritual leader's selected writings showcases his statements on environmental degradation, global warming, and climate chTrade Review"The ecological conversation in the United States has become sorely degraded. The fundamental ethical issues-obligations of stewardship, responsibility, and justice-are almost lost in the increasingly strident claims that such concerns are simply stalking horses in a political street brawl. It is thus both urgent and timely that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's voice is being projected anew through this book. For decades now the Patriarch has led the way toward a more rigorous, grounded examination of our relationship to the Earth and the creation. His message is quite simple. 'The world is not ours to use for our own convenience. It is God's gift of love to us, and we must return His love by protecting it and all that is in it.' How simple. Yet how challenging. You can almost watch how most of our leaders, confronted with that message and asked how they were responding to it, would squirm in discomfort. As the Patriarch has said, time is short. We need to listen to the message of this book." -- -Carl Pope Chairman, The Sierra Club "Having had the privilege of being with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the Arctic and New Orleans, even a low church evangelical Baptist like myself has come to appreciate what an incredible contribution he has made in leading the Christian community-indeed, the world community-in understanding that caring for God's creation and addressing climate change is a moral calling of the highest order that we all share. I'm so pleased that through this collection of his writings, many more can benefit from his wisdom as I have. Don't pass up this opportunity to delve more deeply into the true meaning of creation-care." -- -The Rev. Jim Ball, Ph.D. author, Global Warming and the Risen LORD: Christian Discipleship and Climate Change; Executive Vice-President "The Ecumenical Patriarch reminds us of a simple and profound moral truth: our imperative to live in harmony with our natural surroundings. While His All Holiness's leadership is rooted in his own spiritual calling, his message resonates with all who work in and study the world of public affairs, politics, and diplomacy." -- -Strobe Talbott President, The Brookings Institution

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Book SynopsisBoth philosophical and theological texts of antiquity argued that a “noetic” or contemplative understanding of nature is higher than the discursive rationality oriented toward domination and control. Studying poets, mystics, and nature writers, this book argues that restoring a sacred view of nature is urgently needed in Western thought.Trade Review"This splendid book makes an original and important contribution to environmental philosophy. It develops an argument the seeds for which were sown by the author's earlier work: that a fruitful approach to environmental ethics, or a proper understanding of 'the Good' with respect to nature, requires a deeper grounding in environmental aesthetics, or a clearer vision of 'the Beautiful,' which is itself ultimately rooted in an 'environmental theology.' With grace and conviction, Foltz shows that it is only by cultivating a sense of 'the Holy' that we can hope to restore a right relation to nature and to ourselves." -- -Christopher Dustin College of the Holy Cross "Bruce Foltz's book The Noetics of Nature: Environmental Philosophy and the Holy Beauty of the Visible is a tour de force, an intellectual and cultural history of nature in the West. Its original and in-depth scholarship re-centers environmental philosophy on the marginalized but crucial intersection of Hebrew and Greek thought in the West, viewed with continuity through the patristic and Byzantine eras and beyond into modern Russian philosophy, as an alternative to modern Western materialism." -- -Alfred Siewers Bucknell University "Bruce Foltz has written an original and compelling book that deserves wide attention. Drawing on Greek Patristic thought, recent environmental writers, Orthodox theology and aesthetics, and the wide sweep of philosophy from the ancient Greeks to today's phenomenology, Foltz opens multiple, fresh lines of insight and inquiry. The Noetics of Nature is an impressive achievement and a much-needed, new voice in current conversations on the healing of earth." -- -Norman Wirzba Duke Divinity SchoolTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: The Noetics of Nature 1. Whence the Depth of Deep Ecology? Natural Beauty and the Eclipse of the Holy 2. Nature's Other Side: The Demise of Nature and the Phenomenology of Givenness 3. Layers of Nature in Thomas Traherne and John Muir: Numinous Beauty, Onto-theology, and Polyphony of Tradition 4. Sailing to Byzantium: Nature and City in the Greek East 5. The Resurrection of Nature: Environmental Metaphysics in Sergei Bulgakov's Philosophy of Economy 6. The Iconic Earth: Nature Godly and Beautiful 7. Seeing Nature: Theoria Physike in the Thought of St. Maximus the Confessor 8. Seeing God in All Things: Nature and Divinity in Maximus, Florensky, and Ibn 'Arabi 9. The Glory of God Hidden in Creation: Eastern Views of Nature in Fyodor Dostoevsky and St Isaac the Syrian 10. Between Heaven and Earth: Did Christianity Cause Global Warming? 11. Nature and Other Modern Idolatries: Kosmos, Ktisis, and Chaos in Environmental Philosophy 12. Traces of Divine Fragrance, Droplets of Divine Love: the Beauty of Visible Creation in Byzantine Thought and Spirituality Notes Index

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Book SynopsisColonizing Christianity employs postcolonial critique to analyze the transformations of Greek and Latin religious identity in the wake of the Fourth Crusade. It argues that the experience colonization splintered the Greek community, which could not agree how best to respond to the Latin other.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 1. Robert de Clari 13 2. Gunther of Pairis’s Hystoria Constantinopolitana 35 3. Innocent’s Ambivalence 49 4. Demetrios Chomatianos: Colonial Resistance and the Fear of Sacramental Miscegenation 73 5. George Akropolites and the Counterexample(s) 89 6. The Chronicle of Morea 103 Conclusion 123 Acknowledgments 131 Notes 133 Index 177

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Book SynopsisColonizing Christianity employs postcolonial critique to analyze the transformations of Greek and Latin religious identity in the wake of the Fourth Crusade. It argues that the experience colonization splintered the Greek community, which could not agree how best to respond to the Latin other.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 1. Robert de Clari 13 2. Gunther of Pairis’s Hystoria Constantinopolitana 35 3. Innocent’s Ambivalence 49 4. Demetrios Chomatianos: Colonial Resistance and the Fear of Sacramental Miscegenation 73 5. George Akropolites and the Counterexample(s) 89 6. The Chronicle of Morea 103 Conclusion 123 Acknowledgments 131 Notes 133 Index 177

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction | 1 1 Psyche and Creation: Initial Reflections on Orthodox Theology and Depth Psychology | 19 2 “That Which Is Not Assumed Is Not Healed” | 40 3 An Ontology of Healing? | 78 4 Eros: Healing Fire | 105 Conclusion | 149 Acknowledgments | 155 Notes | 157 Bibliography | 201 Index | 211

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Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to experience and engage in religious ritual? How does liturgy structure time and space? How do our bodies move within liturgy, and what impact does it have on our senses? How does the experience of ritual affect us and shape our emotions or dispositions? How is liturgy experienced as a communal event, and how does it form the identity of those who participate in it? Welcoming Finitude explores these broader questions about religious experience by focusing on the manifestation of liturgical experience in the Eastern Christian tradition. Drawing on the methodological tools of contemporary phenomenology and on insights from liturgical theology, the book constitutes a philosophical exploration of Orthodox liturgical experience.Table of ContentsPreface | ix Acknowledgments | xxi Introduction | 1 1 Temporality | 31 2 Spatiality | 57 3 Corporeality | 80 4 Sensoriality | 101 5 Affectivity | 125 6 Community | 146 7 Intentionality | 167 Conclusion | 189 Notes | 205 Bibliography | 275 Index | 299

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAcknowledgments | 7 Texts and Abbreviations | 9 Augustine and the Orthodox: “The West” in the East George E. Demacopoulos and Aristotle Papanikolaou Fordham University | 11 Planoudes’ De Trinitate, the Art of Translation, and the Beholder’s Share Elizabeth Fisher The George Washington University | 41 Inspiration–Exploitation–Distortion: The Use of St Augustine in the Hesychast Controversy Reinhard Flogaus Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | 63 Augustine of Hippo, Basil of Caesarea, and Gregory Nazianzen Joseph T. Lienhard, SJ Fordham University | 81 Making a Human Will Divine: Augustine and Maximus on Christ and Human Salvation Brian E. Daley, SJ University of Notre Dame | 101 Sempiterne Spiritus Donum: Augustine’s Pneumatology and the Metaphysics of Spirit Lewis Ayres Emory University | 127 Calling upon God as Father: Augustine and the Legacy of Nicaea John Behr St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary | 153 Idipsum: The Name of God according to Augustine Jean-Luc Marion The University of Chicago / Université Paris Sorbonne | 167 The Hidden and the Manifest:Metaphysics after Nicaea David Bentley Hart Providence College | 191 Augustine the Metaphysician David Bradshaw University of Kentucky | 227 De profundis: Augustine’s Reading of Orthodoxy Carol Harrison Durham University | 253 Augustine’s Christomorphic Theocentrism David Tracy The University of Chicago | 263 “Heart in Pilgrimage”: St Augustine as Interpreter of the Psalms Andrew Louth Durham University | 291 Index | 305

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Book SynopsisWelcoming Finitude provides a philosophical (i.e., phenomenological) examination of the experience of liturgy, based on the example of Orthodox Christian liturgy, as it manifests in terms of time, space, corporeality, senses, affect, and the interaction with other people. It thus uncovers some of the basic structures of religious ritual experience.Table of ContentsPreface | ix Acknowledgments | xxi Introduction | 1 1 Temporality | 31 2 Spatiality | 57 3 Corporeality | 80 4 Sensoriality | 101 5 Affectivity | 125 6 Community | 146 7 Intentionality | 167 Conclusion | 189 Notes | 205 Bibliography | 275 Index | 299

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Book SynopsisAnarchy and the Kingdom of God reclaims the concept of anarchism both as a political philosophy and a way of thinking of the sociopolitical sphere from a theological perspective. Through a genuinely theological approach to the issues of power, coercion, and oppression, Davor Džalto advances human freedomone of the most prominent forces in human historyas a foundational theological principle in Christianity. That principle enables a fresh reexamination of the problems of democracy and justice in the age of global (neoliberal) capitalism.Table of ContentsIntroduction | 1 Anarchism and (Orthodox) Christianity: An (Un)Natural Alliance? | 7 Part I: (Un)Orthodox Political Theologies: Histories The Symphonia Doctrine: Introduction | 27 Early Christianity: Who’s Conducting “Symphonia”? | 35 Divus Constantinus and Court Theology in the Eastern Empire | 43 Conducting “Symphonia” in Russian Lands | 67 The Modern Nation, Ethnicity, and State-Based Political Theologies | 88 Newer Approaches | 101 Political Theology as Ideology: A Deconstruction | 112 Part II: Anarchy and the Kingdom of God: Prophecies Alternative and “Proto-Anarchist” Political Theologies | 123 Being as Freedom and Necessity | 157 Something Is Rotten in This Reality of Ours | 169 Eschatology and Liturgy | 180 “This World” and the Individualized Mode of Existence | 184 The Politics of Nothingness | 190 Theology as a Critical Discourse? | 204 The End and the Beginning | 247 Acknowledgments | 253 Notes | 255 Bibliography | 293 Index | 309

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction | 1 Anarchism and (Orthodox) Christianity: An (Un)Natural Alliance? | 7 Part I: (Un)Orthodox Political Theologies: Histories The Symphonia Doctrine: Introduction | 27 Early Christianity: Who’s Conducting “Symphonia”? | 35 Divus Constantinus and Court Theology in the Eastern Empire | 43 Conducting “Symphonia” in Russian Lands | 67 The Modern Nation, Ethnicity, and State-Based Political Theologies | 88 Newer Approaches | 101 Political Theology as Ideology: A Deconstruction | 112 Part II: Anarchy and the Kingdom of God: Prophecies Alternative and “Proto-Anarchist” Political Theologies | 123 Being as Freedom and Necessity | 157 Something Is Rotten in This Reality of Ours | 169 Eschatology and Liturgy | 180 “This World” and the Individualized Mode of Existence | 184 The Politics of Nothingness | 190 Theology as a Critical Discourse? | 204 The End and the Beginning | 247 Acknowledgments | 253 Notes | 255 Bibliography | 293 Index | 309

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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

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Book SynopsisThis book offers theological, historical, and sociological treatments of sexuality in the Orthodox Christian world. It presents both academic and pastoral reflections on sex, seeking to open up the conversation about homosexuality and sexual diversity within Orthodox Christianity, aiming to create an agora for discussing the sexualities that are often thought of as untraditional.Table of ContentsForeword | ix Metropolitan Ambrosius, Helsinki Acknowledgments | xiii Sexuality and Orthodoxy: An Introduction | 1 Thomas Arentzen and Ashley M. Purpura PART I: THINKING THROUGH TRADITION 1 Relationality, Sexuality, and the Desire for God: Historical Resources | 23 Susan Ashbrook Harvey 2 Something New under the Sun: Sexualities, Same-Sex Relationships, and Orthodoxy | 46 Bryce E. Rich 3 Science, Homosexuality, and the Church | 66 Gayle Woloschak 4 Biblical Tradition and Same-Sex Relations: A Difficult Hermeneutical Path | 79 Ekaterini Tsalampouni PART II: CULTURAL AND PASTORAL CONTEXTS 5 Civil Marriage and Civil Union from an Ecclesial Perspective: The Case of the Orthodox Church of Greece | 105 Pantelis Kalaitzidis 6 Eastern Orthodoxy Identity and “Aggressive Liberalism”: Nontheological Aspects of the Confrontation | 144 Dmitry Uzlaner 7 Salvation and Same-Sex Relations: An Orthodox Response on the Decision by the Lutheran Church of Sweden | 154 Michael Hjälm 8 Homophobia in Orthodox Contexts: Sociopolitical Variables and Theological Strategies for Change | 172 Andrii Krawchuk 9 Meeting Michelle: Practical Theological Reflections on the Personhood of a Transgender Inmate | 192 Richard René PART III: THINKING WITH TRADITION 10 A Desire for All Is the Desire for God: “Sexual Orientation” in Light of Gregory of Nyssa’s Account of Gender, Desire, and the Soul’s Ascent to God | 215 Spyridoula Athanasopoulou-Kypriou 11 Intersex People: Not Physical Mistakes but God’s Image | 235 Kateřina Kočandrle Bauer 12 A Theology of Sex | 247 Aristotle Papanikolaou 13 The Antinomic Eschatological Transfiguration of Christian Eros and Sexuality | 265 Haralambos Ventis 14 Sex, Love, and Politics: An (Un)Orthodox Theological Approach | 281 Davor Džalto 15 From Adam to Christ: From Male and Female to Being Human | 303 John Behr List of Contributors | 321 Index | 325

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Book SynopsisThis book offers theological, historical, and sociological treatments of sexuality in the Orthodox Christian world. It presents both academic and pastoral reflections on sex, seeking to open up the conversation about homosexuality and sexual diversity within Orthodox Christianity, aiming to create an agora for discussing the sexualities that are often thought of as untraditional.Table of ContentsForeword | ix Metropolitan Ambrosius, Helsinki Acknowledgments | xiii Sexuality and Orthodoxy: An Introduction | 1 Thomas Arentzen and Ashley M. Purpura PART I: THINKING THROUGH TRADITION 1 Relationality, Sexuality, and the Desire for God: Historical Resources | 23 Susan Ashbrook Harvey 2 Something New under the Sun: Sexualities, Same-Sex Relationships, and Orthodoxy | 46 Bryce E. Rich 3 Science, Homosexuality, and the Church | 66 Gayle Woloschak 4 Biblical Tradition and Same-Sex Relations: A Difficult Hermeneutical Path | 79 Ekaterini Tsalampouni PART II: CULTURAL AND PASTORAL CONTEXTS 5 Civil Marriage and Civil Union from an Ecclesial Perspective: The Case of the Orthodox Church of Greece | 105 Pantelis Kalaitzidis 6 Eastern Orthodoxy Identity and “Aggressive Liberalism”: Nontheological Aspects of the Confrontation | 144 Dmitry Uzlaner 7 Salvation and Same-Sex Relations: An Orthodox Response on the Decision by the Lutheran Church of Sweden | 154 Michael Hjälm 8 Homophobia in Orthodox Contexts: Sociopolitical Variables and Theological Strategies for Change | 172 Andrii Krawchuk 9 Meeting Michelle: Practical Theological Reflections on the Personhood of a Transgender Inmate | 192 Richard René PART III: THINKING WITH TRADITION 10 A Desire for All Is the Desire for God: “Sexual Orientation” in Light of Gregory of Nyssa’s Account of Gender, Desire, and the Soul’s Ascent to God | 215 Spyridoula Athanasopoulou-Kypriou 11 Intersex People: Not Physical Mistakes but God’s Image | 235 Kateřina Kočandrle Bauer 12 A Theology of Sex | 247 Aristotle Papanikolaou 13 The Antinomic Eschatological Transfiguration of Christian Eros and Sexuality | 265 Haralambos Ventis 14 Sex, Love, and Politics: An (Un)Orthodox Theological Approach | 281 Davor Džalto 15 From Adam to Christ: From Male and Female to Being Human | 303 John Behr List of Contributors | 321 Index | 325

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Book SynopsisA pioneering work that contains a wealth of in-depth analysis and original interpretation. The book will open up new avenues of discussion among students of Japanese religions and intellectual history, and supply food for thought to readers interested in perspectives on issues of religion and society, ritual culture, new religions, and asceticism.

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Book SynopsisArgues that the rise of the Fuji movement epitomizes a broad transformation in popular religion that took place in early modern Japan. Janine Sawada highlights the importance of independent thinking in these grassroots phenomena, making a compelling case that the new Fuji devotees carved out enclaves for subtle opposition to the status quo.

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Book SynopsisHuman-fashioned boundaries transform spaces by introducing dualisms, bifurcations, creative symbioses, contradictions, and notions of inclusion and exclusion. The Buddhist boundaries considered in this book come in various shapes and sizes and can be established on land or in bodies of water.

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Book SynopsisAn account of how, in certain parts of sixteenth-century England, challenges to conventional piety anticipated the Reformation.Here is a richly detailed account of the relationship between Lollard heresy and orthodox religion before the English Reformation. Robert Lutton examines the pious practices and dispositions of families and individuals in relationto the orthodox institutions of parish, chapel and guild, and the beliefs and activities of Wycliffite heretics. He takes issue with portrayals of orthodox religion as buoyant and harmonious, and demonstrates that late medieval piety was increasingly diverse and the parish community far from stable or unified. By investigating the generation of family wealth and changing attitudes to its disposal through inheritance and pious giving in the important Lollard centre of Tenterden in Kent, he suggests that rapid economic development and social change created the conditions for a significant cultural shift. This study contends that in certain parts of England by the early sixteenth century piety was subject to dramatic changes which, in a number of important ways, anticipated the Reformation. Dr ROBERT LUTTON teaches in the Department of History at the University of Nottingham.Trade Review[An] impressive book.backed with a wealth of meticulously analyzed evidence, that it brings to bear as it engages key debates in the field. * SPECULUM *A thoughtful and convincing account that provides a more realistic picture than the happy and uniform Catholicism of recent revisionist writing. * HISTORY *A lucid, bold and rich prosographical study. * SOUTHERN HISTORY *[An] intelligent book.well written and thoughtful. * THE RICARDIAN, XVIII, 2008 *Table of ContentsMethod and theory in the reconstruction of piety in late medieval England - Rob Lutton Family pieties and urban identity - Rob Lutton Boundaries, identities and symbols: piety at Smal Hythe, Tenterden - Rob Lutton The social origins of parsimonious piety - Rob Lutton Religious dissent and heterodox pieties - Rob Lutton Epilogue: late medieval piety and the Reformation - Rob Lutton

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Book SynopsisThis lucidly written biography of Aleksandr Men examines the familial and social context from which Men developed as a Russian Orthodox priest. Wallace Daniel presents a different picture of Russia and the Orthodox Church than the stereotypes found in much of the popular literature. Men offered an alternative to the prescribed ways of thinking...Trade ReviewWallace Daniel's Russia's Uncommon Prophet provides an authoritative, accessible, and highly sympathetic English-language biography of Aleksandr Men * Journal of Church and State *Russia's Uncommon Prophet weaves together Men''s intellectual journey with his biography and makes a valuable contribution to the history of religion in Russia and also to our understanding of late Soviet society. * Canadian Slavonic Papers *Russia's Uncommon Prophet is especially valuable for the way it places Fr Men within the context of Soviet history and the political changes of perestroika under Gorbachev, a period when Fr Men was able to fulfil his gifts as a missionary and writer. * Church Times *Daniel vindicates Men against his detractors, but this is no hagiography. Rather it is a portrait of a uniquely gifted man and a paean of praise to the possibility, even in the most difficult of circumstances, of a truly human life, lived to the full and crowned with martyrdom. * Journal of Ecclesiastical History *This biography of Father Aleksandr Men' is an excellent contribution to the study of Russian religious thought and the history of religious experience in the Soviet period. It is also a great addition to the growing library of biographies of individuals, who have had an exceptional spiritual influence in their lifetimes and beyond. Historians, philosophers, and theologians will find Daniel's insightful exploration of Aleksandr Men's life, ministry, and thought worthy of their consideration. * Modern Greek Studies Yearbook *The thorough treatment of the history of the Russian Orthodox Church and Daniel's insights into religious life make the book a must-read for historians specializing in the Soviet Union. * History: Reviews of New Books *This magisterial biography portrays Father Aleksandr Men (1935–90) as a most uncommon cleric. Daniel has written a powerful and timely book that will, like Men himself, endure. * The Russian Review *

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Book SynopsisThe bitter separation of Ukraine's Orthodox churches is a microcosm of its societal strife. From 1917 onward, church leaders failed to agree on the church's mission in the twentieth century. The core issues of dispute were establishing independence from the Russian church and adopting Ukrainian as the language of worship. Decades of polemical...Trade Review"Based on in-depth archival research, this study brings to light various neglected aspects of Ukrainian church history, casting into a sharp relief the connections between the issues of language, state independence, and church governance. The story that emerges is narrated with considerable nuance, elegance, and lucidity. Denysenko navigates the questions that bear upon present-day Ukrainian, Russian, and international state interests with remarkable restraint and balance of judgement." --Paul Gavrilyuk, University of St. Thomas "In Search of Unity clearly presents the history of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and abroad in the diaspora during the 20th century and the beginning of the 2Ist century. The author knows from inside the history of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, which is very necessary to understand touchy issues such as disputes around the liturgical language or autocephaly; but he also has a critical and scientific approach. I don't know of equivalent research in English, Russian, French, or even in Ukrainian." --Antoine Arjakovsky, Coll ge des Bernardins

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