Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches Books

Book SynopsisThis book, newly revised and updated, examines the Eastern Church's theology of icons chiefly on the basis of the acta of the Seventh Ecumenical Council of 787. The political circumstances leading to the outbreak of the iconclast controversy in the eighth century are discussed in detail, but the main emphasis is on the theological arguments and assumptions of the council participants. Major themes include the nature of tradition, the relationship between image and reality, and the place of christology. Ultimately the argument over icons was about the accessibility of the divine. Icons were held by the iconophiles to communicate a deifying grace which raised the believer to participation in the life of God.Trade Review'Zu bewundern ist die Kraft der Synthese, mit der sehr verschiedene Vorstellungen und Traditionen in ein System gebracht worden sind.' Hans Georg Thümmel, Christianesimo della Storia, 1995. '...there has not been such a thorough, and thoroughly theological, discussion of the theology of icons at the Seventh Ecumenical Council for a long time. It is very welcome.' Andrew Louth, Jornal of Theological Studies, 1995. '...this book is a genuine contribution to theological thought and scholarship.' George T. Dennis, Theological Studies, 1994. 'This book is an important contribution to our understanding of the theology of the seventh ecumenical council of 787...This is a stimulating book and one which has long been needed.' Ken Parry, Sobornost, 1996.Table of ContentsForeword, Henry Chadwick Preface I. Introduction II. Icon and Tradition III. Icon as an Agent of Truth IV. Icon and Reality V. Icon and Christology VI. Icon and Worship VII. The Significance of the Council Afterword 2005 Abbreviations Bibliography Supplementary Bibliography Index of Names and Places Index of Subjects

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Book SynopsisIn Zinoviy Otenskiy and the Trinitarian Controversy, Viacheslav V. Lytvynenko and Mikhail V. Shpakovskiy offer the first English edition of two major Slavic works written by the eminent Russian theologian Zinoviy Otenskiy (d. 1571/2). The selected texts represent our chief source on the Trinitarian controversy in sixteenth-century Russia and reveal Zinoviy as a man of profound theological thinking and Biblical exegesis. The authors provide a detailed and welcome overview of the history of the Trinitarian controversy and the role that Zinoviy played in it. The readers will find here a comprehensive discussion of the issues related to the history of the edited texts, Zinoviy's sources, and his doctrines of the Trinity, Christ, and salvation.Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments List of Tables Abbreviations A Note on Slavic Names Introduction  1 Zinoviy Otenskiy and the Trinitarian Controversy  2 Zinoviy’s Writings  3 Zinoviy’s Doctrine of the Trinity, Christ, and Salvation A Note on Translation Tables The Panegyric to St. Hypatius of Gangra  Introduction to the Panegyric to St. Hypatius of Gangra  Text and Translation of the Panegyric to St. Hypatius of Gangra The Demonstration of Truth  Introduction to the Demonstration of Truth  Text and Translation of the Demonstration of Truth Bibliography Index of Names Index of Biblical Quotations

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Book SynopsisThe volume contains contributions dedicated to the person and the work of Shalva Nutsubidze and his scholarly interests: the Christian Orient from the fifth to the seventh century, the Georgian eleventh century, the Neoplatonic philosopher Ioane Petritsi and his epoch and Shota Rustaveli and mediaeval Georgian culture. Among the articles are a new edition and translation of the original Georgian author’s Preface to the lost Commentary on the Psalms by Ioane Petritsi and the editio princeps with an English translation of an epistle of Nicetas Stethatos (eleventh century), whose Greek original is lost. The traditions of Georgian mediaeval thought are considered in their historical context within the Byzantine Commonwealth and are traced in both philosophy and poetry.Table of ContentsShalva Nutsubidze and His World Selected Bibliography of Shalva Nutsubidze’s Scholarly Works Tamara Nutsubidze – Shalva Nutsubidze: From Alethology to Neoplatonism. Demur Jalaghonia – Alethology as the First Philosophy Epoch of the Corpus Areopagiticum Christopher Haas – Geopolitics and Georgian Identity in Late Antiquity: the Dangerous World of Vakhtang Gorgasali Cornelia Horn – Transgressing Claims to Sacred Space: The Advantage of the Portability of Relics in the Christological Conflicts in Syria-Palestine in the Fifth and Sixth Centuries CE Tuomo Lankila – The Corpus Areopagiticum and Proclus’ Divine Interface Basil Lourié – Philosophy of Dionysius the Areopagite: An Approach to the Intensional Semantics David Shengelia – The Author of the Scholia to the Doctrina Patrum Youhanna Nessim Youssef – Severus of Antioch as Canonist in the Copto-Arabic Tradition Alexander Toepel – Zur Bedeutung der Begriffe ‚Hypostase‘ und ‚Prosopon‘ bei Babai dem Großen Ioane Petritsi and His Time Lela Alexidze – One in the Beings’ and ‚One within Us’: Basis of the Union with the One in Ioane Petritsi’s Interpretation of Proclus’ Elements of Theology Levan Gigineishvili – On Ioane Petritsi’s Preface to His Commented Translation of the Book of Psalms [with the first English tr. and a new edition of the Georgian text] Damana Melikishvili – Ioane Petritsi and John Italus on Two Original Causes Maia Raphava – Georgian Translations of Nicetas Stethatos’s Epistles (According to Arsen Iqaltoeli’s Dogmatikon) [with the editio princeps of a letter lost in Greek]. Shota Rustaveli and Georgian Culture Elguja Khintibidze – Towards Rustaveli’s Place in Medieval European-Christian Thought Maka Elbakidze, Irma Ratiani – Shota Rustaveli’s Romance The Knight in the Panther’s Skin in the Context of European Chivalric Romance: An Anthropological Approach Mikheil Makharadze – Philosophical Ideas of the Corpus Areopagiticum in “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin” N. Doborjgenidze – Religious Inculturation and Problems of Social History of the Georgian Language Adam McCollum – The Application of Thought to Language Learning: An Experiment in the Study of Old Georgian.

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Book SynopsisThe Book of Union by Mar Babai the Great (d. 628) is a compendium of christological texts by the famed author at a time when the christological position of the Assyrian Church of the East (also known as the ‘Church of the East’ or the ‘Church of Persia’) became crystalized. It is the finest representation of the Christology of the Church in Persia, in contrast to diaphysite expression of Byzantium in the Roman East, and the miaphysite expression of the Church in Alexandria and its dependencies. The christological expression of the Church of the East was standardized and canonized by Babai in his christological magnum opus. Accompanied by an introduction and English translation, this volume presents an indispensable text for the study of Christology and its development.

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Book SynopsisThe contemporary Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is in a paradoxical situation: On all levels of Church life, new practices and concepts are considered to belong to Orthodox tradition, yet at the same time Orthodoxy is regarded as the most “unchangeable” and normative of the Christian confessions. So what makes tradition? The nineteen contributions in this volume examine the ambiguities and complexities created by the dynamic between tradition and innovation within the ROC in relation to the fundamental tenets of Orthodoxy. By this focus, the volume offers new insights and highlights the question how to define (Orthodox) Tradition. It addresses “unorthodox” topics of Orthodox paradoxes. Contributors include: Tatiana Artemyeva, Alexei Beglov, Wil van den Bercken, Per-Arne Bodin, Page Herrlinger, Nadieszda Kizenko, Anastasia Mitrofanova, Stella Rock, and Alexander Verkhovsky.Trade Review"The great variety of subjects illustrates that in several respects the challenges are numerous, as are the answers that official and semi-official representatives of ROC [Russion Orthodox Church], as well as some of its 'common' members are trying to formulate in response. A fine collection that offers a good insight in church life in Russia today." - Joseph Verheyden, Journal of Eastern Christian Studies, Vol. 68, Issue 3-4 (2016) "Mais c’est sans doute la dernière partie qui retiendra le plus l’attention des lecteurs d’Istina, puisqu’elle traite du dialogue oecuménique, à travers l’analyse de publications non officielles des années 1990, du dialogue de la ROC avec les Vieux catholiques et des rencontres avec des bouddhistes." in: ISTINA, Vol. LX (2015). "Many important aspects of Russian Orthodoxy today are explored: theological debates, ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue, the role of the starets or elder, icon painting, the role of women, the controversy over translating sacred texts into Russian, eschatological sects, Church-State relations, the canonisation of twentieth-century martyrs, the significance of pilgrimage. Each essay is accompanied by an excellent bibliography." Xenia Dennen, in: Journal of Ecclesiastical History Vol. 66 (2015).

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Book SynopsisThe early Christian presence in Inner Mongolia forms the subject of this book. These Nestorian remains must primarily be attributed to the Öngüt, a Turkic people closely allied to the Mongols. Writing in Syriac, Uighur and Chinese scripts and languages, the Nestorian Öngüt drew upon a variety of religions and cultures to decorate their gravestones with crosses rising from lotus flowers, dragons and Taoist imagery. This heritage also portrays designs found in the Islamic world. Taking a closer look at the discovery of this material and its significance for the study of the early Church of the East under the Mongols, the author reconstructs the Nestorian culture of the Öngüt. The reader will find many newly discovered objects not published before. At the same time this study demonstrates how many remaining objects were appropriated and, in many cases, vanished after their discovery. 'I find myself obliged to make a special effort to avoid over-praising this book, a treasure-house of information, drawn on a comprehensive array of sources, some of them hitherto untapped, and splendidly presented on the important subject of Christian presence in East Asia.' DENIS SINOR, (Indiana University), Journal of Asian History, 43/1 (2009)Trade Review'In sum, Halbertsma has produced an admirable study, eclectic in its methodology, yet consistently meticulous and stimulating.' JOEL WALKER, Hugoye: journal of Syriac Studies, 12/1 'He has written a fascinating and lavishly illustrated book about the religion of a remarkably pragmatic lost Christian civilisation in Asia.' GERRY van KLINKEN (KITLV, Leiden), Asian Studies Review, 33 (2009) (...)'Early Christian Remains of the Inner Mongolia is a valuable study of the Öngüt Christian remains in Inner Mongolia, a lasting record of many now destroyed monuments, and, despite the author’s impartial academic tone, a shocking look at the carnage unleashed by museums and private collectors’ avid hunger for unprovenanced artifacts.' CHRISTOPHER P. ATWOOD (Indiana University), JAS 2009 'I find myself obliged to make a special effort to avoid over-praising this book, a treasure-house of information, drawn on a comprehensive array of sources, some of them hitherto untapped, and splendidly presented on the important subject of Christian presence in East Asia.' DENIS SINOR, (Indiana University), Journal of Asian History, 43/1 (2009) 'Die Arbeit stellt die erste sowohl westliche als auch japanische und chinesische Forschungsergebnisse ausführlich berücksichtigende Dokumentation und Interpretation ,nestorianischen‘ Fundgutes – in der Hauptsache Grabsteine – im Damaoqi und Siziwangqi Banner der heutigen Inneren Mongolei dar.(…) Ein besonderes Verdienst der vorliegenden Arbeit ist nicht zuletzt die Publikation neuen Fundmaterials auf Grundlage eigener Feldforschungen des Vf. (…) Dies alles macht die Arbeit für zukünftige Forschungen in dieser Richtung unverzichtbar (…) insgesamt großen Wert für weitere Untersuchungen zum ,nestorianischen‘ Christentum auf dem Gebiet des heutigen China.' SOEREN STARK, Berlin, Orientalistische Literaturzeitung 104 (2009) 'The major strength of the work derives from the author’s obvious commitment to documenting and preserving these archaeological materials which are rapidly disappearing, due to grave looters, local farmers in need of building materials and inefficient or corrupt officials. It is nothing short of a labour of love.(...) In short, the volume is a must have for anyone concerned with either Syriac funerary material or the history of Christianity in Central Asia.' MARK DICKENS, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, JRAS, Series 3, 20, 2 (2010) 'So, in many ways this book offers an important addition both to the history of the Mongols and to the history of the e Far East. Halbertsma offers a good introduction to the subject and brings together and discusses an important body of material.' LAURAN TOORIANS, ECA 6 (2009) 'The great value of this book lies in its documentation of previously unknown and rarely seen examples of Christian funerary remains from Inner Mongolia, some of which unfortunately have now disappeared. It is to be hoped that further investigations by both Chinese and foreign archaeologists can be done as soon as possible before the medieval Christian heritage of Inner Mongolia is lost forever. The photographs in this book may be all that we have in the future if the current rate of looting and destruction continues. For anyone interested in the history of Christianity in Central Asia and China this book is essential and will long remain an important reference source.' KEN PARRY, Journal of Inner Asian Art and Archaeology (4/2009) 'This is a worthy book, which provides the most comprehensive record to date of the early Christian remains found in Inner Mongolia. (...) The most visible and notable scholarship so far has come from philologists who attempt to decipher gravestone inscriptions, which are written in various languages and scripts. In order to contextualize these inscriptions, Halbertsma has exhausted vast materials, such as textual sources in Chinese and Western languages, missionary records, archaeological fieldwork, and ethnographical reports. In addition, he discusses a great deal of important secondary sources that help us envision the shape of contemporary scholarship across the boundaries of many disciplines, such as archaeology, history, philology, and religious studies.' Huaiyu Chen, Arizona State University, Frontiers of History in China, (2012) 7/1 'Cet ouvrage est en eff et le handbook, le compendium de référence sur la société des Önggüt nestoriens qu’on attendait depuis longtemps. L’auteur y a rassemblé une bonne introduction historique, un excellent exposé des recherches sur les Önggüt, d’abondantes descriptions archéologiques, complétées par ses propres recherches de terrain et illustrées de cartes utiles et de très nombreuses photographies. Reconstituer l’histoire des recherches, repérer les sites et décrire la situation actuelle constituaient autant de défi s que T. Halbertsma a relevés avec efficacité et au prix de nombreuses années de travail. En même temps qu’il constitue un ouvrage de référence, son livre, d’une lecture aisée et agréable, contribuera certainement à mieux faire connaître les Önggüt nestoriens: une société originale, porteuse d’un héritage culturel extrêmement divers, et qui marqua profondément les relations entre l’Occident et l’Extrême-Orient au Moyen ge.' Pierre Marsone, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, T'oung Pao 97 (2011) 'All in all the book is inspiring, for Halbertsma has documented thoroughly valuable material that was disappearing as he wrote. His record of it will make possible the still necessary deeper study which he hopes may follow.' Daniel C. Waugh, Professor Emeritus of History (University of Washington), The Silk Road Vol.10 (2012)

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Book SynopsisIn Between Feminism and Orthodox Judaism, Yael Israel-Cohen offers an analysis of the activism and identity of women considered at the forefront of the feminist challenge to Orthodoxy. Through a look at women’s battle over synagogue ritual and the ordination of women rabbis, an intricate and complex picture of identity, resistance, and religious change is revealed. Some of the central questions that Yael Israel-Cohen explores are: How do modern Orthodox women strategize to implement feminist changes? How do they deal with what at least on the surface seem to be conflicting allegiances? How do they perceive their role as agents of change and what are the ramifications of their activism for how we understand the boundaries of Orthodoxy more generally? "Between Feminism and Orthodox Judaism represents an interpretive study at its finest. It is well-written, theoretically sophisticated, and grounded within the literature. I highly recommend this book for scholars and nonscholars alike who are interested in studies of women’s resistance in conservative settings." Faezeh Bahreini, University of South Florida, TampaTable of ContentsPart I: Religion, Modernity, and Women Chapter 1: Religious Change and Women's Agency in Conservative Religions Chapter 2: Orthodox Judaism and Women's Standing Chapter 3: Methodology Part II: Exclusion and Resistance Chapter 4: The Battle over Women's Standing in Synagogue Ritual Chapter 5: Orthodox Women Rabbis? "It's only a matter of time" Part III: Behind the Label: "I am an Orthodox Feminist" Chapter 6: The Cultural Contextualization of Orthodox Feminist Identity Chapter 7: Orthodox Feminists talk about Feminism in a Wider Perspective Part IV: Orthodox Feminism beyond a Gendered Discourse Chapter 8: The Trend towards an Increasingly Hybrid and Pluralistic Orthodoxy Chapter 9: The Present and the Future of Orthodox Feminism Appendix: Interview Questions

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Book SynopsisRussian Orthodoxy and Secularism surveys the ways in which the Russian Orthodox Church has negotiated its relationship with the secular state, with other religions, and with Western modernity from its beginnings until the present. It applies multiple theoretical perspectives and draws on different disciplinary approaches to explain the varied and at times contradictory facets of Russian Orthodoxy as a state church or as a critic of the state, as a lived religion or as a civil religion controlled by the state, as a source of dissidence during Communism or as a reservoir of anti-Western, anti-modernist ideas that celebrate the uniqueness and superiority of the Russian nation. Kristina Stoeckl argues that, three decades after the fall of Communism, the period of post-Soviet transition is over for Russian Orthodoxy and that the Moscow Patriarchate has settled on its role as national church and provider of a new civil religion of traditional values.

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Book SynopsisThis volume sheds light on the historical background and political circumstances that encouraged the dialogue between Eastern-European Christians and Arabic-speaking Christians of the Middle East in Ottoman times, as well as the means employed in pursuing this dialogue for several centuries. The ties that connected Eastern European Christianity with Arabic-speaking Christians in the 16th-19th centuries are the focus of this book. Contributors address the Arabic-speaking hierarchs’ and scholars’ connections with patriarchs and rulers of Constantinople, the Romanian Principalities, Kyiv, and the Tsardom of Moscow, the circulation of literature, models, iconography, and knowhow between the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and research dedicated to them by Eastern European scholars. Contributors are Stefano Di Pietrantonio, Ioana Feodorov, Serge Frantsouzoff, Bernard Heyberger, Elena Korovtchenko, Sofia Melikyan, Charbel Nassif, Constantin A. Panchenko, Yulia Petrova, Vera Tchentsova, Mihai Ţipău and Carsten Walbiner.

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Book SynopsisBūluṣ ibn Rajāʾ (ca. 955–ca. 1020) was a celebrated writer of Coptic Christianity from Fatimid Egypt. Born to an influential Muslim family in Cairo, Ibn Rajāʾ later converted to Christianity and composed The Truthful Exposer (Kitāb al-Wāḍiḥ bi-l-Ḥaqq) outlining his skepticism regarding Islam. His ideas circulated across the Middle East and the Mediterranean in the medieval period, shaping the Christian understanding of the Qurʾan’s origins, Muḥammad’s life, the practice of Islamic law, and Muslim political history. This book includes a study of Ibn Rajāʾ’s life, along with an Arabic edition and English translation of The Truthful Exposer.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Figures Abbreviations Note on Translation and Transliteration Part 1 Study 1 The Life of Būluṣ ibn Rajāʾ  1 Introduction  2 Ibn Rajāʾ and the Fatimid Era  3 The Biography of Būluṣ ibn Rajāʾ 2 The Context for Ibn Rajāʾ’s The Truthful Exposer  1 Title, Date, and Audience: Copts and Muslims ca. 1009–1012  2 Ibn Rajāʾ’s Intellectual Circles  3 Ibn Rajāʾ on Muslim Conversion to Christianity 3 The Arguments and Sources of The Truthful Exposer  1 Ibn Rajāʾ on the Qurʾan  2 Ibn Rajāʾ on Muḥammad  3 Ibn Rajāʾ on the Hadith  4 Ibn Rajāʾ’s Use of Intra-Islamic Disputations  5 Ibn Rajāʾ’s Use of Christian Arabic Sources 4 The Reception of The Truthful Exposer  1 Literary Afterlife from the Mediterranean to Europe  2 A Comparative Analysis of the Arabic and Latin Versions  3 The Arabic Manuscripts and Notes Part 2 The Truthful Exposer (Kitāb al-Wāḍiḥ bi-l-Ḥaqq) Introduction: Būluṣ ibn Rajāʾ’s Conversion and Purpose for Writing 1 On Divisions among Muslims: A Lack of Consensus about the Qurʾan and Interpretation 2 A Refutation of the Alleged Alteration of the Torah and the Gospel 3 On Muḥammad as a Prophet of the Sword; Anecdotes of Christians Living under Islam 4 On Those Who Converted to Islam in Fear of the Sword 5 On Musaylima the False Prophet and al-ʿAnsī 6 On Muḥammad’s Claim of How the Revelation Came to Him 7 On the Meaning of the Qurʾan: Different Texts and Readings (qirāʾāt) of the Qurʾan 8 On What Muslims Have Lost from the Qurʾan 9 On Their Agreement about Marwān Ibn al-Ḥakam’s Version 10 On the Authority of Interpreting the Qurʾan 11 On Inconsistencies and Repetitions in the Qurʾan 12 On the Subject of Mary the Copt 13 On Sexual Themes in the Qurʾan 14 On the Zayd Scandal 15 On the Repetition of Passages in the Qurʾan Taken from the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel 16 On the Inimitability of the Qurʾan 17 On the Audience for the Qurʾan and the Bible as a Source 18 On Contradictions in the Qurʾan 19 A Refutation of Muḥammad’s Alleged Favor over Other Prophets 20 A Refutation of Muḥammad’s Never Disbelieving or Worshipping Idols 21 A Refutation of Equating Jesus with Adam (Q 3:59) 22 A Response on the Anthropomorphizing of God in Christianity and the Qurʾan 23 A Response on the Union of Jesus Christ at the Incarnation 24 A Response on the Crucifixion of Christ (Q 4:157) 25 On the Destruction of the Kaʿba 26 On the Black Stone 27 On the Pilgrimage to Mecca 28 On the Sacrifice of Cattle and Camels 29 On Contradictions in the Qurʾan and Oral Traditions 30 On Marriage and Divorce in the Qurʾan; On Muḥammad’s Night Journey 31 Conclusion: Closing Exhortation 32 Appendix: Additional Contradictions in the Qurʾan Bibliography Index of The Truthful Exposer Index of Biblical and Qurʾanic Citations Index of People, Places, and Subjects

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Book SynopsisIn the second volume of her Essays in Ecumenical Theology, Ivana Noble engages in conversation with Orthodox theologians and spiritual writers on diverse questions, such as how to discover the human heart, what illumination by the divine light means, how spiritual life is connected to attitudes and acts of social solidarity, why sacrificial thinking may not be the best frame for expressing Christ’s redemption, why theological anthropology needs to have a strong ecological dimension, why freedom needs to coexist with love for others, and why institutions find the ability to be helpful not only in their own traditions but also in the Spirit that blows where it wills.Trade Review"In gesamten Buch bietet N. ein >>Bild gelebter Orthodoxie<<. Der wahre Wert dieses Buches, abgesehen davon, dass es nicht-orthodoxen Lesern einen Einblick in die Schatzkammer des Ostens gewährt, besteht darin, dass es eine Aussenperspektive von jemandem bietet, der sich während seiner gesamten akademischen Karriere mit Orthodoxie befasst hat. Dat beduetet sowohl Nautralität als auch Objectivität, gepaart mit Sachkenntnis. Meine Empfehlung hier basiert aber in erster Linie auf der wissenschaftlichen Qualität des Buches.", Vladimir Latinovic, Tübingen, in: Theologische Literaturzeitung, Volume 148.4 (2023).Table of ContentsContents Introduction 1 Freedom and Creativity in Spiritual Life  1 Why Freedom and Creativity as a Starting Point?  2 St Symeon the New Theologian  3 St Ignatius of Loyola  4 Conversing with St Symeon and St Ignatius on Freedom and Creativity 2 The Ladder Connecting Heaven and Earth  1 Does Spiritual Ascent Have a Recognisable Structure?  2 Inverted Order of Grace as Revealed in Jacob’s Dream  3 St John Climacus  4 Existentialist Reading of Climacus  5 Petre Ţuţea  6 The Role and the Problem of Structures in Pursuing Spiritual Life 3 The Experience and the Doctrine of Deification  1 Deification as Radical Unity with God  2 St Gregory Palamas  3 Lessons from (Post)Modern Philosophical Mysticism  4 Paradoxical Proximities 4 Integrating Hesychast Insights into Mainstream Western Tradition  1 Modern Revival of Hesychasm  2 Cardinal Tomáš Špidlík  3 Špidlík’s Followers  4 Inculturation of Patristic and Slavic Hesychasm 5 Kenotic Spirituality  1 Different Interpretations of Kenosis  2 Fr Lev Gillet – A Monk of the Eastern Church  3 Kenotic Spirituality in the Present Context 6 The Transformative Power of Holiness  1 The Beatitudes as a Mirror of Holiness  2 Mother Maria (Gysi)  3 Leonardo Boff  4 Integration of the Negative and the Role of Communion 7 Mission  1 Mission as a Theological Theme  2 Georges Florovsky  3 Emmanuel Clapsis  4 The Mission in which the Orthodox Participate 8 Liturgical and Sacramental Vision of Life  1 Liturgy and Sacrament  2 Communion with God according to Alexander Schmemann  3 Sacramentality in Louis-Marie Chauvet  4 Participation in the Transformative Feast 9 People as “Symbolic Animals”  1 Why “Symbolic Animals”?  2 Paul Tillich  3 Paul Ricœur  4 Openness and Roots 10 The Common Home  1 God Making His Home in Creation  2 Fr Dumitru Stăniloae  3 The Eschatological and the Practical Understanding of the Common Home 11 Redemption  1 Problems of Metanarratives  2 Theological Tendencies to Metanarrativity in the Doctrine of Redemption  3 Vladimir Lossky  4 Raymund Schwager  5 From the Economy of the Punishment to the Economy of the Gift? 12 Pan-Orthodoxy and the Vision of Christian Unity  1 Pan-Orthodoxy in the Time of the Rising Ecumenical Movement  2 Towards the Pan-Orthodox Council in Crete  3 Ecumenical Relations in the Conciliar Documents  4 The Aftermath of the Council Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis book solves the long-standing mystery of a Christian monastery near Samarkand, seen and described by two Arab travellers in the tenth century. Despite several attempts made since the 1890s, its precise location had never been established. The first part covers the quest, the find, and the archaeological excavations’ results. Then the author proceeds to search for a mediaeval Christian enclave near modern Tashkent, which appears to have been washed away by a river that changed its course over centuries. Apart from the Christians, the book also touches upon the Manichaeans, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and other Sogdians, their languages, faiths, and material remnants.

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Book SynopsisNo one mentions Syriac, – a dialect of the Aramaic language Jesus spoke –, without referring to Sebastian P. Brock, the Oxford scholar and teacher who has written and taught about everything Syriac, even reorienting the field as The Third Lung of early Christianity (along with Greek and Latin). In 2018, Syriac scholars world-wide gathered in Sigtuna, Sweden, to celebrate with Sebastian his accomplishments and share new directions. Through essays showing what Syriac studies have attained, where they are going, as well as some arenas and connections previously not imagined, flavors of the fruits of laboring in the field are offered. Contributors to this volume are: Susan Ashbrook Harvey, Shraga Bick, Briouria Bitton-Ashkelony, Alberto Camplani, Thomas A. Carlson, Jeff W. Childers, Muriel Debié, Terry Falla, George A. Kiraz, Sergey Minov, Craig E. Morrison, István Perczel, Anton Pritula, Ilaria Ramelli, Christine Shepardson, Stephen J. Shoemaker, Herman G.B. Teule, Kathleen E. McVey.Table of ContentsContributors Introduction: The Third Lung  Robert A. Kitchen Part 1: Going Where We Should Have Gone Ephrem and the Mariological Motif of Conceptio per Aurem  Kathleen E. McVey Seeking the Women of Ancient Syriac Christianity: Strategies of Method and Remembrance  Susan Ashbrook Harvey Teach Your Children Well: Martyrs, Monks, and Mothers in Severus of Antioch  Christine Shepardson The Ladder of Prayer, the Ship of Stirrings, and the Exodus from Egypt  Brouria Bitton-Ashkelony Stuck between Voice and Silence: Ephrem and the Rabbis on Prayer  Shraga Bick Part 2: Digging Deeper The Church’s “Third Lung”: Ancient Voices from the Syriac Orient That Speak to Today’s Western Society  Craig E. Morrison Peshitta Parables as Oral Performance  Terry C. Falla Severus of Antioch on Ancient Church Customs: The Significance of Cyprian’s Letters as Quoted by Severus and Oriental Canonical Collections  Alberto Camplani Theodicy in the Letter of Mara Bar Serapion: Connections with Philosophical (Stoic) Accounts of Divine Retribution  Ilaria L.E. Ramelli A Monk and a Fish by the River of Babylon: An Unpublished Edifying Tale  Sergey Minov Notes on Syriac Learning in South India in the Middle Ages and Early Modernity  István Perczel with a contribution by Radu Mustață Part 3: Going Where We Have Not Been Bringing the Syriac Climacus to the Twenty-First Century  Jeff W. Childers Towards a Syriac Semantic Web from the Perspective of 2020  George A. Kiraz Dialogue Elements in Late Syriac Poetry: The Ways of Transformation  Anton Pritula Syriac Apocalypticism and the Rise of Islam  Stephen J. Shoemaker Christianity in Iraq and the Issue of Chaldean Identity  Herman G.B. Teule Who Says? A Social History of Syriac Use in the Medieval Islamic Period  Thomas A. Carlson Sergius Baḥīrā and a Syriac “Story of Muḥammad”  Muriel Debié Index of Places Index of Authors and Texts Index of Bible Passages General Index

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Book SynopsisModern Orthodox identity is deeply interwoven with the notion of deification or union with God. For some theologians, deification represents the lens through which most, if not all, theological questions should be engaged. In this volume, Petre Maican undertakes the task of critically examining the extent to which deification informs the main debates inside Orthodox theology, focusing on four essential loci: anthropology, the Trinity, epistemology, and ecclesiology. Maican argues that while deification remains central to anthropology and the Orthodox understanding of the Trinity, it seems less relevant in the areas of ecclesiology and complexifies the Orthodox approach to Scripture and Tradition.Table of ContentsAbstract Keywords  1 Introduction  2 Deification as the Pillar of Modern Orthodox Identity  3 Anthropology  4 Tradition and Experience  5 Trinity  6 Ecclesiology  7 Conclusion Selected Bibliography

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Book SynopsisFew churches today can trace their lineage as far back as the Copts. Their ancient traditions and rituals go back as far as the very beginnings of Christianity. For centuries, they have withstood many trials and martyrdoms. But in the twentieth century, many Copts left their homeland and scattered all over the Earth, seeking prosperity and security. Many went to the West, but many others went to the heart of the Islamic world: the Arabian Gulf. They took their faith with them into this new and challenging environment. In this context, hybrid forms of spirituality emerged, anchored in the ancient practices but sharpened by contact with globalisation. This migrant spirituality characterises their stories and touches the heart of what it means to be a Christian sojourner today.Table of ContentsList of Figures Glossary of Arabic and Coptic Terms Introduction  1 Martyrs, Monks, and Migrants 1 Studying the Copts  1 General History and Contemporary Background  2 Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Developments  3 Revival Leaders and Luminaries  4 Historical Conclusions  5 Studying the Copts  6 Coptic Theological Sources  7 Conclusion 2 The Tools of Practical Theology  1 Pneumatic Kenosis: a Practical Theological Account of Spirit Experience  2 Theory Construction: Bridging the Sociological and Theological  3 Conclusion 3 Lifeworld  1 The Copts in Kuwait  2 Diasporic Copts in a Stratified Society  3 Maintaining Stratification: the Kafala System  4 The ‘Islamic’ Context: Neo-Dhimmitude  5 Other Material and Time Constituents of the Lifeworld  6 Sunday School and Religious Art  7 Conclusion 4 The Case Study and the Pneumatic Pieties  1 Case Study Design: Process and Demographics  2 A Shared Psychology of Spirituality: ASA s and Flow  3 The Pneumatic Pieties: the Eucharistic Liturgy, Prayer, Fasting, Experiences of the Charismata, and the Quest for Baraka  4 Conclusion 5 The Kuwait-Coptic Eucharistic Liturgy as an Interaction Ritual  1 Conclusion 6 Prayer and the Diamond Model of Theosis: towards a Practical Theological Theory  1 Setting the Stage: Hybrid Spiritualities in Tension  2 The Diamond Model of Theosis (DMT)  3 Participative Prayer Unto Theosis  4 Conclusion 7 Pneumatic Piety on a Mission: a Comparative Conversation with Pentecostalism  1 A Comparative Account  2 Challenges to Pentecostal-Coptic Dialogue  3 Progress and Parallels 8 Conclusion  1 Modernity and Neo-Dhimmitude: Continuing Challenges to St Mark’s  2 Possibilities for Future Research  3 Personal Reflections Bibliography Index List of Figures Glossary of Arabic and Coptic Terms Introduction  1 Martyrs, Monks, and Migrants 1 Studying the Copts  1 General History and Contemporary Background  2 Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Developments  3 Revival Leaders and Luminaries  4 Historical Conclusions  5 Studying the Copts  6 Coptic Theological Sources  7 Conclusion 2 The Tools of Practical Theology  1 Pneumatic Kenosis: a Practical Theological Account of Spirit Experience  2 Theory Construction: Bridging the Sociological and Theological  3 Conclusion 3 Lifeworld  1 The Copts in Kuwait  2 Diasporic Copts in a Stratified Society  3 Maintaining Stratification: the Kafala System  4 The ‘Islamic’ Context: Neo-Dhimmitude  5 Other Material and Time Constituents of the Lifeworld  6 Sunday School and Religious Art  7 Conclusion 4 The Case Study and the Pneumatic Pieties  1 Case Study Design: Process and Demographics  2 A Shared Psychology of Spirituality: ASA s and Flow  3 The Pneumatic Pieties: the Eucharistic Liturgy, Prayer, Fasting, Experiences of the Charismata, and the Quest for Baraka  4 Conclusion 5 The Kuwait-Coptic Eucharistic Liturgy as an Interaction Ritual  1 Conclusion 6 Prayer and the Diamond Model of Theosis: towards a Practical Theological Theory  1 Setting the Stage: Hybrid Spiritualities in Tension  2 The Diamond Model of Theosis (DMT)  3 Participative Prayer Unto Theosis  4 Conclusion 7 Pneumatic Piety on a Mission: a Comparative Conversation with Pentecostalism  1 A Comparative Account  2 Challenges to Pentecostal-Coptic Dialogue  3 Progress and Parallels 8 Conclusion  1 Modernity and Neo-Dhimmitude: Continuing Challenges to St Mark’s  2 Possibilities for Future Research  3 Personal Reflections Bibliography Index

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