New Book on the Russian Church Diaspora!

"St. Tikhon's Humanitarian Theological University in Moscow has published a new book by Viktor Kosik, 'Russkoe Tserkovnoe Zarubezh'e: XX vek v biografiiakh dukhoventsva ot Ameriki do Iaponii' ('Russian Church Diaspora in Biographies of Its Clergy from America to Japan,' Moscow 2008). The author is a specialist in Balkan studies and he also used to teach the course on the history of Russian church emigration at St. Tikhon's University. In 2000 he published his research on the Russian Church in Yugoslavia in the 1920-1940s. This recent study, a work of more than 400 pages, represents an ample spectrum of clergy belonging to various ecclesiastical jurisdictions. These clergy and monastics were born in Russia and left the country before WWII. We hope that many more biographies will be appended to the second edition of this valuable book. Archpriest Peter Perekrestov from San Francisco and Inokinia Vassa (Larin) from Munich enthusiastically helped the author to gather relevant information. "

For more informaiton see: Historical Studies of the Russian Church Abroad

The Royal Way of the Cross of Our Lord Leading to Eternal Life

From the introduction - “Archbishop John Maximovitch of Chernigov originally published the book The Holy Path of the Lord’s Cross in a part-Slavonic, part-Ukrainian dialect in 1709. The edifying nature of the book led it to be well known throughout Russia and many copies were produced[...]. Archbishop John was a firmly Orthodox and truly spiritual man, as his saintly life-style, his blessed end, and the many blessed signs (produced) by his prayers affirm. Confirmation of his sanctity occurred in 1826, 111 years after his repose, when during repairs of the Tobolsk cathedral where he was buried, the archbishop’s body was discovered uncorrupted and emitting a fragrant odor."

Under the supervision of Elder Saint Ambrose, Optina Monastery continued the publishing efforts started by the Elder Saint Macarius. They produced and reintroduced timeless spiritual works which evoked a nationwide blossoming of sanctity in Russia.

Among the works produced then is the present volume now in the English language. This work was originally presented to Orthodox Russia by Saint John of Tobolsk, ancestor of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, in 1709, which became very well known and beloved throughout Russia. Because of the obscurity of the original language (part-Slavonic, part-Ukranian) many requested a translation into Russian. This was undertaken by Fr. Clement Sederholm, one of Elder Ambrose's closest disciples and author of many of the biographies of the Optina Elders.
By the vehicle of a conversation to define and explore the profound meaning of "bearing one's cross for Christ's sake." An Angel of God speaks to a young woman, Stavrophila. He guides her to an understanding and acceptance of the Christian struggle to bear the sorrows and difficulties of life as a necessary means to purify the whole person—heart, mind, will and body.
Abundant in references from Holy Scripture and Patristic writings, this work presents the culmination of the Christian teaching on "bearing one's cross".

See Monastery Press

Journey Begins Toward Convening of Grand Pan-Orthodox Synod

By NAT da Polis

"The invitation letters have gone out for the two preparatory meetings that will be held in June and December. Ten topics of discussion. The ecumenical patriarchate has been trying to hold a synod of Orthodox Churches since 1901."

For the full report see AsiaNews.IT & ROCOR United

Mental Disorders and Spiritual Healing by Jean-Claude Larchet

"This work, the third panel of a triptych dedicated by the author to the notion of illness derived from the patristic and hagiographic texts of the Christian East from the first to the fourteenth centuries, makes an essential contribution to the history of mental illnesses and their therapies in a domain very little studied until now. After indicating how the Fathers understood the psyche and its relationship with body and spirit, the author gives a detailed analysis of the different causes they attribute to mental illness and the various treatments recommended. At the same time he shows how, relying on fundamental Christian values, they manifest a constant solicitude and respect for the sick, and how they are at pains to integrate them into community life and have them participate in their own healing, foreshadowing in this way the needs and aspirations of our own time. The last part discloses the deep significance of one of the strangest and most fascinating forms of asceticism the Christian East has known: 'Folly for the sake of Christ', a madness feigned with the goal of attaining a high degree of humility, but also a way well-suited, through a close experience of their condition, to help those who are often among, today as in the past, the most destitute."

Table of Contents:

Introduction—Anthropological Background: The Human Composite—Insanity Due to Somatic Problems—Insanity of Demonic Origin—Insanity of Spiritual Origin—A Most Singular Kind of Folly—the Fool for Christ—Conclusion

See: Sophia Perennis Press

Novo-Tikhvin Women's Monastery launches new publishing house!

The Novo-Tikhvin Women's Monastery located in Ekaterinberg, Russia, hopes to publish spiritually enlightening, hagiographic, children’s, theological, and ascetic literature in their new publishing house.

One of their current projects is publishing a series on the Saints of the Ekaterinburg Diocese. They have already published the life of their abbess Magdalina (Dosmanova), and plan to soon publish the works on the lives of St. Righteous Simeon of Verkhotursk and the miracle-worker of Siberia, the elder Vasilisk of Siberia, the nun Evfrosinia (Mezenova), in addition to other ascetics.

Fore more informatin see The Novo - Tikhvin Women's Monastery.

An Orthodox Festival Book in the Habsburg Empire

"This work, is a transcription and translation of Zaharje Orfelin's 1757 festival book, "Festive Greeting to Mojsej Putnik", and is one of the most comprehensive accounts of the festival life of the Orthodox hierarchy in the Habsburg lands. While the Festive Greeting remained just an outline for the spectacle and was never publicly performed in its entirety, it remains a fascinating embodiment of Church politics, an issue too dangerous to be made public in the political arena of the Catholic Empire. In addition to the transcription and translation of the festival book, Jelena Todorovic provides a full account of the background to the Mojsije Putnik's episcopal investiture, beginning with a study of the political and historical context to the foundation and establishment of the Orthodox Archbishopric in the Austrian Habsburg and moving on to an examine the religious politics of the Orthodox Archbishops during this period. With detailed surveys of the book's illustrations, proposed scenography and music, it concludes with an assessment of the place of the Festive Greeting in the history of spectacles in the Archbishopric as well as in the history of the Orthodox Church. The author, Jelena Todorovic, is based at the Department of Scene Design, The University of the Arts, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro."

For more information see Ashgate Publishing.

A Noble Task: Entry into the Clergy in the First Five Centuries

"This recent book from Holy Cross Orthodox Press presents a rich collection of key texts from the Fathers and early councils setting out what was expected in moral and educational terms from aspirants to the clergy in the early Christian centuries. Previously students of the early church have had to search for this material in a variety of different publications. Here they will find it translated and discussed in a comprehensive manner. While the latest historical scholarship has been taken into account, the book’s main focus is on the spiritual rather than the social role of the clergy. It is the author’s deepest wish that those aspiring to the Christian priesthood might find here an accurate and vivid account of the virtuous life which should always be their goal."

For more information see: Holy Cross Bookstore

Noteworthy Tribute to Patriarch Alexy II

While republished in several other BLOGS and news sources, it is worthy to be repeated here. Originally published on February 18, 2009 in Chronicles Magazine.com by Srdja Trifkovic.

See: Patriarch Alexy, R.I.P.