And God Created Lenin: Marxism vs Religion In Russia, 1917-1929

"When the Bolsheviks took power in Russia in November 1917, they used a wide range of techniques—some subtle, some violent—to eradicate religion in areas under their control. The new Soviet government arrested priests, closed church buildings, exposed fraudulent monastic relics, forbade the printing of religious literature, and denied religious education to the young—all the while proclaiming abroad that there was no religious persecution in Russia. They set out to crush not only all organized religion but even the likelihood of religious thought. And God Created Lenin examines in depth the conflict between Lenin’s logic-driven efforts to stamp out religion and the churches’ passionate attempts to save themselves from obliteration. It looks at both sides objectively and admits that they both presented strong cases. In this thoroughly researched yet accessible study, historian Paul Gabel offers a new understanding of the only effort in world history to upset the universality of religion. Besides the main conflict between the Russian Orthodox Church and the atheist state, Gabel also considers the tensions that this campaign against religion caused within the Communist Party. In addition, he discusses the bitter hatred dividing the Orthodox factions that refused cooperation with the government from those that tried to adapt the church to communism. Was the failure of Soviet communism to eradicate religion simply a matter of practical miscalculation, or was this effort, in light of the persistence of religion throughout history, ultimately unrealistic and doomed from the start? This is the key question that Gabel’s fascinating, insightful narrative attempts to answer. "

See Prometheus Books

The Teachings of Modern Orthodox Christianity on Law, Politics, and Human Nature

"Edited by John Witte Jr. and Frank S. Alexander, the Teachings of Modern Orthodox Christianity on Law, Politics, and Human Nature examines how modern Orthodox Christian thinkers have answered the most pressing political, legal, and ethical questions of our time. It discusses the enduring teachings of important Orthodox Christian intellectuals of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Leading contemporary scholars analyze these thinkers' views on the nature and purpose of law and authority, the limits of rule and obedience, the care of the needy and innocent, the ethics of war and violence, and the separation of church and state, among other themes. A diverse and powerful portrait of Orthodox Christian legal and political thought, this volume underscores the various ways Orthodox Christian intellectuals have shaped modern debates over the family, the state, religion, and society. The book concentrates on Russian philosophers Vladimir Soloviev (1853-1900) and Vladimir Lossky (1903-1958); Russian theologian Nicholas Berdyaev (1874-1948); Russian nun and social reformer Mother Maria Skobtsova (1891-1945); and Romanian theologian Dumitru Staniloae (1903-1993)."

See Columbia University Press

Translation and Survival: The Greek Bible and the Ancient Jewish Disaspora

"In this translation by Tessa Rajak, the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek was the first major translation in Western culture. Its significance was far-reaching but largely forgotten. Without a Greek Bible, European history would have been entirely different - no Western Jewish diaspora and no Christianity. Translation and Survival is a radical new study of the ancient creators and receivers of the translations and of their impact. The Greek Bible sustained Jews who spoke Greek and made the survival of the first Jewish diaspora possible: indeed, the translators invented the term 'diaspora'. The translations were a tool for the preservation of group identity and for the expression of resistance. They devised a new kind of language: many of the words they coined are still with us. The Greek Bible translations ended up as the Christian Septuagint, taken over along with the entire heritage of Hellenistic Judaism when the Church parted from the Synagogue. Here, a brilliant creation is restored to its first owners, and to its historical context among Jews, Greeks and Christians." See Oxford University Press

Indispensable Reference Work! The SBL Handbook of Style: For Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Early Christian Studies

The SBL Handbook of Style: For Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Early Christian Studies - Patrick H. Alexander, editor.

"The SBL Handbook of Style is an astonishing book, a true 'one-stop' reference for authors preparing manuscripts in biblical studies and related fields. It covers an amazing range of topics, from what every literate scholar should know (but may not) to what only the most erudite expert in an obscure sub-field of the discipline would be likely to know. Do you need to know how to cite an internet publication? Whose job it is to prepare the index and secure permissions? How to alphabetize Abraham ibn Ezra (and why)? What the abbreviation AAeg stands for? It's all here. This volume should substantially reduce the incidence of tears and tantrums that so often beset the process of manuscript preparation. Before long biblical scholars will wonder how we ever got along without this indispensable reference work. Every graduate program should make The SBL Handbook of Style a required text."-Carol A. Newsom, Professor of Old Testament, Emory University."

" . . . A major service for the community of biblical scholars. This comprehensive but handy stylesheet, building on the base of the SBL guidelines, incorporates all that most authors and editors currently need to know about the technical dimensions of publishing activity, from commas and hyphens to abbreviations, from transliterations to forms of annotation. All that's left to authors is to come up with good ideas. All editors have to do is to learn what is here."-Harold W. Attridge, Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School"

See Hendrickson Publishers

His Kingdom Come: Orthodox Pastorship and Social Activism in Revolutionary Russia

"The author, Jennifer Hedda, analyzes the ideas and activities of the parish clergy serving in St. Petersburg, the capital of imperial Russia, in order to discover how the Russian Orthodox Church responded theologically and pastorally to the profound social, economic, and cultural changes that transformed Russia during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The challenges of modernity forced the Orthodox clergy, like other members of educated society, to re-examine their interpretation of the Church s earthly mission and their own role in fulfilling it. During the mid-19th century, Orthodox theologians began to argue that the church had a responsibility to society as well as to individuals, and to assert that its mission was to lead believers in building a society that manifested the gospel principles of love, mercy, charity, and justice.The idea of creating the kingdom of God on earth inspired many clergymen, who dramatically increased their social outreach work in the last two decades of the 19th century: preaching during church services, teaching outside their churches, organizing charities, establishing temperance societies, and engaging in a host of other activities that involved them in the daily lives of their parishioners. The clergy s work culminated in 1905, when a workers organization established by an Orthodox priest became a mass political movement whose activities sparked a revolution.His Kingdom Come challenges many common assumptions about the Orthodox Church as a weak and passive institution that did not respond to the demands of the modern world demonstrating that it played an active and creative role in late imperial society, albeit on its own terms rather than those of its secular critics. This book will be of particular interest to those who study the politics and society of Russia in the imperial period, the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the modern era, the relationship of religious institutions to society and culture, and the history of religious-social thought in other post-Enlightenment societies. "

See Northern Illinois University Press

Augustine and Russian Orthodoxy

"An atmosphere of distrust exists between Orthodox Christians of the East and Christians of the West, underscoring the need for dialogue that promotes a better understanding and appreciation of each other's tradition, experience, and theology. Myroslaw Tataryn contributes to this effort with "Augustine and Russian Orthodoxy", in which he presents Orthodox perceptions of the theology of St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430), one of the most significant figures in Western Christianity. Specifically, he analyzes the views of Russian Orthodox theologians working in Paris after the Bolshevik Revolution. This period was significant as it marked the violent end of the 19th century Russian religious renaissance, and the work of these Russian emigres in the years following WWI represents a landmark of Orthodox thinking in an atmosphere of true freedom. Understanding Augustine's reception by these Orthodox thinkers is important as it will help explain the deeper Orthodox mentality and help foster an appreciation of its distinctiveness vis e vis Western Christianity. A vert useful feature of this book is its appendix of Russian Orthodox thinkers/theologians of the 19th and 20th centuries, briefly outlining their life and thought. The Author Myroslaw I. Tataryn is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan."

See International Scholars Publishers

New book from East European Monographs!

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church: A Socio-Historical Analysis of the Evolving Relationship Between Church, Nation, and State in Bulgaria

by James L. Hopkins

After a discussion of the Byzantine and early Ottoman eras, the author examines church-state relationships in the latter Ottoman, Communist, and post-communist periods. March 2009

See Columbia Univeristy Press

Back in Print! Pavel Florensky: A Metaphysics of Love

"This present work examines the life and thought of Father Pavel Florensky (1882-1943), the one individual, who probably best, both in his personality and speculative output, incarnates the spirit of the religious renaissance, which occurred in Russia in the years immediately preceding the Revolution in 1917. His masterwork, The Pillar and Foundation of Truth, proved so influential that it has left an indelible mark on Russian religious thought right up until our own day. This book examines Florensky’s experimental methodology, his antinomic theory of truth, and, above all, his sophiological conception, which subsequently evoked much debate in Orthodox circles. This present work offers a way out of this controversy.


Fr. Robert Slesinski received his doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian Ujiversity in Rome. He served on the faculty of the John XXIII Institute for Eastern Christian Studies, Bronx, New York."



See St. Vladmir's Seminary Press

Antiochian Bishop Threatens OCA Seminaries

8.14.09

Making Good on Warnings, +Philip Pulls Incoming Antiochian Students from OCA’s Seminaries.

Just three weeks before the 2009-2010 term begins, Metropolitan Philip has informed first-year Antiochian students scheduled to begin St. Tikhon’s Seminary in South Canaan PA, and St. Vladimir’s Seminary in Crestwood NY, that they are to not to attend the OCA schools - but move to Boston and enroll at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary instead. The Metropolitan’s decision, conveyed in a letter to each student, affects one new student at St. Vladimir’s (who just moved into a new apartment near the Seminary with his pregnant wife in her ninth month) and two seminarians at St. Tikhon’s. The move follows warnings made by Metropolitan Philip to the administrations of both schools, and to the OCA Administration last spring, that such action would be taken unless OCANews.org editor Mark Stokoe was “disciplined” and his OCANEWS.org website ceased publication.

See OCANEWS.org

From Ukraine to the World

August 7, 2009

by Andei Zolotov of Russia Profile

"Patriarch Kirill has returned to Moscow after a high-profile ten-day visit to Ukraine. And despite inevitable controversy surrounding the trip, his attempt to reach out to Ukraine’s orthodox believers was broadly successful. By constantly preaching reconciliation, avoiding polemics on the schism and making a point of his respect for all states and cultures, Kirill sought to position himself as a strictly spiritual leader. This marks a new approach for the Moscow Patriarchate, and could herald a new era in relations with the Ukrainian church."

See Russia Profile.org

New Publicaton on the Works of the Historian of Liturgical Music and Composer Ivan Gardner

A collection of the works of Ivan Alexeevich Gardner, the historian of Russian liturgical music and composer of the Russian emigration, has been published through the joint efforts of the publishers Zhivonosniy Istochnik [Life-bearing Wellspring] in Moscow and Russkiy Pastyr [Russian Pastor] of San Francisco. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Gardner’s death.

In Russia, the book may be purchased from Zhivonosviy Istochnik (Moscow, Solnechnaya Street 2), and in North America from Russkiy Pastyr, 475 26th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA. Cost: $25 including shipping and handling; checks should be made out to RUSSKIY PASTYR.

For more information see The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Three Scholarly Works on the Orthodox Church from Mellon Press!

The Role of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia Since 1990: Changing Dynamics of Politics and Religion by Greg Simons

"This study examines the arguments and the role of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in Russian society as they appear in the mass media. It provides an overview of some of the main arguments that are currently being discussed. This is important within the current context and debate of the role that is played by Orthodoxy in contemporary Russian society. The importance of which is elevated during times of uncertainty with regards to the role and identity of Russia and Russians in the modern world." (Available August 2009)

A History of the Orthodox Church in China, Korea and Japan by Kevin Baker

This book describes the history and development of the Orthodox Church in China from its origins in 1242 A.D., its Eastern Church forebears, and its development in the other nations of North Asia – Korea and Japan.By 1955, on the eve of its establishment as an independent entity, the Orthodox Church in China reached its greatest numbers. There were more than 100,000 communicants in former Russian territory in Manchuria, with 200 priests and 60 parishes, as well as monasteries and a seminary. Elsewhere, in China, there were another 200,000 Orthodox Christians and 150 parishes. These conservative figures mean that at that time, around 6% of Chinese Christians were adherents of the Orthodox Church.The activities and achievements of the Orthodox Church, especially since the 17th century, have been understated in many historical studies of Christianity in China.It is a similar story in regard to the first impact of Christianity with the cultures of Japan and Korea. Eastern Christianity came to Japan from China between the seventh and ninth centuries. There is also evidence that Eastern Christian missionaries were present in Korea during the sixth century. This book details the nature and evidence of these early activities. " (2006)

The Consecration of a Greek Orthodox Church According to Eastern Orthodox Tradition: A Detailed Account and Explanation of the Ritual by Gus George Christo

"The consecration of the worship space and the people who gather there for worship is a time honored custom. It has its roots in Old Testament scripture and its fruition in the New. The foundation is the Person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and His perfect and complete Resurrection from the dead and enthronement at the right hand of God the Father. God became accessible to the Israelites through the temple ritual. The Temple, especially the Holy of Holies, became the site where God concretely interacted with His people. The people of God found it necessary to dedicate such space through an elaborate ritual which set apart this space for worship and ultimate communion with God. Likewise, the Christians, as Israel fulfilled, consecrate their entire beings to the glory of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They see themselves as liturgical creatures who commune in the very life of the Holy Trinity via the Flesh and Blood of the Son of God. For this to take place, they congregate on hallowed ground, where heaven and earth unite, and they participate in the Mysteries of the everlasting Kingdom, which were inaugurated and consummated by the Son in His risen and glorified Humanity.This study reveals how the intimate link between the prototypical martyrdom of Christ, and its cosmic saving effects, and the death of the holy martyrs mandates that holy relics of martyrs be interred in the altar table, which is the focal point of the local Church. The subsequent baptism and chrismation of the altar table solidify the identification of the heavenly realm upon the hallowed ground. The spiritual wedding of the Christians as brides of Christ the Bridegroom becomes accessible through the Sacraments that emanate from the celestial altar. The local Church is the revelation of the eschaton in time and space. An appendix containing the rite of consecration as celebrated in the Greek Orthodox Church follows the study. Also included is an index listing the citations of consecration, dedicating and anointing in the holy scriptures. " (2005)

For more information see Mellon Press

The Halki Seminary and the Patriarchate’s Existential Crisis

by Allen Yekikan

July 30. 2009

"AFP reported on Thursday that the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul, Bartholomew I, was hopeful Turkey would re-open a historic seminary it shut down nearly four decades ago. The Halki Orthodox Theological Seminary, located on the island of Halki off the coast of Istanbul, was the key Patriarchical institution for educating the Greek Orthodox Community and training its future clergy for more than a century before it was closed down by the Turkish government in 1971... ."

See Azbarez.com