State Archives of Russia and Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville Exchange Documents

MOSCOW: September 17, 2010

The State Archives of Russia and Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville Exchange Documents

On September 17, 2010, as part of the 90th anniversary celebrations of the State Archives of the Russian Federation [GARF—Gosudarstvenniy arkhiv Rossijskoj Federatsii], copies of documents were exchanged between GARF and Holy Trinity Seminary of Jordanville, NY.

Participating in the anniversary ceremonies were eminent political and academic figures, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and their colleagues from the “near abroad.”

For the full article see Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and
for additional information see Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary

iPhone apps, etc.

I would like to make a brief observation about smart phone apps related to Orthodoxy. I am an avid user of my iPhone and enjoy the many educational and informational apps! I also have several related to the history of Christianity and of course the Bible; however, in my search for a good Eastern Orthodox app, I have been disappointed. The Eastern Orthodox Church is definitely behind the technological curve in this regard, compared to the Roman Catholic Church, the many Protestant churches, and non Christian faiths. There are a few Eastern Orthodox apps, but all fall short. There is one excellent app for Eastern Orthodox Christians and those interested in Orthodoxy. It has all the traditional Eastern Orthodox prayers, prayer rules, the Liturgy, commentary on the Jesus Prayer, sayings of the Fathers, and much more. The app also includes a very good section on the history of the Orthodox Church and what Orthodoxy teaches. I suppose the only concern I have, and it is a big concern, is that this app was created by a NON Canonical Orthodox jurisdiction. In fact, the creators of this app are not Eastern Orthodox. It is, and I quote from the PilgramApp web site, sponsored by "The Province of Saint Flannan [which is] an outreach ministry of Fides in Adversis Ministries Inc. (USA non-profit). The eparchy is autonomous (omophor of the Province of Saint Brendan) and ecumenical (see sidebar), and in full communion with Orthodox, Celtic Apostolic, Old Catholic, and free Lutheran communions. We are an English-speaking province, with a provision for Chinese-speaking faithful." I find it ironic that the best Orthodox prayer app and Orthodox reading app currently available, comes from a non-Orthodox group! I had hoped the Greek Orthodox Church would come out with something better than what they currently have, or that the Antiochians or OCA might surely have created an Eastern Orthodoxy app that includes a full prayer book. But so far none have! Until then, I will recommend this app, because as far I can ascertain, it’s good, correct, and resembles to a large degree the Jordanville Prayer book, but be cautious. Remember from where it comes. Your feed back will appreciated.

"In the Orthodox Christian faith the elements of liturgy, scripture, hymnody, and iconography are the instruments or voices of a melody of faith. In The Melody of Faith Vigen Guroian introduces his readers to the fundamental beliefs of Orthodox Christianity using the metaphor of melody. Often drawing on his personal religious experience for illumination, Guroian weaves together the themes of creation and new creation, beginning and end, sin and holiness, Incarnation and deification, sacrifice and salvation. By discussing several iconography traditions and illuminations from ancient gospels, he illustrates how Orthodox Christianity expresses theology in art as well as through language. The Melody of Faith is a book that not only reflects the spirit of Orthodox Christianity but that also takes the reader to the theological heart of the Orthodox faith. Vigen Guroian is professor of religious studies in Orthodox Christianity at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. His many other books include The Fragrance of God, Inheriting Paradise, and Incarnate Love: Essays in Orthodox Ethics."

See Eerdmans