The Martyrs of Mount Ber'ain is the poignant tale of three noble Iranian siblings who are martyred under Shapur II. Composed in the seventh century, it demonstrates enduring concerns of Christian self-definition in Iran, especially with respect to the Zoroastrian priesthood.

The Syriac writers of Qatar themselves produced some of the best and most sophisticated writing to be found in all Syriac literature of the seventh century, but they have not received the scholarly attention that they deserve in the last half century. This volume seeks to redress this underdevelopment by setting the standard for further research in the sub-field of Beth Qatraye studies.

Following his retirement after twenty-five years of medical practice, he proceeded to writing the Sunday bulletins of the cathedral and essays on a variety of topics of interest to his fellow Orthodox parishioners. He was urged by the protopresbyter Steven Zorzos, the current dean of the cathedral, to publish his writings as books. This is the first in which he provides examples of how he has experienced and interpreted his reading of the Holy Scriptures. He provides examples of what is available within them that are frequently overlooked by many readers. Furthermore, the English translations of the Bible are filled with many errors, which can only be clarified by finding the most appropriate English words, among the many available, for translating the true meaning of some Greeks words in the original New Testament and the Septuagint. Many examples of this phenomenon are provided in this volume.

Andrew Louth, one of the most respected authorities on Orthodoxy, introduces us to twenty key thinkers from the last two centuries. He begins with the Philokalia, the influential Orthodox collection published in 1782 which marked so many subsequent writers. The colorful characters, poets and thinkers who populate this book range from Romania, Serbia, Greece, England, France and also include exiles from Communist Russia. Louth offers historical and biographical sketches that help us understand the thought and impact of these men and women. Only some of them belong to the ranks of professional theologians. Many were neither priests nor bishops, but influential laymen. The book concludes with an illuminating chapter on Metropolitan Kallistos and the theological vision of the Philokalia.

Focolare, Community of Sant'Egidio, Neocatechumenal Way, Legionaries of Christ, Communion and Liberation, Opus Dei. These are but a few of the most recognizable names in the broader context of the so-called ecclesial movements. Their history goes back to the period following the First Vatican Council, crosses Vatican II, and develops throughout the twentieth century. It is a history that prepares the movements' rise in the last three decades, from John Paul II to Francis. These movements are a complex phenomenon that shapes the Church now more than before, and they play a key role for the future of Catholicism as a global community, in transition from a Europe-centered tradition to a world Church.

""You shall be perfect, even as your Father Who is in the heavens is perfect."" (Mt 5:48) These words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ represent one of the most daunting of the commandments he has given his followers. But how are we to accomplish such a lofty task, living in a world full of turmoil, distractions, and challenges to our spiritual progress? In simple but powerful language, Discussion at a Monastery addresses questions about the meaning of Orthodox Christian monasticism, and of the spiritual life in general, based on the real-life experiences of a contemporary Greek Orthodox monk and his fellow spiritual laborers. Far from being suited only to monastics, however, this profound little book contains deep spiritual insights that will illumine the souls of all readers. At the same time, it will challenge anyone who is interested in developing a clearer understanding of the nature of the spiritual life-which is fundamentally a life of prayer-to first develop a clearer understanding of his or her own inner nature. "Monk Macarius is a monk of the Holy Cenobitic Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Penteli, Attica, Greece."

This book consists of articles that were presented at the International Conference dedicated to the 80th birth-anniversary and 35th anniversary since the enthronement of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II. The conference was held by the International Centre for Christian Studies at the Orthodox Church of Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 14-15 December, 2012. The conference had three working sections: religion and science; religion and culture; and "God, Motherland and Man". Participants of the conference were scholars from the USA, France, Italy, Rumania, Poland, Czechia, and Lithuania; participants included the most reverend hierarchs, clergymen and representatives of the Georgian government. The work of the conference was summed up by the Round Table which outlined the tasks and methods of further cooperation. The participants of the Second International Conference expressed hope that modern society would fully estimate the dangers caused by the present lack of spirituality and will do all that is possible to restore spirituality in all spheres of public life. All these elements are examined and written about in this book.

The Martyrdom, and the later History, of Simeon bar Sabba'e narrate the death of the bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon who was killed around the year 340 C.E. at the beginning of King Shapur II's "Great Persecution" of Christians in Sasanian Persia.