Severos, patriarch of Antioch, was one of the most important ecclesiastical figures of the first half of the sixth century, a time when the reception, or not, of the Council of Chalcedon (451) was still a matter of much dispute. As an opponent of the Council, Severos had to flee from his patriarchal see to Egypt in 518 when Justin came to the throne and imperial policy changed. Summoned by Justinian to Constantinople in 536, he won over Anthimos, the patriarch of Constantinople, but in the reaction to this unexpected turn of events, both he and Anthimos were anathematised at a synod in the capital and his writings were condemned to be burnt. Regarded as a schismatic by the Greek and Latin Church, he is commemorated as a saint in the Syrian Orthodox Church, and so it is only in Syriac translations from Greek that the majority of his voluminous writings are preserved. The first of the two biographies translated in this volume was written by Zacharias, a fellow law student in Beirut. The purpose of the work was to counter a hostile pamphlet and it happens to shed fascinating light on student life at the time; composed during Severos' own lifetime, it covers up to his election as patriarch in 512; the second biography comprises Severos' whole life, and its author, writing only shortly after Severos' death in 538, was probably a monk of the monastery of Qenneshre, on the Euphrates, a stronghold of Severos' supporters. In this volume for the Translated Texts for Historians series, the Anonymous Life of Severos is translated for the first time into English alongside a fully annotated translation of the Life of Severos by Zacharias scholastikos, all of which is preceded by an introduction providing the historical setting and background.

Many Asians are drowning in shame and addictions with no way out. Is this any different from a traditional Westerner? I would say very much so. Shame is embedded in the Asian way of thinking, behaving, and interacting. If you do not understand the cultural history of shame and its underpinnings, then you will have a hard time understanding the mindset of typical Asians, let alone the stranglehold of shame in their midst. This book is written especially for Asian Christians as God's unconditional love is hard for many Asians to understand because of the shame that binds them. This book is to help you get to the heart of Asian Shame and some of the associated behaviors and addictions that result from a culture that inhibits healthy emotional expression. If you want healthy Christianity among Asians, you need to understand how to recognize and break this cultural cycle of shame that has shackled millions of Asians to fall prey to the vices of gambling, infidelity, sex, out-of-control spending, over-eating, and other addictive behaviors.

The Copts of Egypt, who consist of 10-15 per cent of the population, have traditionally been viewed as a 'beleaguered and persecuted minority'. Using newly discovered Coptic archival sources Vivian Ibrahim presents a fresh and vivid alternative reading of the community during the twentieth century. Avoiding the established portrayal of a monolithic entity headed by the Coptic Pope, Ibrahim examines the multifaceted dimensions of the Coptic community, assessing Coptic-State relations on one hand and Coptic intra-communal dimensions on the other. Examining the impact of the British Occupation of Egypt on the making of new national identities, she explores the emergence of a new politically active Coptic class; highlighting popular Coptic grassroots mobilisation during the 1919 revolution through the case-study of the Coptic priest Qommus Sergius. She discusses the centrality of the Copt and Wafdist, Makram Ebeid, on constitutional politics, and his role as a whistleblower during the 'Black Book Affair'. Breaking with the portrayal of a defenceless community, Ibrahim also reveals a strong Coptic response to the emergence and threats of Political Islam through the press. She presents and analyses for the first time, the unique satirical 'Ode to the Fezzed Shaykh', aimed at Muslim Brotherhood leader Hassan al-Banna. In 'The Copts of Egypt', Ibrahim also reveals fierce factionalism within the Coptic community in its struggle for modernisation. Examining mass corruption in monasteries and in the run-up to papal election campaigns, she analyses the ways in which the Church used the Egyptian State to bolster its claim to political as well as religious representation over the community. Through the establishment of benevolent and philanthropic societies, Ibrahim argues that Coptic youths were amongst the first to negotiate a role for themselves in post-revolutionary Egypt. Adopting President Nasser's revolutionary rhetoric of tathir, or cleansing, Ibrahim examines how a group of Coptic youths abducted their Pope and forced through their own agenda of religious and political reform. This book will be essential reading for scholars of the Coptic community and Middle East Studies.

On the first anniversary of the departure of H.H. Pope Shenouda III, we would like to present to you a collection of books written by His Holiness which contains His contemplations on Holy Week. This book is made up of five different booklets that His Holiness published in different years. This book takes you through the events of this great and holy week and helps the reader to participate in every step of Christ's passions. This book first appeared in the late sixties in the Arabic language and has since been reprinted many times. It consists of five booklets that have been combined into one book. Perhaps contemplations on the Holy Week of Pascha needs many more books as it is the holiest week in the year, filled with great spiritual memories which are impossible to gather in one book. Contemplations on the Holy Week of Pascha are suitable at any time of the year, as the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of our Christian faith. We remember the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ every day in the sixth hour prayer of the Agpya. Therefore, we present these contemplations in your hands and also pray deep in your hearts.

This is a book for those struggling to establish an effective life of prayer. Written neither for seasoned monastic nor lofty scholar, "A Beginner's Guide to Prayer" speaks to the average man or woman on the street who desires a deeper relationship with God but is unsure how or where to begin. Drawing from nearly 2000 years of Orthodox spiritual wisdom, the author offers warm, practical, pastoral advice whose genius is to be found in its homespun simplicity and straightforwardness of style. If you've been desiring to make prayer a meaningful and regular part of your life, this book will help set you on your way. But be careful Prayer can be habit forming In fact, the advice offered in this book may just change the course of the rest of your life. So, in the words of the author, "What are you waiting for? Start to pray "

The services of Holy Week of the Orthodox Church in Greek and English. Contains: Holy Sunday evening (Nymphios), Holy Monday evening, Holy Tuesday evening, Holy Wednesday morning (Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts) and evening, Holy Wednesday afternoon (Holy Oil), Holy Wednesday evening (Orthros of Holy Thursday), Holy Thursday morning (Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great) and evening (The Passion), Holy Friday morning (Great Hours), Holy Friday afternoon (Unnailing), Holy Friday evening (Lamentations w/ Greek phonetics), Holy Saturday morning (Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great), Holy Saturday evening (The Vigil of Pascha) and Holy Saturday afternoon (Vespers of Love). The texts of the services are uncut, and include the priestly prayers missing from other texts currently available. Translation by Arch. Ephrem Lash. English text metered and set to traditional Byzantine melodies by David Melling. Paschal Canon adapted to traditional melodies by EIKONA. Second hardcover Printing, March 2014.

The four volumes of the Christian Living Series are the fruit of a catechism class that the late bishop Youanis used to teach to university students who came to Cairo from other states to study. The Chapters of these volumes have been a hand book for many Christians who are pursuing their spiritual path and a source of direction to many over the last fifty years, now we present it to you in the English language. This volume explains some of the Christian concepts that are often misunderstood. Chapters include: Humility, Pride, Dignity, the Narrow gate, and the Life of submission.

Being interested in both Orthodox spirituality and post-Roman history, I cast about for a volume presenting all that is known to us about one of the most famous and influential figures of the 5th century, Saint Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre: and finding none, have dared distill into one booklet the works of those scholars who have cast light upon one aspect or other of St Germanus life and works.

The Orthodox Liturgy is not just an act of worship, but a potentially life-changing journey.Fr. Papavassiliou takes you through this journey with clarity and passion, exploring the Liturgy as a reflection of heavenly worship, and an invitation to enter the Kingdom of God. The hymns, prayers, creed and actions of the Liturgy are explained, covering subjects such as Communion, Trinity, baptism, sainthood, Resurrection, and much more. The book includes a map to guide you on your journey and 20 illustrations.

The four volumes of the Christian Living Series are the fruit of a catechism class that the late bishop Youanis used to teach to university students who came to Cairo from other states to study. The Chapters of these volumes have been a hand book for many Christians who are pursuing their spiritual path and a source of direction to many over the last fifty years, now we present it to you in the English language. This volume starts from the beginning of our spiritual journey, the life of Repentance; it also deals with two of the church sacraments, Confession and Communion, Their meaning, practical applications, fruits, and other related questions are discussed in this volume.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

The Everlasting Man is a two-part history of mankind, Christ, and Christianity, by G. K. Chesterton. It is Chesterton's deliberate rebuttal of H. G. Wells' Outline of History, which embraced the evolutionary origins of humanity and denied the divinity of Jesus. In Orthodoxy Chesterton detailed his own spiritual journey, in The Everlasting Man he illustrates the spiritual journey of humanity.Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an English prolific and diverse writer whose subjects include philosophy, ontology, poetry, playwriting, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including detective fiction. Chesterton is well known for his reasoned apologetics, as a political thinker and orthodox Christian.

Christ is Risen is a soul nourishing Christian picture book about the Passion and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Glowing iconographic illustrations and selected Holy Scriptures, with the voice of Jesus in red letters, tell the story of the Holy Week, the last week of the life of Jesus Christ on earth, for children and adults.

The funeral prayer is prayed on the monk during his ordination so as to raise him from the earthly life to a heavenly life. For this reason many people left the world and their family and lived in the deserts and caves longing for this life, the life of Christian perfection.Today many books are published about the lives of these monks which drew many youth To the monastic life, yet one question is repeatedly asked "what are the signs of the Monastic calling?"In this book there are many spiritual experiences of a monk who tasted the sweetness of this life in the wilderness of scetis and we hope that through this book you will find the answer to this question.

In an age searching for earthly solutions to spiritual problems, the ancient ministry of the God-bearing elder is a divine gift to contemporary man. Termed the "golden chain" by St. Symeon the New Theologian, this life-giving ministry of the Church is a precious inheritance passed down from Christ, through the Apostles, from one generation to the next, to our own day. The lives and counsels contained in this volume attest to the continued vitality of this ancient ministry and to the importance of its preservation for the life of the Church today. This volume includes a Foreword by Georgios Mantzaridis, Professor Emeritus of the University of Thessalonica, extensive commentary providing the context for the lives and counsels therein, detailed maps, and a glossary of theological terms, making it an invaluable source of spiritual orientation and enlightenment for every seeker of Christian Orthodoxy.