This book offers the first comprehensive examination and analysis of the receipt, transmission, and interpretation of the Old Testament in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. In Orthodoxy, the Old Testament has commonly been equated with the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Jewish Bible attested by fourth- and fifth-century Christian manuscripts. As Eugen Pentiuc shows throughout this work, however, the Eastern Orthodox Church has never closed the door to other text-witnesses or suppressed interpreters' efforts to dig into the less familiar text of the Hebrew Bible for key terms or reading variants. The first part of the book examines the reception of the Old Testament by the early Eastern Orthodox Church, considering such matters as the nature of divine revelation, the paradox of the inclusion of the Jewish scriptures in the Christian Bible, and the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. Pentiuc's investigation is not limited to the historic-literary sources but extends to the visual, imaginative, and symbolic aspects of the Church's living tradition. In the second part of the book he looks at the various ways Orthodox Christians have sought to assimilate the Old Testament in the spiritual, liturgical, and doctrinal fabric of their faith community. Special attention is given to liturgy (hymnody, lectionaries, and liturgical symbolism), iconography (frescoes, icons, illuminations), monastic rules and canons, conciliar resolutions, and patristic works in Greek, Syriac and Coptic. This wide-ranging and accessible work will serve not only to make Orthodox Christians aware of the importance of the Old Testament in their own tradition, but to introduce those who are not Orthodox both to the distinctive ways in which that community approaches scripture and to the modes of spiritual practice characteristic of Eastern Orthodoxy.

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 geared towards any Christian pastor, leader, or parishioner who has a heart for reaching the Asian community. 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.

According to Fr. Alexander Men (1935-1990), the Russian Orthodox priest and popular spiritual teacher who was publicly martyred in 1990 in the former USSR, prayer is "the flight of the heart toward God." This work, available for the first time in English, is a collection of his writings, lectures, and sermons on prayer. You will discover both ancient and modern wisdom, and you will see how one Eastern Orthodox priest taught his parishioners to pray.
"His simple but profound teaching on the absolute necessity of a prayer life could change the world. " Scott Cairns, Poet

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, Spiritual Nourishment, Prescribes the necessary spiritual nourishments that are needed along the spiritual path. Chapters include: Bible Reading, Spiritual Reading, Retreats, and Service.

Russian baptists and the Orthodox Church have had a difficult and, at times, dramatic relationship over the past century and a half. However, the purpose of this thesis is to examine certain internal connections between these two Christian bodies.

St Martin the Bishop of Tours is a saint from France from the 5th century A.D. He was a solider in the Roman army till he was attracted to the monastic life. He was later ordained a priest then a bishop of the city of Tours. The Coptic Church celebrates his feast on the 14th of Hatour. All Time Heroes from all Times, is a series that we plan to publish for a long time. This series presents the lives of some of the church saints and heroes of faith from the time of Jesus till today. Some of these books will be printed others will only be available in Kindle format.

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.

This edition of Mar Jacob of Sarug's (d. 521) homily on Partaking in the Holy Mysteries is one of Jacob's memre on the sacraments. In this homily, Jacob is shocked that some of his congregants are leaving the service early, before the eucharist has been celebrated. He emphasizes the importance of the liturgical celebrations for a Christian life in a message still applicable today. The volume constitutes a fascicle of The Metrical Homilies of Mar Jacob of Sarug, which, when complete, will contain the original Syriac text of Jacob's surviving sermons, fully vocalized, alongside an annotated English translation.

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.

With an estimated 250 million adherents, the Orthodox Church is the second largest Christian body in the world. This absorbing account of the essential elements of Eastern Orthodox thought deals with the Trinity, Christ, sin, humanity and creation as well as praying, icons, the sacraments and liturgy.

This volume contains the Syriac Life of Mar Pinhas, a purported martyr under the Sasanian Empire. This edition contains the Syriac text (first published in 1894 by Paul Bedjan), an English translation, explanatory annotations, and Addai Scher's Arabic version of the story.

Presented here is a collection of talks and sermons by Russian Orthodox Archpriest Georgy Neifakh (1953-2005). Father Georgy - a former academic biologist, and later the builder and senior priest of the Church of the Falling-Asleep of the Mother of God in the city of Kurchatov, Russia - has spoken in these sermons and talks about family life, the upbringing of children, prayerful concern for our neighbors and kin, sincerity in faith and the harm to the soul that comes from merely external piety, the possibility of resisting the temptations peculiar to our time, and much else that is important for everyone. Originally given during Lent, these reflections on the eight categories of temptation and sin "the passions," as the Church names them reveal both Fr. Georgy's insight into our human condition and his refreshingly practical advice for recognizing and dealing with these temptations. While Fr. Georgy does not permit us excuses for our sin, he offers his pastoral wisdom in a spirit of humility, as one who faces the same struggles we do, offering companionship and encouragement, as well as instruction, along the way.

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.

In The Doctrine of God Dolf te Velde examines the interaction of method and content in three historically important accounts of the doctrine of God. Does the method of a systematic theology affect the belief content expressed by it? Can substantial insights be detected that have a regulative function for the method of a doctrine of God? This two-way connection of method and content is investigated in three phases of Reformed theology. The first seeks to discover inner dynamics of Reformed scholastic theology. The second part treats Karl Barth's doctrine of God as a contrast model for scholasticism, understood in the framework of Barth's theological method. The third part offers a first published comprehensive description and analysis of the so-called Utrecht School. The closing chapter draws some lines for developing a Reformed doctrine of God in the 21st century.

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.

Jacob of Serugh's "Mimro 95" details the significance of the Eucharist and spiritual benefit for participants. Harrak divides verses of this commentary in order to relate stages of liturgy within the Pre-Anaphoric and Anaphoric services of 6th century Syriac worship.

The long career of Jacob of Serugh provides insights into Scripture and tradition expected by homilies as well as information about his audience. In this publication, Harvey discusses Jacob of Serugh's concern for congregations to balance lifestyle and devotional obligations.

Some of John of Dara's 9th century treatises survive in Codex 356 in Mardin, in which Jacob of Serugh is called "Jacob of Batnan", "Jacob", and titles of respect. This article describes Jacob's significant influence, comparing two-verse homilies in detail.

2013 Reprint of 1950 edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. The present volume contains the most important document of early monasticism, "The Life of St. Antony," whose author is no less a man than the great St. Athanasius himself. Antony, generally considered the father of Christian monasticism, was born circa 250 a.d. to well-to-do parents in Middle Egypt. Athanasius is counted as one of the four Great Doctors of the Church in the Roman Catholic Church as well as one of the Great Doctors of the Church in Eastern Orthodoxy, where he is also labeled the "Father of Orthodoxy." He is also celebrated by many Protestants, who label him "Father of The Canon." Athanasius is venerated as a Christian saint, whose feast day is 2 May in Western Christianity, 15 May in the Coptic Orthodox Church, and 18 January in the other Eastern Orthodox Churches. He is venerated by the Roman Catholic Church, Oriental and Eastern Orthodox churches, the Lutherans, and the Anglican Communion.

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.

Is matter, in respect of alteration, an evil cause? It is thus proved that it is not more evil than good. For let the beginning of the, change be from evil. Thus the change is from this to good through that which is indifferent. But let the alteration be from good. Again the beginning goes on through that which is indifferent. Whether the motion be to one extreme or to the other, the method is the same, and this is abundantly set Forth. All motion has to do with quantity; but quality is the guide in virtue and vice. Now we know that these two are enerically distinguished. But are God and matter alone principles, or floes there remain anything else which is the mean between these two? For it there is nothing, these things remain unintermingled one with another. And it is well said that if the extremes are intermingled, there is a necessity for some thing intermediate to connect them.