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.

The meditative prayer practices known as Hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer have played an important role in the history of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This book explores how these prayer practices have spread from a primarily monastic setting within Orthodox Christianity, into general Orthodox Christian usage, and finally into wider contemporary Western culture. As a result of this gradual geographic shift from a local to a global setting, caused mainly by immigration and dissemination of related texts, there has been a parallel shift of interpretation causing disagreement. By analyzing ongoing conversations on the practices, this book shows how such disagreements are due to differences in the way groups understand the ideas of authority and tradition. These fundamental ideas lie beneath much of the current discussion on particular aspects of the practices and also contribute to the wider academic debate over the globalization and appropriation of religious traditions.

Syriac tradition remembers sixth century Byzantine emperor Justinian I as the harsh persecutor of the faithful, while his wife Theodora is revered as the "believing queen", champion and protectress of the dissenting non-Chalcedonian church.

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.

Brock provides an indispensable bibliographic resource for Jacob of Serugh scholarship. This guide lists Jacob's mimre by biblical passage and liturgical events, uplifted saints and topics, other works including prose and letters, and recommended secondary sources for further study.

Faith is the means by which we understand "the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible" (Heb 1:2-3)

THIS 74 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: The Orthodox Eastern Church, by Adrian Fortescue. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1417910607.

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.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

THIS 74 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: The Orthodox Eastern Church, by Adrian Fortescue. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1417910607.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

Even though the Eastern Orthodox Church is widely recognized as having a deep and profound theological understanding of the world as God's creation, practice of this theology has been elusive. To address this dilemma this text provides guidance on the spiritual and physical steps that are necessary for Orthodox Christians to apply their theology to ecological issues. This book includes a special foreword by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who introduces the challenge of greening the Church. In his commentary, he sees that the application of this book's themes can lead to the creation of "green parishes" and even "green priests" throughout the world. Throughout the book the principles and practices underlying the transformation and transfiguration of creation are emphasized. The result is a simple yet comprehensive "hands-on" approach to a Christian caring for the earth. This is accomplished by providing an organic sequence of themes that engage the development of ecological consciousness within the Church. The book unfolds in the following manner. First, Greening the Orthodox Parish provides theological foundations for ecological action. This includes the writings of the Orthodox patriarchs as they translate theology into a call for Christian action on ecology; the Scriptural passages which lead to care for the earth; and the writings of the saints which provide historical perspective on ecology as a perennial imperative for the Church. Second, upon these foundations - the Scriptures, the saints, and the voice of the Church, a series of issues are examined through Orthodox theology and modern science. This leads to spiritual direction on how to extend the teachings of the Church into issues such as global warming, toxic chemicals, forests, consumerism, etc., so that healing direction results for parishioners, the surrounding culture, and through these, the environment. Third, a process for developing parish groups is identified so that any parish may address environmental issues. The task is not only the greening of parish action, but a greening of attitudes. For this task principles are provided including a check list for pastors to ensure that the parish is using suitable methods for energy and conservation. Guidelines are also available for parishioner attitudes so that they may develop ecological consciousness that is at once obedience to God, fidelity to the Church, and an engagement with the issues that assault the life of the parish. Fourth, a further orientation to Orthodox ecological awareness is cultivated through the inclusion of a study course that uses key writings by Orthodox hierarchs and theologians. The task of greening the parish requires study and application. This course launches a journey of learning and growing in ecological awareness that becomes an extension of the life of the parish into the life of the world. Throughout the book a special emphasis exists on the ecological witness of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Not only is this book dedicated to His All-Holiness, but it relies on his writings for a stream of quotations. These citations indicate that this greening theme is not some modern innovation creeping into Orthodox thought. Rather, it is an extension of timeless theological principles to the serious issues facing our world. Creation care is akin to new wine drawn from old wineskins; it is a continuation of the gospel message that allows an addressing of the problems facing the modern world. Jesus Christ taught us the need to do the will of God "on earth as it is in heaven." This Handbook is only a contemporary pathway for the application of the timeless Orthodox faith to the issues of the modern world.

In the wilderness, when Moses the prophet observed the thorn bush unharmed by the flames of fire, he said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn" (Ex 3:3) and God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." (Ex 3: 5) As you draw near this awesome sight of The Crucified Jesus, stand in reverence and sever all your worldly attachments. Prepare for the outpouring of grace that will come upon you from the Cross. Gaze toward the Cross as toward the spring of your salvation, the source of your deliverance, the root of your happiness in this present life and the assurance of attainment of eternal glory in the coming age. The Crucified Jesus is a 20th century classic that has finally been made available in the English language. It is a group of contemplations on the events that took place during Holy Week, with a special chapter of contemplations on the words of Jesus on the Cross.

Credited by Dinno as the epitome of Syriac spiritual heritage, Mor Jacob of Serugh interpreted the physical world with the hidden realities of God. A prominent theme in Mor Jacob's mimre is the economy of salvation.

THIS 74 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: The Orthodox Eastern Church, by Adrian Fortescue. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1417910607.

This volume introduces the letters of the Syriac alphabet a few at the time, and each set of letters is accompanied by guides to pronunciation and the correct way to write the letters, including helpful charts and illustrations. Practice exercises at the end of each section provide the user with copious opportunities for review to facilitate rapid acquisition. This volume will be helpful to all who want to learn the basics of Syriac pronunciation and orthography without being inundated with technical linguistic jargon.