This is the second volume of the six-volume series Jesus Christ: His Life and Teaching. It focuses entirely on the Sermon on the Mount, examining the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, and other teachings of the Lord in light of both current scholarship and the Church's perennial tradition.

This series of books on Jesus is not so much for those Christians who are rooted in holy tradition as it is for non-believers, those who doubt and who are hesitant. In the first instance, it may give some answers to those who believe that Jesus never even existed. Secondly, it is for those who believe that Jesus existed but do not believe that he is God. Thirdly, it is for those who perhaps consider themselves Christians but relate to the Gospel narratives skeptically or view the Gospels through the prism of the criticism through which it was subjected in the works of Western specialists in the New Testament in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Ultimately, we would like to answer the main question of what Jesus has brought to people and why he is necessary for people today. - from the Foreword.

This is the fifth volume of a detailed and systematic exposition of the history, canonical structure, doctrine, social and moral teaching, liturgical services, and spiritual life of the Orthodox Church. The purpose of this series is to present Orthodox Christianity as an integrated theological and liturgical system, in which all elements are interconnected. This has been the law of the Church from ancient times: lex orandi, lex credendi, "the law of prayer is the law of faith."

This book is a study of the mystical nature of tradition, and the traditional nature of mysticism, and of St Symeon as both a highly personal and very traditional ecclesiastical writer. The teachings of St Symeon (949-1022) created much controversy in Byzantium and even led to a short-lived exile to Asia Minor in 1009. For the first time in modern scholarship these teachings are examined from within the tradition to which both St Symeon and Dr Alfeyev belong.

St Isaac the Syrian, also known as St Isaac of Nineveh, was a Christian hermit of the seventh century who lived in present day Iraq. His writings are so widely revered that he is venerated as a saint by both the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches. While his writings and influence are universally acclaimed by Christian theologians today, precious little has been written in English about this towering figure of the Syrian Christian tradition. This work is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the spirituality of St Isaac. Gathering together many of the world's authoritative voices on St Isaac, this volume represents the papers delivered at the inaugural International Patristics Conference held in Moscow, 2013. About the Editor: Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev has authored numerous works on theology and church history, and is an internationally recognized composer of liturgical music. In the words of Patriarch Alexei II of blessed memory, "His many years of service to the mother church, his rich creative activity, and his broad perspective enable him to present the tradition of the Orthodox Church in all its diversity."

This is the fourth volume of a detailed and systematic exposition of the history, canonical structure, doctrine, moral and social teaching, liturgical services, and spiritual life of the Orthodox Church. The purpose of this series is to present Orthodox Christianity as an integrated theological and liturgical system, in which all elements are interconnected. Volume One focused on the history and canonical structure of the Orthodox Church; Volume Two on the fundamental teachings of the Church, grounded in Scripture and Tradition; Volume Three on the unique aspects of Orthodox art as expressed in its architecture, icons, and liturgical music. In Volume Four the history, structure, and meaning of the Church's liturgical services-including the daily, weekly, yearly, and festal cycles-are explored and explained. Both beginners and experts can benefit from this thorough examination of Orthodox worship and liturgical life. In the services of the Church, heaven and earth meet. As St Vladimir's envoys to Constantinople said, "We knew not whether we were in heaven or earth.... We only know that God dwells among men. We cannot forget that beauty."

This is the fourth book in Met. Hilarion Alfeyev's series, "Jesus Christ: His Life and Teaching," In this volume, Met. Hilarion explores the most distinct aspect of Jesus' teaching ministry: his parables. The parables are explored from multiple angles, giving due consideration both to modern biblical scholarship and the insights it can be give, as well as the ancient tradition of the Church, and the extensive commentaries of the Church Fathers. This is the fourth book in Met. Hilarion Alfeyev's series, "Jesus Christ: His Life and Teaching," In this volume, Met. Hilarion explores the most distinct aspect of Jesus' teaching ministry: his parables. The parables are explored from multiple angles, giving due consideration both to modern biblical scholarship and the insights it can be give, as well as the ancient tradition of the Church, and the extensive commentaries of the Church Fathers. This is the fourth book in Met. Hilarion Alfeyev's series, "Jesus Christ: His Life and Teaching," In this volume, Met. Hilarion explores the most distinct aspect of Jesus' teaching ministry: his parables. The parables are explored from multiple angles, giving due consideration both to modern biblical scholarship and the insights it can be give, as well as the ancient tradition of the Church, and the extensive commentaries of the Church Fathers.

This in-depth study on the realm of death presents a message of hope held by the first generation of Christians and the early church. Using Scripture, patristic tradition, early Christian poetry, and liturgical texts, Archbishop Hilarion explores the mysterious and enigmatic event of Christ's descent into Hades and its consequences for the human race. Insisting that Christ entered Sheol as Conqueror and not as victim, the author depicts the Lord's descent as an event of cosmic significance opening the path to universal salvation. He also reveals Hades as a place of divine presence, a place where the spiritual fate of a person may still change. Reminding readers that self-will remains the only hindrance to life in Christ, he presents the gospel message anew, even in the shadow of death.