The papacy is clearly the greatest difficulty facing ecumenical dialogue today, and particularly the dialogue between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Yet there is a doorway of hope. In his encyclical, Ut unum sint, John Paul II expressed a desire for common reflection on the exercise of papal primacy. In You Are Peter the great Orthodox theologian Olivier Clement brilliantly responds to this request. He emphasizes the history and experience of the undivided Church, before recalling the contrasting developments of eastern and western Christianity and concluding with the tasks that call us to unity. Professor Clements response to John Paul II is] solidly rooted in the Orthodox tradition, and] represents the cordial and open mentality characteristic of the theologians of Saint Sergius. I would judge that it is almost exactly the kind of response for which Pope John Paul II was hoping. It is a pleasure to be able to present to English-speaking readers this concise, learned, and articulate presentation.... Professor Clements contribution ... is a sign of the progress in ecumenism] thus far made and a beacon of hope for the future. From the Foreword by Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. Laurence J. McGinley Professor Fordham University, New York

By linking together a series of brilliantly chosen texts from the early centuries of the Church, the author lays bare the roots of the deeply mystical spirituality that has flourished among Christians throughout the ages. This is a book that will appeal to anyone who is interested in the field of spirituality; it is a masterly contribution to Christian scholarship. Clement's scholarly exposition of the mysticism of the Fathers, already regarded as a modern classic, is now in its third edition.

The Great Canon has been described as one of the jewels of Orthodoxy's ascetic spirituality. In the first week of Lent, during Great Compline, it is sung and declaimed in portions; on Thursday of the fifth week, during Matins, in its entirety. Throughout, accompanied by bows or prostrations, the refrain is: Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me. This short, yet full, essay by Olivier Clement serves as an enriching commentary and guide for reading The Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete. The author begins the journey with a study of the meaning of "awakening" and "the fear of God" the stepping stones toward true repentance. He then follows the Canon's path of identifying our fallen nature, the passions, Christ's liberation from sin and death, humility, and asceticism, and ends with a comparison between the shedding of tears and the holy chrism of baptism. Clement ultimately encourages us to see repentance as the key to being fully alive-and The Great Canon as our roadmap toward becoming alive in Christ. A translation of the Great Canon accompanies the text.