Beautiful prose and poetry of an early Orthodox Christian in ...
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Beautiful prose and poetry of an early Orthodox Christian in Syria.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Hymns-and-Homilies-of-St-Ephraim-the-Syrian/dp/B0092B1250/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Hymns and Homilies of St. Ephraim the Syrian</a>
1397839
Recent years have seen an upswing of interest, in Christian circles, in the early Celtic Christianity of the British Isles during what we call the "Dark Ages."  The Celtic monasticism an missionary activity of that time were significant forces in shaping Western Christianity.  To some believers today, including the authors of this devotional, that branch of the Church seems to offer a model which is fully orthodox, but more wholistic, inclusive, and biblically-balanced in its lifestyle than some later traditions.  How accurate that perception is can be debated; but there is no doubt that this is a fresh and winsome work of devotional literature.

The Amazon description explains the format of each of the 15 devotionals.  (Patrick, of course, is the best-known saint profiled.)  A number of the invocations and blessings are actual translations of traditional Celtic originals.  This can be highly recommended to any Christian who makes use of devotional literature.
2591183
This is a beautiful, wonderful book.  Immersed in the Orthodox phronema or mindset, it follows the spiritual journey of a single soul, and explores the way in which holiness affects not only Laurus, but those who come into contact with him.  If you are Orthodox, you will immediately recognize and understand what Laurus is experiencing.  If you are not Orthodox, it is a wonderful introduction to a spirituality which is shared by hundreds of millions around the world.  The story is Russian, but also universal.  You will find Laurus throughout eastern Europe and the middle east.  You will also find him (rarely, sadly) in North America, and elsewhere around the world.  The book is moving, and deeply inspirational.

This book also struck me in another way.  While the story of Laurus in some respects resembles a hagiography, it is also a story of humility, fear, and even failure.  All humans know these things, and saints know them acutely.  We sometimes miss this truth - that all saints are human, and the road to holiness is one that is arduous.  Laurus teaches us that side of faith as well.
1276160
Although I am not an Orthodox Christian, I cherish the four volumes of the "Philokalia".  Although these writings present certain challenges to the modern reader (a knowledge of Greek philosophy would be helpful for  a deeper understanding of many of these writings), the reader is profoundly  rewarded with a work that informs and inspires. Like the writings of St.  Francis, Theresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Luther, and Calvin, the  "Philokalia" deserves a careful reading by anyone who wishes to  understand the breadth and depth of the Christian tradition.
3796000
Julian of Norwich was the first woman to write of theological topics. These were personal revelations to her from the Lord. This book, which falls in line with works of Christian mystics like Thomas A Kempis, author of, "The Imitation of Christ."  Her work was truly worth reading as a student of theology. I recommend this book be in any library of one who is a student of theology or any Christian seeking to have a closer relationship with the One who is Divine Love..
284678
In this spare but enlightening text, Renaissance man, biographer, poet, novelist, literary critic, and educator Jay Parini searches for God through the face of Jesus  referencing some of the most beautiful language on the planet:  the King James Version of the Bible, and the poetic canon.

 Parinis writing is lyrical, toothsome, and insightful; his context is breathtakingly broad, as it brings to bear decades of scriptural, historical, and literary study, while also benefitting from Parinis fluency in ancient and contemporary languages.

In these relatively scant pages, Jesus breathes next to us:  we hear his voice and we experience his intellect as awed contemporaries.  We observe his thinking and faith as it evolves and becomes  not stronger, but more sure.  We witness Jesus as inspiring evangelist and fiery but rousing orator.  We gain access to the meaning behind his familiar but mystifying aphorisms and lessons, including the deconstruction and meaningful explanation of his Sermon on the Mount.

If devout, we renew our faith.  If agnostic, we question our beliefs.  If atheist, we pause in the face of new information from a compelling writer, and we think deeply.

I plan to give these as Christmas gifts to some of my family.  I turned the last page feeling somehow uplifted, with the example of the millennium as model and pathway toward a challenging but righteous New Years resolution.
383061
An excellent volume in the superb series, Library of Early Christianity, Wayne A Meeks, editor.  These two authors provide detailed insight into the daily life in all spheres of society in the Roman Empire, drawing examples from the New Testament after laying the foundational picture gained from extensive archaeological documentation.

The Drama of Culture
They reference all sorts of sources from the period, including grave stones and other monuments, many of which included life summaries and occupational information; Latin and Greek authors of several centuries; ostraca or manuscripts of commercial transactions and other records and various sources.  This is a very detailed, and yet very readable portrayal of the status of language, literature and commerce as well as the general cultural interaction of the Macedonian and Roman Empires.

The details they provide and the lively writing style animate the ear for the reader to make the classical period come alive. You can see the real people and their cutlural characteristics and the multi-ethnic dynamic of the period.  They cover the centuries from about Alexander the Great into the third century or so of the Christian era.

Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic
They provide good information on the Jewish language situation, confirming other recent studies indicating that Jews of the Diaspora usually spoke only Greek, and Hebrew was not commonly used in the synagogue schools.  They also indicate that Greek was the primary language even in Palestine, and confirm other scholars' view that the Palestinian synagogues would have used Greek scriptures primarily.

Hebrew was not commonly spoken as we approach the first century BC, and Aramaic was the common speech, though Greek more widely used.  They also detail the multi-ethnic character of the region, especially Galilee and the surrounding Greek areas.
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When I think of Syriac Christianity, I think of St. Ephrem. When I think of translators of Syriac texts, I trust Sebastian Brock. Treasure-House of Mysteries is both of these and more! In addition to St. Ephrem, there are a number of poems by Jacob of Serugh (also known as Mar Jacob) and even more from anonymous sources. There are five sections in this book. The first one is an introduction to both Syriac Christianity and to recurring themes in this book, like clothing and bridal imagery. The second section addresses Ephrem's reading of the Bible and the way he interpreted Scripture, both factual and spiritual. This section has also contain numerous excerpts from Ephrem's hymns, which discuss Scripture and the self-revelation of God. The remaining three sections are where the poetry is found and there is a section on the Old Testament, New Testament, and Bible to Liturgy.

The book is well-organized, in that the poems start with Genesis and end with Revelation. You can choose to read them in the order they are presented or you can look for a subject that fancies you and hop around, which is what I chose to do. The first two poems I read were "The Two Thieves" and "The Cherub and the Thief." Both of them address the Good Thief, whom I chose as my Confirmation saint. In "The Two Thieves," which I enjoyed immensely we read a dialogue back and forth between the Good Thief and the Bad Thief. The Good Thief tries his hardest to get the Bad Thief to reconsider his position on Christ and accept the gift of salvation that Jesus gave the Good Thief, but he was too blind and stubborn to see that Jesus was the Messiah. In "The Cherub and the Thief," which I didn't enjoy as much was a conversation between the Good Thief and the angel defending the Garden of Eden. In it, the Good Thief explained to the angel that with the death of Jesus, Paradise has been re-opened, and it takes a good deal of convincing for the angel to believe. It was beautifully written, I just had a hard time making myself believe that the angel guarding Eden would not have known what happened until the Good Thief told him so.

Other interesting poems were "The Angel and Zechariah," and "The Angel and Mary." These two poems provide a nice contrast of the annunciation of John the Baptist and the annunciation of Jesus. You can really see the doubt of Zechariah and why he was punished, which is in start contrast to Mary's innocent questioning and trying to understand what was about to change not only her life, but the life of the world. Overall, this was a very rich book. It was both thought-provoking and spiritually edifying. What I really appreciated was the introduction before each poem, as it helped provide context, set the tone, and provide Scriptural passages for the poem. If you are interested in poetry or Syriac Christianity, this is a must-read for you! You will also want to check out Hymns on Paradise by St. Ephrem the Syrian.
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The book 'Late Antiquity: A Guide to the Postclassical World', edited by G.W. Bowerstock, Peter Brown, and Oleg Grabar, is a wonderful collection of essays and encyclopedic articles on the period on a fascinating period of transition and change in the history of the West. This is a period often overlooked and neglected, for it is a period of confusion and uneasy description; the Roman Empire has fallen, but the medieval world has yet to rise. Literature from this historical period is rare, both in terms of history and literary output; the medieval world looms large over late antiquity due to the rise of literature that is more easily accessible to those in the modern world.
The first section of the book consists of interesting essays, as listed below:
Remaking the Past, by Averil Cameron
Sacred Landscapes, by Beatrice Caseau
Philosophical Tradition and the Self, by Henry Chadwick
Religious Communities, by Garth Fowden
Barbarians and Ethnicity, by Patrick J. Geary
War and Violence, by Brent D. Shaw
Empire Building, by Christopher Kelly
Christian Triumph and Controversy, by Richard Lim
Islam, by Hugh Kennedy
The Good Life, by Henry Maguire
Habitat, by Yizhar Hirschfield
To give but one example, in the article 'Sacred Landscapes', Caseau traces the development away from public sacred spaces such as temples to the god to a resacralisation of Christian spaces, which had originally grown up in house-church environments with communal meals short on exclusively sacred spaces, particularly in light of early Christian apologists who saw distinct paganism in the sacralisation of space.
The remaining two-thirds of the book consists of an encyclopedia of late antiquity, including articles on places, events, people, and ideas. This is a wonderful reference, and, sitting next to my Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, a much-valued collection and much-used book.
Sometimes called 'The Dark Ages', in fact the historical period between the classical Roman Imperial times and the Medieval period was a period of transition and disarray, but was far from the uncultured, unlettered and uninspiring period it sometimes seems.  This volume will help historians and others reclaim a little more of their own past.
4647328
Metropolitan Hilarion is an excellent communicator for the Orthodox Church and this volume, part of a three volume set gives a great overview of the Orthodox Christian faith
4265984
His Grace Archbishop Demetrios shows The Orthodox Faith as a beacon of Love and Wisdom. Demonstrating the beauty, strength, and vigor of the Apostolic Christian Church with a focus on our place in improving our world by caring for the poor, the environment, and creating and atmosphere of communion and well being. This book is recommended by a newly confirmed Orthodox Christian as a way of hearing one of the larger voices in our present day Church.

Peace of Christ. Amen
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This timely volume, the first of a projected four, offers the modern Anglophone world its first glimpse into the earliest of St. Bridget's (1303-1373) tremendously influential visionary writings. The fine 1990 Classics of Western Spirituality edition from Paulist Press offers only Books 5 and 7 of her corpus along with some associated texts; this comprehensive series of translations will, when completed, undoubtedly be well-appreciated by those interested in late medieval spirituality and mysticism.

St. Birgitta (or Bridget - and "Saint Bride" to Margery Kempe), the patron saint of Sweden and one of the three co-patronesses of Europe, had an extensive sequence of visions throughout her life; these led her to extensive pilgrimages, residence in Rome, and ultimately the foundation of a monastic order that survives to this day. Her texts circulated widely across Europe in the late fourteenth- and fifteenth-centuries; the Bridgettine Order established houses throughout Scandinavia and beyond (the most remarkable for the study of English religious culture being the famous Syon Abbey, Isleworth).

Her visions were dictated in Swedish and translated by her confessors into a rough, workaday Latin; Searby's translation skillfully preserves the idiosyncrasies of the original. The general introduction (pp. 3-38) offers an exceptionally clear contextualization of St. Bridget's revelations, their textual history, and their significance both to her period and to present-day readers. The much shorter introductions that preface each of the three books translated in this volume neatly summarize both the essential message of the book and its most striking images and analogies.

Stylistically, this volume has been designed with evident care: woodcuts from incunabula and manuscript illuminations are liberally distributed; one image of a probable holograph folio is especially exciting. The editor and translator have generously given the English-speaking world a fascinating glimpse into one of the most important figures of late medieval religious culture (albeit one studied with less frequency than some of her contemporaries); the scholarly community has good reason to await eagerly the further three volumes of the series.
131371
A fascinating review of the early Church Fathers impact on the emerging Church.
2399443
Every Christian with a sense of the sacred and also historical sense--and that should be every Christian--would benefit from this book.  It is even better than I expected. The photos are as beautiful and moving as advertised.  Especially good are the essays showing the continuity of understanding about the historicity of the site of Christ's tomb.  The text also explains the various positions of the Christian churches with possession or rights within the Sepulchre/Resurrection complex.  The book also does not shy from the embarrassing fact that ancient divisions within orthodox Christianity continue to this day.  How wonderful it would be if these divisions could be put aside, especially in light of the current cultural and religious onslaught against Christians. I recommend that the book be ordered through Daedalus books (beware--Daedalus the book catalog, not the kinky publisher) because Daedalus has it in stock at a much reduced price.
3193747
As advertised, this book is a clearly written, interesting survey of the spiritual lessons learned by an intelligent, disciplined, and dedicated man of God.  The translation is excellent; you can hardly tell the original was written in Russian.  Anybody interested in going beyond the spiritual pabulum offered by contemporary Western Christianity should enjoy this book.  It is a wonderful overview of 2000 years of Orthodox spirituality and monastic tradition.
3671217
John Baggley, a Roman Catholic, explains the significance of Orthodox Christian feasts using their icons and liturgical texts. The icons are beautiful and well-chosen, his commentary is accurate and often challenging, and the liturgical texts speak for themselves. No one can understand Orthodoxy without understanding the main feasts, and this is a great introduction to them. Of course ultimately you have to celebrate the feasts with the Church in order to understand them fully. All Christians, especially Orthodox, will benefit from reading this book.
3017409
This is a rich, meaty book filled with essays from various points of view  on how the Jewish and later Christian ideas about a Messiah developed.  As with most essay collections, some you will find brilliant; a number will make you roll your eyes in exasperation.

From the first, the early Christians proclaimed that Jesus was God.  Martin Hengel points out that by 110 AD Pliny reports Christians sang hymns to Christ 'as though he were their God' and many Christians proved willing to die rather than curse Christ.  In 132 AD  Simon bar Kosiba asked Jewish Christians to either curse Christ or die.  And in the Synoptics the "messianic claim of Jesus is a thread that runs through trial narrative to the title on the cross...basileus ton loudaion" (p 434).

Hengel finds that "the Johannine Prologue, the letter to the Hebrews, and the letter to the Philippians shows...that christological thinking between 50 and 100 A D was much more unified in its basic structure...later developments are already...in the Philippian hymn..That more happened in the first twenty years than in the entire later centuries-long developments of dogma" (p 443).

From the very earliest days of Christianity, believers  insisted that  Jesus was the Messiah.  Paul refers to Jesus as Jesus Christ, as if being the Messiah were his last name.  and "by the end of the thirties the members of the new Jewish sect in Antioch were called 'Christians'(p 444).

Where did the Christians find the concept of the Messiah?  Contrary to the arguments of scholars a century ago, the idea of a Messiah  was not clearly defined in Second Temple Judaism.  Charlesworth points out that there "was no common Jewish Messianic hope during the time of Jesus"  (p 5).  The references in the Old Testament were obscure.  And not necessarily eschatalogical.

Horsely finds  that "In the literature of late Second Temple times there appears to be little interest in a 'Messiah"" (p 279), and the references that do exist are vague. .

Yet Borsch argues that "1 Enoch ...the Similitudes...were probably written before 100...or 70 AD...is probably evidence for non-Christian reflection on the figure from Dan. 7-13 (p 141).

Nevertheless, by the middle of the first century, a number of prophets or prophet/pretenders appeared.  Horsely says "The messianic and prophetic movements of late Second Temple times constituted widespread, organized popular resistance to Roman imperial rule" (p 294) leading to the Jewish revolt.

J. D. G. Dunn's essay is outstanding.  He brings together all the various strands of thought within Judaism that were seen as Messianic in Jesus.  The Suffering Servant, the Son of Man in Daniel, a long history of prophets and signs, including the promise to bring  together all the lost tribes.

He points out that the centuries old "literary model envisages strata of tradition...(but),tracing the linear descent of tradition down through successively elaborated layers" (p 371) is being overthrown.  It was a rickety house of cards now tumbled over and to be abandoned.

Much more plausible is the new research into oral transmission.  Oral tradition is the most important new idea in biblical scholarship.  "In oral tradition we have to do with themes and formulae and core material which often remains constant while quite a wide range of variations are played on...tradition history analysis...need not consist solely of pressing back through different variations but can focus immediately on the more constant material.  For the probability is that the more constant material is the living heart of the earliest recollections of Jesus" (p 371).