Since the first centuries of the Christian era, Eastern Christianity has expanded through the various cultures of the Middle East and Eastern Europe, using a variety of languages in its worship and thus allowing native peoples to accept Christianity as their own. Most significant in this expansion was the "Baptism of Rus" which occurred in 988AD, as St Vladimir, prince of Kiev, made Byzantine Orthodox Christianity the official religion of his realm. From Russia, through Alaska, Orthodox Christianity came to North America as well. The missionary dimension of this entire development inspired the dedication of an Orthodox graduate school of theology to St Vladimir in 1938.These twenty papers, written by a diverse group of internationally known theologians, historians, pastors, and musicologists, were presented at an academic symposium held in September 1988 in recognition of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of St Vladimir's Seminary. They provide a fascinating picture of the historical, liturgical, social, and spiritual developments which led Orthodox Christians from Byzantium to the modern world.Among the papers included in this volume are: "From Byzantium to the New World" (John Meyendorff), "The Legacy of Sts Cyril and Methodius" (Dimitri Obolensky), "Liturgical Singing or Sacred Music?: Understanding the Aesthetic of the New Russian Choral Music" (Vladimir Morosan), "Flares of Moscow as an Ascetic" (Robert Nichols), "Orthodoxy and the Bible Today" (John Breck), "Orthodox Theology in the West: The Reformation" (Jaroslav Pelikan), "On Ecclesial Conciliarity" (Thomas Hopko), "Orthodoxy and the Evolution of Aleut Culture" (Michael Oleksa), and "Patriarch Tikhon: A Vision of Orthodox Mission in the New World" (Leonid Kishkovsky).Editors: John Breck, Fr. John Meyendorff, Eleana SilkSize: 6" x 9"Pages: 324

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.About the Author: 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."Author: Metropolitan Hilarion AlfeyevPages: 444Size: 6" x 9"

By: Nenad MilosevicThrough his methodical study of the sources (including a considerable number of liturgical manuscripts and texts and a wide range of patristic and other ecclesiastical writings), his careful analysis of the historical evidence, and his judicious interpretation of the liturgical data, Professor Milosevic provides his readers with facts and insights to help them broaden their knowledge, deepen their understanding, and heighten their appreciation of the sacramental life of the Church centered - as the title of his work suggests - on the Divine Liturgy, the sacred rite by which the Orthodox Church celebrates the mystery or sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.Indeed, in the mind, ethos, and practice of the Church, as Professor Milosevic demonstrates with great clarity, the Eucharist was never counted simply as one sacrament among many but as the very source and summit of the Church's life, constitutive of her very being and the essential condition for her growth.To Christ and the Church will become an important manual for the study of the sacraments and their liturgical rites by pastors, seminarians, catechists, and interested laypeople.Language: EnglishNumber of pages: 240

By: Bishop Athanasius YevtichFocusing on themes central to Christian patristic Trinitarian theology, ecclesiology, and anthropology, this anthology reveals the ultimate purpose of man and the universe and speaks of how each of us can realize this purpose within the divine-human community of the Orthodox Church. Bishop Athanasius' thought combines adherence to the teaching of the Church Fathers with a vibrant faith and a profound experience of Christ in the Church.He is one of the most renowned and respected theologians in the Orthodox Church today.