St. Vladimir's Seminary,575 Scarsdale Road,10707,Yonkers,US
One hundred years after the Russian (Bolshevik) Revolution of 1917, a documentary movie recently produced and released by Catholic News Service chronicles both the ruin of the Russian Orthodox Church during that time and the rebirth of the Church following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The movie, Faces among Icons, will be shown on our campus in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family building at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, 2018, followed by a panel discussion. The producer of the movie, Robert Duncan, a Rome-based Catholic filmmaker, will attend the screening, and will be a panel participant, along with select seminary faculty and students. The event is free and open to the public, and fresh popcorn will be served!
While the release of Faces among Icons was timed to coincide with the centenary of the Russian Revolution, for Roman Catholics the year 2017 also marked the 100-year anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Fatima, at which time the Virgin Mary was said to have predicted the conversion of Russia to Christ. Catholic News Service Editor-in-chief Greg Erlandson was quoted in the media outlet Crux as saying, “Following seven decades of atheistic communism, there now appears to be the seedlings of a Christian renewal, which is the subject of this remarkable film.” The documentary itself—notably—states at its outset that the “conversion” predicted by the Virgin did not specify a conversion to Roman Catholicism but rather “to Christ,” and that the film would focus on the renewal of the Orthodox Christian Church in Russia.
The fascinating 30-minute documentary showcases a range of Russian individuals providing firsthand accounts of the changes in religious life that have occurred within their country since the fall of communism. They offer widely diverse personal perspectives on the extent to which church-state cooperation is deemed healthful, and they evidence the tension in opinions as to how much influence the state should yield over the church.
Even with such tension, Pope Francis and Russian Patriarch Kirill have enjoyed a particularly warm and cooperative relationship—resulting in the first meeting between a pope and a patriarch in over 1,000 years. Together, they have pushed for Russian Orthodox and Catholic cooperation, both for shared Christian causes and international cooperation on various fronts.
We welcome you to our campus to watch this engrossing movie, and to engage in dynamic discussion.
Open House begins with the 7:30 a.m. Matins service in Three Hierarchs Chapel, Thursday, March 8, and ends with the 5:00 p.m. Vespers service, followed by supper. A full schedule is available here.
“What’s it like to study at SVOTS?” Seminarian Subdeacon Shawn Thomas engages in a discussion about the priesthood, with his professor, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, in his Canon Law class.
“Seminarians Speak”: Read about our students’ rich experiences during their training: women and men, clergy and lay, scholars, pastors, iconographers, musicians, missionaries, diplomats, and educators included!
With faith in Christ and in the hope of resurrection, we share the news of the repose of our alumnus, James (Jim) Balamaci, who graduated from the Collegiate Division (also known as the “pre-theology” program) of St. Vladimir’s Seminary in 1976. Mr. Balamaci was concurrently a student at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY, when he attended St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
Mr. Balamaci, as President and CEO of Special Olympics Alaska, was an extraordinary leader who lived to inspire goodness in people and communities. He passed away during the morning of February 1, at the age of 63.
The Anchorage Daily News has published a full obituary containing details of Mr. Balamaci’s life. Details on memorial services will be announced as they are received. Arrangements are entrusted to Legacy Funeral Homes. To share words of comfort with the family please visit www.legacyalaska.com.
Three major campus events marked the Feast of the Three Hierarchs on Tuesday, January 30, the day that commemorates the patrons of our campus chapel—Ss. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. We honored the day by celebrating worship, spiritual instruction, and academic knowledge, all of which characterize the lives of the three bishops remembered on that feast.
HIERARCHICAL DIVINE LITURGY
The day began with His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and Chair of the Board of our Seminary, presiding at the Divine Liturgy. The theme of His Beatitude's homily centered on both a text from the Gospel for the day, "You are the light of the world" (Matt 5), and a text from the writings of St. Gregory the Theologian, "The mystery of godliness is for those who are willing, not for those who are overpowered." Joining His Beatitude in celebrating the liturgy were chapel clergy, and His Grace John, bishop of Worcester, and His Grace Anthony, bishop of Toledo, both of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA). His Eminence Melchisedek, archbishop of Pittsburgh (OCA) also attended liturgy.
ANNUAL SCHMEMANN LECTURE
In the evening, seminary alumnus Dr. Scott Kenworthy presented the 35th Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Lecture, entitled, “St. Tikhon of Moscow (1865–1925) and the Orthodox Church in North America and Revolutionary Russia.” Dr. Kenworthy’s passion for his subject was infectious, and his expertise was evident throughout his talk.
"St. Tikhon is a particularly important and relevant saint for us,” said Kenworthy, “not only because he was one of the greatest visionaries when it came to planting Orthodoxy in North America—something he shared, of course, with Fr. Alexander Schmemann—but [also because he] faced all the complications of living in the modern world in religiously pluralistic environments and, of course, the most challenging of political environments imaginable."
Dr. Kenworthy went on to describe St. Tikhon’s pastoral responsibilities both in North America and Russia. He noted, in particular, St. Tikhon’s unique approach to church-state relations following the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, and the saint’s insistence on keeping the Church out of political arguments and removed from political motivations.
Lastly, Dr. Kenworthy described the impact of St. Tikhon’s unique personality upon the people whom he shepherded. He was a person characterized not by fame or uncommon intellect but by simplicity, humility, kindness, and approachability—yet, he accomplished so much for the Orthodox Church in both North America and in Russia.
Listen to Dr. Kenworthy’s lecture in its entirety here.
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY MID-YEAR COMMENCEMENT
Dr. Kenworthy’s address offered a fitting prelude to the Mid-Year Commencement Ceremony of the Doctor of Ministry Class of 2018. Three Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) candidates, who began their seminary studies as part of the Cohort of 2017, earned their degrees: Priest John E. Parker III, rector of Holy Ascension Church, Mount Pleasant, SC (OCA); Priest Timothy Chrapko, associate priest of St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Congregation, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and Gregory Abdalah, Youth Pastor, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, Phoenix, AZ. The Cohort of 2017 is the first group ever to enroll in the D.Min. program hybrid model, which includes both online courses and on-campus classroom intensives.
At Commencement, the graduates explained how the program had helped them to grow as pastors by allowing them to apply fresh ideas in current pastoral settings. One of the graduates, Fr. John Parker, said he had joined the D.Min. program in order to help him accomplish what every priest is called to do: “to become a Christian disciple—a student, a servant, a steward, and a sharer.” (View the Academic Convocation program here, which includes the final project title for each D.Min. graduate.)
Listen to the Commencement Ceremony and the speeches of the D.Min. graduates here.
At the conclusion of the lecture and Commencement, Metropolitan Tikhon acknowledged the influence that St. Tikhon’s visionary legacy continues to have on Orthodox Christianity in North America. He cited as proof the concelebration by hierarchs from the OCA and AOCANA at the Divine Liturgy that morning, together with the diverse pan-Orthodox composition of St. Vladimir’s Seminary on all levels (e.g., student body, Board of Trustees).
“St. Tikhon,” he remarked, “would perhaps be pleased that today, we have also, in a smaller and more humble way, gathered to hear the words offered to us by Dr. Scott [Kenworthy] and to rejoice in our communion with one another as the body of Christ—and through this gathering, to reflect upon the great accomplishments of our father among the saints, St. Tikhon, the Patriarch of Moscow and the enlightener of our lands.” Lastly, His Beatitude called upon the new “doctors” who graduated to transform their surrounding culture with their newfound knowledge, by bringing to others the gospel of Christ.
Every year, St Ambrose Society, a pro-life student interest group at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, makes a pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., in order to raise awareness for the protection of the unborn at the March for Life. This year, St. Vladimir’s contingent included more than a dozen representatives, including seminary President Archpriest Chad Hatfield. Many seminarians from St. Tikhon’s Seminary and Orthodox Christians from around the United States—as far away as Seattle, WA—joined together and marched alongside the group from St. Vladimir’s.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America OCA), gave the opening prayer before the March, calling all to remember the preciousness of life and the devastation wrought through the evil of self-love. He ended his message with an inspiring quote from St. Isaac of Syria, which encouraged selfless-love toward all, so that human beings, through their actions, would “be self-sacrificial love for all, and…conquer death.”
Following the opening prayer, the Orthodox faithful gathered together to sing a Molieben for the unborn, led by His Beatitude, who was accompanied by His Eminence Melchisedek, archbishop of Pittsburgh and the Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA), and His Eminence Michael, archbishop of New York and the Diocese of New York and New Jersey (OCA). Many fellow marchers stopped to participate in the prayers while our Orthodox group chanted and sang together and raised up icons and banners, as His Beatitude led us, and tens of thousands of other marchers, up to Capitol Hill.
At the conclusion of the March, members of our St. Ambrose Society met with seminarians from St. Tikhon’s and experienced the warm hospitality provided by Archpriest Valery Shemchuk and the faithful of St. Nicholas Cathedral. During that fellowship, Hieromonk Herman Majkrzak, a founder of the St. Ambrose Society and now a lecturer at St. Tikhon’s Seminary, spoke not only of the great sorrow that marks the March for Life—a movement in response to the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision—but also of the joy the March brings as it bonds Christians together in a love for life and in the care for the innocent in the womb.
In keeping with its pro-life commitment, St. Ambrose Society is planning to carry out donation drives for local women’s shelters and pregnancy crisis centers; to participate in upcoming 40 Days for Life local vigils; and to find ways to educate upcoming pastors on post-abortion counseling.
“Iota” is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet—immortalized as such in the Gospel of Matthew, 5:18. IOTA also is the acronym for a newly formed body, the International Orthodox Theological Association, a network of over 150 members so far.
The inaugural meeting of IOTA will take place in Iaşi, Romania, January 9–12, 2019, and to begin planning for that gathering, two dozen scholars from around the world met in Jerusalem January 10–12, 2018, including a strong showing from St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Attending were President Archpriest Chad Hatfield; Dr. Peter Bouteneff, professor of Systematic Theology and co-chair of IOTA’s Dogmatic Theology section; Dr. Gayle Woloschak, professor of Bioethics and IOTA’s vice president, Trustee Frank Cerra, and Alumnus Archpriest Michael Oleksa.
"Jerusalem was the perfect setting for the first formal meeting of IOTA as plans are being made for the first conference to be held in Romania in January 2019,” observed Fr. Chad. “The link between Old World and New World is one important piece as this new association forms, and our seminary is taking a lead in building bridges on the international level."
IOTA was founded by Professor Paul Gavrilyuk, who teaches at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Long an active member of the Orthodox Theological Society in America (OTSA), Dr. Gavrilyuk saw the need for an international body that would, as IOTA’s mission statement indicates, “Facilitate an international scholarly exchange in the context of the Orthodox tradition.” Besides theologians, IOTA includes philosophers, historians, social scientists, political scientists, ethicists, biomedical scientists, and other professionals.
Professor Bouteneff noted, “I’ve long been in conversation with Paul about IOTA, and it was thrilling to be in Jerusalem to see his vision become our shared vision, and begin to take shape. There was palpable energy in the room, and a spirit of collegiality and hope. I think that the Iaşi meeting will be significant.”
Also present in Jerusalem were Catalin Jeckel from the Iaşi diocese, and Dn. Gheorghe Cristian Popa of Trinitas TV, a media outlet of the Romanian Patriarchate that produced a video about the Jerusalem meeting and the forthcoming Iaşi conference. The video has already been broadcast in Romania and is viewable here, with English subtitles.
IOTA is accepting paper proposals within any of its 25 sections, in preparation for the 2019 inaugural meeting: for details, see http://iota-web.org. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2018.
View a video of the January 10–12, 2018 IOTA meeting in Jerusalem here. View a related article on IOTA’s website here.
St. Vladimir's Seminary│Three Hierarchs Chapel,575 Scarsdale Road,10707,Yonkers,NY,US
Decades ago, masterpieces from the Orthodox musical tradition by composers such as Tchaikovsky and Bortniansky used to be sung regularly by average church choirs in both Russia and America. However, as choir membership in America dwindled in many parishes, the ability to sing challenging repertoire likewise diminished. Works from the past became mere museum pieces, and new works being created by gifted church musicians remained beyond the reach of many parish choirs. Both traditional and fresh compositions are often now heard only either in concert or on recordings.
St. Vladimir’s Seminary Chorale—a volunteer campus community choir—is making it part of their ministry to sing masterpieces of Orthodox music within liturgical services in Three Hierarchs Chapel. The Chorale plans bi-annually to invite the public to hear beautifully composed and arranged hymns in their proper setting: communal worship.
On Saturday, February 10, 2018, at 6:30 p.m., the Chorale will commence its “Orthodox Masterpieces” series by singing Great Vespers in Three Hierarchs Chapel, featuring select compositions by Archpriest Sergei Glagolev. Father Sergei is noted for his pioneering work in introducing English-language musical compositions into Orthodox Christian church services—inspired hymnography with a uniquely American sound. Following the liturgical service, fellow worshippers are invited to hear an educational talk by seminary faculty and to enjoy a light reception.
“No other place in America has woven together the study and practice of liturgy like St. Vladimir’s,” noted Robin Freeman, who is Director of Music at the Seminary. “Our understanding of the liturgy owes much both to liturgical theologians like Fr. Alexander Schmemann, who lived and taught here, and to musicians like David Drillock, who led the seminary community in the daily music of our chapel services.
“Our Orthodox Masterpieces series aims to continue this synthesis of the study and practice of Orthodox music and liturgy at St. Vladimir’s,” she explained, “allowing us not only to educate our own students and chapel community, but also to welcome friends, inquirers, donors, alumni, and all music lovers, regardless of their religious backgrounds.
“In addition to being liturgical and educational,” she concluded, “our bi-annual Masterpiece series presentation will offer an opportunity for evangelism, deepening the faith of Orthodox Christians and presenting the Orthodox faith to others.”
During Fall Semester 2017, four new priests had been added to the ranks of our Student Body and Alumni fellowship, as well as one new deacon. Additionally, one of our alumni, Fr. Basil Doroszkiewicz, was ordained to the episcopacy, and another alumnus, Fr. Nathan Preston, received the monastic tonsure. (View detailed listing below.)
We keep them in prayer as they continue in their ministries. Axios!
HOLY EPISCOPACY
His Grace Warsonofiusz (Fr. Basil Doroszkiewicz), Alumnus (M.Th. ’87) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in Poland Monastic Life: Tonsured as Riasophore monk 8OCT80 at the Monastery of St. Onufry in Jabłeczna; received small schema 18DEC90 at St. Onufry Monastery, by the hands of the Bishop Abel of Lublin and Chełm, taking the name Warsonofius, in honor of St. Warsonofiusza Wielki; raised to the dignity of Igumen inn 1995; raised to the dignity of archimandrite on 18MAR04 Holy Diaconate: Ordained to the Holy Diaconate 9OCT80 at St. Onufry Monastery in Jabłeczna Holy Priesthood: Ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Beatitude Metropolitan Theodosius, Metropolitan of Washington, all of America and Canada, Orthodox Church in America (OCA), 14SEPT83, while pursuing studies at St. Vladimir’s Seminary Holy Episcopacy: Elected by the Holy Council of Bishops of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Warsaw and Bielsko, with title of Bishop of Siemiatycze on 24AUG17; Ordained Bishop of Siemiatycze, Poland on Sunday, 8OCT17, the first episcopal ordination in the 586-year-old parish Current Ministry: Bishop of Siemiatycze, Poland Education and Professional Background: Doctor of Theology 2001, Christian Theological Academy, Warsaw. Most recently served as Chair of Orthodox Theology at the University of Bialystok; authored several monographs, including: In the shadow of Chalcedon, Byzantine monasticism from the mid-9th to the mid-15th century, and over 80 other scholarly articles; served as vice-president of the National Committee of the Bible Society in Poland for the 2011–2016 term; participated in the preparation of the ecumenical translation of the Bible, authoring the translation of the Book of Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah
HOLY PRIESTHOOD
Priest Antony (Mina) Andrews, Alumnus (M.A. 2014) Jurisdiction: Coptic Orthodox Church, Patriarchate of Alexandria, Egypt Holy Diaconate: Ordained by His Grace Bishop David, Diocese of New York & New England, in St. Mary & St. Mena Coptic Orthodox Church, Cranston, RI, 31JAN16 Holy Priesthood: Ordained by His Grace Bishop David, Diocese of New York & New England in St. Mary & St. Antonios Coptic Orthodox Church, Ridgewood (Queens), NY, 17SEPT17 Current Ministry: St. Mary & St. Antonios Coptic Orthodox Church, Ridgewood (Queens), NY Education and Professional Background: B.S. in Management with Accounting Concentration (New Jersey Institute of Technology); Project Support Specialist for one year at Public Service Electricity & Gas (PSEG); Master of Arts and Continuing Education, Master of Divinity, St. Vladimir’s Seminary; Doctor of Ministry Candidate, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Priest Peter Fermeglia, Seminarian (Special Course of Study 2017–2018) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Holy Priesthood: Father Peter, born Charles Sergio, was raised in the Roman Catholic faith. He was received as a priest by Vesting, by His Eminence the Most Reverend Benjamin, Archbishop of San Francisco and the Diocese of the West, during the Divine Liturgy for the Nativity of Our Lord at Holy Trinity Cathedral, San Francisco, 25DEC17. Current ministry: Parish assignment at Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Jersey City, NJ, under the mentorship of Rector, Archpriest Joseph Lickwar Educational and professional background: B.A. in Philosophy, Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception; M.Div., Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Huntington, LI; Ordained to the Diaconate, May 1, 1988, in the Seminary Chapel of the Immaculate Conception; and to the Priesthood, May 28, 1988, in St. James Cathedral, Brooklyn, by His Excellency, Bishop Francis J. Mugavero, D.D.; ministry has included parish work, hospital chaplaincy, and music directorship
Priest Christopher Moore, 3rd-year Seminarian (M.Div. program) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Diaconate: Ordained by His Grace the Right Reverend Paul, Bishop of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest, in Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, 1APR17 Priesthood: Ordained by His Grace the Right Reverend Paul, Bishop of Chicago and the Diocese of the Midwest, in Three Hierarchs Chapel, St. Vladimir’s Seminary, 21NOV17 Current ministry: Student parish assignment at Ss. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, South River, NJ, under the mentorship of Rector, Archpriest David F. Garretson; student leader of the St. Innocent Mission Society, under the auspices of the Student Council Educational and professional background: B.M. in Music Composition; Administrative Assistant at Evangelical Baptist Missions organization; Woodwind Performer and Private Lessons Teacher; missionary with Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) since 2012
Priest Jeremiah Phillips,3rd-year Seminarian (M.Div. program) Jurisdiction: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (AOCANA) Diaconate: Ordained by His Grace Nicholas, Bishop of Brooklyn, New York, and Washington, D.C., and assistant to Metropolitan Joseph, Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, in St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, Bridgeport, CT, 11DEC16 Priesthood: Ordained by His Eminence, Metropolitan Joseph, Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, in St. Andrew Orthodox Church, Riverside, CA, 26NOV17 Current ministry: Student parish assignment at St. George Orthodox Church, Little Falls, NJ Educational and professional background: B.A. in Graphic Design and Digital Media from California Baptist University in 2009; General Services Department of Provident Savings Bank in Riverside, CA
HOLY DIACONATE
Deacon John Black, Special Student, Liturgical Music Studies Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Diaconate: Ordained by His Eminence the Most Reverend Mark, Archbishop of Philadelphia an Eastern Pennsylvania, Holy Trinity Church, Pottstown, PA, 16DEC17 Current ministry: Attached to Holy Trinity Church, Pottstown, PA, under the omophorion of Archbishop Mark Educational and professional background: Bachelor of Arts in Music from Lebanon Valley College, PA, where he studied music education, composition, and percussion; studied liturgical music at St. Vladimir's Seminary and also completed the Diaconal Formation Program offered through St. Tikhon’s Seminary; served as choir director in NYC area, NJ, and PA; assisted in arranging and typesetting for the Department of Liturgical Music of the Orthodox Church in America from 2005–2009
MONASTIC TONSURE & ELEVATIONS
Hieromonk Nikodhim (Father Nathan Preston), Alumnus (M.Div. 2007) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA), Albanian Archdiocese Tonsured as Riasophore Monk: Tonsured by His Eminence the Most Reverend Nikon, Archbishop of Boston and the Diocese of New England and the Albanian Archdiocese, at St. John Chrysostom Albanian Orthodox Church, Philadelphia, PA, 23SEPT17, following the conclusion of the archdiocesan assembly Current Ministry: Rector, St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church, Jamaica Estates, Queens Borough, NYC; Administrator of the Department of Pastoral Life, OCA
Mitered Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky, Alumnus (M.Div. Studies 1964–1967) Jurisdiction: Orthodox Church in America (OCA) Elevation: Elevated to the dignity of Mitered Archpriest by His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, by the hand of His Eminence the Most Reverend Michael, Archbishop of New York of the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, on behalf of the Holy Synod, at the Church of Our Lady of Kazan, Sea Cliff, NY, 22OCT17 Current Ministry: Rector, Our Lady of Kazan, Sea Cliff, NY; Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations for the OCA
Photo credits: Nichalaus Mueller, Alexandru Popovici, Mat. Sophia Sokolov, Fr. Dimitrie Vincent, Diocese of Eastern PA, Orthphoto.net, Parish of Our Lady of Kazan
Archpriest John Behr, the Father Georges Florovsky Distinguished Professor of Patristics at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, has published a new critical edition and translation of Origen’s On First Principles, together with a lengthy introduction, which is sure to become a significant new resource in the fields of dogmatic theology, church history, and patristic studies. The book is published by Oxford University Press, as part of their Oxford Early Christian Texts series.
Origen’s On First Principles, written around AD 220—230, is one of the most important, and controversial, of early Christian writings. It provided a frame of reference for many of the debates in the following centuries. Saints Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian included lengthy passages of it in their Philokalia—almost of third of Origen’s On First Principles, in total. But it also provoked controversy when written; further debate when translated into Latin by Rufinus at the end of the fourth century; and was the subject, together with its author, of condemnation in the sixth century. The edition and English translation that remained standard for the twentieth century was based on this condemnation, together with statements reportedly coming from the work.
However, through a careful examination of the original work and its structure, Fr. John argues for a different understanding of the text, with significant implications for how the text is to be read and for how the character of theology in the early Christian tradition is to be understood. He argues for a more sympathetic understanding of Origen’s work, viewed through the lens of the liturgical worship of the Church, a timeless celebration of the eternal Eucharistic offering and sacrifice. Within that context, Fr. John claims, readers can see the accusations made against Origen in his own time and thereafter in a new light.
“Origen of Alexandria has always been a perplexing figure, for the centuries that followed him just as much as for our own,” noted Fr. John. “I have proposed a different structuring to the work,” he went on, “and in doing so suggest, in the introduction, that Origen should be read in a different key altogether, that is, an apocalyptic key.
For example, Origen’s alleged belief in pre-existent intellects descending into ranks of increasingly dense bodies via a pre-cosmic fall—“ideas that were (rightly!) anathematized in the sixth century” remarks Fr. John—do not actually occur within the work. “I argue,” Fr. John explained, “that Origen was not ever talking about pre-existent souls falling into bodies, a mythology based in his supposedly wild allegory, as he is usually caricatured, but rather about our participation, even now, in the eschatological liturgy, expounded by an ‘apocalyptic’ reading of Scripture that is intrinsic to the proclamation of the gospel from the beginning.”
Re-reading Origen’s densely layered writing, Fr. John painstakingly works through the text, to see it in the framework of the ancient patristic and scriptural worldview, in order to view it in its original context. He uncovers a worldview in which the heavenly and the earthly coexist together, in a dimension outside of historical time and divided space. In doing so, he not only offers readers a better understanding of Origen’s text (akin to Scriptural apocalyptic literature) but also the heart of understanding early Christian theology—and the methods employed therein—and, for that matter, the nature of Christian theology altogether.
His Grace, Bishop Mark [Forsberg], former Bishop of Boston, fell asleep in the Lord on Monday, January 8, 2018. Bishop Mark was consecrated to the episcopacy on November 10, 1979. He served the Orthodox Church in America’s Albanian Archdiocese, succeeding His Grace, Bishop Stephen [Lasko], and the Diocese of New England. After his retirement in the mid-1980s, he served in a variety of other capacities.
Additional information and the service schedule will be posted as they become available on the Orthodox Church in America's website, here.
