Our St. Vladimir’s Seminary community extends its deepest sympathy to our Coptic Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters in Cairo, Egypt, after hearing of the deadly explosion inside St. Peter Church early Sunday, December 11, 2016. At least twenty-three people were killed instantly in the bombing, and another 49 were injured, including three critically wounded. The current death toll stands at 25.

The church, which is attached to the Coptic Cathedral of St. Mark, was built in 1911 on the tomb of Boutros Ghali, who was Egypt's prime minister from 1908 to 1910. The blast occurred in the church's “ladies section,” according to local media. The Cathedral of St. Mark was left undamaged. A security source stated that the explosion was caused by a 12 kilogram TNT bomb.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing so far. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said that the country will observe three days of mourning following the explosion.

His Grace Anba Suriel, an alumnus of St. Vladimir’s Seminary and currently the Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Melbourne, Canberra, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and New Zealand, traveled to Cairo for the funerals of the victims and posted a reflection about the tragedy on his Facebook page.

Archpriest John Behr, dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, is also traveling to Cairo, to deliver a previously scheduled presentation at the Anafora Conference, titled, "Saint Irenaeus and Enlightened Humanity," with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, and His Eminence Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Cardinal of Lyon in attendance. Father John will be in Cairo from December 14–15.

The Seminary community offers prayers for Fr. John’s safe travels, and prays for the eternal rest of the new martyrs in Cairo.

(Photo used with permission by Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE)

On Monday, December 12, at 4:30 pm, in the Seminary’s Three Hierarch’s Chapel, immediately prior to Great Vespers, the annual memorial service (panikhida) for the repose of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann of blessed memory will be held.

Father Alexander was Dean and Professor of Liturgical Theology at St. Vladimir’s Seminary from 1962–1983 and was instrumental in educating a generation of Orthodox priests. During his tenure, the Seminary achieved wide recognition as a center of Orthodox theological studies

Besides teaching at St. Vladimir's, he held positions as adjunct professor at Columbia University, New York University, Union Seminary, and General Theological Seminary in New York, and was a popular guest lecturer at many universities throughout the country. He was also active as a representative of the Orthodox Church in the ecumenical movement, and held positions in the Youth Department and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.

Father Alexander published more than a dozen books which received wide circulation, including For the Life of the World, Introduction to Liturgical Theology, Ultimate Questions, and Church, World, Mission, and numerous articles and tracts. For the Life of the World, a volume on Christian faith as reflected in liturgy, has been translated into numerous languages and remains one of the most popular works on Orthodox Christianity for the general public. His major study, The Eucharist, was completed only weeks before his death.

On the anniversary of his death, December 13th, words from his work The Services of Christmas: The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (eds. David Anderson and John Erickson, Department of Religious Education, Orthodox Church in America, Syosset, New York, 1981) remind us of his vibrant faith and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Christ is born, glorify Him!"

With these words something changes in our life, in the very air we breathe, in the entire mood of the Church’s life. It is as if we perceive far, far away, the first light of the greatest possible joy—the coming of God into His world! Thus the Church announces the coming of Christ, the Incarnation of God, His entrance into the world for its salvation. 

Memory Eternal!

On Friday, January 13, 2017, Archpriest John Behr, dean and professor of Patristics at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, will present his inaugural lecture as holder of the Metropolitan Kallistos Chair in Orthodox Theology at the Amsterdam Centre for Orthodox Theology (ACOT) in the Vrije Universiteit (VU). Father John’s lecture, titled, “The Paschal Gospel: Reading John in Early and Eastern Christianity,” will be posted on the Seminary’s website after it is presented.

Father John was appointed to the newly created Chair by the Executive Board of VU on September 1, 2016. He retains his position as Dean of St. Vladimir’s, but will visit ACOT a number of times each year to give instruction. This year he is beginning his teaching in Amsterdam on December 9, 2016, with a special public study of the Paschal Sermon by Melito of Sardis. In his new capacity, he also will have the opportunity to supervise doctoral students.

“It is a great honor to be installed as the Metropolitan Kallistos Chair in Orthodox Theology by the Vrije Universiteit, named after my beloved teacher,” said Fr. John, “and also now to have the opportunity to work for the theological formation of students in the Netherlands and to be able to take doctoral students from around the world.

“This honor will also enable a greater cooperation between St. Vladimir's Seminary and institutions of theological instruction in Europe,” he noted.

The schedule of inaugural festivities at ACOT includes:

• 10:00 a.m. Theology and Scripture: This dialogue will be between Father John Behr and his Dutch colleagues about his academic work. The public is invited to register to receive by email the texts that will be discussed, and to listen in.
•  1:30 p.m. Seminar on Orthodox Theological Education: Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of Diokleia is anticipated to be in attendance
•  3:45 p.m. Inaugural Lecture: Father John Behr presents, “The Paschal Gospel: Reading John in Early and Eastern Christianity.”
•  5:00 p.m. Congratulatory Reception

Those wishing to attend the events should register here.

Link to the Inaugural Lecture invitation here.

Archpriest John Behr
Orthodox Parish Amersfoort,Matthias Withoosstraat 34, 3812 ST ,Amersfoort,NL

Devotees of the church fathers will have the pleasure of hearing Archpriest John Behr, dean and professor of Patristics at St. Vladimir’s Seminary, explicate the Paschal Sermon of Melito, second century exegete and apologist who served as bishop of Sardis near Lydia, Asia Minor.

The event, hosted by the Amsterdam Center for Orthodox Theology (ACOT), is the first in a new series about Orthodox theology open to the general public.

The study will take place at the Orthodox Parish Amersfoort, Matthias Withoosstraat 34, 3812 ST Amersfoort, on Friday, December 9, 2016. Coffee and tea will be served at 6:30 p.m., and the study will start at 7:00 p.m. and end around 9:00 p.m.

The cost is €5, for a bilingual edition of the text, which can be bought through ACOT. Participants are asked to register by using this form.

St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University have issued a call for papers for an international conference that will explore research, practices, and creativity regarding the nexus between sound and the sacred. The conference, entitled, “Arvo Pärt: Sounding the Sacred,” will be held from May 1–4, 2017, at McNally Amphitheater, 140 W. 62nd St., at Fordham’s Lincoln Center Campus in the heart of New York City’s vibrant music scene.

The conference—a continuation of the Seminary’s Arvo Pärt Project (APP)—is also the second in a series of events planned between Fall 2016 and Spring 2018 by St. Vladimir’s Seminary, all of which are a part of its Sacred Arts Initiative (SAI) funded in part by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. Peter C. Bouteneff, professor of Systematic Theology at the Seminary and director of the SAI, is also co-director of the APP.

The conference will bring together scholars from diverse fields, such as music, theology, sacred acoustics/sound studies, architecture, religious studies, and philosophy, as well as artists experienced in the performance and recording of Arvo Pärt’s music. Musical performances, presentations, and discussion sessions will be interwoven throughout the conference.

The conference will be open to the general public to register, and registration details/fees are forthcoming through the SAI website. A separately ticketed concert to go along with the conference is being planned.

Conference speakers include Jeffers Engelhardt, Alexander Lingas, Bissera Pentcheva, Kevin Karnes, Toomas Siitan, Andrew Shenton, and Robert Saler. As well, an exclusive filmed interview with Paul Hillier on the conference theme will be screened.

The SAI website further explains the intent of the conference, noting: “The music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is frequently connected with experiences of the sacred, and, although the composer’s religious affiliation is specifically Orthodox Christian, his music and its impact carry an appeal beyond confessional and religious boundaries—crossing over customary distinctions between classical and popular music, sacred and secular art, and liturgical space and concert hall.

“The unique impact of Pärt’s music has been explored from the discipline of musicology—and more recently through the lens of spirituality— but not yet in terms of the more basic elements of sound and embodiment.

“Through our proposed two-fold approach with more or less direct relationship to the Pärt repertoire, we seek to break new ground exploring primary questions around how music achieves its visceral and spiritual effect on human beings through the materiality of the movement of air impressing itself on the human body”—that is, sound.

Papers of ~2,000 words, exploring the connection between sound and the sacred are welcomed. Proposals of 500 words (maximum) may be emailed to Dr. Bouteneff at mailto:pcb@svots.edu by January 15, 2017. Papers accepted for delivery at the conference will also be reviewed for inclusion in the publication of its proceedings.

For further information contact: conference@arvopartproject.com.

Archpriest John Behr, Dean
St. George Greek Orthodox Church,818 Valley Road,07013,Clifton,NJ,US

On Saturday, December 3, 2016, our seminary Dean, Father John Behr, will present a free and public lecture, “Dying to Live,” at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Clifton, NJ, from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Coffee and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP at the church office 973.779.2626 or stgeorgeadmn@gmail.com

Archpriest Chad Hatfield, President
Eighth Day Books,2838 East Douglas,67214,Wichita,KS,US

SVS Press fans in the Midwest will have an opportunity to attend a book launch of the latest Press offering, Patriarch Kirill in His Own Words, recently released on the occasion of the 70^th birthday of His Holiness Kirill, patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The new volume is part of the Press’s Profile Series, edited by Archpriest Chad Hatfield, and is made up of short excerpts from Patriarch Kirill’s homilies, articles, media interviews, and formal speeches, laid out in a “daily reading” format. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear first-hand about Fr. Chad’s engagement with Patriarch Kirill, which resulted in this extraordinary volume.
Book-lovers may attend the launch either Wednesday, December 7, 2016, at St. Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, Oklahoma City, OK, following 6 p.m. vespers; or Friday, December 9, 2016, at Eighth Day Books, 2838 East Douglas, Wichita, KS 67214, at 7:30 p.m.

Archpriest Chad Hatfield, President
St. Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church,15000 North May Avenue,73134,Oklahoma City,OK,US

SVS Press fans in the Midwest will have an opportunity to attend a book launch of the latest Press offering, Patriarch Kirill in His Own Words, recently released on the occasion of the 70^th birthday of His Holiness Kirill, patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The new volume is part of the Press’s Profile Series, edited by Archpriest Chad Hatfield, and is made up of short excerpts from Patriarch Kirill’s homilies, articles, media interviews, and formal speeches, laid out in a “daily reading” format. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear first-hand about Fr. Chad’s engagement with Patriarch Kirill, which resulted in this extraordinary volume.

Book-lovers may attend the launch either Wednesday, December 7, 2016, at St. Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, Oklahoma City, OK, following 6 p.m. vespers; or Friday, December 9, 2016, at Eighth Day Books, 2838 East Douglas, Wichita, KS 67214, at 7:30 p.m.

During fall semester, students in our newly formed “Doctor of Ministry Cohort, Class of 2019” met on campus for their first onsite intensive. The eight students in the Cohort enthusiastically engaged in two core courses in their program: “Youth Ministry,” taught by the Very Reverend Dr. Joseph Purpura; and “Missiology,” taught by the Reverend Dr. Gregory Edwards.

In addition to parish clergy, the Cohort includes a foreign missionary and a hospice chaplain. Students in the Cohort—representing six Orthodox Christian jurisdictions in the U.S., Canada, Albania, and Finland—favorably commented on their first-semester D.Min. experience, noting that the program exceeded their expectations and offered knowledge that could be practically applied in their given fields of ministry.

Father Ian Shipley of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Mission, Chico, CA, said the D.Min. program has provided him with the “unique opportunity to engage with top-notch professors and fellow students about topics that are of immediate concern to the work of ministry in today's world.”

Hospice Chaplain Sarah Byrne-Martelli remarked, "The D.Min. has pushed me to think theologically about my work in new ways, and to reflect on how I hope to continue to serve the Church,” and added, “I am enjoying the peer interactions as well; it is very enriching to engage in dialogue with Orthodox colleagues from different jurisdictions and ministry backgrounds."

Father Teo Merras of Finland attested to the program’s intensity and depth, saying, “If you ask my colleagues [back home], you would probably get an answer that I wasn't ‘present in this world’ because of my constant reading and thinking!”

Students in the D.Min. Cohort of 2019 will resume their online studies after Pascha in the summer term. They will be studying “Ministry in a Secular Age,” taught by the Very Reverend Dr. John Jillions, and “Liturgical Life and Pastoral Ministry,” taught by Dr. Grant White. They will be back on campus July 16–22 for the summer term onsite intensive.

Meanwhile, students in the D.Min. Cohort of 2017—slated to earn their degrees in December 2017—are working on their final projects, which will combine doctoral level research with critical reflection on the practice of ministry. The main objective of their final projects is to provide concrete resource material for others in ministry. Details about their projects will be announced at the Doctor of Ministry Commencement, which will occur on the occasion of the Annual Father Alexander Schmemann Lecture in early 2018.

“I’m overjoyed by the work being done by both Cohorts—those just beginning their doctoral research and those involved in the highly creative process of their final projects,” said the Reverend Dr. J. Sergius Halvorsen, director of the D.Min. Program at St. Vladimir’s.

“Every time I observe them interacting in the classroom and with each other, I have confidence that they will enrich parishes, chaplaincy settings, and the wider Church, through their newly gained knowledge and skills in applied pastoral practice.”

Learn more about some of the students in the D.Min. Cohort of 2017 and Cohort of 2019 by reading their Student Profiles.

Learn more about the D.Min. Program and need-based scholarships funded by the “Danilchick Family Endowment for Pastoral Studies.”

As part of the Jubilee Celebration marking the 70th birthday of His Holiness Kirill, patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press (SVS Press) released a collection of his writings, titled, Patriarch Kirill in His Own Words, on Friday, November 18, 2016. The new volume is laid out in an engaging “daily reading” format, and includes short excerpts from Patriarch Kirill’s homilies, media interviews, articles, and formal speeches, among other published talks and writings.

The book is Volume 7 of the Press’s Profile Series, edited by Archpriest Chad Hatfield, CEO of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, who was present in Russia for the occasion. SVS Press’s English-language version of the work was released simultaneously with a Russian-language version published by Ss. Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute for Post-Graduate Studies, as a joint publication venture.

The introduction to the book, written by His Eminence Hilarion, metropolitan of Volokolamsk and chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations, states, in part: “This book allows the living voice of Patriarch Kirill to be heard in English for all American readers who want to listen…the Patriarch [conveys] the eternal gospel truths, the divine truth that remains unchanged, regardless of the external circumstances of the world.”

Within the body of his new work, Patriarch Kirill explains his vision for the Orthodox Church’s mission and public life, including an explication of the relationship between church and state, and his thoughts on the relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Church in America. He also offers counsel on internal spiritual warfare, that is, how to battle sinful passions and acquire Christian virtues amidst the temptations and distractions of twenty-first century life.

“I know this book will be an inspiring surprise to North American readers,” said Fr. Chad, “as Patriarch Kirill’s words were to me, when I first encountered them. It’s my joy to share his vision with the English-speaking world.”

Order Patriarch Kirill in His Own Words from SVS Press.