The Father Georges Florovsky Library of St. Vladimir’s Seminary has been recently immensely enriched by a donation of books from alumnus Fr. John Leonard (M.Div. ‘72, M.Th. ‘73). The library, now holding over 145,000 volumes and receiving over 350 periodicals each year, is considered one the richest resources available in the North American continent for research in Eastern Christianity.
Eleana Silk, librarian at St. Vladimir’s, noted the exceptional value of the collection, saying, "We have been anticipating receiving this donation for many years now. One of the greatest values of the collection is that Fr. John collected materials from a different geographic perspective during his many years in the Holy Land. His donation will bring many books from Europe and the Middle East that are not normally found in a North American library."
Theodore C. Bazil, associate chancellor for Advancement, in his letter of acknowledgement to Fr. Leonard, wrote:
I want to express profound thanks to you for your recent and most wonderful gift of approximately 3,000 volumes of your personal library to St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. I know your nurtured collection represents over 50 years of carefully collected books that span a broad range of subjects. Your books are purposely eclectic and attest to your lifelong interest and reading in Eastern and Western theology, Christian art, literature, and biblical studies, as well as many other subjects. Over 900 titles alone comprise the Christian art and architecture section.
Your early life in the United States Foreign Service and later service as chaplain to the community of nuns in Nazareth for twenty-three years allowed you to add a rich component of books to our library on Islamic, Jewish, and biblical archeological studies. The collection attests to your mastery of languages. How many libraries can boast that they actually have a book in the Samaritan language?
Your donation is an extremely important resource that will benefit this generation and future generations of students, readers, and researchers. It brings great intellectual value to our library and buttresses the remarks of Dr. James Billington, Librarian of Congress, when speaking about our seminary library: “[I] consider its contents to be perhaps the finest collection of eastern Christian literature in the western hemisphere (second only to the Library of Congress, of course). It is a resource which should be made available not only to Orthodox scholars but also to the general academic community.”
The famed vocal chamber ensemble Cappella Romana will sing the responses during Great Vespers and Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Archangels in our Three Hierarchs Chapel. We warmly welcome our friends and neighbors to celebrate with us and to hear the solemn beauty of this choral group, which travels throughout the world. Great Vespers will be celebrated at 5 p.m. on Monday, November 7; Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, November 8.
Founded in 1991, Cappella Romana’s name refers to the medieval Greek concept of the Roman oikoumene (inhabited world), which embraced Rome and Western Europe, as well as the Byzantine Empire of Constantinople ("New Rome") and its Slavic commonwealth. The chamber ensemble dedicated to combining passion with scholarship in its exploration of the musical traditions of the Christian East and West, with emphasis on early and contemporary music. The choir will be in residence on the seminary campus from November 5th–10th.
Margaret Barker, an independent scholar who has developed an approach to Biblical Studies now known as Temple Theology, will be the presenter at the 29th Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture on Sunday, January 29, 2012, at 4 p.m. The lecture, titled "Our Great High Priest: The Church as the New Temple," is free and open to the public and will be held in the John G. Family Rangos Building on our campus.
Dr. Barker read theology at the University of Cambridge, England, and then went on to pursue her research independently. She has received wide recognition for her fascinating scholarship, based on the premise that early Christian theology matured so quickly because it was a return to a far older faith. Dr. Barker believes that those who preserved the ancient tradition rejected the second temple and longed for the restoration of the original true temple and the faith of Abraham, and of Melchizedek, the first priest-king. In her writings, she refutes the scholarly assumption that crucial Christian concepts such as the Trinity, the earth as a reflection of heaven, and the cosmic structure of the atonement, are informed by Greek culture. Rather, she argues, they are drawn from the eclipsed faith of the first temple. In this vein, Dr. Barker has so far written 15 books, which form a sequence, with later volumes building on her earlier conclusions.
Dr. Barker was elected President of the Society for Old Testament Study in 1998, and edited the Society’s second Monograph Series, published by Ashgate. Since 1997, she has been part of the symposium Religion, Science, and the Environment, convened by His All Holiness Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch. This work has led her to develop the practical implications of temple theology as the basis for a Christian environment theology.
In July 2008 she was awarded a D.D. by the Archbishop of Canterbury "in recognition of her work on the Jerusalem Temple and the origins of Christian Liturgy, which has made a significantly new contribution to our understanding of the New Testament and opened up important fields for research."
Please join us for this intriguing lecture. Find us on Google Maps.
To get a sampling of Dr. Barker's research, and to hear her on YouTube, visit her website www.margaretbarker.com.
Father Gabriel Bunge, renowned patristics scholar, contemplative monk, and author, who also has published withSt. Vladimir's Seminary Press, recently was received into the highest level of monastic life: the "Great Schema." He made his profession of vows and received his tonsure by the hand of His Grace Nestor, bishop the Diocese of Korsun of the Moscow Patriarchate, at the Skete of the Elevation of the Cross in the Swiss Province of Lugano, Switzerland. At his tonsure, he was given once more the name "Gabriel" in honor of St. Gabriel of Constantinople, a martyr of the 17th century.
Father Gabriel was received into the Orthodox Christian faith in 2010, after having lived the eremitical life as a Benedictine monk in Switzerland since the 1980s. He wrote the SVS Press title, Dragon's Wine and Angel's Bread, an exposition of the teaching of Evagrius Ponticus (AD 343–399), a desert monk, on anger and meekness. He also authored another press title, The Rublev Trinity: The Icon of the Trinity by Monk-Painter Andrei Rublev, a highly detailed and critically researched work that explains the magnificent icon painted by St. Andrew Rublev.
Upcoming in December from SVS Press is another title of Fr. Gabriel, Despondency: The Spiritual Teaching of Evagrius Ponticus on Acedia. The book is a companion volume to Dragon's Wine and Angel's Bread, and it examines the all-too-human condition of spiritual discouragement, often termed "weariness of the soul." It is one of the few books available in English to deal exclusively with the problem of despondency (acedia), and how it can be overcome by building a dam, as it were, against negative thinking, and by acquiring apositive attitude.
Read the Russian language article about Father Gabriel's tonsure here.
From February 9–11, 2012, the St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute will hold an international conference to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the falling asleep in the Lord of Protopresbyter John Meyendorff, one of the most renowned Orthodox theologians of the twentieth century. The conference theme is "The Legacy of Father John Meyendorff, Scholar and Churchman (1926–1992)."
Father John served as dean of St. Vladimir's Seminary from 1984 to 1992, and as professor of Church History here from 1959 to 1992; he also taught at the St. Sergius Institute, prior to coming to the United Sates.
Dr. Paul Meyendorff, the son of Fr. John, and also The Father Alexander Schmemann Professor of Liturgical Theology at our seminary, is slated to speak at the conference. His scheduled presentation is titled "Father John Meyendorff’s Role in the Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America."
At the Conference in February 2012, the St. Sergius Institute will honor its former student and teacher with lectures and a Round Table on the various domains in which he worked: theology (in all its aspects), Church History (Byzantium and the Slavic world), and the Orthodox Church today.
Born on February 17, 1926, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, in a family of the Baltic aristocracy, "Baron Ioan Theophilevich Meyendorff" grew up in the Parisian milieu of Russian emigrants. Having finished his secondary education, the young Meyendorff enrolled at St. Sergius in 1944. At that time the Institute was the center of theological renewal in the Orthodox world, counting among its professors major representatives of the Russian intelligentsia, such as Frs. Sergius Bulgakov, Georges Florovsky, Cyprian Kern, Nicholas Afanasiev, and Professor Anthony Kartachov. Among his fellow students at St. Sergius was his friend from early childhood, Alexander Schmemann. During his years of study at the Institute, John (Jean) Meyendorff began to take courses at the University of Paris (the Sorbonne). Once he completed his coursework at St. Sergius, the Institute engaged him to teach Church History and Ancient Greek. His studies were crowned in 1958 with a doctoral dissertation at the Sorbonne on the Byzantine theologian St. Gregory Palamas.
The next year, he was ordained to the priesthood. He then left with his family for the United States at the invitation of Fr. Alexander Schmemann, who had been teaching at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary since 1951. Fr. John taught Patristics and Church History at St. Vladimir’s, and Byzantine History at nearby Fordham University.
Fr. John's thesis on Palamas—the original French version of which was soon out of print and has never been re-edited—acquired for him a notable reputation in both ecclesiastical and academic circles. This book, which in French bears the modest title Introduction à l’étude de Grégoire Palamas (translated into English under the title A Study of Gregory Palamas [SVS Press, ), remains a classic which cannot be ignored by any student of Byzantine theology. Fr. John provided an important contribution to the rediscovery of this great and important Byzantine theologian of the 14th century, a rediscovery which had already begun with the works of Fr. Dumitru Staniloae, Fr. (later Archbishop) Basil (Krivocheïn), Fr. Cyprian Kern and Vladimir Lossky.
Father John further is widely considered to be one of the most important representatives of the direction in Orthodox theology known as the “Neo-patristic Synthesis” (the term is from Fr. Georges Florovsky); the word “neo” indicating that it is not simply a return to the study of the church fathers or a “theology of repetition,” but rather is representative of a creative rediscovery of the living tradition of the Church. The theological works of Fr. John are essentially shaped by an historical approach that left its profound mark on Orthodox theology in the twentieth century. In this regard, he turned out to be a student par excellence of Fr. Georges Florovsky, whom he had known both in person and through his works, though not having been formally his student at St. Sergius (at that time, Patristics was taught by Fr. Cyprian Kern).
Fr. John’s activities were not limited to the academic world and to theological and historical studies. He was always actively engaged in church life. This is why he gained such great respect in the ecclesial world, both within and beyond the Orthodox Church. He was a co-founder and president of “Syndesmos,” the World Federation of Orthodox Youth Movements; and he was a member of “Faith and Order” of the World Council of Churches, a department over which he presided for almost ten years, from 1967 until 1976. It is due to his efforts, and to those of his friend and colleague Fr. Alexander Schmemann, that the Russian Orthodox Church in America, known then as “the Metropolia,” obtained autocephaly from its Mother Church in 1970, under the name of “The Orthodox Church in America” (OCA).
For a complete description of the international conference, including the detailed program and registration form, visit the Website of St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute, here.
Military chaplains, solemn and dignified in crisp dress uniforms, were honored guests at our annual open house, Orthodox Education Day, this year with the theme, “For God and Country.” The seminary, recognizing the "double Cross" Orthodox Christian chaplains bear in their obedience to the Church and military authorities, filled the day with special presentations and exhibitions, all of which paid homage to our military service men and women, and especially to the "fathers in the field" who serve as pastors to them.
The excellent keynote by The Rev. Dr. Philip LeMasters, "Orthodox Perspectives on Peace, War, and Violence," and the especially moving workshop by Dr. Stephen Muse, "Listen, Witness, and Weep: What Can the Church Offer Service Men and Women?," may be heard as podcasts on Ancient Faith Radio, here: Fr. LeMaster's talk will be available October 5th; Dr. Muse's talk will be available October 19th.
Also, notably, a commendation was given by seminary Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield to Archpriest Michael Kovach, the oldest living alumnus of our school, and the second Orthodox Chaplain ever to be commissioned by the U.S. military.
Watch a video of Fr. John Perich, curator of the Metropolitan Museum at St. Tikhon's Monastery, describing memorabilia of Orthodox Chaplains, here.
Other highlights of the day were captured in photos (by Deborah Belonick, David Lucs, and Kim Piotrowski):
"Our speaker for the first annual 'Missions Day' on our campus is someone you will not want to miss," enthuses Chancellor/CEO Archpriest Chad Hatfield. "Our presenter, Father Themistocles Adamopoulo, was once an atheist Rocker from Australia, now turned missionary to Africa."
The Right Rev. Dr. Archimandrite Themistocles, member of the Alexandrian Orthodox Patriarchate, indeed had a vibrant ministry and mission in Nairobi, Kenya, and now is in Sierra Leone. In both settings, "Father Themi," as he is known, ministered to the poor by providing educational and employment opportunities.
In Kenya, Fr. Themi opened some small business enterprises in one of the mission compounds to provide some self-sufficiency for the poor of that part of the world, especially the abandoned mothers and their young ones. He had his first class of early school teachers graduate from his Orthodox Teachers' College, who were congratulated and praised for their high capabilities by the Kenyan Minister of Education. The Teachers' College has since grown into the St. Clement of Alexandria Orthodox College of Africa.
Father Themi now has been placed in charge of outreach in Sierra Leone, as administrator of the newly created Diocese of Freetown, under the authority of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria. Since his arrival in Sierra Leone in 2007, the Church has gone from being non-existent to consisting of two parishes with four local priests, a large primary/secondary school in the capital, an agricultural school in the countryside, a clinic to assist in the rehabilitation of amputees, and an educational outreach in a women's prison in Freetown. In September 2011 an Orthodox university was due to open in the country as well.
Join us Saturday, November 19th in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building for this presentation. We will start at 10:00 a.m. and end at noon. This event is free and open to public.
"Like" Fr. Themi's Facebook Page, and read his bio here.
Watch a goosebump producing video about Fr. Themi's work in Sierra Leone on his Website: "Paradise Kids 4 Africa," here.
"We are a healing presence to others when we give them strength and when we give them hope," said Dr. Albert S. Rossi, our adjunct professor of Pastoral Theology, during a recent interview on Ancient Faith Radio. The interview, titled, "Becoming a Healing Presence: Through Christ, We Learn to Bring Healing to Others," is divided into two episodes: "Welcome: Definition of a Healing Presence" and "God Heals Others through Us." The episodes are featured podcasts on the radio show, and both may be heard here.
During his interview, Dr. Rossi explores "how the fire of God's healing presence can flow right through us to others." He also explains how to imitate Christ, "our complete healer, who desires nothing more than for us to be His humanity on earth—His healing presence to others."
Listen to other podcasts featuring our faculty in the Voices from St. Vladimir'ssection of Ancient Faith Radio.
Struggling with disease and terminal illness is part of the human condition, but dealing with suffering in a redemptive, Christian way presents a special challenge. To help our seminarians, neighboring clergy, health professionals, and friends better understand how to approach and manage human suffering, St. Vladimir's Seminary will offer a free seminar Friday, October 21, from 9:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., titled "Spiritual Issues in Suffering and Palliative Care."
Drs. Daniel and Jane Hinshaw, both medical doctors and Orthodox Christians, will lead the seminar. Daniel B. Hinshaw, M.D., is Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan Health System, in the Section of General Surgery based full time at the Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Medical Center. Dr. Hinshaw completed a fellowship in Palliative Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in June of 2001, during a sabbatical. His clinical research interests are focused on care at the end-of-life and the use of complementary medicine in the relief of pain.
Dr. Jane (Carnahan) Hinshaw is a Clinical Instructor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Health System, and Staff Psychiatrist at the Mental Health Clinic at Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Medical Center. Her area of special interest is psychiatric issues in palliative care.
The seminar will be held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium of the John G. Rangos Family Building on our campus. No registration is necessary.
We invite the public to our seminary chapel, to venerate the extraordinary Hawaiian Myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. Our chapel clergy expect to receive the icon Tueday, October 11th, at 7 a.m.; and at 7:30 a.m., instead of daily Matins, they will celebrate a Molieben and Akathistos to this icon. The public is invited, both to attend the morning services, and also to venerate the icon in Three Hierarchs Chapel until 1:00 p.m.
The following partial description of the icon and its history is taken from the Official website of the Eastern American and New York Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR): www.eadiocese.org. The full article may be found here.
This myrrh-streaming icon depicts the Mother of God holding the Christ child. The myrrh that flows from this icon is an oil-like substance possessing the fragrance of roses. It is considered a great blessing from the Mother of God, and many healings, both spiritual and physical, have been attributed to it. The icon is a replica of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God of Montreal. The original icon of the Iveron Mother of God is still housed in the ancient Iveron Monastery on the monastic peninsula of Mount Athos, Greece.
The Hawaiian Iveron Mother of God has a unique history; the icon is a mounted replica of the Montreal Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, made by the Sofrino Church Supply Company in Russia. It was given as a gift to an Orthodox believer in Hawaii by the parish rector in the summer of 2007. It was in October 2007 that the believer, Reader Nectarios, smelled a strong fragrance of roses coming from the area in which the icon was placed in his home. As he approached the area, searching for the source of the strong aroma, he noticed that the icon of the Mother of God that he had received as a gift was completely saturated with the fragrant myrrh. After he notified the parish priest, the icon was brought to the church and completely wiped dry. A service of intercession was held before the icon and, by the end of the service, the icon was again streaming myrrh and the church was filled with the fragrance of roses.
The holy icon of the Mother of God continues to stream its fragrant myrrh to this day. Many people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds come to venerate the icon of the Mother of God and ask for her assistance with their troubles and maladies, as well as their physical ailments and spiritual needs.
In June 2008, the Holy Myrrh-streaming Hawaiian-Iveron Icon was officially recognized by His Eminence Kyrill, archbishop of San Francisco and Western America, of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR), as miraculous and genuine. The icon and its bearer have been given the blessing to travel to the various churches and monasteries of Orthodox Church.
A schedule for the East Coast travel of the icon may be found here.
