Photos by Michel P. Poulin and Dn. James Bozeman

Why would a small group of Orthodox Christian clergy and laity, college-age and up, rent a vendor's booth at the famed Cornerstone Music Festival—basically a Christian rock music event? Perhaps, to evangelize? Or, to minister to youth and young adults? Maybe, to recruit students for the seminaries that participated (i.e., St. Vladimir’s and St. Tikhon’s)?

The answer is complex, and before I reflect on our group’s experience, let me explain what Cornerstone Music Festival is. Created in 1984 by an independent evangelical group known as “Jesus People USA,” the festival now ranks as one of the largest Christian Music fests in the world: sort of a Christian version of Woodstock. Tens of thousands of people travel to Cornerstone Farm in Bushnell, Illinois each year to hear more than 300 bands play many styles of music, including rock, metal, punk, folk, hardcore, and pop. Guest speakers, independent/foreign film screenings, writers' seminars, and art workshops are featured as well.

Cornerstone draws many Christians on the fringes of culture, folks hungry to learn more about their faith. Although not typically “suit and tie” Christians (it’s difficult to find a person without a tattoo there), they exhibit extreme fervor for Christ. Many seek to understand God in a deeper way, and the festival provides an opportunity for them to share ideas and meet other like-minded, “hungry” Christians from the world over.

While primarily attended by Evangelicals, Cornerstone has in recent years attracted the involvement of both Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians. During this past year, several students from both St. Tikhon’s Seminary and St. Vladimir’s Seminary (unbeknown to each other) contemplated making a trip to Cornerstone, to present Orthodox Christianity to festival-goers.

During a missiology class presentation at St. Vladimir’s in fall 2010, I had proposed the idea, which was not original: many students over the last few years had the same vision, and prior to us, a group representing the “punk zine” Death to the World had rented a festival booth and conducted Orthodox liturgical services there, which passers-by could observe. Much to my surprise, following my class presentation, I was immediately inundated with volunteers who wanted to resurrect an Orthodox presence in this rather unusual setting. The idea reached fruition through the efforts of some of my fellow students and by way of the Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Our brothers at St. Tikhon’s, who shared in the same vision, joined in and carried the weight of the endeavor. This was one of the greatest blessings to all of us: a unique opportunity for “SVOTS” and “STOTS” to work together. 

Fr. Christopher Foley and I represented St. Vladimir’s; Fr. Joel Weir and Christopher Patton represented St. Tikhon's Seminary; and Subdeacon Luke Beecham represented the Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry. Stephen Wendland and Reid Broadstreet were both volunteers who helped out with the booth and liturgical services.

For some of us, Cornerstone had once been a Christian music “Mecca,” which had played an intrinsic part in our developing lives as Christians. Some of us had performed in bands at the festival, while others were simply devotees. This year, we had a ministry—in the midst of seeming cacophony.

Picture us singing “Gladsome Light” while not-so-distant multiple rock bands each played a different song simultaneously. The hymns of daily vespers competed with a wall of disharmonious noise, akin to serving vespers in a war zone. And yet, God was praised, and the gospel was preached. Many who had never before seen an Orthodox service were quite moved, despite the noise and distractions. To our delight, we also met several young Orthodox Christians, who were equally delighted to attend services and to meet their brethren in the “wilds” of the event. In the quiet of each early morning, we celebrated Divine Liturgy, and the service provided a beautiful counterpoint to the noise and chaos of the ensuing day.

Incredibly, though our booth featured neither music nor food, a constant stream of visitors flowed through. Between services, we offered Orthodox books and pamphlets, which afforded us a wonderful opportunity for ministry and outreach. Through the generosity of St. Tikhon's Seminary Press, St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, Conciliar Media, Templegate Publishers, Lampost Books, and others, we gave out well over 300 books and pamphlets to inquirers. Out of the constant flow of people walking past, many stopped to ask questions. Some folks knew a little something about Orthodoxy, while others had no clue. We had many wonderful conversations and made many new friends. A number of people came back multiple times to ask more questions and to open up their hearts. Amazingly, some even shed tears as we shared our faith in Christ in a way never before experienced by them. Clearly God was blessing our feeble attempt to serve Him. 

So, why did we go to Cornerstone? The answer became clear only after we had taken the risk to go, only after we had made an effort to serve. An image of our effort endures, frozen in my mind’s eye: Three members of our group stand behind the little table in our booth, each talking to an individual about the Orthodox faith, while another stands in the walkway talking to yet another couple about the Orthodox Church. Two more of us are busy gathering more books to re-supply stacks, since our stock keeps disappearing into the hands of inquirers.

Truly, people were seeking something fuller than what they had found within their Evangelical, “seeker-sensitive” churches. At the very least, they were curious and had questions. Dealing with our visitors reminded me of Isaiah 55:1, where it says, "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat."

And, that’s why we went: to shine our light into the world without fear, and with love for all human beings, so that they, too, may find Christ in His fullness, in the Orthodox Christian faith.

The seminary community remembers with great fondness its former Dean and Professor of Church History and Patristics, Protopresbyter John Meyendorff (1926–1992), on the 20th anniversary of his death, July 22, 1992. You may view a touching still-shot video in remembrance of Fr. John (created by Andrew Matthews) here.

Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, in 1926, Fr. Meyendorff completed his secondary education in France and his theological education at the Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris in 1949. In 1948 he also received a license-es-lettres at the Sorbonne, and later earned a Diplôme d'études supérieures (1949), a Diplôme de l'école practique des Hautes Etudes (1954), and a Doctorate of Letters (1958). In France he was an Assistant Professor of Church History at the Orthodox Theological Institute, and a Fellow at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.

Having been ordained to the priesthood in the Orthodox Church, he became Professor of Church History and Patristics at St. Vladimir's Seminary (1959), holding also successive joint appointments as lecturer in Byzantine theology at Harvard University, Dumbarton Oaks (to which he returned for a semester as Acting Director of Studies in 1977), and as Professor of Byzantine History at Fordham University (from 1967). He also was Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary and lectured widely on university campuses and at church events. He held the position of Dean of St. Vladimir's Seminary from March 1984 until June 1992.

Fr. John's publications include the critical text and translation of Byzantine theologian Gregory Palamas (1959), as well as a number of books in the fields of theology and history, such as A Study of Gregory Palamas (French ed., 1959; Engl. 1964); The Orthodox Church (1963); Orthodoxy and Catholicity (1966); Christ in Eastern Christian Thought (1969); Byzantine Theology (1973); Marriage, an Orthodox Perspective (1975); Living Tradition (1978); Byzantium and the Rise of Russia (1980); The Byzantine Legacy in the Orthodox Church (1981); Catholicity and the Church (1983); and Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions. The Church 450-680 AD (1989). His books have been published in a number of languages, including French, German, Italian, Russian, Greek, Finnish, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Serbian, and Polish. English editions are carried by our SVS Press & Bookstore.

The Marketing Manager of our St. Vladimir's Seminary Bookstore, Dn. Gregory Hatrak, will be taking a traveling bookshop on the road this summer and fall. He will be setting up temporary bookstalls—filled with St. Vladimir's Seminary Press (SVS Press) titles—at some key gatherings and places, nationally and internationally:

• July 24, 2011 Christ the Saviour Church, Chicago, IL
• July 25–31, 2011 Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocesen Convention, Chicago, IL
• August 7–12, 2011 International Conference on Patristics, Oxford, UK
• September 9–11, 2011 St. Nicholas Russian Days, Bethlehem, PA

Titles printed by SVS Press and distributed by SVS Bookstore include a wide range of topics: theology, history, ecclesiology, ecumenism, hagiography, iconography, spirituality, scriptural studies, music, pastoral theology, Christian education, philosophy, biography, and Patristics. Additionally, SVS Press produces CDs, video and audio programs, greeting cards, and children's books, such as the upcoming St. George and the Dragon by Jim Forest.

If you'll be in the vicinity of our traveling bookshops, please stop by to browse our fine titles!

View and download our latest SVS Press & Bookstore Catalog here.

Our student-less, slower-paced summer routine here at St. Vladimir's will soon yield to an incredibly active schedule, as we welcome new students and returning seminarians to campus for Orientation. The annual August orientation sessions are crucial for seminarians and their families, preparing them for living within Christian community, and especially, for the particularities that mark our rhythm of life here at SVOTS.

Resident Advisers (RAs) are scheduled for orientation sessions on Saturday, August 20th and Sunday, August 21st. Middler (2nd-year) students will be arriving with the RAs on Saturday, August 20th and Sunday, August 21st; they then will be introduced to their hospital ministry program in sessions running from Monday, August 22nd through Friday, August 26th. Rev. Dr. Sarah Fogg, Director of the Pastoral Care Department at nearby St. John's Riverside Hospital will prepare Middlers for the 100 hours of hospital ministry that will be required of them during their second year at seminary. On Sunday, August 28th, Middlers will join Senior (3rd-year) students for two more sessions—"Back to Chapel and Class" and "Student Formation and Community Life"—which will offer returning students new information, as well as acclimate them to campus life.

New students are slated to arrive on August 22nd and will be offered a full introduction to seminary life, including: spiritual development and formation, the vision of theological education at SVOTS, the rhythm of liturgical life in our chapel,  instructions for using the library, field education, and the daily routine of seminarians. New students also will undergo writing evaluations, language examinations, and voice testing. Chancellor and CEO of the seminary, Archpriest Chad Hatfield, will give three keynotes: "Introduction to Seminary Life," "One Thing Needful," and "Clay Vessels." Orientation for new students will conclude on Saturday, August 27th.

Additionally, married incoming students and their wives will enjoy a field trip to Emmaus House in New York City, and a reception and introduction to the Wives Program at St. Vladimir's.

Read a Welcome Letter by Dr. John Barnet, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Rev. David Mezynski, Associate Dean for Student Affairs here.

Read the full Orientation Schedule  here.

New and Returning Students! Find the forms you need here.

The Opening Address of our summer conference, "The Joy to Serve," by Matushka Juliana Schmemann, is now available as a podcast on Ancient Faith Radio. Mat' Juliana's talk commenced the conference titled "Women Disciples of the Lord," held on our campus from June 17–19, 2011.

To listen to Mat. Juliana speak, click here.

Hear many other "Voices from St. Vladimir's"—including faculty and guest speakers to our campus—on Ancient Faith Radio. Listen in to spiritual meditations, scriptural exegesis, and more by clicking here.

Our seminary community marked its Patronal Feast with a celebration that included fellowship, fun, and worship. Neighboring alumni joined our staff, faculty, and resident summer students for Great Vespers on Thursday evening, followed by a cookout on the grassy knoll below Three Hierarchs Chapel. 

The next morning, our Dean, Archpriest John Behr presided at the Divine Liturgy and presented a homily that highlighted the life and work of the seminary's patron, the Holy and Great Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the Apostles and Enlightener of the Russian Lands. In his sermon, Fr. John recounted  the story of St. Vladimir's conversion to belief in Christ and his missionary zeal.

Father John also reminded those gathered that the founders of St. Vladimir's Seminary embraced the Russian prince at their patron, not because of ethnicity or nationalistic reasons, but because of the saint's quest to discover Jesus Christ as the "Pearl of Great Price" (Matt 13:45–47) and because of his dedication in spreading His gospel to the people of Rus'. Following Divine Liturgy, the seminary community then celebrated a Memorial Service (Pankhida) to mark the anniversary of the falling asleep of Protopresbyter John Meyendorff, who served as Professor of Church History and Patristics at St. Vladimir's Seminary from 1959–1962 and as Dean from 1984 until his death in 1992.

We sincerely thank the alumni and friends who came to pray and picnic with us during our Patronal Feast!

Our Alumni Office is organizing a cookout to follow Great Vespers for the Feast of the Holy and Great Prince Vladimir this Thursday evening. Great Vespers begins at 6:30 p.m. and the cookout will follow immediately afterwards on the seminary grounds.

All alumni in the area are invited to join our faculty, staff, students, and community members. Come pray, sing, and enjoy the evening with us!

For more information, contact Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, Director of Alumni Relations and Recruitment: jmatusiak@svots.edu or (914) 961-8313 EXT 342.

“What is life?” is one of the great questions that has stimulated and confounded human thought for centuries. From Platonism to naturalistic pantheism, from Judaism to Tenrikyo, and from the Death Anxiety supposition to the RNA world hypothesis, human beings have developed theories in attempts to offer the Ultimate Answer to the Ultimate Question.

Our Dean, Fr. John Behr, as a theological scholar in the Orthodox Christian tradition, recently added to the age-old discussion by attending the "What is Life?" conference in sponsored by the Centre of Theology and Philosophy at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. There, he joined philosophers and scientists in an “immensely stimulating and rewarding discussion” about the mystery of life.

“I gave a paper entitled ‘Let Us Make a Human Being: Divine Initiative and Human Response,’ ” said Fr. John, “exploring, through the writings of St. Irenaeus of Lyons and St. Maximus the Confessor, how while every other aspect of creation was spoken into existence—'Let there be, there was, and it was good—the work which God specifically sets himself to—'Let us make a human being in our image'—requires a fiat, a 'Let it be,' from the creature, to be born anew in Christ, living the life that he grants by his resurrection through taking up the cross.”

The conference was the sixth in a series of conferences that the Centre has sponsored, including one in Rome (2008) on "The Grandeur of Reason: Religion, Tradition, and Universalism"; and Granada (2006) on "Belief and Metaphysics."  This year’s conference was led by Professor John Milbank, the leader of a group of Christians from a number of church traditions known as “Radical Orthodoxy,” and Conor Cunningham, the author of the recent book "Darwin's Pious Idea: Why the Ultra-Darwinists and Creationists both get it Wrong."

“The point of these conferences,” said Fr. John, “is to bring together theologians, philosophers, and scientists to discuss areas of common interest relating to the witness of Christianity in the contemporary world. It is very important that we bring an Orthodox presence to such gatherings, to be part of the broader discussions going on.”

The gathering was cosponsored by  the Uniwersytet Papieski Jana Pawla II, Kraków, Baylor University, and Brigham Young University.

Two trustees from St. Vladimir’s Seminary, Board Chair Anne Glynn-Mackoul and  The Rev. Dr. Philip LeMasters, recently attended an international conference titled “Christian Presence and Witness in the Middle East Today: Theological and Political Challenges." The conference was held June 20–23, 2011 in Volos, Greece at the invitation of the World Council of Churches and the Volos Theological Academy and was hosted by Metropolitan Ignatius of Demetrias. The thirty participants included theological scholars, social scientists, politicians, and church representatives.

At the Volos conference, participants first examined the relevance and the different aspects of the “Kairos document” issued in December 2009 by Palestinian Christians from all church traditions. Second, they analyzed the socio-political challenges facing the Christians in the Middle East against the background of the recent uprisings in the Arab World. And finally, they listened to Christian witnesses from different parts of the region.

During his presentation, Fr. Philip, priest of the Orthodox Antiochian Archdiocese of North America and dean of Faculty of Social Sciences at McMurry University, spoke on "Orthodox Approaches to Non-violent Resistance." After first reviewing the roots of the conception in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, he turned to the martyrs and confessors who, with their non-violent resistance, confronted and refused to obey the secular powers’ demands that they abandon their faith.

“Though I had the honor of presenting a paper on non-violent resistance,” commented Fr. Philip, “my main function at the conference was to learn by hearing firsthand accounts of the struggles and opportunities faced by our brothers and sisters in Christ in the land of our Lord’s birth. I came away from Volos with a heightened interest in the complex political and religious dynamics of the region and a number of new insights to share with my students and parishioners.”

Mrs. Mackoul, who moderated a session at the conference, noted, “It was an interesting and important gathering, with broad significance particularly in its timing, as it took place so immediately following the public remarks of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the BBC about the Christians of the East, which remarks received such strong negative reaction from among Christians living in the area.

“Conference attendees,” she continued, “were reminded that Christians in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Israel—rooted in those areas since the time of Christ—are constantly and forcefully confronted with the importance of defining the relationship between communal loyalty and national identity, not only in the realm of ideas but in their daily lives. It is important to remember that religious identity and communal identity are not one and the same. Meaningful identities are multiple.

“Support in prayer and understanding from the Christians of the West of the actual situations in those communities and the aspirations of the Christians in the East as members of pluralistic societies is critical for maintaining this traditional Christian presence,” she concluded. “Alarmism and resignation about migration of Christians from the area will have the tendency to accelerate the very result that is feared.”

The conference was followed worldwide through an Internet live stream, intv.gr. The meeting comes in advance of a second meeting with religious leaders to take place in the Middle East in November 2012.

Read more about the conference and view more photos on the Website of the Volos Theological Academy here.

Three of our seminarians recently traveled to Albania, both to observe the phenomenal "resurrection" of the Orthodox Church since the fall of communism in that country and also to study missiology. Their extraordinary journey included an audience with His Beatitude Anastasios, archbishop of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania; meetings, bible studies, and social time with university students; tours of churches, church agencies, seminaries, and monasteries; and a visit with Metropolitan John of Korça.

Fr. Ignatius Warren (Class of 2011, and now assigned to St. Elias Church in Sylvania, Ohio), Dn. Timothy Yates (3rd-year student), and Richard Ajalat (2nd-year student) witnessed firsthand the incredible rebirth of the Orthodox Church in Albania since December 1990, when student protestors began to overthrow the religiously repressive government. All three seminarians were there as participants in a 3-credit summer course titled "The Missiology of Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) and Practical Evangelism." Students in the course analyzed the foundation and calling of missions, studied the resurrection of the Church of Albania over the past 20 years, and examined how well the Church has lived out the missiology of Archbishop Anastasios.

The course and trip were under the supervision of course leader, Fr. Luke Veronis, adjunct professor of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. The endeavor was partly subsidized by The Missions Institute of Orthodox Christianity and was among the Mission Team 2011 programs offered by the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). This was the second year in a row that seminarians from St. Vladimir's have participated in a mission trip to Albania.

"It was truly a blessing to witness firsthand the rebirth of faith among the Albanian people," noted Fr. Ignatius. "Archbishop Anastasios is a modern-day Apostle, Evangelist, and Missionary par excellence. The Missions Institute under Fr. Luke Veronis provides a much-needed link between the academic study of missiology and the firsthand witness of mission in the church. In addition, it was a great blessing to be with students from our sister schools, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological School, and St. Tikhon's Seminary."

View a photo gallery of the trip, by Dn. Marty Watt,  in a related story on the Website of the Orthodox Church in America.