| The authorities have failed to take measures for the protection of Christians. Almost a year ago, a 15 year-old Christian girl was kidnapped in North Sudan. Her mother said that she had repeatedly appealed to the police to open the case and to begin a search for her daughter. But as a reply she heard only demands that she should first embrace Islam and only after that seek help from the Islamic police. On June 8, 2011, armed extremists fired at a Catholic church during the mass. Radicals are standing behind the persecution of Christians in another African country, 150 million-strong Nigeria. Today this most densely populated country in Africa is experiencing another bloody crisis. The country is actually divided into two halves – the Muslim North and the Christian South. In the North Nigeria, there are 27 million Christians out of the 70 million population and they are subjected to systematic elimination by radical groups. Since the sharia was introduced in the 12 northern states in 2000, thousands of people have been killed in numerous clashes in recent years. In the captured areas, sharia courts are established and sharia ‘justice’ is administered. Militants of the local extremist organizations, the most notorious among them being the Boko Haram group, have regularly attacked Christian settlements. In summer 2011, radicals burnt to the ground Christian churches and houses and robbed Christian households. In August 2011, 24 Christians were killed in an attack of armed Islamists on Christian villages in the central part of the country. In early November 2011, over 150 people were killed in terror actions at the towns of Maiduguri and Damaturu. Almost all the Christians had to flee from these regions. During the Christmas night of December 25, 2011, another monstrous act of terror was committed. The number of Christians killed in Nigeria’s city of Jos exceeded 80. In addition, over 200 people were injured in 9 explosions that shook the city. On January 22, bombs blasted again in two Christian churches in Nigeria. One of them is the Catholic parish in Bauchi state in northern Nigeria. An increasing number of Christians have to flee from North Nigeria to other parts of the country. About 35 000 Christians have fled from North Nigeria during the last weeks after Boko Haram issued an ultimatum demanding that Christians should leave the territories with the predominant Muslim population. In 2011, the Boko Haram militants killed at least 700 people in North Nigeria. In total, over 13 000 people, most of them Christians, have been killed in the last 10 years in interreligious clashes. |
| SEMMELROTH, O., Die Kirche als Ursakrament, 1953. SESTON, W., “Note Sur les Origines Religieuses des Pariosses Rurales” in Revue d’Histoire et de Philosophie Religieuses, 15 (1935), pp.243–254. SIOTIS, M., “Die klassische und die christliche Cheirotonie in ihrem Verhältnis” in Theologia, 20 (1949), 21 (1950) and 22 (1951). ________History and Revelation in New Testament Studies (in Greek), 1953. ________The Divine Eucharist. The N.T. Information about the Divine Eucharist in the Light of the Interpretation of Church Writers (in Greek), 1957. ________“Die Ecclesiologie als Grundlage der neutestamentlichen Auslegung in der griechisch-orthodoxen Kirche”, 1961. SJÖBERG, E., Der verborgene Menschensohn in den Evangelien, 1955. SOHM, R., Kirchenrecht, I, 1892. SOIRON, T., Die Kirche als der Leib Christi nach der Lehre des hl.Paulus, 1951. SOTERIOU, G., Christian and Byzantine Archaeology (in Greek), I, 1942. STENDAHL, K, “Kirche: II. Im Urchristentum” in Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, 3 Aufl., III (1959), 1297–1304. STEPHANIDIS, V., Church History (in Greek), 1948, 1959 (2ed.). STONE, D.A., A History of the Doctrine of the Holy Eucharist, I, 1909. SUNDKLER, B., “Jésus et les Païens” in Revue d’Histoire et de Philosophie Religieuses, 16 (1936). TELFER, W., The Office of a Bishop, 1962. THEODOROU, A., History of Dogmas (in Greek), I/1, 1963. TÖDT, H.E., Der Menschensohn in der synoptischen Überlieferung, 1959. TREMBELAS, P., Mikron Euchologion (in Greek), I, 1950. ________Dogmatics of the Orthodox Catholic Church (in Greek), III, 1961. ________“The Divine Eucharist in its Connection with the Other Mysteries and Sacramental Rites” (in Greek) in Efcharisterion, Essays in Honor of Professor H.Alivizatos, 1958, pp.462–472. ________“Worship in Apostolic Times” (in Greek) in Theologia, 31 (1960), p.183ff. ________“Contributions to the History of Christian Worship” in E.E.Th.S. (1958–60), 1963, pp.9–93. TURNER, C.H., “Apostolic Succession: A.The Original Conception; B.The Problem of the Non-Catholic Orders” in Essays on the Early History of the Church and Ministry (ed. H.B.Swete), 1918. |
| Penned in Greek, probably to Diaspora audiences, the canonical gospels reflect Greco-Roman rather than strictly Palestinian Jewish literary conventions. 230 That is, they share more external characteristics with Diaspora or aristocratic Palestinian Jewish biographies in Greek than they do with many of the Palestinian works composed in Hebrew or Aramaic. Such a statement does not, however, detract from the Jewishness of the Gospels, since Jewish historical writing in Greek generally adopted Greek historiographic conventions, as suggested below for Josephus. 231 In contrast to other Greco-Roman biographies, however, the Gospels, like Diaspora Jewish historical texts, show considerable stylistic and theological influence from the LXX. Further, the Gospels vary among themselves in the degree of their Palestinian character: Matthew and John, whose readers apparently have closer continuing ties with Palestinian Judaism, probably reflect more Palestinian literary influences than Mark and Luke. 232 The methodology of Hebrew and Aramaic Palestinian Jewish texts concerning historical figures diverges at significant points from that of Greco-Roman historical writing. Since the Palestinian Jewish roots of the Jesus movement affected Diaspora Christianity, a brief consideration of Jewish biographical conventions may be useful in discussing the traditions behind the Gospels. Failing this, yet more importantly for our purposes, they may be useful in understanding literary techniques particularly adapted by Matthew and John. Although many individuals feature prominently in the Hebrew Bible and in early Jewish literature, only rarely is a document devoted to a person in such a way that it would be called biography in the sense discussed above; usually the treatment of an individual is part of a larger narrative. Job, Ruth, Judith, Jonah, Esther, Daniel, and Tobit all have books about them in the Greek Bible, but the events rather than the characters dominate the accounts. 233 The various reports of events in the lives of pious rabbis are too piecemeal to supply parallels to biographies like the Gospels, 234 but it is possible that some of these stories were collected and told together like some of the brief philosophical lives in Diogenes Laertius. Since no such early collections are extant, however, 235 rabbinic sources can add little to our discussion of Jewish «biography.» In contrast to Josephus or Tacitus, rabbinic texts are primarily legal, and incidental biographical information tends to serve more purely homiletical than historical purposes. 236 |
| Ign. Ep. ad Antioch. Ep. ad Eph. Ep. ad Magn. Ep. ad Phil. Ep. ad Smym. Ep. ad Tars. Ер. ad Tral. Ignatius Antiochenus episcopus Epistola ad Antiochenos//PG 5, 897–910. – Пер. заглавия: Игнатий Богоносец , сщмч., еп. Антиохийский. Послание святого Игнатия к Антиохийцам. Epistola ad Ephesios//PG 5, 729–756. – Pyc. пер.: Игнатий Богоносец , сщмч., en. Антиохийский. Послание святого Игнатия к Ефесянам//Писания мужей апостольских. – С. 331–340. Epistola ad Magnesios//PG 5, 757–778. – Pyc. пер.: Игнатий Богоносец , сщмч., en. Антиохийский. Послание святого Игнатия к Магнезийцам//Там же. – С. 341–351. Epistola ad Philippensis//PG 5, 919–942. – Пер. заглавия: Игнатий Богоносец , сщмч., еп. Антиохийский. Послание святого Игнатия к Филиппийцам. Epistola ad Smyrnaeos//PG 5, 707–718. – Pyc. пер.: Игнатий Богоносец , сщмч., еп. Антиохийский. Послание святого Игнатия к Смирнянам//Писания мужей апостольских. – С. 364–369. Epistola ad Tarsenses//PG 5, 887–898. – Пер. заглавия: Игнатий Богоносец , сщмч., еп. Антиохийский. Послание святого Игнатия к Тарсянам. Epistola ad Trallianos//PG 5, 777–800. – Рус. пер.: Игнатий Богоносец , сщмч., en. Антиохийский. Послание святого Игнатия к Траллийцам//Писания мужей апостольских. – С. 347–351. Ign. Dia c . Vita s. Niceph. Const. Ignatius Diaconus Vita sancti Nicephori Constantinopolitani archiepiscopi//PG 100, 41–160. – Pyc. пер.: Игнатий, диак. Житие святого отца нашего Никифора, архиепископа Константина града и нового Рима, списанное Игнатием, диаконом и скевофилаксом святейшей Великой церкви святой Софии//Творения святого отца нашего Никифора, архиепископа Константинопольского. – Минск, 2001. – С. 3–71. Innocent . I Ep. Innocentius I papa Romae Epistula decretalis 7//PL 84, 646D-647B. – Пер. заглавия: Иннокентий I, папа Римский. Письмо-декреталия 7. Ioan . Chrysost. Ad illumin. Ad popul. Antioch. Ad Theodor. Adv. Jud. Adv. oppugnat, vitae monast. Ascetam facetiis uti non debere Contra anom. Contr. eos qui subintroduct. habent virgin. Contra theatra De adorat. crucis De anathem. De Anna De filio prodigo De Lazaro De Legislat. De patient. De poenit. De precat. De pseudoproph. De sacerd. De Sancta Pentecost. De virgin. Eclogae ex diversis homiliis Ep. Hom. in Acta apost. Hom. in Col. Hom. in Ep. I ad Cor. Hom. in Ep. I ad Thessal. Hom. in Ep. I ad Tim. Hom. in Ep. ad Tit. Hom. in Eph. Hom. in Gal. Hom. in Gen. Hom. in Hebr. Hom. in Ioan. Hom. in Magn. Hebdom. Hom. in Matth. Hom. in Phil. Hom. in Ps. Hom. in Rom. In Gen. sermon. In illud: In principio erat Verbum In illud: Mulier alligata est In illud: Propter fornicat. In illud: vidi Dom. In inscript. Act. In Job In kalend. In paralyt. In Pascha Laus Maximi |
| 2006 696. “Toward the Origins of the Opisthambonos Prayer of the Byzantine Eucharistic Liturgies,” in press in OCP 72/1 (2006). 697. Review of Michael Plekon, Living Icons. Persons of Faith in the Eastern Church, with a Foreword by Lawrence S. Cunningham, University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, Indiana 2002, pp. xii + 337, in press in OCP 72/1 (2006). 698. “The Byzantine Imperial Communion Ritual,” in Pamela Armstrong (ed.), Ritual and Art: Essays for Christopher Walter (London: The Pindar Press) in press. 699. “Prefazione” to Antoine Gebran, Il Venerdì santo nel Rito siro-maronita in press. 700. “Introduction” to The Greek-Melkite Church at the Council, in press. 701. “The Byzantine Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom,” in Prex eucharistica, III: Studia (Spicilegium Friburgense, Fribourg) in press since 20 June 1992! 702. “Prothesis,” in E. Farrugia (ed.), Dictionary of the Christian East (Rome: EOC) (Английскаяверсия 574), in press. 703. “Introduction” to The Synaxarion of Evergetis (Belfast: The Queen’s University) in press. 704. “John Chrysostom and the Byzantine Anaphora that Bears his Name,” in Mary Gerhart & Fabian E. Udoh (eds.), Textual Sources for the Study of Christianity (Chicago: University of Chicago Press) (репринт 518) in press. 705. Personal profile to appear in Jesuites fin de siècle, in press in several languages. The Catalan and Spanish versions have already appeared (nos. 631, 633 above). 706. “Was the Eucharistic Anaphora Recited Secretly or Aloud? The Ancient Tradition and What Became of It,” paper read at the St. Nersess Seminary 40th Anniversary Symposium. Liturgy in Context: Worship Traditions of Armenia and the Neighboring Christian East, New York, September 25-28, 2002, in press in the Congress Acta. 707. “Il problema dell’ ‘uniatismo’ e ‘la purificazione delle memorie’: anamnesi, non amnesia,” (Italian version of no. 634), in Temi e problemi delle Chiese orientali (Brescia: Ed. Quireniana) in press. 708. “Cathedral vs. Monastic Liturgy in the Christian East: Vindicating a Distinction,” in press in BBGG series 3, 62 (2006). |
| For John, Jesus is the source of fruit; without him the disciples can do nothing, that is, bear no fruit (15:5); that Jesus himself remains utterly dependent on the Father, «able to do nothing from himself» (5:19; cf. 8:28), underlines the point still more starkly for disciples. (The image may develop the biblical picture of God requiring fruit from Israel; Hos 14emphasizes that Israel " s fruit comes only from the Lord.) «Without him» (15:5) probably signifies «without remaining, abiding, in him.» 8929 Some later teachers claimed that Israel could do nothing without its leaders, 8930 usually referring to its scholars who handle Scripture, God " s Word. 8931 But for John, Jesus» activity in the present era is mediated through the indwelling of the Spirit (14:16–17, 26); this image nicely complements Paul " s emphasis on the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23 8932 (although Paul also uses other moral fruit images, e.g., Phil 1:11 ; cf. Eph 5:9 ). Paul also acknowledged that he had no adequacy apart from God " s enablement ( 2Cor 3:5 ; cf. 2:16), which he attributed to the Spirit ( 2Cor 3:6 ). John " s line in 15neatly summarizes a good bit of Johannine thought: new birth, new life, and religion genuinely pleasing to God all must come from above, from the Spirit, from Jesus, who is from above (see comment on 3:3–6); the best of human effort apart from God " s own enablement is worthless. The promise of answered prayer in 15suggests a connection with, or interpretation of, prayer «in Jesus» name» (14:13–14; 16:23–26), which is related to loving and believing Jesus (16:27) and keeping his commandments (14:15). «Abiding» in Jesus and allowing his words to abide in one (which is roughly equivalent in practice) 8933 entail continuing to love and trust in Jesus, with the assurance that the lover of Jesus, whose desires are ultimately for Jesus» agendas, will receive answered prayer. (See more fully the comment on 14:13–14.) 4. Perseverance or Apostasy (15:6) The condition for fruit bearing, hence for perseverance, is «abiding» (μενατε) in Jesus (15:4). This term (μνω and cognates) appears eleven times in 15:4–16, dominating the theology just as the vine and fruit dominate the image. 8934 Those who truly «abide» will bear fruit (cf. 1 John 2:6 ) because they have the Spirit (1 John 3:24; 4:13). In view of possible internal community problems (1 John 2:18–27) 8935 and particularly the world " s hostility emphasized in the context (15:18–25), the call to perseverance here is not surprising. 4A. The Johannine Meaning of «Abiding» |
| 19) Euseb von Cremona, in: BBKL 15 (1999) 540f. 20) Euseb von Heraclea, in: BBKL 15 (1999) 542f. 21) Joest, Wilfried (1915-1995), in: BBKL 15 (1999) 755-761. 22) Heloisa (1099-1164), in: BBKL 16 (1999) 670-676. 23) Jesse von Amiens (†836), in: BBKL 16 (1999) 810-812. 24) Kötting, Bernhard (1910-1996), in: BBKL 16 (1999) 863-870. 25) Leidradus von Lyon (†816 oder 817), in: BBKL 16 (1999) 951-953. 26) Newton, Isaac (1643-1727), in: BBKL 16 (1999) 1130-1138. 27) Euseb von Caesarea, in: RGG4 2 (1999) 1676f. 28) Christian IV. von Dänemark (1577-1648), in: BBKL 17 (2000) 236-239. 29) Klara von Montefalco (1268-1308), in: BBKL 17 (2000) 788-791. 30) Newman, John Henry (1801-1890), in. BBKL 17 (2000) 1007-1037. 31) Regiomontanus (Johannes Müller, 1436-1476), in: BBKL 17 (2000) 1113-1116. 32) Abaelard, in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 1f. 33) Gertrud von Helfta, in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 275. 34) Hilarius von Poitiers, in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 333. 35) Hildegard von Bingen, in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 333-336. 36) Joest, Wilfried, in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 375. 37) Juliana von Norwich in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 388. 38) Margarete von Porete, in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 458f. 39) Mary Ward, in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 721f. 40) Rupert von Deutz, in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 596f. 41) Suger von St. Denis, in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 658. 42) Wilhelm von Champeaux, in: Metzler-Lexikon der christlichen Denker, Stuttgart 2000, 736f. 43) Strafgericht Gottes. Zum Gebrauch der Wörter " krisis " und " dike " bei Eusebius von Caesarea, in: StPatr 34 (2001) 250-255. 44) Vision bei Hildegard von Bingen. Beobachtungen zur Vita Gottfrieds und Theoderichs und zu den Visionsschriften Hildegards, in: KuD 47 (2001) 14-29. |
| In this narrative the Sabbath first appears here (9:14; note the repetition in 5:9–10,16, 18); 7097 though not strictly relevant to the man " s healing, it is essential to the Pharisaic condemnation of the healing. John himself does not think that Jesus violates the Sabbath; rather, he employs Sabbath controversies as a stage on which to articulate his high Christology. 7098 Sabbath violation is a necessary foundation for the charge that Jesus is not from God (9:16), which allows some to respond to Jesus» recent claims to be from God (8:42), not to have sinned (8:46), and to call on others to «keep» his word (8:51) when he does not in fact «keep» God " s laws like the Sabbath (9:16). John " s title «the one once blind» heightens for the reader the irony of his current interrogation. 7099 A key term throughout the entire account of the blind man " s healing is οδα, and the term is largely restricted in this account to the man " s controversy with the authorities (9:12, 20–21, 24–25, 29–31). If this story is directly relevant to the experience of the Johannine community, as most scholars since Martyn have argued (see introduction; cf. also 12:42; 16:2), the text suggests that a primary issue of controversy was the matter of epistemology: the authorities make claims to knowledge about Jesus, namely that he is sinful (9:24), based on their interpretation of Torah (9:29). By contrast, the healed man appeals to his experience (9:25), which at this point is all he has; his attempt to offer an argument from biblical principles is rebuffed in any case (9:31). As Culpepper points out, the interrogators who hold power in the situation diplay excessive confidence, making frequent assertions that contrast with the healed man " s «pleas of ignorance.» This establishes «a classic contrast between a braggart (an alazon in Greek drama) and the ironist (an eiron). With delightful subtlety, the narrator shows us the man " s insight and exposes the Pharisees» blindness.» Through most of the account the blind man does not know (9:12,25) or knows only what he sees (9:25); the Pharisees, who assert that Jesus is not from God (9:16), claim what they do know (9:24, 29). 7100 This is comic relief at the Pharisees» expense; the blind man serves a function like Socrates in Platós dialogues, though less cognizant of the direction his dialogue will take. Philostratus (Vit. soph. 1.480–481), claims that philosophers (like diviners) start by admitting ignorance and pursuing knowledge, whereas sophists (like mantics) begin with confident assertions of knowledge. To the limited extent that this distinction holds, the interrogators start more like sophists (9:24, 29), whereas the man " s knowledge emerges after reflection (9:31). |
| I would like to heartily thank you, Your Eminence, for your efforts as a hierarch and the Metropolitan of the Saratov land. Many good deeds have been performed with your help. One can point out that church life in the Saratov land has changed beyond recognition. Now you preside over a metropolia consisting of three dioceses, you control a theological institution, many schools, Sunday schools, different charitable institutions, and many things that help to fertilize our soil. In acknowledgment of this, I would like to present you with this Cross and Panagia, which were made specially in association with the 700 th anniversary of the birth of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh. I would also like to present this church with an icon of the Venerable Sergius associated with his anniversary. St. Sergius was a great saint of our land, a great and powerful Elder, who managed to transform the political landscape with his inner spiritual strength. No one could influence the future development of our Motherland the way he could. Many valuable events occurred because of him, including the Battle of Kulikovo, the union of the Russian principalities, and the foundation of dozens of monasteries, which preserved his principles and took extra care for the unity, freedom, and independence of our Motherland, becoming fortresses, often both military and spiritual. May the image of the Venerable Sergius remain in this holy church and, when you are venerating it, ask him for his help in your studies. As he improved and became able to understand his studies by God’s strength, he too can he help many students by his prayers who cannot grasp their studies completely. I would also like to offer Holy Relics to the wonderfully restored St. Nicholas Monastery, which is situated in the Pokrov Diocese. May these sacred objects stay in that monastery. Unfortunately, I do not have the opportunity to visit this place myself today due to lack of time, but I am asking you, Vladyka Pachomius, to offer these Holy Relics to the St. Nicholas Monastery. As for the seminary, I would like to present it with these marvelously issued books in remembrance of my visit. |
| In 909, when Viking raids on Mercia began, most of St. Oswald’s relics were translated from Bardney to Gloucester in Gloucestershire by Ethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great. The Priory of St. Oswald was founded in Gloucester and it existed till the Reformation. Surprisingly, a part of this tenth century priory has survived to this day (along with several other former monasteries in this city as well as its magnificent eleventh century Cathedral), and a Saxon cross was discovered there not long ago. St. Oswald’s head was later translated to Durham Cathedral and laid in the same tomb where St. Cuthbert’s relics rested. His head is believed to be there to this day. In late medieval times an arm of the saint was translated to Peterborough Monastery (now Peterborough Cathedral in Cambridgeshire) where the chapel in which the relic was held has survived, and there is a Roman Catholic church of St. Oswald in this city. Some minor relics were also kept in Ely (Cambridgeshire) and even abroad—in Ireland and many European monasteries and cathedrals, especially in Germany. Saint Oswald " s church, Bad Kleinkirchheim, Carinthia, one of many churches and place names which commemorate Oswald St. Oswald was considered to be not only one of universally venerated saints in England, but also one of the universal and most famous saints of all Europe. The baptismal name “Oswald” is still very popular in many countries of Europe. Seventy ancient churches were dedicated to St. Oswald in England, and taking into account modern Anglican and new Roman Catholic churches in England, the total number is now even more. There are important churches of St. Oswald in most parts of England, including the churches in both Heavenfield near Hexham and in Oswestry, associated with the Oswald’s victory over pagans and with his martyrdom. Some place-names, like Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire and Kirkoswald in Cumbria, preserve his memory as well. Outside England today St. Oswald is also venerated in Germany (where over twenty churches are dedicated to him), France, northern Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and Australia. A portion of St. Oswald’s relics is most likely kept at Hildesheim in Germany, Lower Saxony. |
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