New from the Orthodox Research Institute: Walking with God: Stories of Life and Faith

Orthodox Research Institute Publishes
Walking with God: Stories of Life and Faith

ROLLINSFORD, NH (February 24, 2014)—The Orthodox Research Institute is pleased to announce the publication of Walking with God: Stories of Life and Faith by Fr. William C. Mills. This book provides reflections on the presence of the Bible in our daily lives.

“Walking with God reminds me of something the recent Nobel laureate Alice Munro once said: most of us lead lives that are ‘dull, simple, amazing, and unfathomable — deep caves paved with kitchen linoleum.’ Mills gracefully helps us peel back the seemingly dull linoleum of our lives to see the amazing depth and unfathomable mystery of God—the good news—in places we least expect it but most need it,” explains Dr. Adam Deville, Assistant Professor of Theology at the University of Saint Francis.

“Mills reads the New Testament and shows how the God we read about in the Bible is present in our daily lives. Drawing from an array of sources, including his own experiences, Mills offers pearls of spiritual wisdom for growth in Christ. I highly recommend this book for everyone,” says Dr. Nichoals Denysenko, Assistant Professor of Theology at Loyola Marymount University.
Other books by Fr. Mills published by the Orthodox Research Institute include Encountering Jesus in the Gospels, Our Father, From Pascha to Pentecost, Prepare O Bethlehem, Baptize All Nations, Let Us Attend, A Light to the Gentiles and Feasts of Faith. These books serve as useful resources both for personal reference in conjunction with one’s regular Bible reading and within the context of a parish Bible study.

About the Author
Fr. William C. Mills is the rector of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin Orthodox Church in Charlotte, NC, and the author of numerous books on the Bible and spirituality. For more information, visit his website at www.williamcmills.com.

About the Orthodox Research Institute
The Orthodox Research Institute publishes books on various subjects relating to the Eastern Orthodox Church, including patristic and ecclesiastical texts in the original language together with English translations. ORI’s website also provides extensive information about the Orthodox Church and its teachings.

Walking with God by William C. Mills
Publication Date: February 2014
Trade Paperback: $14.95 + Shipping; vi, 150 pages; ISBN: 978-1-933275-68-0

To request a review copy, contact the Orthodox Research Institute at daryle@orthodoxresearchinstitute.org. To purchase copies of the book, visit www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org.

Antiochian Biblical Institute: First Scriptural Symposium

The First Scriptural Symposium is to be hosted on January 16-19, 2014 by the newly-established Antiochian Biblical Institute (ABI), a ministry of the Fellowship of St. John the Divine (FSJD) at St. George Cathedral in Coral Gables, Florida.

Several scholars will be in attendance from across the country to present papers on specific topics relating to the study of Scripture. Please see the attached flyer for more details. During the weekend, the ABI is honored to celebrate the 70th birthday of The Very Rev. Dr. Paul Nadim Tarazi, professor of Scripture for the last 43 years and founder of the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies (OCABS).

Two New Books for Christmas: Commentaries on Isaiah and Jeremiah by Fr. Paul Tarazi

OCABS Press announces two new biblical commentaries just in time for the holidays. 

The Chrysostom Bible Commentary Series is not so much in honor of John Chrysostom as it is to continue and promote his legacy as an interpreter of the biblical texts for preaching and teaching God's congregation.

The Chrysostom Bible - Isaiah: A Commentary

by Paul Nadim Tarazi

"Among the Latter Prophets the most impressive individual book is undoubtedly Isaiah since its chronological coverage stretches over the pre-exilic, exilic, and post-exilic periods. It has in its purview not only Jacob and Abraham (41:8; 51:2), but also Noah (54:9) and the garden of Eden (51:3), thus encompassing all of humanity before the choosing of Abraham. Hence the stress in Isaiah on the inclusion of the nations, even in the matter of temple service in the new Zion (66:20-21). Isaiah can well be viewed, without exaggeration, as a mini-scripture. By the same token it is no wonder that, besides Genesis-the tone-setting book for the entire scripture in both its Testaments, and Psalms-the book of psalmody of the new Zion, Isaiah is the most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament."

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The Chrysostom Bible - Jeremiah: A Commentary

by Paul Nadim Tarazi

"The Books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel stand at the center of the Hebrew Old Testament canon...both prophets were active around the time of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians ca. 587 B.C., and their missions were to declare that the city succumbed to such a shameful end due to its negligence of God's law. What makes Jeremiah's message more ominous in the hearer's ears than that of Ezekiel is that he carried out his mission while living in Jerusalem...in Jeremiah, other "prophets" named by name and endorsed by the majority of the people and leadership challenge Jeremiah at every step. Even an inattentive hearer can feel the "pain" of Jeremiah and thus tends to empathize with his frequent complaints. In this sense, the Book of Jeremiah stands alone in scripture as the book of God who implements his punishment in spite of any entreaty...it is the book where God "alone" stands "over the nations and over the kingdoms" of his entire earth (Jer 1:10) in his office of sole supreme judge of all, including the deities of the nations (Ps 82)."

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"Mark Canonizer of Paul: A New Look at Intertextuality in Mark's Gospel.

“For over 150 years the idea that Mark used the Pauline epistles has been recurring in New Testament research. Now in the work of Tom Dykstra, wide-ranging work and thoughtful, the truth of that idea emerges with a clarity it never had before. The result is to give a fresh sense of the origin and nature of Mark, of all the New Testament books, and of the quest for history.” –Thomas Brodie, Director, Dominican Biblical Institute, author of The Birthing of the New Testament

“Tom Dykstra draws connections between Paul and the Gospel of Mark that are stunning, surprising, and original, and leave readers with a sense that the evidence deserves a better interpretation than traditional Synoptic models can offer. Well argued, easy to read, immersed in the relevant current exegetical discussion, the book fascinates, provokes, and encourages to think outside the box.”– David Trobisch, author of The First Edition of the New Testament

“In addition to its main focus on Mark, this book is a lucid introduction to early church history, oral tradition, the gospels’ genre, and how to understand scripture in general.” – Paul Nadim Tarazi, Professor of Biblical Studies, St. Vladimir’s Seminary

Hallowed Be Thy Name: The Name-Glorifying Dispute in the Russian Orthodox Church and on Mt. Athos, 1912-1914.

"For anyone wanting to understand an extraordinary and important episode in the modern history of Christianity, Tom Dykstra's excellent account, which is both meticulous and highly readable, should be an indispensable starting-point. It brings alive a passionate argument over the holiness of the Name of God which shook the Tsarist and Balkan world on the eve of the first world war. Better than any other chronicler of the tragedy that came to a head in the main monastic stronghold of the Christian East, he combines a clear view of the theological stakes with a keen sense of the politics, both secular and ecclesiastical, which determined the outcome. Dykstra also manages to situate the Imperial Russian quarrel over sacred names in the broader sweep of the history of monotheism." - Bruce Clark, Writer on religion and public policy, The Economist, www.economist.com