This news story as slowly begun being publicized amongst Orthodox in America and the West. I share this with our parish and readers in order to help keep us informed and ask for prayers.
http://araborthodoxy.blogspot.com/2013/04/met-boulos-yazigi-kidnapped-outside.html
Well, it seems that once again, what is going on within geo-politics affects whether and how we understand the history behind the Bible and archaeology evidence. It seems that there is a significant find that could shape discourse concerning the United Kingdom but it has been buried and ignored because it could become problematic for Israeli-Palestinian relations:
http://www.midwestdiocese.org/
For those of you who were unable to attend Liturgy this morning, please read the letters from Bishop Matthias and Metropolitan Tikhon on the diocese’s webpage:
http://www.midwestdiocese.org/
Bishop Alexander has been appointed the Locum Tenens. For now, there are no immediate plans to proceed with election procedures. His Beatitude wishes to grant the diocese time to heal. The synod voted overwhelmingly to tell Bishop Matthias to resign and after negotiating a severance package, Bishop Matthias did, indeed, agree to resign. Now we move forward, hopefully a more peaceful diocese, and hopefully the kind of diocese in which the victim can feel at home, at some point in the future anyhow.
North Dakota has recently passed legislation restricting abortion. Although, in part, it draws a line at a “heartbeat,” which does not define when conception occurs and allows for “the morning after pill,” and certainly does not eliminate any and all(early) abortions, quite a few have reacted against it. Likewise, there have been objections to the bill requiring an abortion doctor to have admission privileges at a local hospital. Finally, there has been outrage even over the bill prohibiting genetic selection as a reason for abortion. Such bills are at least consistent with Orthodox Christianity (though Orthodox do debate how and when to legislate on moral issues, including abortion). Certainly, Orthodoxy’s canon law prohibits abortion or even causing abortion.
Interestingly, it is not just here in North Dakota where abortion has risen as a hot issue. I have recently learned that at one of our Orthodox seminaries, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, a pro-life society has begun. I provide a link to their blog here, which I’ll likewise include in the “Related Orthodox Sites” widget:
http://www.stambrosesociety.com/blog/
The work of Dr. Jeff Bishop (at SLU, from which I earned my Ph.D.) is very fascinating in this regard. This society did not exist while I was a student at SVS, but it has encouraged and enabled some thoughtful discussions concerning this issue. One talk may be found here:
http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/svsvoices
Scroll down for the podcast entitled “St. Ambrose Society” for a talk given by Ian Jones, also an SVS alum, who is a doctoral candidate at Fordham. It is a talk worth listening to and may be worth remembering as this issue continues to be debated and discussed in North Dakota, which will almost certainly happen in full force next year when voters decide on a “right to life” amendment.
Today, while taking a break, I came across some very intriguing articles that I share with you all here. I realize that is not why one comes to this site typically, but in this case, I hope you’ll excuse that and be willing to read these. I also must admit I found a couple of these from Facebook postings by a couple friends of mine.
The first discusses some archaeological finds in Iraq. It also highlights the problem of the dwindling population of Christians, especially since the Iraq war:
http://www.azzaman.com/english/?p=618
The second is a fascinating piece discussing the Greek influence on Western chant and hymnography. Not only is there influence within the Roman Catholic tradition but also Lutheran hymnography. I hope choir directors and others read this and find it to be of interest.
http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/1927/the_hellenic_origins_of_church_music.aspx#.USN1NWfPgmt
This is a fascinating collection of Tsarist Russia on the eve of the war:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/
I hope to find the time to write up an actual post in the near future.
Past Horizons has a fascinating article discussing the employment of archaeology for ideology promotion (by Chemi Schiff):
Although the focus is on a site in the Negev, I think Mr. (soon to be Dr.) Schiff raises some very good points that hold across the spectrum of archaeology and history, not only regarding that of Israel’s history but history more generally. Of course, noting that archaeology is used ideologically when interpreting Israel’s history is nothing new. There are “minimalists” and “maximalists” with regard to whether we can accept much of the biblical witness surrounding ancient Israel and the United Kingdom. You know, was David a chieftan more than a king–that sort of thing. What I find the most helpful about this article, however, is not simply raising the question of to what degree can archaeology be “neutral,” but the reminder that history and archaeology are not strictly “neutral” at tourism sites. I think this is a very salient point in an era characterized by a popular view of “history” that tends toward “entertainment” (as one may see on the History Channel). I, for one, think archaeology faces the same challenge history does (even, perhaps especially, church history)–achieving a “neutral” view is an ongoing process rather than an objective reality. That is, when one reads church history and the fathers, one needs to engage in an ascetic discipline. One must struggle against one’s presuppositions and desires. It doesn’t mean one will necessarily change all of one’s presuppositions, but it does mean one must honestly admit what they are and realize how it shapes one’s interpretation. One must also struggle against one’s desires, just as one is to struggle against one’s passions. We might WANT St. Justin Martyr’s description of the liturgy to be exactly what we think it is and might WANT to fill in gaps, but a more realistic stance would be to acknowledge that all he provides is a general pattern, or shape, and that for his parish in Rome. Is it consistent with other liturgical patterns in the early church? Well, that’s a question to be explored in that case, not presumed. Struggling against our desires and presumptions might not be fun and certainly won’t be entertaining in the sense of yuk-yuk, nudge-nudge versions of “history” we can find on television, but it is something we must do. Not to do it, means doing something even worse than what one can find in the Negev–like the museum of creationism or the publication of narratives of Orthodox “histories” that are purposely one-sided, one-dimensional, and omitting of any complexities and weaknesses (and if you haven’t seen those, you haven’t been reading).
Recent archaeological findings just might help give an answer to the question of when Christianity established itself in Western Scotland. The typical date is given around 1000, under the leadership of Sigurd Hlodvirsson. There are indications that it predates the Viking conquests/settlements, however. Crawford has a book entitled Scandinavian Scotland and she allows for some continuity between the church, raising that very likelihood, in my mind. Now, it looks as though one might have a chance to see what further light archaeology may bring to bear on the matter:
Those of you familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures know that the Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrian Empire around 722, when Hoshea attempted to remove the yoke (the Northern Kingdom, called Israel, had been a vassal state of the Assyrian Empire for some time). Hoshea failed and the Northern Kingdom was no more. For more on that event, see 2 Kings 15 and 17. The remnants of that kingdom were known as “Samaritans.”
Anyhow, if you knew all that and more, you might find this recent archaeological article to be of interest. It does not discuss Israel-Assyrian relations, but is interesting for those seeking to learn more about Assyria in general.
On January 18, 2003, I was ordained to the priesthood in the Orthodox Church in America. I had been a deacon since May 25, 2002. In 2003, I was starting my last semester at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (www.svots.edu). On that same day (January 18th) Nicholas Denysenko was ordained as a deacon. Although I knew him slightly at the time, we have since become friends (and are co-academics, for all the strangeness that brings! 
)
A picture of me standing next to Archbishop Job (of blessed memory) may be seen here:
Well, I returned from the American Society of Church History conference in New Orleans on Saturday, in time to celebrate Theophany. The timing of the conference is not good for Orthodox, as it is either Theophany or Christmas, but it has traditionally been scheduled together with the American Historical Association, so the timing of the conference won’t change any time soon. Anyhow, just wanted to say that it was an enjoyable time. I met some people I hadn’t met before and a couple I knew only by way of email. So, it was a good time. The paper I gave on African American converts was condensed from two chapters in my forthcoming book from Oxford University Press. I gave a paper during the very first session, so the audience was quite small but the questions were good.
For those who are wondering what the ASCH is all about, go to www.churchhistory.org
