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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thankful

This is from the Close to Home Podcast by Molly Sabourin. This is her blog " mollysabourin.blogspot".


Play Audio

Direct Link



JNORM888

History of Orthodox Christianity (3 Part Series)

This is taken from the GOA webpage.

As seen from the website:
"Our series views the foundation and growth of the Orthodox Church through historic milestones and geographic locations connected to specific eras, examining the formation of major aspects of the Holy Tradition."


Part 1: Beginnings
Real Media Format
Quicktime Format

Part 2: Byzantium
Real Media Format
Quicktime Format

Part 3: A Hidden Treasure
Real Media Format
Quicktime Format





JNORM888

Ancient Faith For Modern World

This is taken from the GOA website from the section called "Holy Cross Live series".

As seen from the webpage:
"The Holy Cross Live! Series is designed to introduce the basic teachings of Orthodox Christianity. These talk shows feature clergy and lay theologians who teach at Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA."


Real Media Format



JNORM888

Music For Our Souls: Orthodox Hymnology

This is taken from the GOA website in the section called "Holy Cross Live Series".

Speakers:
Rev. Nicholas Kastanas & Rev. Constantine Terss

Part 1
Real Media Format


Part 2
Real Media Format



JNORM888

The Bible in the Orthodox Church

This was taken from the GOA website.

As seen from the webpage.
" The Bible in the Orthodox Church
Metropolitan Demetrios of Vresthena & Rev. Dr. Theodore Stylianopoulos"


Real Media Format




JNORM888

A Deeper Level of Thanksgiving

This is from the podcast Speaking the Truth in Love.

As seen from the website:
"Fr. Tom encourages us to remember the place of gratitude and thanksgiving in the Christian life and tells us how we can go deeper and higher into the meaning of gratitude."


Play Audio

Direct Link

Download



JNORM888
Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Formation of the Scriptures



This was done by His Grace the Right Reverend Bishop Maymon.




For some reason I can't run "Googlevideo" embeds.

The Formation of the Scriptures


For those that have access to Orthodoxtv can also see a similar video here:

Bishop MARK: "The Canon of Scripture" (DSL/Cable/ISDN/T1)

Bishop MARK: "The Canon of Scripture" (33k - 56k modems)

and

Sub-Deacon Ezra: "How We Got the Bible" (DSL/Cable/ISDN/T1)

Sub-Deacon Ezra: "How We Got the Bible" (33k - 56k modems)




JNORM888

Missions and Evangelism Conference 2008




These are Some of the lectures from the conference held a few months ago in Santa Barbara, California.

Play Audio Fr. Dan Suciu on the teaching of the Church about Mary (45:05).

Play Audio Fr. Dan Suciu on “Holy Tradition: Guardian of the New Testament” (56:33).

Play Audio Fr. Peter Gillquist on “Preaching and Teaching the Bible” (44:08).

Play Audio Fr. Peter Gillquist on “Hidden Treasures in the Septuagint” (32:04).

Play Audio Fr. Jon Braun exploring the use of the word “saved” in the New Testament. (48:20).

Play Audio Fr. Jon Braun on “Achieving Parish Unity” (50:41).

The others are found at the website.



JNORM888
Saturday, November 22, 2008

The Latin Fathers - St. Augustine and St. Jerome


This is from the podcast Search the Scriptures by Dr. Jeannie Constantinou.

As seen from the website:
"Today Jeannie concludes her introduction to the Bible with a look at the two best know Latin Fathers of the Church."


Play Audio

Direct Link



Another awsome lecture from Dr. Constantinou



Related Link:
St. Ambrose of Milan and the Scriptures






JNORM888

The Ecumenical Councils - Part 1


This is from the podcast At the Intersection of East and West by Dn. Michael.


As seen from the website:
"In the first of a series, Dn. Michael introduces us to the Ecumenical Councils and their importance in Christian history and theology."

Play Audio

Direct Link




JNORM888

Who Is The Theotokos?

This is a series of lectures by Ft. Thomas Hopko on the topic "The Theotokos".



As seen from the website:
"A 3 part lecture delivered at the Northern California Antiochian Diocesan Women's Retreat Nov 9-11 2007 at the San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville, CA. We provide the 3 lectures in increments of approximately 30 minutes each."


The Audio Lectures:

Father Thomas Hopko - Who is the Theotokos - Lecture 1.1

Father Thomas Hopko - Who is the Theotokos - Lecture 1.2

Father Thomas Hopko - Who is the Theotokos - Lecture 2.1

Father Thomas Hopko - Who is the Theotokos - Lecture 2.2

Father Thomas Hopko - Who is the Theotokos - Lecture 2.3

Father Thomas Hopko - Who is the Theotokos - Lecture 2.4

Father Thomas Hopko - Who is the Theotokos - Lecture 3.1

Father Thomas Hopko - Who is the Theotokos - Lecture 3.2

Father Thomas Hopko - Who is the Theotokos - Lecture 3.3

Father Thomas Hopko - Who is the Theotokos - Lecture 3.4




JNORM888

The Entrance of the Theotokos Into the Temple

This is from the podcast Speaking the Truth in Love by Ft. Thomas Hopko

As seen from the website:
"Fr. Tom teaches on this significant feast at the beginning of the Nativity season."


Play Audio

Direct Link



JNORM888

Homily on the Presentation of the Theotokos

This is from the podcast Ancient Faith Presents.


As seen from the website:
"Fr. Wilbur Ellsworth from Holy Transfiguration Antiochian Orthodox Church in Warrenville, IL.:"


Play Audio

Direct Link



JNORM888

The Nativity Fast


This is from the podcast Speaking the Truth in Love.


As seen from the website:
"As we are in the beginning days of the Nativity fast, Fr. Tom takes us on a journey from the Presentation of Mary in the Temple to Theophany. Fr. Tom referenced a couple of resources:"


Play Audio

Direct Link



JNORM888

Discovering The Whole Christ - Head And Body


This is John Ma'ae's Journy. He spoke about it on the podcast "the Illumined Heart".

As seen from the website:
"In this edition meet post-modern John Ma'ae, who looked for truth in Theravada Buddhism and eventually found the fullness of Christ as the head and body of the Orthodox Church."

Play Audio

Direct Link




JNORM888
Friday, November 21, 2008

History of Eastern Orthodoxy (video)

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4:







Part 5:



Part 6:



Part 7:



Part 8:



Part 9:






JNORM888

Pics from the conference earlier this year.





Books that are related to the topic:

An Unbroken Circle


Wade in the River: The Story of the African Christian Faith



JNORM888
Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Mr. T's Snickers Commerical was banned in Great Britain










JNORM888

Mike Huckabee on the view









JNORM888
Sunday, November 16, 2008

Christology & the Eucharist

This post was done by Cyril over at Energetic Procession. It basically shows how the Reformed position is the same as that of the Nestorians. I only posted 1/3 of his post so in order to get the context it's best to read the whole thing.

"The Antiochians denied the major premise (the Word
is the subject of even the human operations and suffering), the Alexandrians the
minor (all things predicated of the Word are done so according to nature). For
the Alexandrines, and here chiefly Athanasius, the minor premise lacked the
specificity which the Incarnation demanded, namely that Christ had two natures.
By making this distinction, the major premise could be vigorously maintained.
But it was another assumption that led the Antiochians, chiefly Theodore and
Diodore of Tarsus, to accept the minor premise: that natures have subjects
corresponding to the properties of its respective natures. Thus, the human
nature has a human subject (namely the human person of Christ, which is distinct
from the divine person of the Word). This Antiochene response can be found in
later writers, particularly during the Reformation controversies over the
Eucharist between the Lutherans and the Reformed. The Lutherans divinized
Christ’s humanity in an almost Eutychian manner, while the Reformed, so bent on
keeping the human nature of the Word away from the Eucharistic elements, refused
to allow that the human nature of Christ was the result of the actions of the
Word
."


To read the rest, please go to the website.




JNORM888
Saturday, November 15, 2008

Angels and Demons

This is from his podcast "Speaking the Truth in Love".

As seen from the website:
"Who are the angels and the demons? Were the demons created evil? Can they repent? Get the answer to these questions and much more in this current episode."


Play Audio

Direct Link



Some of the early Fathers and nonFathers made a distinction between "fallen Angels" & "Demons".




JNORM888

Cynicism And The Goodness Of God



This is from the podcast "Glory to God" by Fr. Stephen.

As seen from the webpage:
" Fr. Stephen looks at the problems presented by cynicism for belief in God. Worldly wisdom and the wisdom of God are very different things."


Play Audio

Direct Link




JNORM888

St. Ambrose of Milan and the Scriptures

In the podcast "Search the Scriptures" Dr. Jeannie Constantinou takes a look at two of the western Fathers......St. Ambrose & St. Augustine, and the use of Allegorical interpretation in the Old Testament.


As seen from the webpage:
"In her final look at the Church Fathers and their interpretation of the Scriptures, Jeannie looks at St. Ambrose."


Play Audio

Play Direct link

Download



JNORM888

kangaroodort quoted something awesome in regards to the idea of "never saved to begin with"

As seen from his blog.



You can view Part 1 here.

Calvinists, who deny that salvation can ever be lost, reason
on the subject in a marvelous way. They tell us that no virgin’s lamp can go
out; no promising harvest be choked with thorns; no branch in Christ can ever be
cut off from unfruitfulness; no pardon can ever be forfeited, and no name
blotted out from God’s book! They insist that no salt can ever lose its savor;
nobody can ever “receive the grace of God in vain”; “bury his talents”; “neglect
so great salvation”; trifle away “a day of grace“; “look back” after putting his
hand to the gospel plow. Nobody can “grieve the Spirit” till He is “quenched,”
and strives no more, nor “deny the Lord that bought them”; nor “bring upon
themselves swift destruction.” Nobody, or body of believers, can ever get so
lukewarm that Jesus will spew them out of His mouth.

They use reams of
paper to argue that if one ever got lost he was never found. John 17:12; that if
one falls, he never stood. Rom. 11:16-22 and Heb. 6:4-6; if one was ever “cast
forth,” he was never in, and “if one ever withered,” he was never green.



To see the rest of the quote, please go to the website.




JNORM888

Phatcatholic responds to Mexjewel on the issue of Proposition 8 & Homosexuality

This is from his blogspot.




(Phatcat)In response to Part 1, "Mexjewel" attempted to make the argument
that a Christian could rightly live a homosexual lifestyle. I would like to
respond to this position below:



(Mexjewel)My Jesus makes the
definition of sin (and so sinners) easy. He bases and defines ALL sin on lack of
love (Matthew 22:36-40). Such obvious sins as theft, murder and adultery are
unloving because each has a victim, someone not receiving love. Can a Gay person
be sinful by themselves, with only the attraction to their own gender? So the
attraction is sinful?



(Phatcat)I, in accordance with the teaching of the Catholic
Church, do not believe that a person is a sinner just because he has a
homosexual attraction. Men and women are tempted every day to do things that
they shouldn't do. This doesn't make them sinners, it makes them human. The sin
is not in having the attraction or the temptation. The sin is in acting on it.
This is an important distinction that must be made whenever this topic is being
discussed.



(Mexjewel)And so, if that Gay person has a lover (as I
prefer to call my mate), which is the unloved victim in that homosexual
relationship? Neither, of course. Neither is unloved, neither is hurt. Who could
bring suit against the “sinner”?



(Phatcat)I would assert that neither person is being loved as they
should be loved. I realize that you feel very deeply for the person you are with
and that this may come as a grave insult to you. I'm not trying to deny your
feelings. What I'm saying is that God has made us for something better than what
you currently experience and that the love you share with your mate is not the
same as the love that God wills for us to share with each other.

You are
both victims in this homosexual relationship. You are sinning against God too,
by not living in accordance with His will. Of course, I realize that I have yet
to prove this. I hope to do that here shortly.



(Mexjewel)I guess you
alread have noticed that no Gospel writer nor prophet proclaimed homosexuality
as sinful? Jesus didn't, of course. My questions are not rhetorical; they
usually remain unanswered by those who refuse God's grace and live by working
the law.


(Phatcat)The Gospels and the prophets are not our only sources of truth
in Scripture, and you are creating a false dichotomy by pitting them against the
Pentateuch and St. Paul. Ultimately, there is only one author of Sacred
Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and He does not contradict Himself.



(Mexjewel)Certainly if God didn't want men to have sex with other
men, He would have said “Man shall not lie with man PERIOD (Leviticus 18:22,
21:13). God wanted Moses to eradicate rampant idolatry in the Jewish nation.
That whole “ . . . as with a woman” thing condemns straight men pretending to
make it with a woman, such as during idol worship. Paul explains it further when
putting down the straight Romans (1:26-28 ) for “leaving their natural
relations” (i.e.... as with a woman) and having idolatrous sex with men. Gay men
are attracted to other men by definition and by God. They can only imagine what
sex “ . . . as with a woman” would be like.



(Phatcat)This is a clever argument. If I understand you
correctly, you're saying that having sex with someone of the same gender is only
wrong when it is done by a heterosexual person within the context of idol
worship. I disagree with this for several reasons.

For one, Scripture
condemns the act itself. It says nothing of the orientation of the person
performing the act. As soon as men began to lay down with men, they sinned. It
doesn't matter if their actual sexual orientation is gay or straight. Secondly,
where in the context of the various prohibitions of homosexual activity do we
find that God meant to only forbid such acts that take place in the context of
idol worship? You seem to have pulled that out of thin air. Thirdly, don't
forget that any sexual activity, be it homosexual or heterosexual, that takes
place outside of marriage (which Scripture only envisions as being between a man
and a woman) is considered sinful. Thus, homosexual activity falls under every
prohibition of "fornication" as well, and Jesus did talk about that (cf. Mt
15:19; Rev 21:8).

Finally, when Scripture says that men had forsaken
relations with women to lay down with men, that doesn't mean that you have to be
with a woman first before your sex act with a man is sinful. What it means is
that they traded a natural form of sexual expression with an unnatural one. The
first form of sexual activity is pitted against the second form. The second form
is wrong b/c it's not the first form. Plus, if as a man you have sex with
another man, you are forsaking sexual relations with a woman, whether you've
actually had sexual relations with a woman or not.



(Mexjewel)“Homosexual” was coined about 1865, so any Bible
translation since then that uses a form of that word is a lie that needs to be
emended. My King James version is honest and homosexual-free. That word
premiered in a 1946 English Bible and continues to condemn loving Gays.



(Phatcat)Just because the word may be absent from the Bible, that does
not mean that the act it described is not a sin. At any rate, the KJV does
condemn "sodomites" (cf. Deut 23:17; 1 Ki 14:24; 15:12; 22:46; 2 Ki 23:7). What
do you make of that?



(Mexjewel)It is noteworthy that Gay people
employ themselves in loving professions like medicine, education and the
ministry. However, some Christians evidently work in the Biblical judicial
system.


(Phatcat)I never said that individuals with a homosexual orientation
are useless to society, or that they have an inability to love. Such individuals
are just as capable as anyone else to do good works for others. But, that
doesn't make their homosexual lifestyle morally acceptable, and when they try to
communicate love by participating in homosexual acts, they love wrongly.




To read the rest goto this website.





JNORM888

"Exegesis of the Nicene Creed"

This was done by T. Allen over at A Catechumens Tale blogspot.


"In a previous post I had mentioned the ill-conceived
accusation that the Nicene Creed was hard to understand, and offered to explain
it to any one who needed help. Recently I went to a special class where my
priest explained the creed in greater detail, and after taking my notes and
doing some additional research in scripture, I thought I would present an
amateur exegesis of the creed myself.

Some who attempt to denounce
Christianity mistakenly believe that after the creed was formed at Nicea (325
AD) those who did not follow it were immediately persecuted. In fact, various
versions of the creed existed across the Roman Empire before the council, hence
the need to formalize it, and the version of the creed we know today was
actually written later at the First Council of Constantinople (381 AD). The
version written at Nicea was much shorter, simpler, and had a lengthy attack
against heresy at the end. Arianism, which had led to the Nicene council in the
first place, still continued afterward and found revival in scattered parts of
the empire, leading to further councils and further efforts by the Church
Fathers. Historically speaking, Nicea was hardly an instance of case closed.

It should be noted this shouldn't be considered the ultimate explanation
of the creed, nor should it be considered "scholarly". It was just done for fun,
and to help those who might be curious about the background of the words.


I believe in one God, Father
Almighty...



It is fitting that the Church Fathers
opened the creed in this manner, because they affirm right at the start that
there is one God. Christianity is neither tritheistic nor polytheistic, for it
believes very firmly that there is one and only one God.

From here we
move into the Trinity, beginning with the Father. The Father is almighty, which
in the original Greek is defined with the word pantocrator. The Father is the
source of all things, and nothing exists without Him. It was only by God's will
that something, visible or invisible, exists (Rev 4:11).


...maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and
invisible.



When God began creation, He made the
heavens (the invisible) first and then the earth (the visible) second, hence why
the heavens are often listed before the earth (Gen 1:1; Isa 42:5). The mention
of "heaven" in Genesis 1:8 is considered by most theologians to mean "the
visible heaven," or rather the sky.

The rebellion of Satan and his
angels, who all became the demons, is believed to have happened between the
creation of the heavens and the creation of the earth. The Church Fathers taught
that the main motive behind Satan's tempting of Adam was, above all things,
jealousy."



To read the rest please go to the website.





JNORM888
Friday, November 14, 2008

Dwayne Tryumf



Is an up and coming christian rap artist from Great Britain. Below is a Youtube of one of his videos




Dwayne Tryumf on a British news station.



Dwayne Tryumf featured on "Don't Waste your Life" by Lecrea on his new album called "Rebel". He says the words "I carry a Johny Mac", for those that don't know christian hiphop slang. It means "I carry a John Macauthor Study Bible". It's a very popular "Calvinistic" study Bible in some christian rap circles.




Dwayne Tryumf on Wade-O radio (a christian hiphop radio show):

The Mp3 Quicktime Switchpod (It's about a 2 hour show)

To hear it on Itunes (It's about a 2 hour show)


Playlist
• Episode 82 Preview
• “Ambulance” – K-Drama
• “Gimme Dat” – Ambassador
***Wade-O’s thoughts on the Election Pt. 1***
• “He’s the Best” – Dre Murray feat. Fedel
• “Disciple Me Remix” – Cam feat. Lecrae
• “Solar Powered” - Brinson
• “Let’s Work” – R-Swift feat. Young Josh
• HHH News Blast w/ Sketch
• “Call Him G O D” – Canton Jones
• “We Don’t Freestyle” – Trip Lee
***Wade-O’s thoughts on the Election Pt. 2
• “Blessed Man” - Braille
• “The Thrill is Gone” – J.R.
***Dwayne Tryumf Interview Pt. 1 ***
• “Don’t Waste Your Life” – Lecrae feat. Dwayne Tryumf & Cam
• Dwayne Tryumf Freestyle
*** “Man on Fire” - Sean Slaughter
• “All My Life” - Sean Simmonds
***Dwayne Tryumf Interview Pt. 2***
• “Don’t Pack a Matic” – Dwayne Tryumf
• “Love Him Like I Do” – Deitrick Haddon, Mary Mary and Reuben Studdard
***Dwayne Tryumf Interview Pt. 3***
• Fedel I Live Promo
• HHH News Blast w/ Sketch
• “The Reason” - Dwayne Tryumf
***Dwayne Tryumf Interview Pt. 4***
• “Matthew 24” - Dwayne Tryumf
***Consider the Word and Understand the Vision***
• “Tell a Friend” – Fedel



In the interview he said that he was being Discipled by Lecrea or Reach Records....I forgot which. But we all know what that means. It means they are trying to turn him into a Calvinist. I know he wants to be on Reach Records but that's a too high price to pay.





JNORM888

Architectural plans for the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Monastery







For more pics go here









JNORM888

Two New Antiochian Women’s Monasteries

As seen from the website:
"Learn about a new initiative from His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP to start two new women's monsteries in North America. We talk with Project Director Fr. John Anderson."


Play Online

Download




JNORM888

Today’s Orthodox Church




This is from the podcast "The Illuminedheart".

As seen from the website:
"Kevin's guest is Alexei Krindatch, the research director of the most extensive and authoritative study ever conducted on how American Orthodox view the Orthodox Church today. This just-published study is full of interesting surprises and will shatter many stereotypes about Orthodoxy in America. "


Play Online

Download



JNORM888

Jazz Musician Becomes an Orthodox Christian


This is the story of "Shawn Wallace" from the Journys to Orthodoxy podcast.

As senn from the website:
"This week on Journeys to Orthodoxy: Show host, Jacob Lee, interviews Shawn Wallace, an African-American jazz musician and Assistant Professor of Music at Ohio State University. Shawn grew up in a Charismatic Pentecostal home and attended a Word of Faith Church. When he was 20 years old, Shawn started a Bible study and street evangelism"


Play Audio

Download



JNORM888
Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Booker T protest Houston Texas Bar



As seen from the website:

"According to the wrestling observer, (is that better Matt?)
TNA star Booker T and WWE star The Boogeyman were in a bit of an altercation in
a Houston sports bar called Vito's Deck House on Sunday.

Booker claims
that the bar is discriminatory against Christians. Apparently what happened was
both Boogeyman and Booker went into the bar to watch an NFL game.
Boogeyman—actual name Marty Wright—was wearing a cross.

Wright was asked
by the bartender to take the cross off or leave the bar. The bartender said it
was a violation of the bar's dress code. Booker got upset by it and asked to
speak to the manager. And then manager even said it was a violation of the dress
code.

Well of course the bar has a no right to tell you that if it's not
posted up, and come to find out, the dress code was not posted anywhere in the
bar. Booker still upset said he was not leaving and told Boogy not to either.

Police were called and police officers told Booker and Wright to leave
the bar. Booker said he saw two man at the bar wearing crosses and they were not
approached by management and told to leave.

But they did leave the bar
when they saw Booker and Boogy being kicked out over Wright wearing the cross.

Booker has a protest scheduled and quote "hopes it gets as much
publicity as possible to inform people about the sports bar suppressing people's
freedom to express their belief in God."

And as a Christian guy I have
to be in favor of Booker's case here. If they don't like the cross, its ok
people don't like it. But to make up a false dress code to make someone take
their cross off, is just stupid to me."



To read the rest please go to the website.




JNORM888

Secular Humunist add in Washington D.C.




As seen from the website:


"WASHINGTON, D.C. — You better watch out. There is a new
combatant in the Christmas wars.

Ads proclaiming, "Why believe in a god?
Just be good for goodness' sake," will appear on Washington, D.C., buses
starting next week and running through December. The American Humanist
Association unveiled the provocative $40,000 holiday ad campaign Tuesday.

In lifting lyrics from "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," the
Washington-based group is wading into what has become a perennial debate over
commercialism, religion in the public square and the meaning of Christmas.

"We are trying to reach our audience, and sometimes in order to reach an
audience, everybody has to hear you," said Fred Edwords, spokesman for the
humanist group. "Our reason for doing it during the holidays is there are an
awful lot of agnostics, atheists and other types of non-theists who feel a
little alone during the holidays because of its association with traditional
religion."

To that end, the ads and posters will include a link to a Web
site that will seek to connect and organize like-minded thinkers in the D.C.
area, Edwords said.

Edwords said the purpose isn't to argue that God
doesn't exist or change minds about a deity, although "we are trying to plant a
seed of rational thought and critical thinking and questioning in people's
minds."

The group defines humanism as "a progressive philosophy of life
that, without theism, affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of value
to self and humanity."

Last month, the British Humanist Association
caused a ruckus announcing a similar campaign on London buses with the message:
"There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."


To read the rest please go to the website:

















JNORM888

Homosexual Thugs Terrorize Church








As seen from the website:

"There was an event that happened on Sunday, November 9,
2008, in Lansing, MI, that appears to have slipped under the radar of most
Michigan and national news.

According to Catholic Online, which appears
to give the least biased account of the happenings at Mount Hope Church in
Lansing:

November 12, 2008: Catholic Online: On Sunday, November 9, a
band of about 30 gays stormed a church in Lansing, Michigan. Some were well
dressed and were stationed inside Mount Hope Church; others were outside dressed
in pink and black. The group of self-described homosexual anarchists, Bash Back!
, claims the evangelical church is guilty of "transphobia and homophobia."
The protesters outside the church were beating on buckets, shouting "Jesus
was a homo" on a megaphone and carrying an upside-down pink cross. Fire alarms
went off inside the church, protesters stormed the pulpit and a huge
rainbow-colored flag was unfurled with the inscription, "IT'S OKAY TO BE GAY!
BASH BACK!" The church was vandalized, obscenities were shouted and worshippers
were confronted. There were no arrests.
Okay, while nothing too violent
appears to have happened during this confrontation, I disapprove of involving
children on either side of a radical event. Right or Left.

And I'll
point out that while we cannot claim that Jesus was homosexual with any
definity, he was certainly raised in a homosocial environment. Seriously, look
it up.

Back to the action

November 11, 2008: LifeSiteNews.com:
When the signal was given the protesters inside the church rose from their seats
and began loudly to disrupt the service. The fire alarm was pulled inside the
church, protesters stormed the pulpit and a huge rainbow-colored flag was
unfurled with the inscription, "IT'S OKAY TO BE GAY! BASH BACK!"
The church
was vandalized, obscenities were shouted and worshippers were confronted.
According to Right Michigan the protestors in their demonstration also used
condoms, glitter, confetti, and pink fabric. A video camera wielded by the
homosexualists attempted to capture violent reactions from members of the
congregation, of which there were none. Right Michigan also reports that
approximately an hour after the demonstration two of the demonstrators were
found by security in a public restroom in the church together. There were no
arrests.

Bash Back! issued a press release on their website after the
fact, which admitted that "the group was extremely loud and wildly offensive."
The group described Mount Hope Church as "deplorable" and "anti-queer."

The release concluded, "Let it be known: So long as bigots kill us in
the streets, this pack of wolves will continue to BASH BACK!"


According to Bash Back! Lansings "Points of Unity", as listed on
their MySpace account , all members must agree to:

1. Fight for
liberation. Nothing more, nothing less. State recognition in the form of
oppressive institutions such as marriage and militarism are not steps toward
liberation but rather towards heteronormative assimilation.
2. A rejection
of Capitalism, Imperialism, and all forms of State power.

3. Actively
oppose oppression both in and out of the "movement." All oppressive behavior is
not to be tolerated.

4. Respect a diversity of tactics in the struggle
for liberation. Do not solely condemn an action on the grounds that the State
deems it to be illegal.


Which, again, why do 'Anarchist' groups have
rules, tenets, or manifestoes?

November 12, 2008: Global Politician:
Right Michigan observes that Mt. Hope Church is guilty of nothing more than
providing "free 24 hour counseling, prayer lines, ... care for families dealing
with medical emergencies, support groups for ... [people] dealing with ...
life's troubles, crisis intervention, marriage ministries, ... volunteer work"
and much, much more.
For promoting and practicing their Christian faith, the
sexual deviants decided to target the church in an action planned out like a
military operation.


Again, why portray this group as 'Anarchists'?
They obviously had a plan, brought the press, had two groups in action, one as
an "inside" team that wore suits and carried bibles and the "outside" team who
brought in the demonstration gear. They were also wearing Secret Service style
earwigs to coordinate the action.

Apparently Nathan Harris, a reporter
for 'City Pulse', had prior knowledge of the event and was there to document it.

November 11, 2008: RightMichigan: The initial RightMichigan story
mentioned his presence on-site and [suggested] that he was more interested in
getting a story than in preventing the vandalism, the violence and the
anti-Christian hatred being spewed by the lefties.
Harris: I wanted to
identify myself for you, put a name to the quote-unquote journalist, and let you
know that, according to all professional guidelines I'm aware of, I stand by my
story as reported. There is a specific role the press plays in our society, and
there are significant questions that go along with putting that into practice. I
know that I have a responsibility, though, to provide an accurate record of
events, regardless of where my personal sympathies may lie for any given
assignment.

Harris brings up an interesting point... journalists, in the
best tradition, are there to watch, to listen, to observe and to record, but
never to interfere (name that TV show). In other words, the conclusions I'd
drawn in the initial story were 100%, spot-on, laser-focused accurate. He was,
and admits, to being more interested in getting his story than in preventing
violence, vandalism and anti-Christian hatred.

Here's the broader,
ethical question... where does the responsibility of a journalist end and the
responsibility of a human being, a moral agent, begin? Is it when there is a
possibility of some uncomfortable moments? Maybe not. When there is an imminent
threat of physical violence? See how suddenly the line blurs a bit?


But there were no reports made of physical violence, just a
disruption of services, a bit of lewdness, passing out of flyers and glitter.
Actually something I would have prayed for when I used to have to go to church.

However, there was some indecency involved."



To read the rest please go to the website.



Why wasn't anyone arrested? If I did something like that I would be arrested in handcuffs with the local news media having their cameras all over my face!!!!


So why the double standard!!!








JNORM888

Prop 8, and anti-christian protesters


I only saw "hate and anger" on one side. And it wasn't from the old christian lady!!!

JNORM888

Surviving the Nativity Fast Season

This is from the podcast "wheat, wine, and oil".

As seen from the website:
"The Nativity fast begins soon and the "season" gets started. Martha has some helpful insight for all of us as we prepare our hearts and our homes for the coming of Christ."


Play Online

Direct Link



JNORM888

The Washington Times does an article about AncientFaithRadio




As seen from the website:
"A fresh look at ancient faith, Orthodox harmonies
on Web.


I got hooked on it three weeks ago.

Ancient
Faith Radio is an Internet station (http://ancientfaith.com) filled with
allusions to people with names like Methodius, Basil the Great and Ephraim the
Syrian.

There's lots of mentions of someone called the Theotokos, which
I've since learned is Greek for "Mother of God."


Julia Duin's
Stairway to Heaven column on faith runs on Thursdays and Sundays.

Unlike
contemporary Christian radio fare, the station airs sonorous chants and
breathtaking harmonies that soak into the soul. Lyrics, some of which date from
the second century after Christ, are in Greek, Romanian, Russian, Serbian,
Arabic, English, French and Spanish.

Patrick Reardon, an Orthodox priest
and friend since my seminary days, clued me in on the station, originally
sponsored by his
Chicago church. During the
evenings, I click on iTunes and voila - heavenly music like a Gregorian chant on
steroids: minor scales, major scales, pentatonic scales, the works. My toddler
likes it too.

There is a theology behind this music. Greek Christians in
the Byzantine Empire, dating back to 330 AD, believed that sacred chant united
believers with angelic choirs. Byzantine music has this unusual component of an
"ison" - a base drone that sounds like a bagpipe - that gives an unearthly feel
to the monkish choirs.

The station breaks feature a "saint for the day,"
someone who has been martyred, has suffered greatly or has kind of a somber
teaching for the chastisement of the soul. St. John Chrysostom is a regular
here.

And there are the crystal-clear reading voices of the volunteer
announcers.

"Professional people kind of came out of the woodwork when
they discovered the station," says
John Maddex, who founded the
station in his Chicago-area home in late 2004. At the time, he was the division
manager of Moody Institute's 35 broadcast stations. A convert to Orthodoxy, he
also has done radio for the mega-evangelical ministry Focus on the
Family."

To read the rest please go to the website.







JNORM888

Was St. John Chrysostom an Anti-Semite?

This is from the podcast Search the Scriptures. In it, Dr. Jeannie Constantinou continues to talk about Saint John Chrysostom and answers the question, "Was St. John Chrysostom an Anti-Semite"?

As seen from the website.
"Jennie takes a break from her Intro to the Bible series this week to answer a question that has come to her from our listeners on more than one occasion."


Play Online


Direct Link


I think she did an excellent job. She answered the question well.




JNORM888

A New Metropolitan for the OCA (Orthodox Church in America)!






The 15th All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America(which was held in the city of Pittsburgh) just picked a new Metropolitan Bishop.

Play Audio

This is from the Press release:


"PITTSBURGH, PA [OCA Communications] -- On Wednesday,
November 12, 2008, His Grace, Bishop Jonah of Fort Worth was elected Archbishop
of Washington and New York and Metropolitan of All America and Canada at the
15th All-American
Council of the Orthodox Church in America
.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah was born James
Paffhausen in Chicago, IL, and was baptized into the Episcopal Church. While
still a child, his family later settled in La Jolla, CA, near San Diego. He was
received into the Orthodox Church in 1978 at Our Lady of Kazan Moscow
Patriarchal Church, San Diego, while a student at the University of California,
San Diego. Later, he transferred to UC Santa Cruz, where he was instrumental in
establishing an Orthodox Christian Fellowship.

After completing studies
at UCSC, James attended St. Vladimir's Seminary, graduating with a Master of
Divinity degree in 1985 and a Master of Theology in Dogmatics in 1988.

He went on to pursue studies towards a Ph.D. at Graduate Theological
Union in Berkeley, but interrupted those studies to spend a year in Russia.

In Moscow, working for Russkiy Palomnik at the Publishing Department of
the Moscow Patriarchate, he was introduced to life in the Russian church, in
particular monastic life. Later that year, he joined Valaam Monastery, having
found a spiritual father in the monastery's Abbot, Archimandrite Pankratiy. It
was Archimandrite Pankratiy's spiritual father, the Elder Kyrill at Trinity-St.
Sergius Lavra, who blessed James to become a priestmonk. He was ordained to the
diaconate and priesthood in 1994 and in 1995 was tonsured to monastic rank at
St. Tikhon's Monastery, South Canaan, PA, having received the name Jonah.

Returning to California, Fr. Jonah served a number of missions and was
later given the obedience to establish a monastery under the patronage of St.
John of Shanghai and San Francisco. The monastery, initially located in Point
Reyes Station, CA, recently moved to Manton in Northern California, near
Redding. During his time building up the monastic community, Fr. Jonah also
worked to establish missions in Merced, Sonora, Chico, Eureka, Redding,
Susanville, and other communities in California, as well as in Kona, HI."


To read the rest please go to the website.

This next audio is the address Metropolitan Jonah delivered at the council a day or so before he was elected as the Metropolitan of the OCA.

As seen from the website:
"Newly consecrated Bishop Jonah is the Bishop of Fort Worth and Chancellor of the Diocese of Dallas and the South." (when they say newl consecrated, they mean newly consecrated as a bishop. This speech was made before he was elected as Metropolitan)

Play Audio


"In a stirring conclusion to the banquet, the newly elected Metropolitan Jonah encouraged the faithful with his vision for the future."

Play Audio


"Fr. Tom Soroka (The Path and Sermons At St. Nicholas) interviews Fr. Thomas Hopko (Speaking the Truth in Love) on the convention floor and asks for his reaction to the election of Metropolitan Jonah."

Play Audio





JNORM888

A second look at the second coming




This is by the Metropolitan KALLISTOS WARE. In the Audio, he talks about the second coming, free will, Heaven, Hell, and in the middle of part two, he answers a few questions.



JNORM888

Arminius, the scapegoat of Calvinism, by Dr. Vic Reasoner

Eventhough alot of modern Arminians (what some might call popular Arminianism) don't believe in what is called "Total inability". Classical Arminians and Weslyian Arminians do, and this is what alot of Calvinists don't know when they talk about Arminianism. Many of them assume that Arminianism in general rejects "Total inability".





In this audio, the conservative Methodist scholar and associate pastor Dr. Vic Reasoner talks a little bit about the history of Arminianism (what some might call classical Arminianism) and it's close cousin "Weslyian Arminianism". He also lectures on the points where Weslyian Arminianism agree and disagree with Calvinism.
In the audio, you will hear him distance Arminianism from both Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism. In the western christian World, "Semi-Pelagianism" is seen as a bad thing, because of the local second council of Orange, (Eventhough it's not an Eucemenical Council) and this is one of the reasons why you will hear some Arminians talk against it. The other reason is because Calvinists will try to associate Arminianism with Pelagius or Semi-Pelagianism, and since "Semi-Pelagianism" is seen as the boogieman, there is a guilt by association. To be honest, it would be more accurate to call Arminianism "Semi-Augustinianism" for they embrace the free will views of Augustine's early years, but they also embrace the Total inability of Augustine's Later years.
Calvinism only embraces Augustine's later teachings.

So don't be offended when you hear "some" Arminians say bad things about Semi-Pelagianism. Protestantism in general comes from Roman Catholicism so it carries some of the same attitude and mood as Rome (on certain issues).



Play Part 1

Play Part 2




JNORM888
Friday, November 7, 2008

I may be away for a few days

Maybe, I have to catch up on my reading for the St. Stephen’s Course of Studies program.

So I may or may not be on. It all depends.







JNORM888

ORTHODOXY NOW






OrthodoxyNow updated the website, and the videos are working well too. All the videos are in "quicktime", and they play "in screen". For those who don't live in the Pittsburgh area, Orthodoxy Now is a 30 minute TV program produced by the Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood of Greater Pittsburgh. An episode is played several times a week on the "Christian Associates Channel", and for those who live outside the city limits, but still within the region of Southwestern Pennsylvania, can usually see it on Cable telivision. That's if they have Comcast on demand.

The Archimandrate Ft. John Abdullah is the one sitting on your left. He is the priest of Saint George Orthodox Cathedral(Antiochian) in Oakland, PA. Which is down the street from Pitt University.

I could be wrong, but I think the one sitting on your right hand side is Ft. John Touloumes, he is the priest of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on the NorthSide of Pittsburgh.


Some of the episodes are:

How do we find God

Communion

Incarnation

Pascha

The true meaning of Christmas

To whom do we belong?


You can watch more shows here. (at the website)





JNORM888
Thursday, November 6, 2008

Proposition 8 passed

As seen from this news channel,


"LOS ANGELES -- California voters have adopted a
constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage, overturning the state
Supreme Court decision that gave gay couples the right to wed just months ago.

The passage of Proposition 8 in Tuesday's election represents a crushing
political defeat for gay rights activists, who had hoped public opinion on the
contentious issue had shifted enough since the state overwhelmingly passed an
earlier gay marriage ban in 2000 to help them defeat the measure.

"We
pick ourselves up and trudge on," Kate Kendell, executive director of the
National Center for Lesbian Rights, said early Wednesday when it appeared the
measure was headed for passage. "There has been enormous movement in favor of
full equality in eight short years. That is the direction this is heading, and
if it's not today or it's not tomorrow, it will be soon."

With almost
all precincts reporting, election returns showed the measure winning with 52
percent. With election officials and others estimating 2 million to 3 million
provisional and absentee ballots remained to be tallied, leaders of the No on 8
campaign said they were not ready to concede.

"Because Prop 8 involves
the sensitive matter of individual rights, we believe it is important to wait
until we receive further information about the outcome," Geoff Kors, director of
Equality California said in a statement Wednesday.

But based on trends
and the locations of the votes still outstanding, the margin of support in favor
of the initiative appeared secure. The Yes on 8 campaign declared victory just
after midnight.

"People believe in the institution of marriage," Frank
Schubert, co-manager of the Yes on 8 campaign said. "It's one institution that
crosses ethnic divides, that crosses partisan divides. ... People have stood up
because they care about marriage and they care a great deal."

Opponents
of the gay marriage ban said Wednesday that one legal challenge was filed and
others were being prepared.

By changing the state constitution to limit
marriage to a man and a woman, Proposition 8 overturns the California Supreme
Court decision that overturned the 2000 ban and legalized same-sex marriage in
the state in mid-June. Since then, an estimated 18,000 gay and lesbian couples,
many of them from other states, have been married.

The measure's passage
represents a personal loss for couples who still hoped to wed, and casts a
shadow of uncertainty on the legal unions of those who already have. Because the
initiative holds that only marriage between a man and a woman is recognized in
the state, legal experts have said it will have to be resolved in court whether
existing gay marriages would be nullified.

Amid uncertainty over when
the amendment takes effect, gay and lesbian couples continued seeking marriage
licenses throughout the state Wednesday. They were successful in some
jurisdictions and not others where county clerks wanted direction before
sanctioning any more same-sex unions.

Jake Rowe, 27, and James Eslick,
29, were in the midst of getting married at Sacramento City Hall Wednesday
morning when someone from the clerk's office stopped the wedding. The two men
had planned to get married next year because "We held in hope that 8 would not
pass," Rowe said.

"I'm thoroughly surprised. I thought Californians had
come to the point where they realized discrimination wasn't right," he
said."


To read the rest, please go to the website.


They won't give up, so don't shout too soon. We don't know what type of pressure they will put on the new admin.So this is a battle of perseverence. It's not over yet.




JNORM888

P.S. "Living life in a Democratic Republic is like trying to solve an a rubrics cube. There are alot of twists(alliances) and turns(compromises) you gotta make, in order to get the end result you desire"

Cruz, shares how both "pain & hope" molded his music

I knew how he got into christian rap, but I never knew this aspect of it. In his blog, he shares, some of the hurt and pain he went through, and how it molded his style of rap.




"The following is a video of me rapping when I was a senior
in high school. The school was Lancaster Mennonite High School, a school where I
have great memories. However, some miserable guys there did not like the fact
that I was a die hard urbanite using rap as means of praising God and
communicating His word. Their god was created in their image–white and also
racist. I share this video made by a friend, who kept it all these years, to
demonstrate how the rap was birthed out of pain and hope. Pain because there
were people who hated me just because I thought different, looked different, and
was different. It was a painful time because on one hand the few Latinos and
African Americans at the school recruited from the inner city thought I was
holier than thou because I was vocal about my faith and called all Christians to
the standard of Christ likeness. On the other hand I was despised by a few white
people who hated my culture, my land, and my ethnicity. My time there was lonely
and painful yet God used that time to mold me into the man I am today."


To read the rest, please go to his blog at cdero.wordpress.com.





This was when he was in highschool (1993). Cruz goes into more detail about why the song was made, and the whole history and context of that period in his life. (as seen on his blog)


This next video happened years later. Cruz is the last one rapping (in a crew of 5 or 6).......about the 3:30 minute mark.




I forgot when this video was made. I wanna say 1999, but I really don't know. But Cruz has come a long way, and I always was a fan of his music.

I could be wrong, but I think he is a teacher and a boxer now.

But what I found interesting in that highschool video is that he was talking about social justice in 1993. Alot of the Calvinists that Cruz and I both know, gave him a hard time about this. They saw it as liberal, as if he changed or something. But this video is proof, that he always cared about social issues. So I think the Calvinists that turned their backs on him should apologize. They owe him an apology.




JNORM888
Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Barack Obama & the social conservative concerns of an African American

I am an African American that voted for Mccain. Infact, I voted all red, but I am happy that Mccain treated Obama with class. Most of the African Americans I know, simply voted for him because he was black, and some white Americans simply voted for him because he was black, and I think they voted for him for the wrong reasons. I think in this election, and I could be wrong, but I think people cared more about "making history" rather than caring about actual policy.

Martin Luther King Jr. didn't die so that we could vote for a persons skin color. He died so that we could vote for their character, policies, and beliefs.

But since he won, I will pray for him(1 Tim. 2:1-8), and I will continue to fight against his admin on issues I care about the most.

I am Pro-life, and I'm against gay marriage. Barack Obama wants to unite the country and not divide it.

So we need to show him, that if he truely cares about unity, then he needs to stick to getting our troops out of Iraq, the economy, and universal healthcare.

This country is in too bad a shape for him to start another culture war. So fight him on the social conservative issues, while supporting him with the others.


He needs to know that he can't deliver too quickly on his pro-choice, and gay marraige agenda. If he recieves friction on these issues then maybe he will compromise and focus most of his time, energy, and the countries resources on other things.


So yes, I will pray for him, and I hope we all will. But we also need to hold him accountable on certain issues as well.


If he truely wants to unite the country, then he needs to put "pro-choice" and "gay marriage" on hold. If the democrats move too quickly on these issues then they will loose alot of people in the house and Senate in 2010.

So pray for him.


"O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance granting to Thy people victory over all adversaries; and by the power of Thy Cross, preserve Thine estate.

Save our president-elect, Barack Obama." (A prayer I got from someone else)




JNORM888
Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Fasting: What and Why

This is by Deacon Michael, from the podcast "At the Intersection of East and West"

As seen from the website:
Part 1: "It can seem sometimes that if we are not fasting, we are preparing to fast in the Orthodox Church. In part 1 Dn. Michael helps understand why we fast."

Play Online

Direct Link


Part 2: "Dn. Michael continues his study on Fasting in an age of self gratification and excess."

Play Online

Direct Link






JNORM888

Weekly Fasting (Wednesday & Friday)

This is from the podcast Faith and Philosophy.

As seen from the website:
"Wednesdays and Fridays are fast days for Orthodox Christians. But, why do we observe this and what spiritual benefit is there?"

Play Online

Direct Link


To be honest, I still don't know if the fasts are from sun up to sun down (about a 12 hour fast day), or if they are 24 hour fast days?

I know the ancient semetic world weren't strict on exact 24 hours days. But as far as the weekly fasts go, I never could really pin down the exact hour of when they begin and end. But then again.....sense it seems more like a personal practice........I guess it doesn't matter. Or does it?




JNORM888

An Interview with His Grace, Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria

This is from the website Orthodoxy Today.


"The OCA plays a special role in American Orthodoxy. Through
its participation in SCOBA it is already involved in fostering pan-Orthodox
unity on the American continent. I believe that one day, sooner or later, there
will be a united Orthodox Church of America that will embrace all currently
existing jurisdictions. It is clear, however, that there is a long road ahead,
and on this road the OCA, which is already constituted as an autocephalous
Church, may assist other Orthodox Churches in identifying themselves as parts of
all-American Orthodoxy.

Dr. Bouteneff: Many times, you have reminded
ecumenical gatherings of the important witness Orthodox Christians make in the
theological, moral, and ethical spheres. Do you believe that ecumenical dialogue
holds promise?

Bp. Hilarion: After more than thirteen years of intensive
ecumenical involvement I can declare my profound disappointment with the
existing forms of “official” ecumenism as represented by the World Council of
Churches, the Conference of European Churches and other similar organizations.
My impression is that they have exhausted their initial potential. Theologically
they lead us nowhere. They produce texts that, for the most part, are pale and
uninspiring. The reason for this is that these organizations include
representatives of a wide variety of churches, from the most “conservative” to
the most “liberal.” And the diversity of views is so great that they cannot say
much in common except for a polite and politically correct talk about “common
call to unity,” “mutual commitment” and “shared responsibility.”

I see
that there is now a deep-seated discrepancy between those churches which strive
to preserve the Holy Tradition and those that constantly revise it to fit modern
standards. This divergence is as evident at the level of religious teaching,
including doctrine and ecclesiology, as it is at the level of church practice,
such as worship and morality.

In my opinion, the recent liberalization
of teaching and practice in many Protestant communities has greatly alienated
them from both the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. It has also undermined the
common Christian witness to the secularized world. The voice of Christendom is
nowadays deeply disunited: we preach contradictory moral standards, our
doctrinal positions are divergent, and our social perspectives vary a great
deal. One wonders whether we can still speak at all of “Christianity” or whether
it would be more accurate to refer to “Christianities,” that is to say, markedly
diverse versions of the Christian faith.

Under these circumstances I am
not optimistic about the dialogue with the Protestant communities. I am also far
less optimistic about the Anglican-Orthodox dialogue than my beloved teacher
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware. In my opinion, the only two promising ecumenical
dialogues are between the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics, and between the
Eastern and Oriental Orthodox families. While there are well-known theological
differences between these three traditions, there is also very much in common:
we all believe in Christ as fully human and fully divine, we all uphold the
apostolic succession of hierarchy and de facto recognize each others’
sacraments.

But even with regard to relations between the Roman
Catholics and the Orthodox, both Eastern and Oriental, we need new forms of
dialogue and cooperation. It is not sufficient to come once every two years for
a theological discussion on a topic related to controversies that took place
fifteen or ten centuries ago. We need to see whether we can form a common front
for the defense of traditional Christianity without waiting until all our
theological differences will disappear. I call this proposed common front a
“strategic alliance” between the Roman Catholics and the Orthodox. I
deliberately avoid calling it a “union” or a “council,” because I want to avoid
any historical reminiscences and ecclesiastical connotations. Mine is not a call
for yet another “union” on dogmatic and theological matters. I am rather
proposing a new type of partnership based on the understanding that we are no
longer enemies or competitors: we are allies and partners facing common
challenges, such as militant secularism, aggressive Islam and many others. We
can face these challenges together and unite our forces in order to protect
traditional Christianity with its doctrinal and moral teaching."


To read the rest, please goto the website.







JNORM888

When The Fathers Disagree

This is from the podcast Faith and Philosophy by Dr. Clark Carlton.

As seen from the website:
"The title of today's episode begs the question: Do we mine the Scriptures and the Fathers to get information or food?"


Play Online

Direct Link




JNORM888
Monday, November 3, 2008

This is the Best Review of the OSB I've seen thus far

As seen from Orrologion's blog.

"A Review in Progress (October 26, 2008)

by R. G. Jones


I received my hardback copy of the Orthodox Study Bible (OSB) in June 2008, having ordered it from Amazon.com in January. Was it worth the wait?

At the moment, the jury is out. I had hoped for a modern translation of the Greek Old Testament in English with the books in their proper order and all the parts in place. In their “Introduction to the Orthodox Study Bible,” the editors note that “in Orthodoxy’s 200 year history in North America, no English translation of the LXX has ever been produced by the Church.” From what I have seen to date, that statement may still be true: this translation abounds with errors, at least in Genesis and Exodus, as the table near the bottom of this page will demonstrate. When I began to compare the OSB Old Testament with the Greek, I suspected I would end up quibbling about a few passages on the grounds that the patristic understanding had not been taken into account, but end up recommending the work. I didn’t consider the possibility that the editors would permit so many plain mistakes to be published.

What other options are there? Charles Thomson’s translation (available from Shekinah Enterprises), though printed nicely in about 11.5 point font, uses archaic language and omits several books. But my primary objection to it is that it is too free. Lancelot Brenton’s translation (Hendrickson Publications) is literal and includes the Greek text alongside the English, but the font is small (about 8 points), the books are out of order, the language is archaic, and there are a few errors. (Personally, I don’t mind the archaic language.) A New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS) is available in .pdf form online and in printed form from Oxford University Press. I have yet to examine it in detail, but my initial impression is favorable. It is certainly much more accurate than the OSB in Genesis and Exodus. The Eastern Orthodox Bible looks promising, but the Old Testament will not be published before the end of 2009 at the earliest.

Though far from perfect, the OSB has commendable features, and the prospective buyer will likely want to hear both pros and cons. I searched the internet for reviews and found a few, but those I glanced at focused on theological issues. (The OSB is bad because it was produced by converts. The OSB is bad because the icons are too American. The OSB is bad because it includes an article on justification, an Unorthodox topic – by which logic St. Cyril of Alexandria was Unorthodox as well: see his Commentary on John, book 4, chapter 6. And so on.) I’m more interested in the readability of the book itself and the faithfulness of the translation to the patristic tradition.

So, to get started, you should know a few things about the book."


To read the rest, please go to the website.



Eventhough this OSB may have some flaws, I still like it anyway. And besides, we all know this isn't going to be the final edition. But it's good to know what the mistakes are now, so when the next one comes out........everything will be resolved. People have to remember that the OSB was done willingly without pay by people who really wanted to have a Study Bible of their own. They set aside the time from their bizzy lives to actually get this thing done, and I'm sure the next edition will also be a labor of love too.
With the funds made from this edition, there should be no problem in having the money to produce another one.....some years in the future.






JNORM888
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