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Dear Parish Faithful,
Sharing Some Titles - I have the opportunity to read some very well-written theology/Church History books this summer, and thought to share three titles by way of recommendation. I was very fortunate in my choice of books, for each of them is excellent, filled with endless insights into some aspect of theology and/or church history and for that very reason "inspiring." Here are three that especially stood out:
Christian Women in the Patristic World - Their Influence, Authority and Legacy in the Second through the Fifth Centuries by Lynn H. Cohick and Amy Brown Hughes. Absolutely fascinating study of some of the most prominent women of the early Church. There are chapters on St. Thekla, the Martyrs Perpetua and Felicitas, Helen, the mother of Constantine the Great, St. Macrina, St. Paula and other wealthy matrons of Rome who adopted the ascetic life, and two very prominent Byzantine empresses to name just a few of those whose lives are covered. These women led extraordinary Christian lives, and they shaped the piety and practices of the early Church in surprising ways through their spiritual "authority." The very remembrance of these women in the consciousness of the Church throughout centuries of Church history, persuasively makes the point of their deep and ongoing influence among the faithful. This book is scholarly and academic, but in no way pedantic or dry. The life of the early centuries and the place of women within the Church are described in great detail. Written by two Protestant scholars, the book may just be most illuminating for Orthodox readers, for while their fellow Protestants may be hearing of these women for the first time, we know these women are saints that we recognize and venerate. In other words, within the Church we (should) know their lives, we venerate their icons and we sing and chant of their holiness in the Church's liturgical life. The authors write in conclusion: "These women made stunning sacrifices for others, worked through difficult questions, made difficult and even destructive decisions (here they are referring to the empresses). Their story is part of the bigger human and Christian narrative. Responsibly remembering the women who helped construct Christianity at such an influential time allows us today to build on their legacy, influencing toward the good, and using what authority we may have to bless our neighbors." This book will reshape your understanding of women in these early formative centuries, and convince you that they are models for us today, even in the very different conditions of our lives.
John Chrysostom and the Jews - Rhetoric and Reality in the Late 4th Century by Robert L. Wilken. Another great study by a prominent Church historian. In the late 4th c. St. John delivered a series of eight homilies that have over the years been denounced for their virulent critique of the Jews of 4th c Antioch. (And their later misappropriation against the Jews in general has had a deleterious effect through the centuries). Wilken does not in any way defend the harshness of St. John's language, but he provides a fascinating glimpse into the context of these homilies, delivered against the background of the pagan, Jewish, and Christian rivalries of late antiquity. Actually, in these homilies, St. John was not primarily denouncing the Jews, but the so-called "Judaizing Christians" - those members of the Church in Antioch who participated in and observed the Jewish law together with Jewish feasts and rituals. And there were many of them, all of which dismayed St. John to a great extent. He could not ignore this group as a Christian pastor. By the late 4th c. the Jewish presence in Antioch and other cities, was well-organized, lively and respected by many pagans outside of that community. Wilken explains how this attracted certain Christians. He also examines the role of Jerusalem and the (destroyed) temple within Christian theology. What is especially insightful is Wilken's chapter on the use of rhetoric in the ancient world, including the rhetoric of abuse that was considered a part of the rhetorician's arsenal. Though it could get pretty nasty, and thus is not to our taste, for the ancient world it was considered to be quite entertaining! The Church Fathers of this period were committed to employing that very arsenal of rhetoric in their own preaching. In using this tool of the rhetoric of abuse, St. John was not going beyond what was considered conventional for his times. Wilken concludes that these homilies are not anti-semitic in the contemporary use of that term. Again, St. John's primary targets where practicing Christians who were also deeply attracted to aspects of Judaism. Nevertheless, these homilies can sound quite jarring to our ears today, and their use in the service of later "anti-semitism" was tragic indeed . The book provides so much fascinating material into the world of St. John as a priest, a pastor and a preacher, that it further humanizes the great saint as well as teach us how to interpret historical events within the context of their own time.
Honorable Mention - Genesis - A Commentary by Joan L. Cooke; Angels and Demons by Peter Kreeft
