John H Erickson

The wisdom of ancient sages, many of whom predate the Christian era, particularly historians, philosophers, playwrights, and poets of Greece, but also many of the wise early church fathers and mothers continue to be a source of insight into life well lived. This book of poems gleans some of their gems of wisdom and views them through the lens of contemporary language and experience. In addition to the wisdom of early Greek sages, there is here a significant number of quotations from the apostolic fathers and the post-apostolic fathers/mothers: Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen. From the so-called ""Golden Age"" of Christianity (fourth to eighth centuries) there are comments from Basil (bishop of Caesarea), Gregory (bishop of Nazianzus), Gregory (bishop of Nyssa), Isidore (bishop of Pelusium), and Maximus the Confessor. From the Latin fathers of the same period there are selections from Tertullian, Augustine (bishop of Hippo), and from the Syriac fathers Ephrem the Syrian and Isaac (bishop of Nineveh). From the desert fathers and mothers there are excerpts from Symeon the New Theologian and Amma Theodora. These poetic paraphrases of ancient wisdom are shared with the hope that they are faithful to these servants of knowledge and faith, and that they will continue to enhance life's meaning today.

The wisdom of ancient sages, many of whom predate the Christian era, particularly historians, philosophers, playwrights, and poets of Greece, but also many of the wise early church fathers and mothers continue to be a source of insight into life well lived. This book of poems gleans some of their gems of wisdom and views them through the lens of contemporary language and experience. In addition to the wisdom of early Greek sages, there is here a significant number of quotations from the apostolic fathers and the post-apostolic fathers/mothers: Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen. From the so-called "Golden Age" of Christianity (fourth to eighth centuries) there are comments from Basil (bishop of Caesarea), Gregory (bishop of Nazianzus), Gregory (bishop of Nyssa), Isidore (bishop of Pelusium), and Maximus the Confessor. From the Latin fathers of the same period there are selections from Tertullian, Augustine (bishop of Hippo), and from the Syriac fathers Ephrem the Syrian and Isaac (bishop of Nineveh). From the desert fathers and mothers there are excerpts from Symeon the New Theologian and Amma Theodora. These poetic paraphrases of ancient wisdom are shared with the hope that they are faithful to these servants of knowledge and faith, and that they will continue to enhance life's meaning today.

In the fall of 1972, John Erickson was 16 years old, and things were not going well. It was his ninth emergency visit to a hospital in the last four years, and he lay unconscious after a seizure at Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. The doctors didn't know why their efforts continued to fail, but they finally told his parents nothing more could be done. A priest arrived to administer Last Rites. As a last-ditch effort, Erickson's parents approved a high-risk procedure in the hopes of buying their son at least a little more time. And miraculously, it did. Young John emerged from that procedure, which had finally been successful, and began the journey of learning to live as a legally blind person. Along the way he would discover God's love through the people around him and ultimately come to understand a purpose for his ordeal. This is his story, shared in the hopes of encouraging others to find faith in the midst of life's greatest challenges.

This book follows the momentous events and notable individuals in the history of the Orthodox dioceses in America. Erickson explains the huge impact Orthodox Christianity has had on the history of immigration, and how the religion has changed as a result of the American experience. Lively, engaging, and thoroughly researched, the book unveils insightful portrait of an ancient faith in a new world.

Michael Plekon's Tradition Alive presents a collection of essays highlighting not only the vibrant tradition of 20th century Eastern Orthodox thought, but also the necessity of its inclusion in the theological canon constructed mainly by Western Christian thinkers. Ranging from the thought of the first generation of Russian ZmigrZs to contemporary Eastern Orthodox theologians, the essays in Tradition Alive point toward a positive theology that is convinced of the immanence of the holy spirit despite a world torn apart by revolution, violence, and despair. The contributors profess their faith in the transforming presence of Christ and the divine dimensions of the church by looking to the meaning and power of tradition in the practices of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. By focusing on the Orthodox Church's ecclesial and liturgical character, the authors emphasize the living character of the Christian tradition. With many contributions difficult, if not impossible, to access until now, Tradition Alive presents a brave and distinctive effort to enliven Western theology by looking to the theology of the East.