Surrounded on all sides by Islam, the beloved Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew continues to impact the world for Christ from his seat in Constantinople, a city central to Christian history. The Orthodox Church, that great beacon of the East, now boasts 300 million members worldwide. In one of the most remarkable tenures of the patriarchate it has been more than twenty-five years since Bartholomew first accepted this ministerial position, which is considered “first among equals” of all Orthodox leaders around the world. He is viewed by many to be a strong, humble leader who is well-loved across a wide variety of political and religious boundaries. With unfettered access to church files, Bartholomew’s personal notes, and the patriarch himself, author John Chryssavgis has woven together a picture of a man who has longed to serve God, the Church, and the world his entire life. Through personal and institutional challenges, Bartholomew continues to strive toward unity within the Orthodox community and build bridges to others. It is a task that can be as daunting as it is important. This book removes the veil that some may have placed upon this joyful man of God who is anything but mysterious, as evidenced by the heartfelt contributions to the book from world dignitaries, influencers, and religious leaders: Pope Francis Pope Benedict XVI Rowan Williams Rabbi David Rosen George Stephanopoulos Jane Goodall Joe Biden, Jr. Al Gore, Jr. Discover for yourself the man who embodies the meaning of the word ecumenical—while not altering one thing in what he believes—and experience his passion for God, the Church, and the world.

Do you sometimes feel unhappy or jealous and don’t know what to do? A long time ago, Anthony (c. 251-360 A.D.) felt like this, but decided to do something about his sad heart. He gave up everything he owned and set out with nothing to find answers. His journey took him into the desert of Egypt, where he came face to face with many temptations. But through being quiet and alone in the wilderness, Anthony discovered the power of God’s love in his heart. For many years Anthony taught other people how to live with love, joy, courage, and peace. People can still learn from him today, if only they pay attention to his good life and teachings. The answers are also there for you. Will you take the journey with us? Saint Anthony the Great tells the story of the father of Christian monasticism, who lived in the Egyptian desert just two hundred and fifty years after Jesus’ lifetime. This beautifully illustrated book will capture the attention of young readers and help teach them about Anthony’s struggle to acquire a pure heart. Here is a timeless story about the victory of good over evil, inside us and around us.

Orthodoxy is often identified with beautiful icons, elaborate liturgy, perfection as deification, and the vision of God as light. But there is a deeper side in which martyrdom is embraced. The spirituality of the Christian East is often identified with beautiful icons, elaborate liturgy, a way of perfection as deification, and the vision of God as light. But martyrdom is part and parcel of the Orthodox way, and its spirituality is profoundly marked by the reality of pain and division. This fascinating study finds a deeper insight at the heart of the Orthodox tradition: the idea of brokenness and darkness as the only way to healing and light, the idea of imperfection as the only way to salvation.

Fairacres Publications 139 The Discourses of Abba Isaiah of Scetis, a classical text of fifth-century desert literature, are grounded in Scripture and the teaching of the earliest Christian monks. The authors of this book present Abba Isaiah as one of the first of the Desert Fathers to examine the relationship between abba and disciple, the monastery and the outside world.

John Chryssavgis explores the sacred dimension of the natural environment, and the significance of creation in the rich theological history and spiritual classics of the Orthodox Church, through the lens of its unique ascetical, liturgical and mystical experience. The global ecological crisis affecting humanity's air, water, and land, as well as the planet's flora and fauna, has resulted in manifest fissures on the image of God in creation. Chryssavgis examines, from an Orthodox Christian perspective, the possibility of restoring that shattered image through the sacramental lenses of cosmic transfiguration, cosmic interconnection, and cosmic reconciliation. The viewpoints of early theologians and contemporary thinkers are extensively explored from a theological and spiritual perspective, including countering those who deny that God's creation is in crisis. Presenting a worldview advanced and championed by the Orthodox Church in the modern world, this book encourages personal and societal transformation in making ethical and economic choices that respect creation as sacrament.

John Chryssavgis explores the ascetic teaching and theology of St John Climacus, a classical and formative writer of the Christian medieval East, and the author of the seventh-century Ladder of Divine Ascent. This text proved to be the most widely used handbook of the spiritual life in the Christian East, partly because of its unique and striking symbol of the ladder that binds together the whole book. It has caught the attention of numerous readers in East and West alike through the ages and is a veritable classic of medieval spirituality, whose popularity in the East equals that of The Imitation of Christ in the West. Chryssavgis follows the development and influence of earlier desert literature, from Egypt through Palestine into Sinai, and includes a discussion of the theology of tears, the concept of unceasing prayer, as well as the monastic principles of hesychia (silence) and eros (love).

Fairacres Publications 145 Translated into English for the first time by John Chryssavgis, these Reflections present, with great simplicity, the day-to-day teaching and example of one of the great sixth-century eremitical Fathers of the Palestinian desert. For Abba Zosimas, obedience to the gospel implies a radical disposition of love for the neighbour in every thought, word and action. This is the key to freedom and joy.

Revealing unexpected truths about early desert spirituality, this volume argues that the lives of Barsanuphius and John relate closely to contemporary urban communities and how clergy tackle social challenges. The early Desert Fathers and Mothers have exercised a particular charm and appeal in recent years, but they have often been portrayed as inaccessible and eccentric figures in the history of monastic spirituality. John Chryssavgis argues that the elders have an unusual capacity to reach into the depths of the heart to reveal the extraordinary in the very ordinary, and that the correspondence between Barsanuphius and John offers an unparalleled glimpse into the sixth-century religious, political, and secular world. It opens with an exploration into the historical context of Palestinian monasticism, followed by an evaluation of the fundamental principles and practices of Barsanuphius and John.

Commemorating the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, this volume offers an original examination of the enduring impact of the single most famous gathering of Christians since the apostolic age Despite the longstanding historical and theological study of the Council of Nicaea, several central questions remain. Was Nicaea a theological event or a political one? What does it mean if it was both? Was Constantine’s intervention without precedent, or was he simply continuing a long-standing role of a Roman emperor who was responsible for leading a religious cult (albeit now for a different faith tradition)? And what about the actual theological debates of Nicaea and our ability to understand them? Scholars might never exhaust this avenue of inquiry, despite the numerous studies in recent decades. For many scholars and Christian activists today, the significance of Nicaea centers around the idea of conciliarity and what this has meant, both historically and theologically, for the Christian community. Why and how did Nicaea become foundational for thinking that the church operates in a conciliar manner? How did that work historically in different parts of the Christian world? And how should it work today? Nicaea and the Future of Christianity offers a fresh, globally-diverse, ecumenically-minded approach to these questions with an impressive collection of both senior and junior scholars, reflecting a diversity of views within the Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant traditions. The great benefit of this wide-ranging approach lies precisely in its ability to see the many ways in which Nicaea continues to speak to the future of Christianity.

Father John's inspiring introduction to the spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers brings their words to life for the modern reader. These key figures of the early church chose lives of hardship and solitude, where they could point their hearts away from the outward world and toward an introspective path of God's calling in a deliberate and individual way. Contains a Foreword by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, the second highest ranking Orthodox Bishop in England.