One of the most fascinating aspects of Orthodox life is coming to know the Scriptures according to the Fathers.  The patristic interpretation, handed down by the apostles, is a never-ending source of wonder, combining simplicity and depth in surprising ways. 

While the prayers of the church services provide a great wealth of Scriptural exegesis, patristic commentaries are indispensable for home Bible reading.  Four readily-available New Testament commentary sets in English are those of St. John Chrysostom (+ 407), Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid (+ 1085), and Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus (+ 458), and the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series published by InterVarsity Press.

 St. John’s, detailed commentaries were written first and contain much that is foundational. Later commentators universally drew on his works.  The fact that his homilies have been in print for 1600 years is an indication that they touch on eternal truths in a way that Christian bestsellers and academic marvels do not. His commentaries are found in the Ante-Nicene, Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers series from Hendrickson Press and originally published more than a century ago.

 Most of St. John’s commentaries are in the form of homilies he preached.  He usually addresses one topic from the passage at length and comments on others more briefly—some quite briefly.  Finding his analysis of a particular verse may take a bit of time as the Scripture verses are not placed in italics or bold print in the available translations.  The translators of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (ANPNF) edition uses archaic language, which may present difficulties for some readers. Some of his commentaries have been published more recently by the Catholic University Press in the Fathers of the Church series, and these do not use archaic language.

 St. John Chrysostom’s sermons are eloquent, pointed and edifying.  One simply can’t read them without being uplifted and touched by grace; it is all too easy to become addicted to them (as I myself have).  Their appeal extends to non-Orthodox; some of the NPNF homilies were edited by the president of a Southern Baptist seminary in the late 1800’s, who praises them to the heavens. 

 The picture St. John paints of life in 5^th century Constantinople and Antioch is fascinating. Wealthy people had fish tanks and pampered pets; theatrical productions preyed on the passions; irreverent people conversed in line at the Hagia Sophia, and everyone was into sports and music. Chariot-fans could describe the strengths and weaknesses of horses on a chariot team the way we might be able to describe the strengths and weaknesses of a football team’s offensive linemen.

 One of of St. John’s great contributions is his careful definition of Biblical terms, which are so often misanalyzed in modern study aids.  With the original Greek texts easily obtainable online, these homilies are a goldmine for those learning Biblical/patristic Greek.  This habit (followed by later Orthodox commentators) preserved the NT terminology for succeeding generations.  It’s all too unfortunate that the Latin church lost these definitions!

 Chrysostom (literally Golden Mouth) was so called appropriately; he was the greatest student of the greatest Greek orator of the age (Libanius), and his eloquence even comes through in translation. Ironically, academicians, being what they are, tend to criticize both his theology, and his Greek!  One is well-advised to spurn footnotes when reading him.

 St. John did not comment,  on the Gospels of Luke or Mark.  The epistles of James, Peter, the epistles of Jude and Revelation were not yet accepted as canonical in the school of Antioch, and so they are absent from his works.

 St. John’s commentaries are available for free online (along with the Greek version); and hardcover volumes of the NPNF are inexpensive; St. Seraphim Bookstore often has various volumes for $10! 

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 The Explanations of Blessed Theophylact are written  verse by verse–not sermons–and are much more concise than St. John’s.  Unfortunately, only the four Gospels have been translated to date.  Theophylact drew heavily on St. John Chrysostom, but he incorporated the teaching of later fathers as well. This is particularly notable in his inclusion of allegorical analyses of passages, which are absent in Chrysostom.  (Antiochian exegesis did not make us of allegory at that time.)

These volumes are laid out quite nicely; the verses from Scripture are in bold print, so it is easy to find a given verse.

 It should be noted that Theophylact continues St. John’s practice of defining Biblical terms.  The footnotes in the English editions, unlike those of Chrysostom and Theodoret, preserve the spirit of the text, are quite nicely done and informative. These slender volumes cannot be praised too highly.  

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 St. Theodoret of Cyrus wrote Commentaries on the Letters of Paul, which have been translated and published in a two-volume set by Holy Cross Press. One of Theodoret’s aims was to write concise commentaries; he refers to himself in relation to other commentators as a “mosquito among the bees.” These works are quite profound, however, in spite of their brevity.

 Theodoret summarizes many of Chrysostom’s comments; but he also presents other views.  (Scripture, we must recall, are infinite in depth, filled with the divine energies, and analysis of it can never be exhausted or completed by any Father or Fathers.)  He occasionally defines terms, as St. John does; but his definitions, given his aim of brevity, are more infrequent and less detailed than those of Chrysostom. Theodoret belonged to the exegetical school of Antioch, as did St. John, and does not include allegorical interpretations. The layout of this edition is user-friendly.  The Bible verses are set off in italics and numbered clearly. 

 The big drawback is that the translator is prone to introducing politically-correct novelties, un-Orthodox views and private interpretations in his footnotes.  His criticisms of Theodoret, written in the ostensibly-objective-omniscient voice of the modern academician, could skew the views of an unwary reader.  Skip the footnotes! Given that caveat, Blessed Theodoret’s commentaries complement those of Chrysostom nicely, and will be of incalculable aid to those struggling to grasp the ineffable holiness of the apostolic writings. The cost of two paper-bound volumes is modest, under $40. 

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InterVarsity Press’s Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture is a bit different from the commentaries above in that it is a collection of early commentaries on Biblical texts. The point that cannot be made too emphatically is that this set, glamorous as it may be, published by a quintessentially Protestant publisher in an attractive hardcover format, presents the commentaries of heretics alongside those of the Fathers, without clearly distinguishing them! Its title Ancient Christian Commentary is a misnomer, unless one lumps the likes of Arius, Pelagius and Marcion in with Christianity. Also, the Old Testament books outside the Hebrew canon are labeled “Apocryphal” and only allotted one volume. 

 For those possessing the ability to identify heretical texts, the series has significant value. The excerpts are brief—not every verse is dealt with—and the books do not include Fathers past the 8^th century; but each book of Scripture is covered. Passages from Fathers that are not readily available (or scattered thoughout various writings) can be found here. The series is a real boon for those engaged in serious in-depth study. The set is also available on CD, which saves space. 

 I might add that reading a commentary-collection like this one isn’t really the same as walking through a book of the Bible with a Father.  One misses the sort of spiritual bond that develops with the author; and the main points and shape of the commentary are lost.

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 What should the faithful Orthodox have on his shelf? 

 I would recommend Chrysostom, Theophylact and Theodoret to everyone interested in learning the Scriptures; though with Chrysostom online now, it isn’t necessary to actually have him on the shelf. For those interested in in-depth devotional commentary St. John can’t be beat; for a more rapid pace the latter are worth their weight in gold.

 The Ancient Christian Commentary set is a nice aid for those who are already acquainted with patristic exegesis and have a specific area of interest.  I would not recommend it as a “starter” commentary.

Here’s a review from Randy Hay–

Here’s a review from Randy Hay:

Review of Dimitri’s Cross by Helene Arjakovsky-Klepinine (Conciliar Press, 2008)

“We have seen strange things today,” people said when they saw Jesus (Luke 5:26).  The same is true, to some degree, of the lives of all the saints; Christ Himself is in them, and so their lives are do not follow the “normal” course of human existence.   

Thus Orthodox hagiography plays a crucial and unique role in the world, manifesting the lives of the saints to all generations.  “Remember your leaders,” St. Paul says (Heb. 13:7); “Encircle Sion…encompass her; tell her story in her towers…consider her bulwarks” (Ps. 47:11-2 LXX).  Each hagiography is unique, as each God-bearer and each author is unique.

I find saints’ lives written by other saints particularly fascinating (for example, Athanasius’s Life of Anthony, Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian by Elder Paisios)…and the story of St. Dimitri Klepinine, written by his daughter, is wonderful in its own way.  I can’t think of any other hagiography written by a close family member.

Dimitri’s Cross tells the story of this humble Russian priest who lived in Paris during World War II.  He ministered to many poor and down-trodden people; when the Nazis began rounding up Jews he took it upon himself to write baptismal certificates for those in danger.  The Gestapo eventually discovered what he was doing and sent him to confinement and eventually the death camp Dora, known as the “Man-Eater,” where he reposed under brutal conditions.
  
St. Dimitri was zealous in his efforts to save Jews.  He didn’t wait for people to come to him for aid; he sought out those whom he believed needed help.  (Interestingly, the Nazis were not as thorough as one might expect in whom they sent to the death-camps; having a Jewish-sounding name might be sufficient cause.)   The certificates he signed starkly consigned baptismal witnesses committing perjury to the flames of hell; one Jewish lady insisting on actually being baptized when she realized what the priest was about to do. 

The saint was an associate of Mother Maria Skobtsova, who has also been glorified; that is an interesting sub-story.  The picture of life among the Russian exiles in France—St. Sergius Institute, the YMCA and Russian student movement, figures such as Nicholas Zander and Sergius Bulgakov—is fascinating too.

The author of this hagiography never saw her father after the age of four, and her memories are unfortunately few.  However, he wrote a number of letters home before his death, which are presented in this volume, along with photos and a sketch he drew of an improvised chapel when he was in confinement in France. 

I found the photo of him and his wife with the author quite poignant, along with the last words he wrote his family, on the day he was transported to Dora.  “Rejoice…we will be together soon.”

Somehow we’ve missed this one. The author reports that he first came into St. Seraphim Bookstore in 1992–a couple of nuns ago. Though, I did meet him later. More to the point–this is a very well written book on approaching the Orthodox Church from the perspective of Protestants of the “restored church” background.  Unlike many conversion stories, the author does not give an experiential, blow-by-blow account, but focuses on the questions he needed to have answered, before becoming Orthodox. For those as ignorant as I was about the “restored church” this is a Protestant school of thought that believes that if they can just accept the Bible as it is written then they will achieve unity with all Christians and will reestablish the ancient church which somehow founderd shortly after the last apostle died.  Craton, admits without any acrimony or polemic that this was an eceedingly naive idea and the result of relying on sola scriptura has been–2600 different Protestant sects in this country alone. And he points out the inconsistencies of this perspective in a a good humored way–not as a criticism of those who gave him his faith in Christ.  Nevertheless, there are many assumptions that need to be tackled–like the authority of tradition, infant baptism, the priesthood etc. And there are the  major inconsistencies such as accepting the Bible completely as literal truth except for where Christ promises that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church.

We don’t have this book yet be we plan to carry it. It is a very good beginner book for answering questions and concerns of former Protestants. It is not specifically a catechetical work, but it clears the ground so that the inquirer may approach the church with a fuller understanding.

Holy Week Hours:

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Man & the God- Man

by Archimandrite Justin Popovich

“The mystery of Truth is not in things, not in ideas, not in symbols, but in Personhood, namely the Theanthropic Person of the Lord Christ who said, ‘I am the Tr

uth.’”(John 14:6) Rarely is theology so lucid as it is in the writings of Father Justin Popovich. This book gathers in essays and homilies from various times and sources to form a kind of meditation on Christ as fully God and fully Man and how this Truth influences culture, education, history, and is in fact the only true measure for humanity.

Another book about Elder Porphyrios. It is not as if there can be too many written about this remarkable contemporary elder. This book suffers a little from an ESL translation but rewards the patient reader, but offers many stories of witnessed by one of the elders spiritual children, stories of healing and counsel and wisdom.

This impressive tome includes all 63 of St. Gregory’s Homilies together with indexes of scriptural references, names, subjects, Greek words and over 1000 notes and scholia. An earlier 2 volume edition of St. Gregories Homilies did not include any of these tools which transform this work into a valuable reference resource. 

Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica was one of the most renowned spiritual guides of Serbia in the twentieth century. As a novice he lived in obedience to Elder Ambrose of Miljkovo Monastery, a disciple of the Optina Elders. From him Fr. Thaddeus learned the Prayer of the Heart and the selfless love that came to characterize his whole ministry to the suffering Serbian people.  This book includes a short life and his writings, offerign valuable and wise guidance for those learning to guard their thoughts. We have already managed to sell out our first 10 copies of this book but will have more in soon.

We are grateful to Anaphora Press for this classic Biography by Fr. Lazarus Moore which has been out of print for years. Now many will benefit from getting to know our beloved patron, St. Seraphim of Sarov.  This edition is available in hardback and in paperback and includes items that were not in the last edition, incuding a biography of Fr. Lazarus Moore, The Prayer Rules of St. Seraphim, and an Akathist to St. Seraphim.