REVIEW OF APOSTLE TO ZAIRE:  THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF BLESSED FATHER COSMAS OF GRIGORIOU by Demetrios Aslanidis and Monk Damascene Grigoriatis (Uncut Mountain Press, 2001)

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When I was a child my father spent a good deal of time working in Africa, and many of our bedtime stories were adventures set in that continent.  These sometimes had vivid scenes of witch doctors and black magic.  Even now, some forty years later, I remember wondering if black magic was really as potent as the stories made it sound; and if so, how could one protect oneself from it?

Such questions are more than a child’s fancy…as one  quickly finds when reading this  fascinating work on the life ands labors of  Blessed Fr. Cosmas of Grigoriou. 

Fr. Cosmas was born in Greece in 1942; from his youth he involved in work for the church, developing many practical skills.  In 1975 he was sent to Zaire to construct churches, which he did with great success; the next year he returned to his homeland, where Elder Paisios advised him to become a monk at the monastery of Grigoriou on Mt. Athos.  Fr. Cosmas followed the advice, spent a year there, and was ordained a priest; then he returned to Zaire, where he selflessly served the people till his death in 1989. 

While the book is not particularly well written or translated, it breathes the breath of spiritual life.  (I can’t think of anything but an Orthodox hagiography that can survive such treatment!)  In reading it one feels mystical ties to Fr. Cosmas, and kindship to our Zairian Orthodox brothers in Christ, who are sorely beset by spiritual foes.  

For those of us in the industrialized world who are accustomed to demonic powers veiling their work, the naked evil of Satan in Africa is almost shocking. 

Two forms of witchcraft are practiced there:  black magic and white magic.  Black witchcraft is is overtly devoted to murder, mayhem and destruction.  Sorcerers, aided by the demonic powers, slay babies in the womb, slaughter infants and children for body parts used in rituals, and curse and murder adults.

It is not surprising that black magicians are greatly feared by the people.  The populace go out of their way not to offend those possessing such powers; government officials are fearful of punishing their crimes, and even many baptized Christians are afraid of them.   

White witchcraft is ostensibly devoted to exposing black magicians; but in reality it is  demonically inspired also.  When a black witch is exposed, he is apt to meet a grisly end himself.  (Satan doesn’t treat his staff well.)  Hence, both versions of magic lead to the destruction of human life and degradation of society.   

This is illustrated in a memorable story in which Fr. Cosmas came across a great crowd of terrified people one day as he was driving to a city.  He saw that some men were carrying the coffin of a child; upon enquiry he found that the child had been killed by a black witch—and, what’s more, the coffin was supernaturally leading the crowd toward the sorcerer. 

Fr. Cosmas wanted to stop and pray for the departed child, so the mourners could go in peace; but he was told that if he did so the child’s loved ones would likely kill him, as they had already paid for the services of the white witch to expose the sorcerer.  (Witches, fortune tellers and the like do fee-based work, whatever part of the world they may live in.)

Later Fr. Cosmas learned that the coffin did lead the crowd to the sorcerer…and in fact, it had such demonic power that it struck the black magician a fatal blow to the head.  Thanks to the white witch, then, there were two murders rather than one.

However Satan does not have power over the human will or the body of Christ, and some witches—including some particularly powerful ones—converted to Orthodoxy in the course of Fr. Cosmas’s work.  In a short but fascinating interview he explains that when the sorcerers turn to Christ, renounce their magic, give up their implements, confess and are baptized they become quite invincible to demonic assaults. 

Baptism must be followed, of course, by regular confession and communion.  (Even so, one can’t fall into pride; openly challenging the demons is quite foolish.)  Holy water is a great aid in the spiritual warfare; the implements and body parts used by sorcerers are powerless against it.  Also, Fr. Cosmas would sometimes perform liturgies at night to counter the demonic rituals taking place.

This blessed priest was tireless in his missionary labors; he would do his traveling at night to save time, in spite of fatigue and treacherous driving conditions.  He translated many liturgical texts into Swahili, and founded a monastery, which is necessary in establishing the church in a new land.  During his labors there he baptized some 15,000 Zairians.  After his falling asleep he has worked many miracles; perhaps he will become that nation’s first saint.

While there is a lurid element to the open spiritual warfare in Zaire, our “civilized” version is quite similar to theirs.  Demons kill the unborn (though in our case it is through “enlightened” goverments rather than sorcerers); demonic morality, apologetics and actions are a part of everday life, as seen on TV;  we practice polygamy—albeit in serial fashion—and we have white and black witches, with white witches presenting themselves as benevolent. 

One thing we can learn from this book is how important it is to make diligent use of the things God has given us for protection in our warfare against the demons.  The importance of frequent confession and communion can hardly be overstated; indolence leaves us vulnerable.  Holy water, too—common as it is—is more powerful than all the tools of Satan. 

Finally, this book reminds us how important it is to participate in the church’s work around the world.  In once sense Africa is  “mission field;” but in another sense the Zairians’ spiritual vitality and openness—their faith—is stronger than ours.  Those of us in the industrialized nations are in a “mission field” too—and are in great need of their gifts as the world around us slouches toward servitude to darkness.

 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.