Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Orthodox Spirituality A Brief Introduction by Hierotheos Vlachos Hierotheos Vlachos. Hierotheos Vlachos ( Greek : Μητροπολίτης Ιερόθεος, real name: Georgios Vlachos, Greek: Γεώργιος Βλάχος, * 1945 in Ioannina , Greece ) is an Orthodox bishop and metropolitan of Nafpaktos as well as an important Orthodox theologian in the Church of Greece . contents. Vlachos studied at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , where he graduated in Orthodox theology. He was ordained a deacon in 1971 and a priest in 1972 . In 1988 he was Archimandrite on Mount Athos . On July 20, 1995, he was ordained bishop and was elected Bishop of Nafpaktos. Since then he has been bishop of the metropolitan diocese of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios . Bishop Hierotheos taught Greek and Orthodox ethics for a number of years at the Theological Institute of St. John of Damascus at the University of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch in northern Lebanon . Even in his youth, Bishop Hierotheos was very concerned with the Father's writings and also researched and collected texts in the libraries of Athos for a while . Here he was particularly interested in the theology and spirituality of Gregory Palamas . Hierotheos Vlachos has published many books and essays, mostly on spiritual subjects. Most of his books have also been translated into English and other languages. One of his most important works is the book Orthodox Psychotherapy . The theology of Bishop Hierotheos is strongly influenced by Johannes Romanidis , to whom a therapeutic - ascetic view of the faith on an academic level as well as an orientation towards hesychasm was important. His essay Orthodox Spirituality - a short introduction , published in German, is considered a standard text on Orthodox spirituality. Vlachos is considered one of the most intimate experts on the spirituality of Gregor Palamas and tries to develop it further within the framework of tradition. Honors. His book The Concept of the Person in the Orthodox Tradition received the first prize of the Academy of Athens for "best theological publication of the years 1991 to 1996". The Difference Between Orthodox Spirituality and Other Traditions. Orthodox spirituality differs distinctly from any other "spirituality" of an eastern or western type. There can be no confusion among the various spiritualities, because Orthodox spirituality is God-centered, whereas all others are man-centered. T he difference appears primarily in the doctrinal teaching. For this reason we put "Orthodox" before the word "Church" so as to distinguish it from any other religion. Certainly "Orthodox" must be linked with the term "Ecclesiastic," since Orthodoxy cannot exist outside of the Church; neither, of course, can the Church exist outside Orthodoxy. The dogmas are the results of decisions made at the Ecumenical Councils on various matters of faith. Dogmas are referred to as such, because they draw the boundaries between truth and error, between sickness and health. Dogmas express the revealed truth. They formulate the life of the Church. Thus they are, on the one hand, the expression of Revelation and on the other act as "remedies" in order to lead us to communion with God; to our reason for being. Dogmatic differences reflect corresponding differences in therapy. If a person does not follow the "right way" he cannot ever reach his destination. If he does not take the proper "remedies," he cannot ever acquire health; in other words, he will experience no therapeutic benefits. Again, if we compare Orthodox spirituality with other Christian traditions, the difference in approach and method of therapy is more evident. A fundamental teaching of the Holy Fathers is that the Church is a "Hospital" which cures the wounded man. In many passages of Holy Scripture such language is used. One such passage is that of the parable of the Good Samaritan: "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion . So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you" (Luke 10:33-35). In this parable, the Samaritan represents Christ who cured the wounded man and led him to the Inn, that is to the "Hospital" which is the Church. It is evident here that Christ is presented as the Healer, the physician who cures man's maladies; and the Church as the true Hospital. It is very characteristic that Saint John Chrysostom, analysing this parable, presents these truths emphasised above. Man's life "in Paradise" was reduced to a life governed by the devil and his wiles. "And fell among thieves," that is in the hands of the devil and of all the hostile powers. The wounds man suffered are the various sins, as the prophet David says: "my wounds grow foul and fester because of my foolishness" (Psalm 37). For "every sin causes a bruise and a wound." The Samaritan is Christ Himself who descended to earth from Heaven in order to cure the wounded man. He used oil and wine to "treat" the wounds; in other words, by "mingling His blood with the Holy Spirit, he brought man to life." According to another interpretation, oil corresponds to the comforting word and wine to the harsh word. Mingled together they have the power to unify the scattered mind. "He set him in His own beast," that is He assumed human flesh on "the shoulders" of His divinity and ascended incarnate to His Father in Heaven. Then the Good Samaritan, i.e. Christ, took man to the grand, wondrous and spacious inn--to the Church. And He handed man over to the innkeeper, who is the Apostle Paul, and through the Apostle Paul to all bishops and priests, saying: "Take care of the Gentile people, whom I have handed over to you in the Church. They suffer illness wounded by sin, so cure them, using as remedies the words of the Prophets and the teaching of the Gospel; make them healthy through the admonitions and comforting word of the Old and New Testaments." Thus, according to Saint Chrysostom, Paul is he who maintains the Churches of God, "curing all people by his spiritual admonitions and offering to each one of them what they really need." In the interpretation of this parable by Saint John Chrysostom, it is clearly shown that the Church is a Hospital which cures people wounded by sin; and the bishops and priests are the therapists of the people of God. And this precisely is the work of Orthodox theology. When referring to Orthodox theology, we do not simply mean a history of theology. The latter is, of course, a part of this but not absolutely or exclusively. In Patristic tradition, theologians are the God-seers. Saint Gregory Palamas calls Barlaam [who attempted to bring Western scholastic theology into the Orthodox Church] a "theologian," but he clearly emphasises that intellectual theology differs greatly from the experience of the vision of God. According to Saint Gregory Palamas theologians are the God-seers; those who have followed the "method" of the Church and have attained to perfect faith, to the illumination of the nous and to divinisation (theosis). Theology is the fruit of man's cure and the path which leads to cure and the acquisition of the knowledge of God. Western theology, however, has differentiated itself from Eastern Orthodox theology. Instead of being therapeutic, it is more intellectual and emotional in character. In the West [after the Carolingian "Renaissance"], scholastic theology evolved, which is antithetical to the Orthodox Tradition. Western theology is based on rational thought whereas Orthodoxy is hesychastic. Scholastic theology tried to understand logically the Revelation of God and conform to philosophical methodology. Characteristic of such an approach is the saying of Anselm [Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093-1109, one of the first after the Norman Conquest and destruction of the Old English Orthodox Church]: "I believe so as to understand." The Scholastics acknowledged God at the outset and then endeavoured to prove His existence by logical arguments and rational categories. In the Orthodox Church, as expressed by the Holy Fathers, faith is God revealing Himself to man. We accept faith by hearing it not so that we can understand it rationally, but so that we can cleanse our hearts, attain to faith by theoria[1] and experience the Revelation of God. Scholastic theology reached its culminating point in the person of Thomas Aquinas, a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. He claimed that Christian truths are divided into natural and supernatural. Natural truths can be proven philosophically, like the truth of the Existence of God. Supernatural truths - such as the Triune God, the incarnation of the Logos, the resurrection of the bodies - cannot be proven philosophically, yet they cannot be disproven. Scholasticism linked theology very closely with philosophy, even more so with metaphysics. As a result, faith was altered and scholastic theology itself fell into complete disrepute when the "idol" of the West - metaphysics - collapsed. Scholasticism is held accountable for much of the tragic situation created in the West with respect to faith and faith issues. The Holy Fathers teach that natural and metaphysical categories do not exist but speak rather of the created and uncreated. Never did the Holy Fathers accept Aristotle's metaphysics. However, it is not my intent to expound further on this. Theologians of the West during the Middle Ages considered scholastic theology to be a further development of the teaching of the Holy Fathers, and from this point on, there begins the teaching of the Franks that scholastic theology is superior to that of the Holy Fathers. Consequently, Scholastics, who are occupied with reason, consider themselves superior to the Holy Fathers of the Church. They also believe that human knowledge, an offspring of reason, is loftier than Revelation and experience. It is within this context that the conflict between Saint Gregory Palamas and Barlaam should be viewed. Barlaam was essentially a scholastic theologian who attempted to pass on scholastic theology to the Orthodox East. Barlaam's views - that we cannot really know Who the Holy Spirit is exactly (an outgrowth of which is agnosticism), that the ancient Greek philosophers are superior to the Prophets and the Apostles (since reason is above the vision of the Apostles), that the light of the Transfiguration is something which is created and can be undone, that the hesychastic way of life (i.e. the purification of the heart and the unceasing noetic prayer) is not essential - are views which express a scholastic and, subsequently, a secularised point of view of theology. Saint Gregory Palamas foresaw the danger that these views held for Orthodoxy and through the power and energy of the Most Holy Spirit and the experience which he himself had acquired as a successor to the Holy Fathers, he confronted this great danger and preserved unadulterated the Orthodox Faith and Tradition. Having given a framework to the topic at hand, if Orthodox spirituality is examined in relationship to Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, the differences are immediately discovered. Protestants do not have a "therapeutic treatment" tradition. They suppose that believing in God, intellectually, constitutes salvation. Yet salvation is not a matter of intellectual acceptance of truth; rather it is a person's transformation and divinisation by grace. This transformation is effected by the analogous "treatment" of one's personality, as shall be seen in the following chapters. In the Holy Scripture it appears that faith comes by hearing the Word and by experiencing "theoria" (the vision of God). We accept faith at first by hearing in order to be healed, and then we attain to faith by theoria, which saves man. Protestants, because they believe that the acceptance of the truths of faith, the theoretical acceptance of God's Revelation, i.e. faith by hearing saves man, do not have a "therapeutic tradition." It could be said that such a conception of salvation is very naive. The Roman Catholics as well do not have the perfection of the therapeutic tradition which the Orthodox Church has. Their doctrine of the Filioque is a manifestation of the weakness in their theology to grasp the relationship existing between the person and society. They confuse the personal properties: the "unbegotten" of the Father, the "begotten" of the Son, and the procession of the Holy Spirit. The Father is the cause of the "generation" of the Son and the procession of the Holy Spirit. The Latins' weakness to comprehend and failure to express the dogma of the Trinity shows the non-existence of empirical theology. The three disciples of Christ (Peter, James and John) beheld the glory of Christ on Mount Tabor; they heard at once the voice of the Father, "This is My beloved Son," and saw the coming of the Holy Spirit in a cloud, for, the cloud is the presence of the Holy Spirit, as Saint Gregory Palamas says. Thus the disciples of Christ acquired the knowledge of the Triune God in theoria (vision of God) and by revelation. It was revealed to them that God is one essence in three hypostases. This is what Saint Symeon the New Theologian teaches. In his poems he proclaims over and over that, while beholding the uncreated Light, the deified man acquires the Revelation of God the Trinity. Being in "theoria" (vision of God), the saints do not confuse the hypostatic attributes. The fact that the Latin tradition came to the point of confusing these hypostatic attributes and teaching that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son also, shows the non-existence of empirical theology for them. Latin tradition speaks also of created grace, a fact which suggests that there is no experience of the grace of God. For, when man obtains the experience of God, then he comes to understand well that this grace is uncreated. Without this experience there can be no genuine "therapeutic tradition." And indeed we cannot find in all of Latin tradition, the equivalent to Orthodoxy's therapeutic method. The nous is not spoken of; neither is it distinguished from reason. The darkened nous is not treated as a malady, nor the illumination of the nous as therapy. Many greatly publicised Latin texts are sentimental and exhaust themselves in a barren ethicology. In the Orthodox Church, on the contrary, there is a great tradition concerning these issues, which shows that within it there exists the true therapeutic method. A faith is a true faith inasmuch as it has therapeutic benefits. If it is able to cure, then it is a true faith. If it does not cure, it is not a true faith. The same thing can be said about medicine: a true scientist is the doctor who knows how to cure and his method has therapeutic benefits, whereas a charlatan is unable to cure. The same holds true where matters of the soul are concerned. The difference between Orthodoxy and the Latin tradition, as well as the Protestant confessions, is apparent primarily in the method of therapy. This difference is made manifest in the doctrines of each denomination. Dogmas are not philosophy, neither is theology the same as philoosphy. Since Orthodox spirituality differs distinctly from the "spiritualities" of other confessions, so much the more does it differ from the "spirituality" of eastern religions, which do not believe in the Theanthropic nature of Christ and the Holy Spirit. They are influenced by the philosophical dialectic, which has been surpassed by the Revelation of God. These traditions are unaware of the notion of personhood and thus the hypostatic principle. And love, as a fundamental teaching, is totally absent. One may find, of course, in these eastern religions an effort on the part of their followers to divest themselves of images and rational thoughts, but this is in fact a movement towards nothingness, to non-existence. There is no path leading their "disciples" to theosis-divinisation (see the note below) of the whole man. This is why a vast and chaotic gap exists between Orthodox spirituality and the eastern religions, in spite of certain external similarities in terminology. For example, eastern religions may employ terms like ecstasy, dispassion, illumination, noetic energy, etc. but they are impregnated with a content different from corresponding terms in Orthodox spirituality. From Chapter 2 of Orthodox Spirituality: A brief introduction, published in 1994 by Birth of the Theotokos Monastery, Levadia, Greece. See also "Way Apart: What is the Difference Between Orthodoxy and Western Confessions?", by Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) of Kiev and Galic. [1] Theoria is the vision of the glory of God. Theoria is identified with the vision of the uncreated Light, the uncreated energy of God, with the union of man with God, with man's theosis (see note below). Thus, theoria, vision and theosis are closely connected. Theoria has various degrees. There is illumination, vision of God, and constant vision (for hours, days, weeks, even months). Noetic prayer is the first stage of theoria. Theoretical man is one who is at this stage. In Patristic theology, the theoretical man is characterised as the shepherd of the sheep. Theosis-Divinisation is the participation in the Uncreated grace of God. Theosis is identified and connected with the theoria (vision) of the Uncreated Light (see note above). It is called theosis in grace because it is attained through the energy, of the divine grace. It is a co-operation of God with man, since God is He Who operates and man is he who co-operates. Orthodox Spirituality: A Brief Introduction by Hierotheos Vlachos. GR-32100 Levadia - Greece. Tel : +30 268 31204, +30 94 504297. Fax: +30 268 31204. Books published in more than two languages. A NIGHT IN THE DESERT OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos. 176 pages, $14.00. Translated from Greek by Effie Mavromichali.(English version). "A Night in the desert of the Holy Mountain" is a book which brings to light the quintessence of Orthodox spiritual life: the Jesus prayer or prayer of the heart and how it can be practised by both monks-nuns and lay people. The discussion flows in a spontaneous and immediate way -the dialogue form of the book helping in that. The reader enjoys the simple presentation of all the teaching of the Church on the Jesus prayer through the authentic experience of an Authonite hermit. And "when a hermit's mouth opens it will fill you with fragrance". The book has been a classic of its kind in Greece where it is now in its twelfth edition. It has been also translated into Arabic, French, Russian, Serbian and Spanish. Books published in English: By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos 1st edition, 1994. pages 112, $9.00. Under the title "Orthodox Spirituality" the author of this book wishes to present the fundamendals of Orthodox spiritual life. He delineates, in a very concise manner, the boundaries of Orthodox ecclesiastical life by redefining terms long misused or misinterpreted: praxis, theoria, nous, reason, cure of the soul etc. Rather, the author tries to reorientate our mind and thus our life to the authentic word and empirical theology of the Fathers. What is made clear is that Orthodox Spirituality is not meant as abstract knowledge, which has to be mastered rationally, but as a mode of life, which embodies man's salvation his communion and union with the Holy Trinity God. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos. 390 pages, $22.50. Translated from Greek by Esther Williams. This book contains the important message that the church can heal an ailing personality. The term "Orthodox Psychotherapy" does not refer to specific cases of people suffering from psychological problems of neurosis. Rather it refers to all people. According to Orthodox Tradition, after Adam;s fall man became ill; his "nous" was darkened and lost communion with God. Death entered into the person's being and caused many anthropological, social, even ecological problems. In the tragedy of his fall man maintained the image of God within him but lost completely the the likeness of Him, since his communion with God was disrupted. However the incarnation of Christ and the work of the church aim at enabling the person to attain to the likeness of God, that is to reestablish communion with God. This passage way from a fallen state to divinization is called the healing of the person, because it is connected with his return from a state of being contrary to nature, to that of a state according to nature and above nature. By adhering to Orthodox therapeuthic treatment as conceived by the Holy Fathers of Church man can cope succesfully with his thoughts (logismoi) and thus solve his problems completely and comprehensively. THE ILLNESS AND CURE OF THE SOUL IN THE ORTHODOX TRADITION. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos. 184 pages, $12.50. Translated from Greek. Fr. Hierotheos uses quotations from the Church Fathers and many saints to support his conviction that man's soul suffers illness which distorts his relationship with God, his fellow men and nature - to be curedin the hospital of the Church. Presented in the form of a discussion, the contents was used in a lecture series at the Theological School of Damascus. Books published in Greek: THE 4 VOLUMES ON ORTHODOX PSYCHOTHERAPY. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos. 1st Volume, 4th edition, 1992. 352 pages, $11.95 - 2nd Volume, 3rd edition, 1993. 304 pages, $7.75. 3rd Volume, 2nd edition, 1992. 384 pages, $8.50 - 4th Volume, 2nd edition, 1991. 200 pages, $6.50. The series of books which are mentioned in the Orthodox Psychotherapy gives the opportunity to the reader to indulge in the great theme on the therapy of the soul which consists of the purification of the soul, illumination and Theosis. Approaching the subject through the teachings of the fathers it helps us to comprehend what the soul is, how it is connected with the body-- how the passions act both physical and spiritual -- how one can attain Knowledge of God, how man in the image of God attain to the Likeness. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos. 1st Volume, 2nd edition, 1993. 440 pages, $12.50 - 2nd Volume, 2nd edition, 1993. 304 pages, $11.95. The series of articles in the book "Anatolika" are inspired by the of the Orthodox East. The interpretive analysis of the subjects reveal that the problems which occupy contemporary societies are due to the alienation of man who is deprived the Grace of God. On the contrary the man who is transfigured by the Grace of God imbues sosiety with the immaculate springs of tradition and transfigure it. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos. Vol. 1st, 1st edition, 1994. 264 pages, $14.00. Vol. 2nd, 1st edition, 1994. 256 pages, $14.00. Through the theology of our Church different themes which occupy contemporary man are commented upon in the two following volumes with the title, "Paremvasis stin synchrony kinonia". The pastoral word which is evident in the texts tries to stimulate , to examine, to arouse, and to orientate man who lives in our circularized society. O AGIOS GREGORIOS O PALAMAS OS AGIORITIS. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos 1st edition, 1992. 408 pages, $15.95. The great personality of St. Gregory Palamas which was moulded according to the hesychastic tradition of Mt. Athos and which inspires all of his activities as a pastor and defender of faith is presented in this new book. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos 2nd edition, 1989. 320 pages, $7.75. This is compiled by the series of articles written at times which touch different subjects as theological social and political. The author performing the ministry of the Orthodox Christian treats the subjects on the basis of the teachings of the Fathers of the Church. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos 2nd edition, 1993. 288 pages, $7.50. Within this book an analysis is made of what the church is and which are the substantial dimensions of the ecclesiastical conviction of which its acquisition os seen as a necessity for someone to become ecclesiastic. Thus going through the certain stages of spiritual life attains to theosis. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos 1st edition, 1994. 384 pages, $12.50. The theology of man as "Person" can play an important role in contemporary society. Father Hierotheos Vlachos the author of this book deals with the extensive analysis of this subject.Besides the philosophical and social side of this theme he presents the teachings of the Fathers which can help us the see also the ascetic dimensions of the "person". APOCALYPSES TOU THEOU. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos 2nd edition, 1991. 176 pages, $6.50. This is a theological text where the author fortifies the truth that the Holy Bible is part of the Holy tradition and that the Holy tradition is Revelation from God which was given to the saints once on the day of Pentecost and which remains within the church. The holy fathers are those who express and bear this tradition. TO MYSTERIO TIS PEDIAS TOU THEOU. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos 3rd edition, 1991. 88 pages, $4.50. God trains\governs man to attain to perfect communion with Him and this is called the pedagogy of God. Contemporary man though excepting this pedagogy of God is unable to comprehend it during the period of the absence of Grace and thus reaches despair. The author offers a few grains of the teachings of the Fathers to the people of God as assurance and consolation. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos 1st edition, 1986. 232 pages, $6.95. This book consists of sermons on the readings of the Apostle for the Sundays of 1985. It is written according to the "theology of the God-inspired saints and the pious convictions of the church", and is presented with pure clarity, with gratifying and perfect will of God which satisfies the thirst of the faithful. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos 1st edition, 1994. 96 pages. This book presents in icons and words the Orthodox catechism. In the first part an optical initiation into the basic truths of faith is made. A greater and concise analysis on the specific truths is made in the second part. This edition is addressed to small children, to those who are approaching baptism and to adults. ZOI META THANATON. By Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos 2nd edition, 1995. 420 pages, $17.50. In this book with theological permeation answers are given to questions which occupy contemporary man as: What is death? What is the soul? What happens with the soul when it is separated from the body, whether the hypostasis of man dissolves with death? What is purgatory? What is Paradise and Hell and what will happen when the Second coming arrives? Postage & handling for orders from outside Greece. Recommended Readings. Recommended Orthodox Christian books. Scroll down to see purchasing information below. The Orthodox Church. by Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia. A clear, detailed introduction to the Orthodox Church, written for the non-Orthodox as well as for Orthodox Christians who wish to know more about their tradition. The Orthodox Way. by Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia. A classic account of the belief, worship, and life of the Orthodox Church. This is a book which reveals the meaning of life for all Christians. For the Life of the World. by Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann. Beloved author Fr. Alexander Schmemann explains in this classic how the Orthodox approach to the world stems from the liturgical life of the Church. The Faith We Hold. by Archbishop Paul of Finland. Describes the basic elements of the Orthodox Faith in three sections: doctrinal, liturgical, and spiritual. The Orthodox Faith. by Protopresbyter Thomas Hopko. Comprehensive information on Orthodox Doctrine, Worship, Bible and Church History, and Spirituality| Orthodox Christians in North America: 1794-1994. by Mark Stokoe and the Archpriest Leonid Kishkovsky. A historical look at the establishment of Orthodoxy on the North American Continent, celebrating the 200th Anniversary. Historical Road of Eastern Orthodoxy. by Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann. A stimulating survey and interpretation of the history of the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church. by Protopresbyter John Meyendorff. An indispensible classic of the history of the Orthodox Church and the unique position it holds in today's world. The Orthodox Church: 455 Questions and Answers. by Fr. Stanley Harakas. Questions by real people sent in to the Hellenic Chronicle newspaper and answered by Fr Stanley Harakas, a well-known Orthodox ethicist and teacher. Questions range from the spiritual to the mundane. The Living God: A Catechism for the Christian Faith. translated by Olga Dunlop. For parents, teachers, pastors, and all who wish to understand the sources of the Church's revelation. A "seeker" poses questions and a "sage" answers them, representing the Church's explanation of those questions. Orthodox Spirituality: A Brief Introduction. by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos, Hierotheos (Vlachos) Metropolitan Heirotheos contends that Orthodox spirituality differs markedly from the "spiritualities" of the East and the West. The difference in the dogma generates the difference in ethos as well. The Incarnate God: The Feasts of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. Ed. by Catherine Aslanoff. This book draws on the rich resources of the Orthodox tradition to present a holistic vision of the faith derived from the Church's liturgical year. The Year of Grace of the Lord. by A Monk of the Eastern Church. A scriptural and liturgical commentary on the calendar of the Orthodox Church, and a guide to the scriptural readings and prayers. St. Innocent: Apostle to America. by Paul D. Garrett. Highly readable biography tracing the course of St Innocent's life to his call to mission in America, first as a priest and then bishop in America and Asia, and finally as Metropolitan of Moscow. South Canaan, PA 18459. 575 Scarsdale Road Crestwood, NY 10707-4519. Office: 914-961-2203 Fax: 914-961-5456 Toll-Free: 1-800-204-BOOK (for credit card orders) Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Web: http://www.svspress.com. The Orthodox Church in America. The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Hierotheos (Vlachos) Metropolitan Hierotheos (Greek : Μητροπολίτης Ιερόθεος , born Georgios Vlachos . Greek : Γεώργιος Βλάχος ) is a Greek metropolitan and theologian. He was born in 1945 in Ioannina, Greece. [1] He graduated from the Theological School of the University of Thessaloniki and was ordained priest in 1972 and bishop in 1995. [1] His diocese is the Metropolis of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios. His book, The Person in the Orthodox Tradition , was awarded the first prize for the "top theological work written in Greece in 1991–96" by the Academy of Athens. [2]