This Is a Real Treasure. the Most Creative and Profound
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"This is a real treasure. The most creative and profound names in modern Orthodox thinking are brought before us in magnificently accessible form, at the hands of a first-class scholar who has already written eloquently about many of them. The interest of this book goes far beyond specialists in Eastern Christianity alone: Here is a chorus of thoroughly contemporary Christian voices who are at the same time steeped in the life of worship and tradition. A splendid collection.' Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Plekon's Tradition Alive presents a collection of essays highlighting not only the vibrant tradition of twentieth-century Eastern Orthodox thought, but also the necessity of its inclusion in a theological canon constructed mainly by Western Christian thinkers. Ranging from the thought of first generation Russian emigres 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 ecclesiastical 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. Michael Plekon is a professor in the department of sociology/ anthropology and in the religion and culture program at Baruch College, City University of New York. He is also an ordained priest in the Orthodox Church in America. .