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 | The Gospel of Mark - The Suffering Servant
by Lawrence R. Farley
Scr1
This commentary series was written for the average layperson, for the
nonprofessional who feels a bit intimidated by the presence of copious
footnotes, long bibliographies, and all those other things which so
enrich the lives of academics. Working from a literal translation of
the original Greek, this commentary examines the text section by
section, explaining its meaning in everyday language. Written from an
Orthodox and patristic perspective, it maintains a balance between the
devotional and the exegetical, feeding both the heart and the mind.
Israel expected the Messiah to be a conquering hero who would liberate
the Jews from their Roman servitude. But instead, Christ came as a
suffering servant to liberate all mankind from slavery to sin. The
Gospel of Mark records Christ's public ministry as a journey to the
Cross, yet--paradoxically again--as a time of vigorous action when His
miracles astounded the multitudes, and His boldness infuriated His foes.
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 | The Prison Epistles - Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon
by Lawrence R. Farley
Scr2
From the depths of a Roman prison, words of encouragement and
instruction from the great Apostle Paul were sent in a series of
letters to communities throughout the Roman Empire. St. Paul may have
been fettered and shackled to a series of Roman guards, but the Word he
preached remained unfettered and free. This volume contains
commentaries on the epistles that St. Paul wrote while in prison to the
Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon.
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 | 1 Thessalonians - A Commentary
by Fr. Paul Nadim Tarazi
Scr4
The First Epistle to the Thessalonians is the oldest of the writings
which have been gathered into the New Testament. In reading it we can
sense the powerful impact made by St Paul's preaching of the Gospel as
well as the Apostle's continuing prayerful concern for this new mission
church. We also discover St Paul's understanding of the Second Coming
of Christ as he deals with the perennial question of "those who have
fallen asleep." This important contribution to Orthodox
biblical studies offers many helpful insights for all who wish to
understand the Bible better, experts and novices alike. Its author, Fr
Paul Tarazi, Assistant Professor of Old Testament at St Vladimir's
Seminary, clearly demonstrates the importance of discovering what the
scriptural text itself is saying.
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 | The Epistle to the Romans - A Gospel for all
by Lawrence R. Farley
Scr3
The Apostle Paul lived within a swirl of controversy. False Christians- Judaizers- dogged his every step, slandering his motives, denying his apostolic authority, and seeking to overthrow his Gospel teaching. They argued their case loudly, and Paul knew that he must give the literary performance of his life. The result was the Epistle to the Romans, in which he demonstrates the truth of his Gospel- a Gospel for all men- and thereby vindicates his apostolic authority.
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 | The Old Testament Introduction Series- A 3 volume set that includes: Vol. 1 Historical Traditions, Vol. 2 Prophetic Traditions and Vol. 3 Psalms and Wisdom
by Fr. Paul Nadim Tarazi
Scr5
Volume 1: Historical Traditions
This revised edition of Paul Tarazi's The Old Testament: An
Introduction Historical Traditions takes into account twelve years of
additional research. The way historical background is presented
constitutes the biggest change: this book no longer includes a
reconstruction of the 'history of Israel.' The author concludes that
none of the scriptural books were intended to offer a history in the
sense that we use that word today, so any efforts to construct such a
history necessarily lead one astray from the original intention of the
scriptural text. What the Scripture's original authors and editors did
intend was to present a long ma'al a Hebrew word that is variously
translated 'parable,' 'allegory,' 'proverb,' or 'edifying story.'
Therefore, the best way to understand the biblical books is to focus on
the story itself. Without imposition, Fr Tarazi presents the evidence
for his exegesis and invites the reader to judge whether or not it
clarifies the text. Besides effectively making sense of otherwise
hard-to-understand texts, Fr Tarazi dismisses speculative discussions
about matters such as if and when the exodus 'actually happened' and
thus leaves more room for in-depth discussions of other issues. This
new edition has two completely new sections: one titled The Rise and
Formation of Scripture and another titled Toward the Gospel. Together
they clarify the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and
will help every reader understand why the New Testament cannot be
understood except in the light of the Old.
Volume 2: Prophetic Traditions
The books of the Old Testament prophets abound with
enigmas tending to leave the modern reader bewildered. Why did Amos
claim not to be a prophet? Did Hosea really marry a harlot at God's
command? Were Isaiah's famous "sign of Immanuel" and "servant poems"
really Messianic prophecies? Why all the strange visions of Ezekiel,
and what do they mean? Above all, what is or was a "prophet" and what
was each one trying to say to his contemporaries?
Paul Tarazi's distinctive treatment of the prophetic books allows
him to answer all of these and other key questions in the second volume
of his trilogy of Old Testament Introductions. First examining in
detail Amos as a prototype of all the prophets and then focusing solely
on the unique message and characteristics of each of the others, he is
able to treat important issues with a dept rarely attained in an
introductory work.
The second volume parallels the first in its elucidation of the
various levels of tradition present in the Old Testament books it
surveys. Tarazi leads his reader to an understanding of the prophet as
an individual and of his message as he preached it personally to his
contemporaries. He shows how each subsequent layer of tradition did not
obscure that message but rendered it understandable and applicable to
later generations. Tarazi's explanation of the process does the same
for our own generation, “illuminating the lengthy and, at times,
meandering path of God's 'prophetic word' over the centuries." Volume 3: Psalms & Wisdom
The psalm's importance to Christians cannot be overstated, since
more of the church's services as well as private prayers are drawn from
them than from any other part of scripture, yet as Paul Tarazi shows in
this conclusion to his Old Testament Introduction trilogy, it is
impossible to understand them merely by reading English translations. Fr
Tarazi provides essential background un the language, history, and
culture of those who first wrote, used, and edited these psalms,
leading to sometimes surprising new understandings of common terms such
as "king," "God," "Lord," and "righteousness." Along the way he
explains how and why the psalms were used in prayer, and what we can
learn about prayer itself. His discussion of Wisdom literature
illuminates the very concept of "scripture," and that in turn leads to
an in-depth explanation of how the Old Testament and New Testament do
indeed make up a single, unified Christian scripture in which the Old
Testament has an essential role not inferior to the New Testament.
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 | The Passion of Christ
by Veselin Kesich
Scr6
The passion narrative is at the heart of Christianity and the suffering
and death of Christ on the cross takes a central role in any
discussions between Christians and non-Christians. The 2004 film Passion of the Christ
provoked strong reactions from Christians and non-Christians alike,
running the gamut from alarm and repulsion at the violence to geniune
religious experience. The film also brought to the fore discussions of
the importance of the Cross to Christianity and the perceived
anti-Semitism of the Gospels. Professor Kesich addresses both of these
issues in this re-release of his 1965 edition. He expertly addresses
questions of anti-Semitism and the family quarrels between Jews and
Christians in the historical context as well as explaining the trial of
Jesus and the purpose his suffering.
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 | The First Day of the New Creation - the Resurrection and the Christian Faith
by Veselin Kesich
Scr7
Christ is Risen! With this message, the Church
announces the good news of salvation and hope for mankind throughout
the ages. And Christ's resurrection is indeed the first and decisive
moment in the life of the Church, which lives and moves toward it
through the power of the Spirit. In this book, Veselin Kesich,
Professor Emeritus of New Testament at St Vladimir's Seminary, examines
the resurrection faith of the early Church, proceeding from an analysis
of the idea of resurrection in pre-Christian and New Testament times,
moving through the central events themselves and exploring their
significance for all creation at all times. He particularly stresses
that the testimony to Christ's resurrection comes from the discovery of
the empty tomb, his appearances to his disciples and the coming of the
Spirit upon them. Weaving together a detailed investigation of
the biblical evidence, the tradition and artistic expression of the
Church and contemporary scholarship, the author provides both an
illuminating study of the topic of resurrection and a joyful
celebration of the fact that Christ truly "has been raised from the
dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep."
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 | Treasures of the Holy Land
by Veselin and Lydia W. Kesich
Scr8
This journey through the Holy Land with Veselin Kesich, professor
emeritus of New Testament at St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological
Seminary, and his wife Lydia provides new insights and illumines the
sites with historical and scriptural background information, thus
providing the reader with a new understanding of the biblical
narrative. The vivid descriptions focus on all levels of influence:
Hellenistic, Roman, Jewish, early Christian, Byzantine, Muslim, and
modern. Join the authors as they travel through Galilee and the
cites of the Decapolis, visiting Caesarea Philippi, Capernaum, Tiberius
and Nazareth; through the cities surrounding Jerusalem: Bethlehem,
Gethsemane, Bethany; and into the Judean desert, to Masada, Qumran, and
the desert monastery of Mar Saba. Illustrated with twenty exquisite
line drawings and four maps.
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