Essays and Books in Logos: Fall 2012

It's August and so a young editor's thoughts turn naturally to the upcoming fall issue of Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies. We have received a number of interesting new scholarly articles which are making their way through the channels of editorial and peer-review just now. One that has been accepted already is by the priest-historian Oliver Herbel, "An Old World Response to a New World Situation: Greek Clergy in the Service of the Russian Mission to America."

Several fascinating shorter essays will also be featured, including one by Christopher Johnson (noted below) and another by the priest Robert Wild, of Madonna House, treating the question of the place of Catherine de Hueck Doherty in Russia's so-called Silver Age and its contribution to East-West rapprochement.

We also have our usual large array of book reviews. Logos, in fact, reviews in just one issue more new books in Eastern Christian studies than the next six comparable journals (at least) combined.


Reviews include one from Michael Plekon of Changing Churches: An Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran Theological Conversation, whose authors, Mickey Mattox and A.G. Roeber, I interviewed here. Plekon offers a critical but generally appreciative review.


Plekon also reviews Le jour de Saint-Esprit by Mother Maria Skobtsova (Sainte Marie de Paris), published by Cerf in Paris in 2011.


Gloria Dodd, a Mariologist at the University of Dayton's international Marian Institute, reviews Leslie Brubaker and Mary B. Cunningham, The Cult of the Mother of God in Byzantium, noting that this is a rich collection of diverse scholarly articles treating liturgics, archaeology, iconography, and much else besides.

Matthew Baker reviews the latest in the "Russian front" translated by Boris Jakim and published by Eerdmans: Sergius Bulgakov, Relics and Miracles: Two Theological Essays, on which I briefly commented here. Baker notes the significance of the publication of the original in 1918, just as the iconoclastic work of the Russian Revolution was in full swing--and also the year Bulgakov was himself ordained a priest. Baker calls this book of Bulgakov's "highly recommended."

The Greek Orthodox canonist Lewis Patsavos, emeritus of Holy Cross College in Brookline, reviews the most recent book from the prolific and influential Russian Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, Orthodox Christianity Volume I: The History and Canonical Structure of the Orthodox Church, noting that this is a valuable and important book but one with a definite and limiting Russian-centred focus.


Prof. Margaret Schatkin of Boston College and Seongmoon Ahn, of Boston University, together review the collection of essays Reading Patristic Texts on Social Ethics: Issues and Challenges for Twenty-First-Century Christian Social Thought. This collection, edited by Johan Verstraeten, Johan Leemans, and Brian Matz, was published last year by Catholic University of America Press.


Brian Butcher reviews the latest book of the Armenian theologian Vigen Guroian, The Melody of Faith: Theology in an Orthodox Key. Butcher appreciates the uniqueness and richness of this volume and its approach, but also notes it has some areas that give one pause.

The Byzantine liturgical scholar, and all-around fine fellow Nicholas Denysenko, reviews the translation by Steven Hawkes-Teeples (whom I interviewed here) of The Liturgical Commentaries: St. Symeon of Thessalonika.

Helene Moussa, the curator of St. Mark's Coptic Museum in Toronto, reviews a very timely book from Vivian Ibrahim, The Copts of Egypt: The Challenges of Modernisation and Identity. Moussa says that "this book is without any doubt a very significant contribution to a critical understanding of Copts and the Egyptian nation and state, as well as to the history of Middle Eastern Christians."

Moussa also reviews the scholarly collection, edited by Sharon Gerstel and Robert Nelson, Approaching the Holy Mountain: Art and Liturgy at St Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai.

The Eastern canonist Alexander Laschuk reviews David Heath-Stade's Marriage as the Arena of Salvation: An Ecclesiological Study of the Marital Regulation in the Canons of the Council in Trullo.

Habtemichael Kidane reviews Mibratu Kiros Gebru's Miaphysite Christology.


Christopher Johnson (whom I interviewed here) has a long review essay on Orthodox spirituality as treated in several books by John Romanides and Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos; and a shorter review of Veronica della Dora's fascinating book Imagining Mount Athos: Visions of a Holy Place, from Homer to World War II, which the publisher just brought out in a very affordable paperback. I interviewed Dora here.


Notre Dame's scholar of Islam, Gabriel Said Reynolds, whom I hope to interview later this year about his new book noted here, reviews David Bertaina's recent book,  as I noted here. I interviewed Bertaina last summer. 

There will be short reviews in the fall issue, as well as much else. What is stopping you from subscribing--today?